Hard times
A woman minister in the state is in trouble these days. She is making headlines because of a dispute over her brother and some other issues. The minister recently visited her home district to inspect a road. The videos of the inspection went viral on social media. Afterwards, the Public Works Department (PWD) faced a lot of humiliation from the netizens. The issue also came up in the cabinet. The minister of the department objected to the inspection, which he termed unnecessary because the road had already been scrutinized for poor quality. Soon after the minister raised the objection, the head of the state took her to task. The woman minister has been advised to keep away from cheap publicity on social media. Similarly, another incident took place in the minister’s home district. She was called to lay the foundation for the installation of a statue. But instead of a statue, she was asked to lay the foundation of a public toilet. The people are chewing over the event in the district.
Ignorance is bliss.
The real condition of each department is spilling out at the press conferences held by the ministers to tell their achievements to the public in the past two years. The press conferences have revealed the truth about a few ministers, who have been in politics for a long time. These ministers are unaware of the goings-on in their departments. In several cases, the officers of some departments had to pitch in to handle the press meets. The Additional Chief Secretary of a department had to address the press conference held by a senior minister of a department. The situation came to such a pass that the minister told the journalists to listen to the officer. The same thing happened to half a dozen cabinet ministers. The officers of these departments hogged the limelight in these press conferences. The ludicrous answers given by the minister of a department forced an officer to shake his head in disappointment. The reports of these press conferences have been sent to the head of the state to weigh the ministers’ performance.
One wife too many
A former minister of the state is in the spotlight these days. He has recently walked down the aisle at 63. Once his wedding had been known to the public, several women came forward claiming to be his wives. There are a few other women, too, who claimed to have married the former minister. In terms of relationships, all these women have dibs on the former minister who cannot denounce their claim. As a result, he has become an object of fun in the corridors of power since his newlywed wife has made her wedding photographs viral on social media. The family of the former minister commands respect in the BJP. He has been an MLA thrice. The former minister, having been with the BJP for a long time, defected to the Congress. Then he was disillusioned with the opposition and returned to his parent organisation, though many leaders in the ruling dispensation do not accept him as a member of the party. The senior leaders of the party are also upset about the controversies that his recent wedding has created. On the other hand, some people are making fun of him. There are reports that the minister has been linked with such disputes for a long time, which are now revealed after his recent wedding. Because of the discussions about the former minister, some people are comparing him with a much-discussed MP of the Congress.
Becoming irrelevant
A Congress leader, who once dreamt of becoming the chief minister, is in a dilemma these days. The problem with him is that the party is not giving him as much importance as he wants. What is more, the chasm between him and the party high command has deepened. So, his political career is in jeopardy. He has become irrelevant in the party. It is one of the reasons that he is unable to speak openly against the government. Because he is on good terms with the head of the state, he avoids criticising the government. During the regime of the former chief minister, he tore into the government and made headlines, though he was not holding any important position then. The situation has now slipped out of his hand. Another problem with him is that his brother is an MLA. His defection to the BJP may damage his brother’s political career. Against this backdrop, the politician is in a dilemma over what he should do to bring his political career back on the wheels.
Wheels of fortune
There are discussions on the fortune of politicians after the inauguration of the metro in the state capital. The work on the metro continued under several former chief ministers. It was because of the initiative of a former chief minister that the city is on the wheels of the metro today. He held the most important position in the state for a long time, but he neither got the credit for the metro nor did he have an opportunity to lay the foundation of this project. A former chief minister laid the foundation of the metro project during his tenure. The present chief minister inaugurated the project and took the first ride on the metro. The former chief minister, during whose tenure the metro project was conceived, passed away. His daughter-in-law had the opportunity to ride on the metro. When the metro was inaugurated, the former chief minister belonging to the Congress said he should also get the credit for it. But the way the work on the metro project was continued, it was said the party in power after the 2028 assembly election would get the opportunity to inaugurate the metro.
Shunning comforts
The head of state’s son and daughter-in-law, who recently walked the aisle, decided to perform Narmada Parikrama, shunning all comforts. Their purpose is to seek the blessings of the river to lead a purposeful married life. In the process, the couple feel they will understand the realities of life. Several senior politicians, including a former chief minister, have already performed circumambulation of the river. But the politicians’ children doing it is a new trend. It shows their concern for preserving the environment and the water bodies. A daughter of a minister is already on the Narmada Parikrama. She is performing the journey as well as painting the landscapes of the river and her surroundings. That way she has stepped into the shoes of her father, who, after completing the Narmada Parikrama, has written a book on the river and how she is protecting the lives of the people of the state. The head of state is also keen to preserve the environment and wildlife. Ergo, his son has decided to step into his father’s shoes with his newlywed wife to protect the river, the lifeline of MP, and seek her blessings.
