Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):

High ambition

The BJP will soon elect its state unit president. Immediately after the party appointed an in-charge for the organisational polls, three women leaders, ambitious of wielding power in MP, are having a crack at heading the state unit. One of the women leaders is a minister. A few politicians have made her believe that she can become the party’s next president in the state. So, the minister has begun to vie for the post, for which she is counting on the RSS. She said to the RSS that she was not keen to continue as minister for long.  If given the post of state party president, she is ready to give up on her ministerial berth.

Along with the minister, a woman legislator is also trying to get the coveted post.  The female politician, who was in Delhi for long time, has strong links with the party’s central leadership. A few senior leaders are interested in making her state unit president. Likewise, a woman MP is keen on getting the job. She is driving for it on the grounds of her caste, and with the help of a senior leader of the party.

Dousing flames of anger

A senior leader is busy dousing the flames of internal squabbling in the party for the first time in a place where the by-election is being held. Because several leaders were aspiring for a ticket from the area, they were strongly opposed to a leader being a candidate from there. They were united on the issue. The party, however, selected the leader as candidate against whom there was so much resentment.

Now, all the leaders look angry. The senior leader thinks lest the annoyance of these leaders should trouble the candidate. But the senior leader cannot devote much time to the constituency. So, he is controlling everything from behind the scene. This is the reason why he has planned to hold daily videoconferences with senior party men to take feedback on electioneering.  He has deployed his election team in the constituency.

Different ways

The Congress leaders – how hard they may try – can never reach a consensus on any issue. They were together in a recently organised event, trying to display that they were united. But by giving different opinions on an issue, they showed being united is not their cup of tea.  A former chief minister and the MPCC president together held a press conference on an issue related to farmers. Immediately after the press conference, the Leader of Opposition dashed off a letter to the Prime Minister on the matter discussed at the press conference.

Likewise, another leader issued a statement on it. These leaders differently presented their views on the same topic.  After a former chief minister came forward, other leaders began to raise the same issue on their own to keep him away from drawing the limelight. There are reports that many in the party are cursing the former chief minister for distribution of tickets for the by-elections.

Big fight is on

An internal fight in the ruling party is going on in a parliamentary constituency these days. An MP has won the election from the constituency on the BJP ticket. The row is between this MP and other leaders. A Congress leader is very powerful in the area. A no-trust move was brought against a public representative in this constituency. Those who brought the no-trust motion belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The astute leader of the Congress defeated the motion. Now, the MP claims that the leaders of his own party are hand in glove with the Congressman. The issue also reached the BJP office.

The MP complained to the state leadership about the conduct of the party men, some of whom were questioned on the basis of the complaint. On the one hand, the MP is planning to expel from the party such leaders as are troubling him. On the other hand, the detractors of the MP are telling the party leadership about his wrong deeds. The internal fight in the BJP has, however, made the Congressman happy.

Being cut to size

A minister in the state cabinet is having a tough time, because he is being cut to size. After the government formation, when he took oath as a minister, he was heading many important departments. In his constituency, his political stature was also very high. With the lessening of the number of departments, his political power has also ebbed. The minister is unable to draw the benefits from the departments he is heading. Once he held sway over most of the businesses in his constituency, but now, he has been deprived of it. As other people have become active in the area, the minister is losing control. Another minister is being brought to the limelight to clip the wings of this minister further.  The administration has been told not to listen only to the minister but to maintain a balance with other leaders of the constituency. The minister has complained about it to others, but nobody seems to be ready to stand by him.  

Jack and Jill …!

Two ministers have their legs broken in the same month. One has not only had his leg healed up but is also playing cricket. In a match, he batted as though he had been in his spring. His way of hitting the ball beyond the boundary wall fascinated all those who were present in the field. But the other minister is yet to recover. He has to wear a wrap to manage his fractured ankle.

Whenever he tries to walk, he just hobbles. He wants to bid adieu to his wrap to take part in sports, but he cannot do it. The minister, however, knows that to succeed in life one needs three bones: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. Because he has the three bones, he is set to recover soon.