Politics

No cheer for Yatra but Rahul Gandhi will prosper even in meltdown

Published

3 weeks ago

March 3, 2023

The drubbing that the Congress received in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland drove home the bitter truth that the AICC-inspired narrative about the ‘dramatic popular upswing’ for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, courtesy the Bharat Jodo Yatra, has no empirical evidence among voters as the first electoral bouts post-Rahul Yatra show that the ‘turnaround spin’ now rests on its hawkers’ shoulders, as the BJP and its allies braved incumbency burdens and ‘Adani issue’ to romp home in a region of strategic importance for the RSS.Given Rahul Gandhi’s right to inheritance of Congress’ de facto leadership insulates him from expanding the poor record of vote-catching, the hattrick-defeats in the North-East, would neither affect his position or ‘sway’ among the ‘nominated’ party office-bearers. Hopefully, Kharge won’t be blamed.

The AICC laboured hard to ringfence Gandhi from media questions about his role, especially for not campaigning (barring a solo outing). “These are assembly elections. In gram panchayat, nagar palika and assembly elections, the local leadership matters. In Meghalaya, our entire 21 MLAs had migrated to other parties….Now, to say our (non) performance in NE states was because our national leaders didn’t campaign is a wrong interpretation. Our local party organisations were weak,” said AICC communication in-charge, Jairam Ramesh.

Ironically, last time AICC could work a celebration in honour of Rahul Gandhi “for delivering victory” was when the Congress leaders of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh fought and defeated BJP in 2018. Priyanka Vadra, who rode the anticipated Congress tide in the HP poll, avoided her ‘star punch’ in the tricky N-E campaign.As for the task of ‘overseeing’ the “re-building” of the local Congress organisation in the North East is concerned, the Gandhis-led leadership had the ‘good sense’ to entrust Ajoy Kumar, a frequent lightweight political traveller (from JVM to Congress to AAP and then back to Congress) with Nagaland and Tripura PCCs, and Manish Chatrath, whose core specialisation has been about arranging chartered flights or flight tickets for AICC office-bearers, with the Meghalaya PCC. Even as anti-BJP parties of the three states, now guard against poaching, latest Congress defeats will add to the work for a Third Front.

CPM- COngress ‘ tripura Debacle

CPM-Congress alliance’s Tripura debacle again underscored that it was easy for Sitaram Yechury & Co to glib-talk and trick Rahul & Co to make the state Congress unit play second fiddle to Marxists than ‘domesticating’ Tripura Congress leaders and workers, who have long borne the brunt of the erstwhile Left governments’ discrimination and CPM cadres’ attacks. The spectacle of CPM slipping into third position, behind even Tipra Motha, in the very second election post-monopoly power in Tripura (the CPM ceded Opposition space to BJP in Bengal in the third losing election), raises question marks on its organisational prowess and cadre base.Tripura CPM going the Bengal way, not only weakens the political line of general secretary Sitaram Yechury vis a vis de facto helmsman Pinarayi Vijayan (and the Karat group) who already attended non-Congress Opposition conclave hosted by BRS. It also raises questions about CPM’s credentials in fighting BJP (Marxists now win only against Congress+ in Kerala) and to be the larger-than-life micro-phone of larger anti-BJP Opposition politics. Without elaborating on the party’s sinking further in Tripura, CPM politburo pointed out to BJP’s narrower victory margin.

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Politics

As part of Rahul Gandhi’s trials, Kanhaiya may get bigger role in Congress

Published

4 hours ago

March 21, 2023

ironity

The Congress leadership is testing waters to appoint CPI functionary-turned-Congressman Kanhaiya Kumar in a leadership slot, with the presidentship of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) or the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) being weighed as options, according to people aware of the development.The move has triggered disquiet among sections of the DPCC and IYC leaders who consider Kumar a “political and ideological outsider”, they said.

Kumar, a former JNU students union leader, joined the Congress in 2021 by reaching out to Rahul Gandhi. While many Congress leaders of his home state Bihar were known to have resisted any active role being given to him.

With attempts to revive the Delhi PCC coming to naught, a section of Congress leadership is now known to be arguing that Kumar can be the “panacea” for Delhi Congress even as they cite how another “experiment”, of bringing Dikshit “from UP to Delhi Congress leadership” had succeeded. Similarly, IYC leadership is also being cited as a potential slot for Kumar, 36, by arguing that Srinivas BV, 42, will be soon completing four years in IYC leadership.

But many among the Delhi Congress and IYC brass are not enthused about the move. “Kumar is far too new in the Congress to be considered to head a PCC. And those arguing Sheila (Dikshit) ji too was an outsider in Delhi Congress are being dishonest because she had been a Congress leader right from the beginning,” said a Delhi Congress functionary, who did not wish to be identified. The mood is similar in IYC, especially as most IYC leaders have been fighting against the Leftists and saffron outfits.

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Politics

UP BJP lines up plans to woo OBCs amid SP’s caste play

Published

4 hours ago

March 21, 2023

ironity

The BJP OBC (other backward classes) wing in Uttar Pradesh has lined up a string of campaigns over March and April to reach out to the other backward classes in the state which will set the tone for offsetting the Samajwadi Party‘s apparent efforts to centre the 2024 Lok Sabha election around caste census and politics of social justice. The BJP UP OBC morcha held its state executive meet in Kanpur on Sunday which was also attended by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The head of the morcha, Narendra Kashyap, said following the training of workers till March 30 to create awareness among them regarding achievements of the central government and ideology of the BJP, a statewide ‘Gaon Chalo, Ghar Chalo’ campaign will be kicked off wherein the workers will fan out in 15,000 villages of the 80 Lok Sabha seats and intimate people of the community about the government and party” achievements in furthering their welfare.

“Through this campaign we will also expose the Samajwadi Party’s demands about caste census and tell people that they forgot about it when they were in power themselves and remain focused then on benefitting their own family,” said Kashyap, who is also the state minister for backward classes welfare.

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Politics

Meghalaya: Voice of the People’s Party stages walkout in protest of Governor’s Hindi speech

Published

6 hours ago

March 20, 2023

ironity

The Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) staged a walk out of Meghalaya Assembly in protest against the Governor Phagu Chauhan for delivering his address in Hindi.The Governor on the first day of the Budget Session delivered his speech in Hindi.

VPP legislator from Nongkrem, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that Meghalaya is not a Hindi speaking state and Hindi cannot be imposed by the Government of India on the people of the State. “This is against the sentiment of the people of the state.”

Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma however said that such behaviour is not accepted from an elected MLA and written English speech is already circulated in the house.Assembly Speaker, Thomas A Sangma said that he would allow the Governor to address the House in Hindi as written speech in English was circulated among all the members.

Health Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “It is important to consistently pursue with the Government of India that the indigenous people of the state are a non-Hindi speaking community. It is important to understand the inability of Meghalaya to speak and communicate in Hindi”.

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