Worried Pawar deputes Patel on Congress crisis

Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

New Delhi, Aug 26

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is extremely worried over the internal crisis developing in the Congress Party. Since the Congress is the catalyst for the unity among the Opposition parties in the country, any weakening at this juncture will have a direct bearing on the stability of many Opposition ruled states.

It was primarily because of this very reason that he deputed his Man-Friday and NCP general secretary Praful Patel to keep a close watch on the development and get an update at the earliest. It was perhaps because of this very reason that Praful Patel rushed here from Mumbai yesterday and is camping here.

When contacted, Praful Patel told Lokmat, “We have no role in the internal affairs of the Congress. Of course, it’s a matter of concern as we are running a government in Maharashtra in alliance with Congress and any such development may have a bearing.” When asked if he had talked to Congress leaders, he smiled and said, “We talk to everybody on a daily basis. We want Congress to be strengthened and become a strong party so that the Maharashtra experiment can be taken at the national level.” However, he declined to say anything on the issue and also clarified that the main purpose of his visit here was to attend the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Finance. 

If sources are to be believed, many top Congress leaders were talking to Praful Patel on a daily basis. The NCP sees an opportunity in the Congress if there is another split in the party as it happened in 1999. “Any such development will prove the point Sharad Pawar has been making for a long time that Rahul Gandhi is not capable of leading the Congress,” said another senior NCP leader on the condition of anonymity. Patel is understood to have briefed Pawar on the internal crisis which has been pushed under the carpet for now.

More Dalit Lok Sabha MPs upset with BJP leadership

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

More Dalit Lok Sabha MPs upset with BJP leadership

Dissidence rising in Haryana, UP, Bihar Rajasthan, Delhi   

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Dec. 9

After Savitri Bai Phule,  a Lok Sabha MP from UP who quit the BJP, a number of other BJP MPs are contemplating to raise a banner of revolt. Encouraged by example set in by the first time MP who was a staunch BJP loyalist,  these MPs are also on course to raise their dissatisfaction against the party. It transpires that majority of these MPs belong to the Scheduled Caste community who feel completely orphaned  as neither the Centre and nor the BJP ruled Chief Ministers listen to their grievances. They feel that Dalits have been the worst sufferers in the BJP dispensation in states and the Centre.

These MPs have started meeting in groups lately and telling their supporters that they would have to chart out their own course in future. While film-star turn politician Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad are known dissidents, Dharamvir of Haryana has also joined the ranks. At least five Dalit MPs belonging to UP have told the high command that they won’t stay in the party if their community’s oppression continued.  A dalit MP from Delhi has already voiced his concern at a party forum recently saying that he would be left with no alternative but to quit the party. No one in the meeting even pacified him.

A Union Minister from Haryana is already holding parleys to float his own party while the other Haryana Minister is peeved that his services were not utilized in the recently held assembly polls. He is being treated as an outcast and politically undermined.

A BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh who is part of this exercise told Lokmat on the condition of anonymity that discontent is simmering in the party in a big way. Irrespective of the outcome of the Assembly polls, a number of MPs will “start talking” and no more be subservient to the high command.

Some of these MPs are aware that they will not get the tickets during the May 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the high command had already indicated that 50 sitting MPs will lose their tickets. Though the 75-year cut off date formula may not be applied strictly, but at least 15 of the oldies will be rested by the party.

These sources say that number of dissidents may swell if the BJP loses all the three major Hindi speaking states on December 11.

Ends

Lokmat Sanskarache Moti

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Winners with the President!

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Dual charge of Defence puts Jaitley in a spot

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Exclusive report

Dual charge of Defence puts Jaitley in a spot

  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, March 23

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley found himself in a tight spot when he took over as Defence Minister’s charge after Manohar Parrikar demitted office earlier this month.

The piquant situation arose because as Defence Minister he will have the financial powers to buy weapon systems of Rs 2000 crores on his own without going to any other ministry or the PMO.

In fact, earlier this power was Rs 500 crores to the Defence Ministers. But the PM Narendra Modi enhanced from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2000 crore to buy weapon systems when Parrikar was Defence Minister.

Modi also directed through an executive order that the combined financial powers of the Defence and Finance Ministers will be Rs 3000 crores. The Defence & Finance Minister need not come to the Cabinet or to the PMO before buying defence equipment and they together can decided decide between them to buy up to  Rs 3,000 crore. The decision to enhance the financial power of the key acquisition related ministers has been taken at the apex level by the Prime minister. The order was issued to enable  services to carry out low valued essential purchases without waiting to get clearances. It had been a long pending demand of the services as one of the measures to speed up acquisitions.

However, with Jaitley assuming the charge of Finance & Defence ministries, he holds the power to buy weapon systems up to Rs 3000 crores.

It is authoritatively learnt that he raised the issue of with the PM recently that he holds only an additional responsibility until the new person arrives. Therefore, it will be not be desirable that he sit on judgment of two ministries for buying equipment. He is reported to have told the PM that a way be found to resolve the dilemma.  When asked Jaitley told Lokmat informally that this issue has certainly put him in an awkward situation.

Ends  

Modi placates Parrikar, Gives more buying power

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi placates Parrikar, Gives more buying power

But Parrikar wants to return to Goa

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 13

It came as a shot in the arm of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. In a recent order, Prime Minister Narendra Modi armed Parrikar with enormous financial powers and more leeway to improve defence procurement and services.

In a far reaching development, the Prime Minister enhanced Parrikar’s financial muscle four fold in one go. The Defence Ministers prior to Parrikar, had the financial power to purchase defence equipment & systems for Rs 500 crores only at their level.

However, Parrikar was handed down the power to purchase defence systems & platform to the tune of Rs 2000 crores. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared this proposal last week brought before it by the PMO. After this order, Parrikar need not go to the Cabinet or any other ministry seeking sanction before buying equipment upto Rs 2000 crores. Parrikar was also given additional power to purchase equipment worth Rs 3000 crores. However, Parrikar will require the sanction of the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley for purchases above Rs 2000 crores to Rs 3000 crores.  

The big shot for Parrikar came at a time when the Defence Minister has been publicly expressing his desire to return to state politics in Goa. While the BJP president Amit Shah and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari only hinted that Parrikar’s return to state politics may be considered, the Defence Minister declared that he will go back.

When Lokmat recently talked to him informally about all the talk of going back to the state, he said, “yes.” He went on to say, “Can’t you see, I have lost my weight here.” Parrikar was talking literally as he had lost almost five kg of his weight during the past one year. The reason given by him was that the food here was bad and even the water didn’t suit him. However, Modi’s move to arm Parrikar with more leeway and powers is aimed at placating him and retaining him in the Lutyen’s Delhi as there isn’t enough talent in the party to hold the key portfolio.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is already handicapped due to her recent kidney transplant and her functional capability has come down drastically. The performance of some of the senior Cabinet Ministers is also very poor and some of the performing ministers do not enjoy PM’s confidence either.

Therefore, it will be extremely difficult for Modi to spare Parrikar for Goa under the circumstances. However, Parrikar is determined to return to his home state irrespective of the poll outcome.

Parrikar’s argument is that the BJP in Goa is sinking and he alone can hold the ship given the political situation.

THE BUSINESS OF POLITICS

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

While the Supreme Court has, in its indisputable wisdom, held it unnecessary to probe the mysterious scribbling on confiscated files of Sahara and Aditya Birla Group officials regarding payments made to politicians, the cloud of suspicion will not lift anytime soon. It is largely because that politics in India is fuelled almost entirely by illicit financing from corporate. In the 2013 CBI raid on Hindalco, the ABG company, a set of documents was recovered from the computer of the CEO which read: “Gujarat CM—Rs. 25 crore. 12 paid. 13?” Yet another Income-Tax Department raid in November 2014 on the Noida office of the Sahara Group led to seizure of computer data pointing to distribution of Rs 115 crore to political leaders specifically identified. Rs 40 crores given at Ahmedabad to “Modiji”. Rs 10 crores given to “CM Madhya Pradesh”. Rs 4 crore to “CM of Chattisgarh”. Rs 1 crore to “CM of Delhi” (Shiela Dixit at that time). The attempts by the companies to make these appear to be innocuous business transactions were ludicrous. The Hindalco CEO told investigators all he meant by “Gujarat CM” was “Gujarat Alkalis and Chemicals.” Then what did “C” and “M” stand for? The official had no answer.

Published in LokmatTimes on 17th Jan

The honourable Supreme Court, however, has found these papers to be of “little evidentiary value” as there was no “corroborating evidence”. In the context of Indian politicians, I don’t see how rational it is to expect that politicians would accept illegal payments and issue signed receipts. Nor will the alleged payment show up on the list of assets of the payee. Even if it did, it would not be an easy job for the investigator to access the VIP account book. On the other hand, the practice followed from Jain Hawala case in the 90’s is to let investigators carry on with their job regardless of proof of receipt. In the Jain Hawala case, the court issued “continuousmandamus” to CBI to find evidence for prosecution. It is another thing that the exercise was a blot on the judiciary as everything was done at the instance of the SC and it was thrown into the dustbin by the SC later.

More significantly, to close investigation into such doubtful payments on the ground of their inadmissibility as evidence may weaken the government’s case against, say, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The party’s MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal were in CBI custody and now in judicial lock up. Their detention is largely due to jottings in a diary reportedly belonging to Gautam Kundu, owner of Rose Valley Corporation, a Ponzi-scheme firm (much like Sahara) which is alleged to have had collected nearly Rs 20,000 crore by duping the public with promises of unrealistic returns. Until sufficient evidence is obtained to prosecute the MPs, it will not only weaken CBI’s case but add credence to TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge. It was Ms Banerjee who charged that her party is a victim of witch hunt as she was the first to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s November 8 decision to scrap 500- and 1000-rupee notes.

Published in LOKMAT on 17th Jan

It is obvious that the ‘great Indian swindle’ of winning elections and extending political influence with corporate slush funds and, increasingly, with money collected from ordinary people by modern avatars of fraudster Charles Ponzi a century ago, is not easy to go. It is linked with a section (29C) in the Representation of the People Act that allows donors under Rs 20,000 to go anonymous. It is not difficult to see that the invisible donors, who contribute nearly 70-80 per cent of the funds of political parties, are channelling either tax-evaded cash of business houses, or it is, as is increasingly evident, a large share of ordinary people’s savings.

Can this evil be fought off by streamlining the election law? The Prime Minister has lent (verbal) support to a move to bring down the limit of ‘anonymous donation’ to political parties from Rs 20,000 to its one-tenth, Rs 2,000. Alternatively, there are suggestions to change the law by making all political donations open to public viewing, as is the practice in most western democracies. It may be a good beginning for cleansing the political system. But is it enough?

Published in Lokmat Samachar on 17th Jan

I doubt it. Electoral politics in India was always expensive due to the country’s size, not to speak of its topographic and cultural diversity. Over the decades, it has been witnessed that mere cost of election campaign is a fraction. On the other hand, it involves coaxing and cajoling pressure groups to stay on board, which is costly. Caste leaders or clan heads need to be kept happy. The hands of support are extended to the highest bidder. Election also involves winning over a sizeable chunk of the bureaucracy. On the election day, a ‘friendly’ police chief or an ‘amiable’ magistrate is worth a thousand ordinary party workers.

It is obvious that the funds required for such a gigantic operation cannot be sourced from nameless ‘well-wishers’. Nor can corporate houses alone bear the cost, as the chief source of their expendable black wealth, is shrinking following trade contraction worldwide. The tax evasion through over-invoicing or under-invoicing is becoming extremely difficult world-wide. The future of political funding will, therefore, rest on Ponzi operations like those of Sahara, Rose Valley or the infamous Saradha Finance, also involving the TMC party. Investigation of Saradha and Rose Valley have shown that their tentacles have spread far and wide—to Haryana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam and Jharkhand, not to speak of West Bengal. The ordinary Indian has strong saving instincts but few instruments to save. Banks are rare, a stark fact that came to light in the wake of the recent demonetisation. Poor man is dependable on these swindlers in every nook and corner of the country as banks were never for the poor. That makes the common man a prey of fund swindlers, so long as they are ready to share the booty with politicians powerful enough to protect them.

LONELY AT THE TOP

As the trust deficit rising, Modi is increasingly becoming a loner

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will baffle psychologists. When it comes to strategising, he is a Gujarati Napoleon. Before the budget session of Parliament, nobody thought he could move an inch on the trickiest of issues, the land acquisition bill. Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha stood like a rock to thwart the bill. But now there are chinks in the wall and many are betting in favour of the bill’s success. But when it is about handling people, Modi is prone to tie himself up in knots, or to fly off the handle. He is at his best when left to himself, but he is also ok when abroad, as he currently is. Problems are all at home.  

Modi & Muffler Man

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Death of political parties is too visible & worrisome

The Delhi assembly results that are on every television screen now are significant not just for the surprise element. With BJP losing its sheen just nine months after its epochal victory, or so it seemed, in the May Lok Sabha polls, the election in the city state raises crucial questions on the very nature of politics.