“Old is Gold” in BJP, once again

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

“Old is Gold” in BJP, once again

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov. 2

After dumping party veterans to fend for themselves or dispatching some of them as governors, there is a sudden re-think in the BJP towards the 75 years old leaders. In a complete U-turn, the BJP announced Prem Kumar Dhumal as its Chief Ministerial face in Himachal Pradesh virtually at the fag end of the campaigning when he is set to turn 74 years shortly. As if this was not enough, the BJP president, Amit Shah, discarded the age-bar principle in Karnataka as well when he flagged off the “Nav Karnataka Parivarthana Yatra” today with B S Yedurappa. Interestingly, Yedurappa will turn 75 years January next and the Assembly polls will be held in May 2018. Yadurappa has been entrusted with the task of taking the state-wide padyatra. The 3-month long padyatra will be concluded by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Yedi's elevation as party's face is a clear indication that the old leader is back in favour and lead the party from the front. 

The elevation of these two veteran leaders as chief ministerial face in their respective states is a complete reversal of declared policy of Prime Minister Modi and BJP leadership. Only recently, the leadership sent packing Gujrat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel once she turned 75 years old. Though she was virtually having a running battle with Amit Shah. But she survived as Modi was lending his support to her. However, the day she turned 75, the age-bar clause set in and she quit. Rather, she chose to write an open letter to Shah saying that she is quitting as she has turned 75 years.

But the age-bar rule is passe now with the announcement of Dhumal as BJP's CM face and B S Yedurappa in toe in Karnataka. The development has raised hopes of a large number of party veterans who are sitting members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as they have been forced to cool their heels. Veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, have been inducted into the Margdarshak Mandal of the party which has not even met once in past 42 months of NDA-II rule. Dr Joshi told Lokmat that not a single meeting of the Mandal has been held. There are at least 12 sitting Mps who are above 75 years of age in the party and they all had played a key role in building the party from the scratch. They have not been given any work in the party either if it was decided that they won't be inducted as ministers. So much so that some of the sitting ministers of the union government were made to resign which included Najma Heptulla and Kalraj Mishra. But the rule has been broken as there is a re-think on this score in the party. It is found that the rule cannot work in a democratic set up unless workers and leaders are geared up to accept it. Yashwant Sinha's tirade against the leadership that “we all have been declared brain dead” had played some role in the re-think.

A senior Rajya Sabha member of the BJP who is over 75 years, said, “The party must find out some alternative mechanism how to utilize the services 75 years old leaders as they have done only party work throughout their life. They do not know anything.”

It seems that all 75 years leaders won't be treated with the same yardstick in the party henceforth. The “Old is gold” now.

Ends

Fly on the Wall :Is Shah Repenting filing Rs 100 cr. defamation case ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Is Shah Repenting filing Rs 100 cr. defamation case ?

BJP president Amit Shah may be rueing the day he decided to sue the news portal (thewire.in) for Rs 100 crores. At the hindsight, a feeling has crept in that he should have ignored it as the website made hardly any serious allegation of corruption per se against his son. It only published what was available in public domain and the website only collated information. A strong point-by-point denial by Jay Shah and his lawyers would have suffice. But fielding a Union Minister Piyush Goyal to deny charges (mind you; there were no charges) and declare filing defamation case of Rs 100 crores. It is now felt that the whole thing was avoidable. The case related to Jay Shah and party should have officially nothing to do with it. It will drag party also in the court as the party would have to prove it has been defamed. The fact that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took full three days to react and most of the senior ministers kept quiet is an indication that second thoughts crept in. It transpires that Amit Shah consulted only Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who deputed his erstwhile junior lawyer Manish Dogra to send notice to the website on behalf of Jay Shah. Jaitley may come to the fore after his return from the USA. But many in the party feel that the case should have been fought politically.

Who leaked “Shah Zada” story ?

The Capital is agog with all kinds of stories as to who leaked the juicy details of small time company of Jay Shah becoming big in turn over and diversifying into Solar business and then taking subsidy from the power ministry. One speculation is that Amit Shah's detractors within the party in Delhi helped out in carrying out research and investigation. Another source attributed it to a former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel who does not see eye-to-eye with Amit Shah. There is no dearth of people in Gandhinagar who are after Amit Shah's blood within his own party. However, sources close to Amit Shah deny that it was an insider's job as its not a story at all. They believe it was done at the instance of the “secular forces” who want oxygen at any cost.

Pay Rs 75000, file Rs 100 crore case

Do you know how much is the court fee to file a defamation case against a person to file defamation case to the tune of Rs 100 crores in Gujrat ? Top lawyers tell me that in Gujrat the fee for civil cases of such nature is just Rs 75000. There is cap under the law to charge court fee. while in Delhi, the fee is astonishingly high. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had to deposit a whopping court fee of Rs 10 lakhs to file Rs ten crores defamation case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sources say that the fee was high earlier in Gujrat too. But it was  brought down a couple of years ago.

Nitin Gadkari has reasons to grumble 

Road Transport, Shipping & Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has reasons to be upset. At least his supporters are extremely angry. Though Gadkari is keeping his mouth shut,his supporters feel that he was wronged in 2012 when he was made to resign from BJP president's post. He had to quit merely because the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram sent an Income Tax officer to probe a case against the Purti group. Gadkari was made to quit merely because an IT officer knocked at the door of his office. Its a different matter that Gadkari was given the clean chit in the case by the UPA government itself in the case. But in the instant case the family friends and companies helped the son of BJP chief and no questions are being raised. Rather, a minister was deputed to defend the son. Why two parameters ?  Gadkari supporters grumble. It is however pointed out that in the Gadkari case, the IT officer knocked at the door for a roving inquiry. In the Shah case, it was a handiwork of party's detractors. Understand it right. 

Advani gets his lifeline back

The presence of veteran BJP leader L K Advani at the Dussehra day speech of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Nagpur may have raised many an eyebrows. It was speculated in the media that Advani went to Nagpur without an invitation etc etc. However, it has now emerged that the RSS leadership invited him and gave him a rousing reception at the airport when he landed with his daughter Pratibha Advani and private secretary deepak chopra the previous night. He also a prolonged meeting with the top RSS leadership including Mr Bhagwat after the speech. Bhagwat's speech rattled the BJP leadership in Delhi is no secret. But political analysts wonder if there is any significance as the critical speech was made in the presence of veteran Advani ? After all, the RSS has reasons to be unhappy as the BJP leadership didn't heed to its advice to make Dr Murli Manohar Joshi party candidate for the post of President. The BJP opted for Ram Nath Kovind.

Guess how cases are dug out !

The Delhi Police has dug out an eve teasing case from the archives after several years against the son of a Constitutional authority after he demitted office. Though the Delhi Police had to register an FIR of eve teasing as existing laws are very strict. But the case never progressed even after the UPA government lost power. Delhi Police dug out the copy of an old FIR and wants to take the case to its logical conclusion. However, the constitutional dignitary is unfazed even after retirement recently saying that it has no meat in it and complaint is bogus. The matter has now been referred to the Union Home Ministry as Delhi Police is under it.

All eyes on Gujrat’s three RS seats

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special report

All eyes on Gujrat’s three RS seats

Anandiben Patel Vice President contender ?

  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, March 31

  

The Capital is agog with intense speculation that BJP president Amit Shah and Anandiben Patel, former Gujrat Chief Minister may quit as MLA after the Presidential polls due to be held in July this year.

Since MLAs in states along with MPs constitute electorate college for the Presidential polls, both have chosen to stay put. But the moment presidential poll is over, they will quit. Interestingly, both will have their own reasons to quit their respective seats in the Gujrat Assembly.

Highly placed sources close to the BJP president say that Amit Shah will prefer to come to the Rajya Sabha in August when biennial polls for three RS seats will be held in Gujrat. BJP’s Smriti Irani, Union Textiles Minister, and Dilipbhai Pandya ill be completing their six year terms as MPs from Gujrat. Ahmad Patel of the Congress will also complete his term in the Rajya Sabha. Given the composition of the State Assembly, the BJP will be able to retain its two seats while the Congress will get one seat easily.

While Amit Shah coming to the Rajya Sabha is considered a foregone conclusion, it’s the second seat that has led to intense political speculation within the party. While a section of the BJP says that Anandiben Patel may be brought in Rajya Sabha for the second seat and get a Cabinet berth and Smriti Irani may move to UP to occupy the seat to be vacated by Manohar Parrikar who is now Chief Minister Goa. Parrikar is Rajya Sabha MP from UP at present.

But what has caused enormous interest in political circles is the talk that Anandiben Patel may even be brought in as Vice President of India. The BJP and NDA have a clear majority to get its own candidate elected as Vice President. Though various names are being mentioned for the post including that of M Venkiah Naidu, Minister for Urban Development, Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gahlot, P Sadasivam, former Chief Justice of India and Governor of Kerala and others. But Anandben Patel’s claim to the post is stronger compared to others, these sources say.

She was removed as Chief Minister and has been cooling her heels quietly for long. She herself is a Patidar and was considered to PM Modi who anointed her as his successor in Gujrat. Since Gujrat Assembly polls will be round the corner, her elevation will help the BJP during the elections as well.