Mulayam-Amar mystery ‘solved’
Why is Mulayam Singh Yadav showering favours on Amar Singh in spite of son Akhilesh Yadav’s unhappiness? Some say it’s because he has set his sights on the President’s chair and it is only Amar Singh who can bring him within breathing distance of it by lobbying with the Narendra Modi government. He also needs Amar Singh to manage the cases against him. The BJP too needs Mulayam Singh for a social alliance with the Backwards in UP, which will help it in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Bhunia joins the real Congress
Manas Bhunia, a staunch Congressman and former West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief, has joined the Trinamool Congress, inviting a lot of criticism in the process. Congress leaders have been berating his decision by saying that it is this same Bhunia whose father used to say that he should never leave the Congress. To which, Bhunia, a Pranab Mukherjee protégé, has been saying that he has not gone against his father’s wishes; he has joined the Trinamool Congress as it is the real Congress in Bengal.
‘Remove Hari Prasad’
Hectic lobbying has started for the removal of Hari Prasad as AICC general secretary for Jharkhand and Sukhdev Bhagat as the PCC chief for Jharkhand. A group of leaders from Jharkhand, led by Ajay Rai, met senior leaders Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmad Patel last week to complain that ever since Bhagat has been made the PCC chief, the Congress has been on a decline in the state. The PCC office bearers have not visited a single district, or conducted any programmes. They alleged that Hari Prasad was refusing to take any action against the PCC chief, despite their complaints. They demanded that if the Congress wants to win the next Assembly elections, it should remove both of them. The delegation will come to Delhi again on 30 September to meet Rahul Gandhi. They could not meet him this time as he is in UP conducting his kisan yatra.
Sanjay role questioned
The role of Sanjay Singh, the chairman of Congress’ campaign committee in UP is being questioned after he appointed Brajesh Singh as the chairman of the campaign committee of Ballia district. Brajesh Singh was expelled from the party for six years for anti party activities. This appointment has come as a shock to the Ballia PCC leadership.
Naqvi has a ‘house warming’
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is in a good mood as he has moved to a palatial bungalow on Safdarjung Road in Lutyens’ Delhi. The bungalow was the dwelling of Atal Behari Vajpayee when he became Prime Minister for the first time in 1996. But then it also housed Pramod Mahajan, the BJP leader who had an unfortunate end. Meanwhile, Naqvi is so happy that he threw a huge party on the occasion of Eid for journalists and friends, but in the name of house warming.
Kapil Sharma may join AAP
If TV comedian Kapil Sharma joins the Aam Aadmi Party, which he may, then the AAP in Punjab will be full of comedians. The other comedians in AAP are Bhagwant Mann and Gurpreet Ghuggi. And if Navjot Singh Sidhu’s political platform joins hands with the AAP post the Punjab elections, then he will be the fourth comedian in AAP ranks.