Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s indiscreet remarks on female impregnation and linking it with education was a major embarrassment for the JD(U). With even PM Modi condemning his observations, Nitish apologised. The CM has made several faux pas of late which have been captured on videos taken on mobile phones and circulated. Two months ago, at one of Nitish’s janata darbar sessions, a petitioner brought up an issue concerning the home ministry. The CM ordered an official to telephone the home minister, forgetting that he, in fact, holds the home portfolio. His staff was visibly confused. Earlier this month at a function to commemorate the death of former minister Mahavir Chaudhary, the CM showered rose petals on a bewildered Ashok Chaudhary, the late Chaudhary’s son, and his wife rather than on the portrait of the deceased. While leaving a Kavi Sammelan organised by Devesh Chandra Thakur, chairperson of the Bihar Legislative Council, Nitish was shown in a video embracing Chandra tightly and touching his feet, though traditionally it is Chandra who should have touched his elder’s feet, not vice versa. Last week in the Assembly, JD(U) legislators tried to calm Nitish as he launched a scathing attack against 79-year-old Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, regretting that it was his own stupidity to have made Manjhi Chief Minister in the first place. Concerned JD(U) leaders have conveyed to the CM’s staff that the media should be kept away from interacting with Nitish as far as possible. Significantly, the media was not permitted entry to two public functions attended by Nitish in the last 10 days. Video recordings at the CM’s Janata darbar have also been stopped.
Outfoxed Raje?
The standoff between Amit Shah and Vasundhara Raje ended after Shah kept his word and included not just Raje but most of her close supporters in the BJP’s second list of candidates for the Rajasthan elections. As a further demonstration of his good faith, Shah suggested to Raje that she give him a list of those candidates particularly close to her whom she would like to be assisted in their campaign. The normally shrewd Raje may have miscalculated in happily handing over the details of her closest backers, since Shah now has a direct pipeline to her confidants. The danger is she could find herself isolated in any future state government formation plan.
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Underlying message
With Sachin Pilot campaigning in Rajasthan, some assumed that CM Ashok Gehlot and he may have smoked the proverbial peace pipe. But if one reads between the lines, Pilot is making clear that he is electioneering because Congress chief Malikarjun Kharge asked him to do so. Gehlot’s name is never mentioned in his interviews and, in fact, the underlying message is that he is not responsible if the party loses and will not carry the can in case of a defeat.
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Amit Shah does not shy away from a challenge, even when it entails trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Shah is micromanaging the MP Assembly campaign with his lieutenant Bhupendra Yadav, who is in charge of the state. Shah’s strategists are hoping against hope that the home minister will have the last laugh over his detractors. Certainly, what once looked like a surefire victory for the Congress, considering the anti-incumbency mood and fatigue factor with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is now looking more like a neck-and-neck race as the BJP gains momentum. Shah has tried to combat anti-incumbency by changing 25% of the party MLAs. His most audacious move is to cash in on the goodwill that Chouhan has earned over the years, while at the same time making it clear he will not be chief minister if the BJP returns to power. Chouhan’s ladli behna scheme is a hit among women. He has gamely put on his tennis shoes and is stomping from constituency to constituency, rubbing shoulders with the common folk. In contrast, the elitist Kamal Nath parachutes from meeting to meeting in a helicopter.
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Delaying tactics
Rahul Narwekar was an unknown first time BJP MLA from South Mumbai who has became the centre of attention after being elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. The fate of the Eknath Shinde-BJP government is in Narwekar’s hands, since he has to rule on the 34 disqualification petitions against the Shinde faction MLAs in the wake of their rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. The suave Narwekar, who was once with the Shiv Sena and even with the NCP and taught law to Aditya Thackeray, has dragged his feet in giving a ruling for over a year. His stock response is that he has to “study the matter closely’’. The Supreme Court has ordered Narwekar to stop procrastinating and decide by December 31.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s indiscreet remarks on female impregnation and linking it with education was a major embarrassment for the JD(U). With even PM Modi condemning his observations, Nitish apologised. The CM has made several faux pas of late which have been captured on videos taken on mobile phones and circulated. Two months ago, at one of Nitish’s janata darbar sessions, a petitioner brought up an issue concerning the home ministry. The CM ordered an official to telephone the home minister, forgetting that he, in fact, holds the home portfolio. His staff was visibly confused. Earlier this month at a function to commemorate the death of former minister Mahavir Chaudhary, the CM showered rose petals on a bewildered Ashok Chaudhary, the late Chaudhary’s son, and his wife rather than on the portrait of the deceased. While leaving a Kavi Sammelan organised by Devesh Chandra Thakur, chairperson of the Bihar Legislative Council, Nitish was shown in a video embracing Chandra tightly and touching his feet, though traditionally it is Chandra who should have touched his elder’s feet, not vice versa. Last week in the Assembly, JD(U) legislators tried to calm Nitish as he launched a scathing attack against 79-year-old Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, regretting that it was his own stupidity to have made Manjhi Chief Minister in the first place. Concerned JD(U) leaders have conveyed to the CM’s staff that the media should be kept away from interacting with Nitish as far as possible. Significantly, the media was not permitted entry to two public functions attended by Nitish in the last 10 days. Video recordings at the CM’s Janata darbar have also been stopped.
The standoff between Amit Shah and Vasundhara Raje ended after Shah kept his word and included not just Raje but most of her close supporters in the BJP’s second list of candidates for the Rajasthan elections. As a further demonstration of his good faith, Shah suggested to Raje that she give him a list of those candidates particularly close to her whom she would like to be assisted in their campaign. The normally shrewd Raje may have miscalculated in happily handing over the details of her closest backers, since Shah now has a direct pipeline to her confidants. The danger is she could find herself isolated in any future state government formation plan.
With Sachin Pilot campaigning in Rajasthan, some assumed that CM Ashok Gehlot and he may have smoked the proverbial peace pipe. But if one reads between the lines, Pilot is making clear that he is electioneering because Congress chief Malikarjun Kharge asked him to do so. Gehlot’s name is never mentioned in his interviews and, in fact, the underlying message is that he is not responsible if the party loses and will not carry the can in case of a defeat.
Amit Shah does not shy away from a challenge, even when it entails trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Shah is micromanaging the MP Assembly campaign with his lieutenant Bhupendra Yadav, who is in charge of the state. Shah’s strategists are hoping against hope that the home minister will have the last laugh over his detractors. Certainly, what once looked like a surefire victory for the Congress, considering the anti-incumbency mood and fatigue factor with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is now looking more like a neck-and-neck race as the BJP gains momentum. Shah has tried to combat anti-incumbency by changing 25% of the party MLAs. His most audacious move is to cash in on the goodwill that Chouhan has earned over the years, while at the same time making it clear he will not be chief minister if the BJP returns to power. Chouhan’s ladli behna scheme is a hit among women. He has gamely put on his tennis shoes and is stomping from constituency to constituency, rubbing shoulders with the common folk. In contrast, the elitist Kamal Nath parachutes from meeting to meeting in a helicopter.
Rahul Narwekar was an unknown first time BJP MLA from South Mumbai who has became the centre of attention after being elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. The fate of the Eknath Shinde-BJP government is in Narwekar’s hands, since he has to rule on the 34 disqualification petitions against the Shinde faction MLAs in the wake of their rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. The suave Narwekar, who was once with the Shiv Sena and even with the NCP and taught law to Aditya Thackeray, has dragged his feet in giving a ruling for over a year. His stock response is that he has to “study the matter closely’’. The Supreme Court has ordered Narwekar to stop procrastinating and decide by December 31.
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Inside track by Coomi Kapoor: Too many faux pas
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20.11.2023
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s indiscreet remarks on female impregnation and linking it with education was a major embarrassment for the JD(U). With even PM Modi condemning his observations, Nitish apologised. The CM has made several faux pas of late which have been captured on videos taken on mobile phones and circulated. Two months ago, at one of Nitish’s janata darbar sessions, a petitioner brought up an issue concerning the home ministry. The CM ordered an official to telephone the home minister, forgetting that he, in fact, holds the home portfolio. His staff was visibly confused. Earlier this month at a function to commemorate the death of former minister Mahavir Chaudhary, the CM showered rose petals on a bewildered Ashok Chaudhary, the late Chaudhary’s son, and his wife rather than on the portrait of the deceased. While leaving a Kavi Sammelan organised by Devesh Chandra Thakur, chairperson of the Bihar Legislative Council, Nitish was shown in a video embracing Chandra tightly and touching his feet, though traditionally it is Chandra who should have touched his elder’s feet, not vice versa. Last week in the Assembly, JD(U) legislators tried to calm Nitish as he launched a scathing attack against 79-year-old Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, regretting that it was his own stupidity to have made Manjhi Chief Minister in the first place. Concerned JD(U) leaders have conveyed to the CM’s staff that the media should be kept away from interacting with Nitish as far as possible. Significantly, the media was not permitted entry to two public functions attended by Nitish in the last 10 days. Video recordings at the CM’s Janata darbar have also been stopped.
Outfoxed Raje?
The standoff between Amit Shah and Vasundhara Raje ended after Shah kept his word and included not just Raje but most of her close supporters in the BJP’s second list of candidates for the Rajasthan elections. As a further demonstration of his good faith, Shah suggested to Raje that she give him a list of those candidates particularly close to her whom she would like to be assisted in their campaign. The normally shrewd Raje may have miscalculated in happily handing over the details of her closest backers, since Shah now has a direct pipeline to her confidants. The danger is she could find herself isolated in any future state government formation plan.
Also ReadInside track by Coomi Kapoor: Back to the drawing board
Underlying message
With Sachin Pilot campaigning in........
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