Madhya Pradesh Political Punch: Overexcited Minister, Talks Over Comments, Raid Alert! & More

Big relief

A BJP leader and former minister got relief after meeting the party’s national president. The politician found himself in trouble after the party’s loss in the Datia by-election. The party began to blame the politician for its defeat and ignore his supporters, too. But at the party’s state executive meeting in Orchha, the leader received a decent response. He interacted with two senior leaders of the party. The resentment the party leaders felt at him after the by-election defeat, has reportedly lessened to some degree. After the meeting, a senior leader of the BJP and two ministers visited his residence in Bhopal. The former minister also explained to the senior leader that he had no role in the party’s defeat. Now, he has started making efforts to get an assignment in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh to regain his lost ground in the organisation.

Overexcited minister

A minister in the state remains ecstatic these days because a case against him has reached near-end. The minister invited criticism for his comments, which also led the court to set up an inquiry against him. The probe found him guilty. But the government provided him relief. A decision made by the government ended all possibilities of continuing the case against him. Because the decision saved his ministerial berth, it elated him. He recently touched the feet of the head of state twice. At an event, when the announcer mentioned his name, the minister stood up and bowed down before his boss. Earlier, when the head of state visited the minister’s hometown, he prostrated himself 90 degrees before his boss. The minister’s style of working sparks discussions in the corridors of power that he has saved his cabinet berth by taking refuge in the lap of party leaders, despite making offensive comments.

Talks over comments

The comments of a former minister on a present cabinet member weighed heavy on those who participated in the BJP’s executive committee meeting. The way the former minister prayed for a female minister’s elevation to the position of chief minister ignited a debate at the meeting. The female minister who made such comments remains a supporter of a minister in the union cabinet. Once, she always wished the central minister to become the state’s chief minister. But this time, her same comments on another politician generated discussions. The former minister looks unhappy with the BJP these days. She became a minister in the Congress regime, but she lost elections twice after switching over to the ruling party. The Shivraj-led government appointed her to a corporation board. But the present government did not include her in any boards or corporations. After the Datia by-election, she hoped the party would act against a former minister, and she would reign supreme in the area. But her hope for an action against the minister has faded. In this situation, the party considers her comments an outburst of her anger against the leadership.

Taking it to heart

Amidst the preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s event, a social media post of a Congress MP from the Rajya Sabha has generated a discussion. The RS member said he had suggested Rahul Gandhi organise the event in his hometown, but the party plans to hold it in the old stomping ground of the MPCC president. The Congress MP has written that the MPCC head loves his hometown and made some oblique comments on him in his post to vent his spleen. The leader remains worried about the issue of neglect of his hometown and raises the matter before the higher authorities several times. He always flags how the government ignores his hometown regarding development projects, but he has voiced his concerns for his party for the first time. The MP obliquely writes, "Though the leader remains concerned about his hometown, the voters ditch him in elections. " The party has, however, deferred the event, about which he wrote the post, to some other date.

Strengthening old links

A powerful leader of the Congress has begun to strengthen his old links. He participates in every event organised by party leaders and trips to different places in the state and meets partymen. A politician of the party recently organised an event in the area he lives in. He invited all important politicians of the party. Still, except for the powerful leader, many important politicians of the party kept away from the function. During the event, both leaders, the one who organised the function and the powerful one, held a closed-door meeting, continuing for a long time. The influential leader also held discussions with other politicians of the party. Two years before the assembly elections, the politician wants to improve his relations with all leaders of the Congress. Two senior politicians plan to hang up their hats. Thus, the powerful politician wants to fill in the gap.

Raid alert!

A raid carried out at the residence of a Congress leader has upset many politicians. A central agency raided the office and residential premises of the leader who remains close to the BJP. Besides his links with the Congress and the BJP, many people remain associated with his businesses. Thus, the raid on the leader’s business and residential premises, has dismayed many politicians. Now, people in the corridors of power say whether the agency laid their hands on such documents as could damage their political career in the coming days. The politician whose business and residential premises raided rolls in dough. Many people obliged by him include politicians and officers. The probe agency, hitting upon any documents may pose a threat to the Congress leader, as well as, to other politicians having links with him. On the other hand, a minister, who has a political rivalry with the leader, looks happy.