By Nora Chopra
The Congress is isolated as the UPA is disintegrating. While the BJP does not need allies after it got a majority on its own the n Congress is fast losing its allies. While TMC had already parted company with it followed by the DMK, Paswan has crossed over to the BJP. Lalu is not there and relationship with the NCP has soured after the Congress’ decimation in Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections. Sharad Pawar has been insisting on a change of the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in view of the ensuing assembly election. Pawar has met Ahmad Patel and AK Antony to persuade them on replacing Chavan who has been a total failure. Pawar however suggested the name of Sushil Kumar Shinde, a Dalit and the former home minister. But the arrogance which has been the basic characteristic of the leadership has saved the flop chief minister of Maharashtra. The thinking in the Congress is how can Pawar dictate terms to the Congress. Second, Shinde may be a lucky man but as home minister he was the worst and he lacks the competence of recovering the prospects of the party. He himself has lost an election. The party does not want to surrender its Maratha space to Pawar. If things do not work out the NCP too is likely to sever ties from the Congress. The Congress has no ally in Andhra or in Telengana. The TRS too has decided to go alone in Telangana. Even in Jammu and Kashmir the alliance with the national conference is on the brink and most likely to party will have to go on its own in the hill stat. That leaves the party with just small allies like the Muslim League in Kerala and the Kerala Congress.
AFTER LOSING PASWAN, CONGRESS BLAMES LALU
Congress is now blaming Lalu Prasad Yadav for pushing Ram Vilas Paswan to the BJP. Congress leadership is also upset with Lalu for creating hurdles for the Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad in getting a Rajya Sabha nomination from the JD (U) quota. Contrary to the general perception that it was Congress leadership that forced the exit of Ram Vilas Paswan to the BJP, the real reason was that since the Congress was totally dependent on Lalu they could not strike the deal with Paswan. The latter wanted ten seats and Lalu was not willing to give that many. So Paswan had no option but to leave. The other issue that can cause a rift between Lalu and the Congress is the denial of Rajya Sabha seat to Shakeel Ahmad. While Nitish Kumar wanted a tie-up with the Congress at the national level and in view if that the JD(U) offered a Rajya Sabha to their Bihar interlocutor Shakeel Ahmad. Ahmad who had been lobbying for a Rajya Sabha each time there were Rajya Sabha biennial elections. But each time he failed to make it. But this time he was sure he would make but for Lalu who wanted a seat for his wife Rabri Devi. He put a spanner and Shakeel again lost the race.
RELIANCE SIDELINES HONEST BUREAUCRAT
Governments may come and governments may go but some people remain powerful forever. And if you happen to be Mukesh Ambani power becomes your birthright. Congress or BJP: Mukesh Ambani continues to be the most powerful man in the country. RN Chaubey, an IAS officer Tamil Nadu cadre 1981 batch had his appointment as additional secretary in the PMO in place of Shankar Singh cleared by the ACC on 12 June. When he reached the PMO, he was told to hang on. Finally, it was rejected after several days of uncertainty. Chaubey was additional secretary power before his appointment in the PMO and before that he was DG in Directorate General of Hydrocarbons under the ministry of petroleum where he was supposed to have crossed swords with the Reliance group on the KG Basin issue. It is said that it was Reliance that ensured that he does not get his appointment in the PMO.
AMIT SHAH REJECTS AHMAD’S EXTENSION
Javed Ahmad, an upright officer working as joint director CBI, has been made a scapegoat in the cross fire between the CBI director Ranjit Sinha and the home secretary Anil Goswami. Goswami, who was engaged in a running feud with Ranjit Sinha over the appointment of Ranjit Pachnanda, took his revenge by denying Javed the extension. Javed’s tenure had to end in June, so the CBI director sent to the home secretary a note seeking his extension in March. But Goswami who is at loggerheads with Ranjit Sinha sat on it for three months waiting for the regime to change. Once the Modi government took over, it was rejected. Goswami is supposed to have blamed Amit Shah for the rejection of his extension.
SMRITI TO INTERPRET MAMATA’S MALADIES
While all his other cheer girls who spent two years defending him have been left to sulk, Narendra Modi’s blue-eyed girl Smriti Irani is going strength to strength. After being made the cabinet minister of the powerful HRD she has now been given another important assignment close to Modi’s heart. Smriti who is half Bengali because her mother is Bengali and can speak the language fluently has been assigned the job of an interlocutor between Modi and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Her job will be to engage Mamata politically and convince her on issues like the land boundary and Teesta water sharing. Smriti will be going to Kolkata in the first week of July to talk to Mamata. Given the present situation where BJP is spreading its wings putting Mamata on the offensive and the mercurial nature of the chief minister, how successful would Smriti be is yet to be seen. (IPA)