Nadda to fill 2 vacancies in Parliamentary Board

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

Nadda to fill 2 vacancies in Parliamentary Board

RACE begins between Nirmala & Irani 

Piyush Goyal, Pradhan, Javadekar in the reckoning too

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 22

With Jagat Prakash Nadda taking over as the President of the BJP, intense speculation has begun for two coveted posts in the party's Parliamentary Board.

All eyes are set on two women leaders – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Women & Child Development Minister Smriti Irani – as to who will make the cut in the powerful decision making body of the party. Two vacancies have been caused due to the untimely demise of Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj last year. Currently, the board has eight members as Amit Shah did not fill these two vacancies when he headed the party. However, B L Santosh was inducted into the board as general secretary incharge of the organisation in place of Ram Lal last year. There are  eight members in the board as of now and these vacancies are be filled shortly. It is expected that one vacancy caused by the demise of Sushma Swaraj will be filled by a woman leader.

Smriti Irani is claiming her right to be member of the Parliamentary Board as she trounced stalwart like Rahul Gandhi in Amethi and has been a star campaigner of the party. But she has been surrounded with controversies as well. The supporters of Nirmala Sitharaman say her performance as BJP leader had been outstanding and got one promotion after the other due to her performance and integrity. There is also speculation that Vijaya Rahatkar, president Mahila Morcha who is member of the Central Election Committee be brought to the board and a new woman member be sent to the CEC.

There are many in the queue for the seat that fell vacant due to the death of Arun Jaitley. Among them, the names of Railways & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum & Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, I&B and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar are being mentioned. Another suggestion is that some one from the North East or West Bengal be inducted in the board.

J P Nadda will take a call on filling these vacancies once the process of organisational polls is completed within the next 15 days and parliament's Budget session recess in February.

Ends 

Is Javadekar Filling Jaitley Void ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Is Javadekar Filling Jaitley Void ?

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Sep 8

Information & Broadcasting and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar seems to have emerged as the “point’s person” in the new Modi dispensation. Be it the briefing of the BJP or the Union Cabinet or the key announcement, its Prakash Javadekar all the way. Though Telecom & IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Railway & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum & Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have also been briefing the media from time to time for the past some time for party and the government.

But the way Prakash Javadekar was fielded to hold the press conference solo on the occasion of completion of successful 100 days of the Modi government left no one in doubt that he is the man to watch. Normally, press conferences on such occasions are held by senior ministers jointly. But Prakash Javadekar was given the sole responsibility to present the Modi 2.0's  100 days' report card creates an impression of his growing ratings in the Modi dispensation. Javadekar held the fort on a Sunday at a  mega press conference at the National Media Center and impressed by his handling of tricky questions with calm and finesse.

The party has been struggling to find a replacement of late Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who was a catalyst, crisis manager and spokesman of the party & government par excellence. Ever since he fell sick in earlier this year and died last month, the void was being felt. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is now the crisis manager and catalyst. But the search was on for a spokesman of party & government. Nirmala Sitharaman impressed the leadership by her strident defence on the Rafale deal in Parliament and gained in stature. Ravi Shankar Prasad is a veteran party leader too and senior in order of Precedence. Both of them have been addressing crucial press briefings too. But the party leadership fielded Prakash Javadekar to address the press conference today indicates his rising clout as a spokesman as well.

Fly on the wall : Even Padma Awards linked with Aadhaar

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Even Padma Awards linked with Aadhaar

Prime Minister Modi's liking for Aadhaar is setting a new milestone with the each passing day. The Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha who headed the Padma awards committee directed that all nominations for 2018 must be linked to Aadhaar. It has been decided that all nominations /recommendations for Padma Awards should be sent online only on the Padma portal designed specially by Ministry of Home Affairs. Anybody contemplating to recommend a person's name for these awards, must have Aadhaar card and the person who recommends first obtain an OTP number and feeds the OTP in the system and then alone he or she can make a recommendation. Cabinet Ministers, Governors and those holding key political posts have been signaled they shouldn't make recommendations in a routine manner. The Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories have been told to route recommendations through state governments. This was a signal to Pudducherry Governor Kiran Bedi that the mandate is for an elected government.

How Rudy was shown the door

“Fly” learnt an interesting tail how Skill Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's resignation went through the motions days before the major Cabinet rejig on September 3. Rudy was traveling when summoned by Shah on September 1. It is no secret that Shah calls the shot these days and scond in command; be it party or the government. Shah was sitting with General Secretary Ram Lal when Rudy was called inside the room. Without mincing words, Shah told Rudy, “The PM wants your resignation.” Rudy knew it was coming. Yet he developed the courage to ask, “When do I resign, Sir?” Shah shot back without blinking, “Right now.” Rudy's next raised eyebrows, “Shall I give it to you sir or to the PM?” Now Rudy got another shocker: No, you give it to Ram Lalji.” Rudy recovered and asked politely, “Shall I write the resignation here sir ?” Shah said, “No, you write in the ante room. Ram Lalji will collect.” Rudy handed over the letter to Ram Lal who emerged after a long time.

Nirmala at Number 26 in pecking order !

Nirmala Sitharaman may have jolted the nation all when PM Modi promoted her as Defence Minister. She became a key member of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) too in her capacity as Defence Minister. But if one examines the official website of the government listing names and portfolios of Council of Ministers, Nirmala Sitharaman's name figures at number 26. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the only Cabinet Minister who figures below her at number 27. All Cabinet Ministers including Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Maneka Gandhi are ranked upward in the serial. Efforts to elicit response didn't succeed. But sources in the BJP said that its the seniority in the party that matters most and now what you are in the government. She is the youngest member to join the BJP. Then why Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi listed below her ? The Fly didn't get a response. Some consolation !

Ex-CBI Director counting his days

Two former CBI directors – Ranjit Sinha and A P Singh – are facing tough times. While Sinha's case is being monitored by the Supreme Court directly after M L Sharma headed SIT submitted its report. But A P Singh seem to be counting his days as Enforcement Directorate (ED) has gathered enough evidence to book him in the money laundering case. His alleged accomplice meat exporter Moin Qureshi is in the ED custody and payment of Rs 1.75 crores to Qureshi to help a Bengaluru-based person in a CBI case, has sealed the fate. The BBM messages on mobile phones exchanged between Qureshi and Singh and other evidence have exposed the scam. The days seem to be numbered and it may happen sooner than expected. Singh was made to quit prematurely by the government from the UPSC and now his arrest is matter of days.

The turn of the nephews now

In a country of dynasties, the unmarried leaders can claim to be free from any such pressure. But not any more. It now transpires that BSP supremo Mayawati may launch her nephew Aakash shortly in politics. Since her brother Anand is involved in some cases with ED and IT and is a low profile person, Mayawati wants her legacy to be transferred to Aakash who has completed management studies from London. Similarly, Navin Patnaik may promote Arun Patnaik, son of his elder brother Prem Patnaik. Navin Patnaik sounded his sister Geeta Mehta. But she opted out and returned to the USA. Navin is now old and even sick as well. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is already replying heavily on her nephew Abhishek Banerjee who is a Lok Sabha MP.