Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):
Ex-CM’s influence
A former chief minister’s influence on state politics was seen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Madhya Pradesh. His name was not on the list consisting of the names of those who were to receive the Prime Minister at the airport. The local leadership of the ruling party was aware of this fact, but his name was not included in the list. Nevertheless, when the Prime Minister’s Office came to know of it, the officials there ensured that his name was added to the list.
After arriving at the airport, the Prime Minister does not generally talk to anyone for a long time, but he spoke to the former chief minister for some time. The talks between the Prime Minister and the former CM have created a buzz in the corridors of power, and everybody wants to know what had transpired between them. The former CM’s clout has been palpable again since the day he had a dialogue with the PM. The way the ruling party has given tickets to some candidates of the former CM’s choice indicates that the PM still has confidence in him, and that he wants to use the former CM’s popularity among people.
Bugging video
The police are searching for a video that kicked up a storm in the state just a few days before the first phase of polling. The police are trying to ferret out the source from where the video emerged. Although nearly two days have passed since the polling was held in Chhindwara, yet the police and politicians are working hard to stumble upon whether the video was phoney or genuine. If the video was bogus who instigated it.
Though cases have been registered against a few leaders of the opposition, yet there are allegations that some leaders associated with the ruling party candidate might have had a role in making the video. The central leadership of the ruling party has also gathered some information about it. They are worried, thinking that if the truth about the video goes public even after the election, it is set to discomfit the ruling dispensation. A high-powered committee is inquiring about the video. As a result of the FIR, those who had no information about the video have started collecting tidings about it.
One-horse race
The root of the record victory margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha election was connected to Gujarat. In terms of victory margin in a general election, the present president of the BJP’s Gujarat unit, CR Patil, has left behind even Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. There are discussions that the president of the BJP’s MP unit might create a record in 2024 as Patil did in 2019. Lady Luck seems to be favouring him in this election, because he is in a one-horse race in his constituency, where his opponent may have to struggle to gather even a few votes.
The Congress left this seat to its partner, the Samajwadi Party, but the cancellation of the candidate’s nomination has thrilled the BJP leader, because he is set to romp home with a huge margin. Yet, he is electioneering with great enthusiasm which indicates his victory margin may surpass many records. In this regard, he is in a fight with a former chief minister and a MP of his own party.
O Mere Bhaiya De Daru…!
Political parties spare no effort to keep the throat of their workers soaked with alcohol in the run-up to any election. They drank to the dregs during the assembly election, too, but two candidates of the ruling party for the Lok Sabha election are barely paying any heed to this aspect. The contestants have clearly told the party workers to keep away from burning their throats with firewater.
This message has entailed disappointment among the partymen. The message the ruling party candidates have conveyed to their workers has originated from the confidence that they are set to win the election. Ergo, they are not keen to spend money. Apart from that, they are also not interested in getting votes by distributing liquor through partymen. This has upset the party workers in these two constituencies. They are working for the party candidates and spending their own brass to moisten their throat.
Ill at ease (cartoon 2)
You cannot be what others want you to be. This maxim is applicable to every human being. When others dictate to you their terms, they are oblivious of what they are doing for they will barely endure if that comes off to them. The members of a renowned family of politicians – following two different ideologies – have gone through an awkward situation. An elderly person has recently discarded the grand old party to join the ruling dispensation; but his son-in-law is still in the rival camp. There is nothing new in it for those who are acquainted with Kailash Pati’s (as Lord Shiva is reverently called) relationship with His dad-in-law, King Daksh.
A debate between the man and his son-in-law often raises tempers – though it is not as tumultuous as the Yagya that King Daksh performed was – because that shivered the three worlds (Teen Lok), physical, astral and celestial. Yet, the man, but for having occasional heated arguments with his father-in-law, tries to maintain warm relations with him. The man says his dad-in-law follows one political philosophy and he sticks to another. There is nothing wrong with it, but the yarn had spun when the councillor daughter-in-law of the man switched over to the BJP. The son-in-law seems to believe in what the Russian author Ivan Turgenev said, “I share no one’s ideas. I have my own.”
Caste issue
A bureaucrat is chewing over political equations in the state. To do it, he is seizing up the caste combinations in a few Lok Sabha constituencies, and what is emerging after the defection of some Congress leaders to the ruling party. Whenever any journalist meets the officer, he only speaks about the changing political scene in the state. He says national issues will be more important than casteism in this election. His knowledge of politics leaves everyone amazed.
