Madhya Pradesh Political Punch: In A Dilemma, Discussions Over Candidate, Lack Of Research, Worried Minister & More

Friend indeed!

The role of a minister, among the three leaders sent to Datia after the announcement of a candidate by the BJP for the by-election for damage control, has stirred up discussions. The BJP workers went ballistic in Datia for not giving a ticket to their leader. The party then sent a deputy chief minister, a minister, and a general secretary to douse the flames of anger among the partymen. Soon after landing in Datia by helicopter, the minister left for his constituency, telling his two colleagues to deal with the party workers because he had an urgent piece of business in his constituency; he would go there and return the next day. Before the duo could understand anything, he got into his car and drove to his destination. The minister shares a profound bond with the leader, whom the party denied a ticket. Because the incident saddened him, he went to his constituency. By the time the minister arrived at Datia, several other leaders had reached there to deal with the situation. The minister felt happy.

In a dilemma

The tension between the in-charge of the state Congress and a former chief minister shows no signs of decreasing. The former chief minister's decision to set out on a yatra from Ujjain to Ayodhya strained their relations further. Someone put up a question before the in-charge during his stay in the state over the former chief minister s decision to embark on a yatra. He clearly said the programme announced by the former chief minister pertained to him, and the Congress would eschew any involvement with it. Through the remark, he gave a subtle message to the congressmen to keep away from the proposed yatra. The state affairs and other issues occasioned a wrangle between these two leaders. The in-charge hails from a state where he shares no compatibility with a former chief minister who, on the other hand, chums up well with his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh. In this situation, the state in charge distances himself from the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. So, the latter spares no effort to remove the in-charge from the state.

Discussions over candidate

The leader whom the BJP has fielded for the Datia by-election has stirred up discussions in political circles. During the rule of the previous government, he chaired a board. His tenure as chairman of the board created a buzz among politicians and bureaucrats, which still continues. After the party has given him a ticket, the present and the former officials of the board tell the tales of his deeds. As chairman of the board, he harassed many officials, but he befriended the engineers. Now, the engineers of the board pray for his defeat in the election. The same thing applies to a few leaders. He picked a fight with his party colleagues when he held a post. Now, these politicians also roll up their sleeves to ensure his defeat in the election. The candidate also knows he needs the help of others to win the election. In this situation, he has begun to tune himself up to please all politicians, including his rivals, against his nature.

Lack of research

An interesting kink has developed in an ongoing scam in the state. The issue caused a lot of commotion after it hit the media headlines. It generated more heat after a national leader of the Congress issued a statement from Delhi. The party leaders from the state also took the issue seriously after the national leader's statement. The party discussed the issue internally to know the reasons for not targeting the government for the scam. But when they researched, they realised many of them failed to understand the issue. Because of their lack of understanding, they avoided making statements. By the time they comprehended the matter, their leader had issued a statement from Delhi. Now the Congress leaders say they need a proper research team to inform the party leaders about such scams.

Altering attire

A controversial minister of the state recently participated in a wedding ceremony. He went to the place wearing trousers, a shirt and slippers. Many of his acquaintances failed to recognise him. Several guests wanted to know the reasons for attending the function in such unconventional attire. The minister said he had intentionally chosen the outfit to evade public attention. The reasons he offered for his weird outfit surprised many. The minister said he lost interest in meeting people after a dispute, which forced him to maintain a low profile. Whenever he visits Bhopal, he rarely goes anywhere besides his residence and a personal flat. The minister's statement had engendered so much controversy in the media that it went to court. So, the presence of media unnerves him. Besides participating in the functions in his constituency, he avoids attending public events. In this situation, the minister wears such an outfit that helps him conceal his identity.

Worried Minister

The ruling party cut a powerful senior politician to size by denying him a ticket for a by-election, causing tension for a minister. The minister's home district creates a flutter in political circles for various reasons. He won the assembly election with a thin margin. Though close to an influential union minister, he tries to befriend the head of state. However hard his efforts may be to remain close to the union minister and the head of state, he still fears the party might deny him a ticket in the next assembly elections. The denial of a ticket to a former minister perturbs him. So, the minister has begun to please the most powerful politician of the state together with the union minister. These days, he spares no effort to woo other influential politicians in the state. The outcome of his efforts lies in the womb of time.