Public welfare first
A senior leader of the BJP is at loggerheads with a Congress legislator. There are many stories about their conflict in a district. Besides being a politician, the legislator is a contractor. The legislator has got the contract for building a road in the place where the senior BJP leader lives. The Congress legislator thought his rival would create a lot of hurdles in the way of building the road, but everything happened otherwise. The BJP leader is cooperating with the Congress lawmaker’s company doing the work. Whenever the police confiscate any vehicle of the company, the BJP leader gets it freed. Those who are close to the BJP leader have failed to understand the reason for his benevolence towards a rival. When they want to know the reasons, the leader says because the road is constructed in his area, creating any hurdle will go against him. He further says political rivalry has nothing to do with the construction of a road, which is for the public welfare. Everyone, including his rivals, appreciates his magnanimity.
Imaginary fear!
The head of state recently held a meeting with his ministers at his residence. But several ministers could not understand the necessity for such a get-together soon after the cabinet meeting. When some ministers suddenly received the information about the meeting, they failed to understand its significance. A few ministers thought there may have been some more important issue for discussion, so the head of state called a meeting at his residence after the cabinet discussion. Some ministers even though they might be asked to resign. Their fear that some of them might be asked to quit, deepened when they saw the leaders of the organisation at the meeting. But a smile flashed across their faces when they came to know that the meeting was held to publicise a scheme, the name of which has been recently changed, and to discuss the SIR. The minister said they had thought some more important issue would be discussed at the meeting. But nothing significant emerged from it. Some of them even whispered into each other’s ears that the issue could have been discussed at the cabinet, and what was the necessity to hold a meeting at the CM’s residence? The meeting held at the instructions of the central leadership indicates that the ruling party is apprehensive about the scheme.
Silent opposition
There are many stories about a happening that recently occurred in Indore, the commercial heartthrob of the state. A former minister made the headlines in the incident. When the former minister was passing by the area where several people died after drinking contaminated water, a group of BJP supporters demonstrated against him. Because of the protest, the workers of two groups came face to face. The police had to intervene. The issue hogged the media headlines, and the information about the former minister’s agitation reached Delhi. After the incident, the head of the Congress became active, but the silence of other leaders of the party over the issue was shocking. A former chief minister, who often speaks about the politics of Indore, kept away from speaking much over the issue. Similarly, the Leader of the Opposition, who is a native of the Malwa region, hardly took a firm stance over the incident. Most of the Congress leaders completed formalities by writing posts on social media. Seeing the role of the Congress in the episode, many people said the media had taken a firmer stand over the issue than the opposition did.
Minister’s googly
A minister of the state bowled googlies in his speech at an event concerned with sports relating to journalists. About the reasons for his participation in the event, the minister said he did not want to get into trouble by not taking part in the programme organised by journalists. The minister’s speech, though short, maintained the atmosphere at the function in which the head of state was also present. The minister continued to tell him one thing or the other. The journalists also discussed his comments. By mentioning the names of several journalists, he tried to show that he is media friendly. About the minister, it is said that he has more enemies than friends in politics. He received many shocks last year. So, he is trying to raise his popularity graph this year. There are reports that he is trying to organise some major events in his department to make headlines for positive reasons.
Dreaming a dream
Dreaming a dream |
Many ruling party legislators have set their eyes on the cabinet expansion after the preparation of two years' report cards of the ministers. A few days ago, the head of state said the ministry expansion would take place once the ministers’ performance report was ready. Now, the legislators are trying to know when the proposed cabinet expansion will take place. An MLA has started performing religious rituals for a ministerial berth. He visited many temples so that his prayers for a berth in the cabinet would be heard. The legislator is making all efforts to become ministers. There are reports that he is lobbying for a berth through a senior leader of the ruling party. Similarly, a woman legislator is making efforts for a place in the cabinet. To become a minister, she is making efforts through a senior RSS functionary. But the party’s central leadership will decide who they should include in the cabinet. This is the reason that the efforts of the legislators in the state may not bring any positive outcome.
Love for language
Language is the most precious ornament that Mother Nature has gifted to humans. The politicians understand it better than anyone else. This is the reason that a union minister from Madhya Pradesh is learning Tamil to build a bridge with the people of Tamil Nadu. The politician knows well that learning Tamil will bring him close to the people of the state where only Tamil and English are spoken. Ergo, instead of interacting with the people in English, he has opted for using Tamil to deepen his connection with locals. During his recent trip to the state, he spoke a few Tamil words. He says he is trying to learn one of the most difficult languages in the country. Tamil is such a language that learners begin to pick it up from their childhood. But the enthusiasm that the politician has shown to learn the language in his ripe age has left many of his colleagues stunned. Now, they are waiting to see how much time he takes to be fluent with the language to interact with the people of Tamil Nadu without an aide. The politician really understands Greek rhetorician Dionysius’s maxim: let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.
