Congress gives itself 53 seats in MCD
The Congress is waiting for the BJP to release its list of Delhi municipality election candidates before it releases its own. An internal survey done by the Congress has given it 53 out of 272 seats. It may come second in another 65 seats. Ajay Maken had convinced Rahul Gandhi to give tickets to BJP’s sitting corporators, who will most likely not be repeated by the BJP. But now Kuldeep Bishnoi, who was appointed the observer, has given his independent report to Rahul Gandhi against Maken. Gandhi was forced to constitute a three-member committee comprising Anand Sharma, Manicka Tagore and Randeep Surjewala to look into the complaint.
A Muslim could be made Vice President
Who will be India’s President and Vice President? Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to throw a googly, which will take both the BJP and the opposition by surprise. Despite pressures from within the BJP, neither L.K. Advani nor M.M. Joshi will make the cut, unless they are exonerated by the CBI. Kalyan Singh too will not be the nominee for Vice President. One name doing the rounds is that of Congress’ Meira Kumar, a Dalit. The Congress may suggest the name of former Chief Justice of India, T.S. Thakur. Another name doing the rounds is that of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Till date, India has not had an OBC president. Making Mulayam President will help Modi emerge as the sole leader of the OBCs. But the real googly will be making a Muslim the Vice President—perhaps Najma Heptullah, who is now the Governor of Manipur. The other name is of former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung.
Will SP split?
Is the Samajwadi Party heading for a split? Akhilesh Yadav has declared the name of Balia MLA Ram Govind Choudhury as the leader of his party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, which makes Choudhury the Leader of the Opposition. But Mulayam Singh Yadav wants to make Azam Khan the LOP.
However, if Azam Khan is made the LOP then there is bound to be Hindu polarisation against the SP. At the same time, unless there is Hindu polarisation, how can Mulayam become the saviour of Muslims in Adityanath’s UP? Where this leaves the SP is yet to be seen. The other parties too are being cautious in declaring the leaders of their respective parties in the Assembly.
Get us PK
No one knows where Prashant Kishor, Congress’ UP election strategist is. Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh have put up advertisements announcing Rs 5 lakh as reward if anyone can give the whereabouts of Kishor. This ad is making the rounds of social media.
Dwivedi buys a house
The possibility of an overhaul in the Congress may soon become a reality as permanent faces in the party’s top posts have started packing their bags. Janardan Dwivedi is said to have bought a house in Delhi’s Neb Sarai. He is all ready to shift as his Rajya Sabha term comes to an end. Digvijaya Singh, whose exit is almost final, is apparently putting the blame of the Goa fiasco on Rahul Gandhi, by claiming that the delay in finalising the leader there was because the party vice-president had given him the name of an AICC secretary. Digvijaya tried to build a consensus on that name but no one agreed.
Naveen wants Gita in politics
There is a buzz that writer Gita Mehta will be the Chief Minister of Odisha, when her brother, Naveen Patnaik takes a sabbatical abroad for treatment. It is being said that he may need ten months to recuperate and wants his sister Gita to contest an Assembly byelection after six months. Whichever MLA resigns to make way for Gita, will be sent to the Rajya Sabha.