The Janata Dal (United) in Bihar is naturally pleased as punch at having returned to power for yet another term. But there is also a degree of apprehension about how its relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party will pan out once the government settles down to work. The BJP may have been forced to concede the chief minister’s post to Nitish Kumar but, JD(U) insiders maintain, their alliance partner is unlikely to give him an easy ride. Unlike the past, Nitish Kumar’s bargaining power has been considerably reduced this time round. He does not have the option of threatening to walk on the BJP because he no longer has the option of teaming up with his old partners, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress since they don’t have the numbers to prop up an alternate government. So even as celebrations were in full swing in the JD(U) camp, there were murmurs that the BJP has already made it clear that it will not play second fiddle in this dispensation. For instance, the BJP refused to give up its claim on the post of Assembly speaker though Nitish Kumar was pushing his party’s case. Having given up on the Speaker’s post, the JD(U), it is said, wanted that only one deputy chief minister be appointed, but again, this proposal was vetoed by the BJP. Krishna Allavaru, Congress Bihar-in-charge and a Rahul Gandhi camp follower, found himself in the eye of a storm when dismal poll figures for the party trickled in on counting day. Dramatic developments were witnessed at a Patna five-star hotel where Mr Allavaru was staying as angry local party workers started gathering in the lobby, waiting to confront the senior Congress leader. Mr Allavaru had already made himself unpopular with the party’s state unit for the selection of candidates and for his inaccessibility. When told that the workers were waiting to meet him, Mr Allavaru packed up in minutes and slipped out for Delhi in order to avoid what promised to be an ugly showdown. His team was issued strict instructions not to reveal the travel details of all Congress leaders from Delhi who had been camping in Patna for the duration of the election. As rumour went round that senior leaders would meet them, even more workers arrived at the hotel. When the wait proved futile, many workers ordered food and billed it to Mr Allavaru’s room which was still booked in his name. The acquisition of a vanity van by the ailing Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav was a subject of avid discussion for several months in Bihar. Equipped with a sound system, a television set, a microwave and a toilet, the eight-seater was used by the senior RJD leader during the recent election campaign and for his earlier roadshows. According to his family members, the custom-made vanity van was required as Lalu Prasad Yadav cannot sit for long hours and needs to prop up his feet because of his kidney ailment. The van also came in handy when the former chief minister wanted to have private discussions with party leaders, providing a good getaway from the rush of party workers at home. Then again, it has been put to good use to take the family members, especially the grandchildren, for a drive to Patna’s famous Marine Drive along the Ganga river. The buzz in Patna these days is that the van will now prove to be a sanctuary and an escape for Lalu Prasad Yadav from the ongoing battle among his children. There was a time when leaders from across the political divide were not afraid to exchange pleasantries on social occasions like weddings and birthdays. But that’s no longer the case. The personal animosity between the Gandhi family and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has percolated down to state leaders and workers in both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. A recent incident in Uttarakhand shows how the message has been imbibed by them. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was to attend a social function in the hill state last week where former CM Harish Rawat was also an invitee. The timings of the two leaders were worked out in advance to ensure their paths did not cross. But as it happened, Mr Rawat reached late and stayed on for a longer period than was expected. Mr Dhami was informed midway to the venue that Mr Rawat had not left yet, forcing the chief minister to delay his arrival. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, popularly referred to as SIR, is topping discussions and debates across the country. But in Uttar Pradesh, political leaders from across the political spectrum said, it is not SIR that is grabbing attention but surname. Apparently, virtually everyone who goes to a government office for work is first asked to provide his or her surname. And if you belong to the favoured caste — in this case, Thakur — your file is given top priority. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath is a Thakur and is known to favour those who belong to his caste.
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सपा ने एसआईआर को लेकर चुनाव आयोग को लिख दिया पत्र, कर दी ये दो बड़ी मांगें, अखिलेश यादव लगातार लगा रहे आरोप
उत्तर प्रदेश में चल रही एसआईआर प्रक्रिया को लेकर समाजवादी पार्टी ने चुनाव आयोग को एक पत्र लिखा…
