By Nora Chopra
ATTENTION OF CONGRESS LEADERS ON RAHUL’S RALLY, APRIL 19
Now that Rahul Gandhi is finally back to Delhi, all eyes are set on Rahul Gandhi who would make his appearance on April 19 for the kisan rally. Questions are being asked about the whereabouts of Rahul Gandhi. Where was Rahul Gandhi? While the general speculation is that he was somewhere in Myanmar doing vipassana but there is also contradictory report that claims that he was neither doing vipassana nor any introspection but he was having fun in Italy. He left Delhi without informing anyone after a spat with Priyanka who is supposed to have told him that he should wait for some more time and let mother lead the party since if he becomes the president just now, the party would split. At this Rahul was furious and said then why was I called from abroad. I was not interested. He left Delhi the same night for Bangkok without informing anyone and from Bangkok he went to London .and from London he flew to Italy to join his childhood friend Sameer Sharma, the son of family friend Satish Sharma. He spent most of the time in Italy with Sameer and both even stayed in a fancy hotel ‘villa d estra’ for a week in lake comet. Rahul could however be mollified only when Sonia appointed some PCC chiefs of his choice but stayed the sacking of Bajwa that has become a prestige issue for Rahul. The Congress brass is watching the intrigues of the palace. As the Congress is divided between Sonia and Rahul supporters. The final decision has been left to Sonia. Even the Sonia camp has been heard saying Soniaji hamari leader hai. We will accept whatever she would decide.
SANJAY JOSHI’S GROWING CLOUT GIVES JITTERS TO MODI-SHAH DUO
The ghost of Narendra Modi’s bette noire Sanjay Joshi continues to haunt him and Amit Shah. They are so scared of his growing clout in the RSS and his popularity within the BJP that even after becoming the all mighty prime minister; Modi had to lobby with the RSS to stop them from promoting Joshi. Similarly anyone who is seen or heard praising Joshi is summoned by Amit Shah and warned of dire consequences. On April 6 on Joshi’s birthday, some posters congratulating Joshi were put up in the capital by Nitin Sardare, the APS to the union minister of state Sripat Naik. The posters carried Sanjay Joshi’s photograph as well as Sardare‘s photograph at the bottom. Amit Shah took strong exception to it . He summoned Naik and asked him who is this Sardare who has put up these posters. He then threatened him to either sack Sardare or be ready to be sacked himself. A perturbed Naik had no option but to remove Sardare from his office or else he could have lost his job.
NAQVI LIKELY TO GET PROMOTED IN GOVERNMENT
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is all set to be kicked up. Najma Heptullah has reconciled to the fact that it is time for her to say quits. Najma Heptullah before the meeting of the cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs started, told others who were present that she will soon resign from the union cabinet .She also told the other ministers that she might be appointed governor of Assam. Among those who were present included Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Najma even added, “On April 13, I will be seventy five and it is a good time to say adieu. Jaitley immediately looked at Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and said with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘you must be very happy’.
RAJNATH SINGH MISSED A CHANCE OF GIVING A FIERY SPEECH
Union home minister Rajnath Singh was very keen to deliver a charged up inspirational speech at the Shaurya Auditorium of the central reserve police force but then he encountered an unexpected problem. His lift got stuck leaving the home minister and many other officials along with him stranded. There were however whispers that the lift stopped functioning after too many officials had loaded themselves on the lift in the hope of being in close proximity to the HM. Help came immediately for the minister. A tool was fixed so that VIPs can be rescued from the defunct elevator. Singh however played magnanimous. He said he would be the last to leave. Singh finally reached the auditorium after all the drama but his speech lacked the expected bravado.
STATE CONGRESS LEADERS DIVIDED OVER LOYALTIES TO SONIA AND RAHUL
It is quite a new sight these days in the Congress head quarters of Akbar Road. Some unbelievable things are happening. All the top Congress leaders have sunk their differences and are working overtime to welcome Rahul Gandhi and make the kisan rally a success .Who could have believed a few months ago leaders like Digvijay Singh and Ahmad Patel can work together the way they are seen together these days. One is a Sonia loyalist and the other has been screaming at the top of his head for Rahul Gandhi’s coronation. But on the contrary, infighting between state leaders has only intensified. Amarinder Singh and Bajwa are fighting over who should be the president of the party Sonia or Rahul, Sheila Dixit and Ajay Maken too are on the opposite sides not keeping their differences a secret. As for the ex Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the CLP leader Kiran Choudhury, the party leadership depends mostly on Haryana leaders for the crowds for the kisan rally. But Rahul appointed CLP leader Kiran Choudhury. She has thrown her hands up. She told the high command that it was not possible for her to mobilise the crowds. It was after that, that the leadership turned to Hooda. Now both the groups Hooda and Kiran are holding separate meetings for the success of the rally. But the buzz is that both groups are working not so much for the success of the rally but for more to sabotage the efforts of each other. (IPA)