Three in race to replace Delhi police chiefThe race for Delhi’s next top cop has intensified among AGMUT cadre officers, with the government no longer seeking a senior officer from outside the cadre to replace Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. The 1988-batch IPS officer from Tamil Nadu will superannuate on July 31. The buzz is around two names: 1992-batch IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre, Satish Golcha, and his batchmate, Praveer Ranjan. Golcha is the Director General of Tihar Jail. He was earlier Special Commissioner (Intelligence) in the Delhi Police and DGP of Arunachal Pradesh. Ranjan, currently CISF ADG, was the DGP of Chandigarh and Special Commissioner (Crime) in Delhi. The grapevine has added a third name after the MHA decided to shift Anil Shukla, a 1995-batch IPS officer, from Mizoram to Delhi. He was the DGP there. A lot is being read into the timing of his transfer. Has Gujarat Congress chief resigned? Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil has stepped down, owing responsibility for the party’s defeat in both seats in the recent by-polls. However, the leadership appears to be in no mood to accept it or seek a replacement. President Mallikarjun Kharge only says, “I haven’t received his resignation yet”. Ditto, says General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal. Gohil’s resignation comes shortly after the Congress initiated its long-delayed district-level reshuffle in Gujarat, aimed at reviving the party in the state. However, its performance remained below par in the by-polls. What’s galling is that the party’s expectations of winning in either seat were low to begin with. When Rajya Sabha MP Gohil returned to Gujarat to take over the Congress reins in June 2023, he was expected to inject much-needed energy and direction into the struggling state unit. The question now is if his resignation is merely symbolic or a serious political statement.Emergency, Constitution & Bihar pollsWhere else than poll-bound Bihar for a political showdown on Emergency and the Constitution? Politicians are shovelling deep, looking for shining gems from the archives to blind their rivals. The Congress’ “Samvidhan Badlav” battles with the BJP’s “Samvidhan Hatya”. The latter’s campaign against the Congress’ Emergency-era clampdown faces the former’s accusation that the saffron party is secretly plotting to amend the Constitution. The RJD has also found a weapon, in the form of the recent statement by senior RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale regarding “Socialism” and “Secularism” in the Preamble — terms he claims shouldn’t be there — to push back hard. “This statement is gold,” an RJD strategist said. “We don’t even have to say much. The RSS is doing it for us. The public will see through it.” To recall, in the last assembly polls, Lalu Yadav used to hold up a copy of ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ — a compilation of speeches by RSS founder M S Golwalkar — at rallies. He didn’t need words — just the book and a knowing look. That was enough to rattle the BJP’s messaging.New buzz around BJP ex-ministersIn BJP circles, there’s quiet chatter about a group of once-prominent Union ministers who are now absent from both the government and Parliament. Names like Smriti Irani, Raj Kumar Singh, Ram Kripal Yadav, Ashwini Choubey, Shahnawaz Hussain, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Party insiders suggest that Shahnawaz Hussain, Raj Kumar Singh, and Ram Kripal Yadav—one of the few influential Yadav leaders in the Bihar BJP—may get roles in the organisation or on key committees. Ahead of Bihar’s assembly polls, There’s also talk of some returning to electoral politics, where their regional clout could help the party. Choubey and Naqvi are reportedly in line for gubernatorial posts, while Irani and Prasad may be given crucial organisational responsibilities.Congress outreach on Indira Bhawan vibe Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s press conference on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency held at the party’s new headquarters, Indira Bhawan, sought to recast the party’s position on the contentious chapter of history as well as subtly project the new base as a space for political assertion. It was Kharge’s first press conference at Indira Bhawan. A sit-down lunch followed, with free-wheeling conversations with senior leaders. They were interpreted as attempts to dispel criticism from some quarters that the new office feels more like a corporate workspace than the nerve centre of the grand old party. For those still nostalgic about the old-world charm of 24 Akbar Road, the party is preparing for more such informal engagements, says Manish Chatrath, the new in-charge of the AICC headquarters.
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