Temple in talks
A temple has spawned a lot of curiosity among politicians as well as among the ordinary people after Mohan Yadav has been sworn in as Chief Minister. Yadav visited the temple in Khatlapura before he had been elected leader of the BJP Legislative Party (BJPLP). Even before taking the oath as CM in the afternoon of December 13, he had offered prayers at the temple in the morning. Yadav visited the temple the day the BJPLP meeting was held and offered prayers there for a long time. This is the reason why the politicians have become inquisitive about the temple. They want to know what is the specialty of the temple, which forced Yadav to visit there before and after hitting the bull’s-eye? Likewise, another leader visited the temple just after taking the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Against this backdrop many legislators, trying to get a ministerial berth in the yet-to-be formed cabinet, have begun to visit the temple. There is a door between the known and the unknown, and once you discover that gate, you can unveil the mystery. Till then, let it be as it is.
Win in defeat
Politicians holding powerful positions can easily display their authority, but being out of power if a politician wields a lot of influence in his party, he naturally attracts a lot of attention. This is what has exactly happened to a BJP leader. When he lost the recent assembly election, it was believed that his clout in the party would ebb away. But even after his defeat, his importance in the party remains as it was before the election. After the BJP Legislative Party’s meeting, the Chief Minister, his two deputies, and the legislator tipped to become Speaker of the House, were seen at his residence. Those who are keen on getting a berth in the ministry are also visiting his house daily. The word of mouth in political circles is that the defeated leader may get an important assignment in the coming days. The politician’s presence on the stage during the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister and his two deputies has baffled many. It is because of his influence in the ruling party that many leaders have begun to flock to his residence, despite his defeat.
Impact of drubbing
The Congress is yet to get out of the shock of defeat in the election. The drubbing in the election has had a severe impact on two leaders. It was considered that this election was going to be the last one under their leadership, so the impact of the loss is writ large on the face of one of them. The leader, who is otherwise in the habit of chuckling, seems to have lost even his smiles since the day the poll outcome was announced. He has failed to fathom the reasons behind such a humiliating defeat of his party whose number of seats has declined from what it was in the last elections. The other leader, on whose shoulder rested the burden of the election, has been able to shake off the shock of the thrashing. It is heard that the leader concerned has stopped talking about the election and begun to prepare for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party leaders are talking about his calmness after the defeat.
What’s next?
A senior leader of the BJP, after losing the recent assembly election from a constituency in Bhopal, is uncertain about his political future. The return of the ruling dispensation with a thumping majority has changed the political equations in the state. When the party was distributing tickets and the leader was asked to match with the opposition candidate from that particular seat, he refused. He had the inkling that he would lose, so he did not want to fight the election from that particular constituency. Then a senior leader of the party told him that even if he lost the assembly seat, he would get a ticket for the Lok Sabha election. The person concerned who gave the assurance is in a dilemma over his own political future. The leader who lost the election is up the creek thinking about his political future. Whatever one may say – the only thing that makes life possible is permanent, excruciating uncertainty, because nobody knows what is next.
Green in judgment
Clouds are hovering over the political future of the sons of two former chief ministers. Both have lost the assembly election from different constituencies. One of them assuming the wind was blowing against the ruling party rebelled against its leadership and switched over to the Congress. The poll outcome made it clear that his joining the opposition camp was an error of judgment. The other person, who remained in oblivion for a long time because of a controversy, managed to get a ticket from the ruling party. The BJP came back to power with a thumping majority, but he lost the election. The leader who joined the Congress perhaps failed to understand that he bade farewell to heat and welcomed frost.
No need for clock-watcher
Many Congress leaders, instead of trying to understand the reasons for the party’s drubbing in the MP election, have begun to contest for the post of MPCC chief. And one of them is a senior leader of the party from the Vindhya region. Because he is averse to becoming the leader of opposition in the House, he does not keep his intentions secret about getting the position that many a Congressman vies for. Therefore, the leader from the Vindhya region is attacking the state party leadership for the thrashing that the Congress in the polls. Many members of the PCC, aware of his objectives, are ignoring his criticisms. The Lok Sabha elections are ahead, and immediately after it, the party has to roll up its sleeves for the assembly election 2028. The ruling party, as it is well known for their poll preparations in advance, has already begun to blow the bugle for the general elections. The leader from the Vindhya region has links with the party leadership in Delhi and is lobbying for the PCC chief’s post through them. But the party high command may appoint a PCC chief whose lamp burns throughout the night and is no clock-watcher.
