Money-wise ministers
A problem has cropped up in a department where there is a scope for making money and that soured the relationship between two ministers. What sowed the seeds of bitterness between the two ministers is that an old chum of the former minister of the department sucked all the honey. The colleague of the minister, before doing so, conveyed the message to everyone in the department that it was he who was looking after the department on behalf of the new incumbent. Ergo the missive was that the two ministers are on good terms, and many people believed him. When the minister who is actually heading the department came to know of it, he informed the higher-ups in the government about the goings-on in the department. Now, there is pressure on the former minister to tell his assistant to return the cabbage that he has harvested from the department. But the former minister is averse to doing it and not ready to accept that his assistant ever shook the department down. The minister is unhappy after his department was changed. Now, remembers how he dipped his hands into gravy when he was heading the department.
Liquor trade
A minister has plunged into action in his constituency to settle money matters. Illegal liquor trade is going on in the constituency. The minister held a meeting with the liquor traders and told them that he would control their business. The minister sought feedback from the traders on the illegal supply of liquor to a neighbouring state, so that he may grab the dough generated by the firewater. The minister, too, is involved in the illegal liquor trade. This is the reason why he wants to control it, and his family members are scaring the residents of the area. Information about the minister’s activities have reached the party organisation as well as the government; however, nobody is ready to put the bee on his activities.
Nettled politician
A senior leader of the Congress is in flat spin these days. The politician is nettled thinking that he may be asked to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha election. In the last Lok Sabha election, too, he was against throwing his hat in the ring, but he was forced to do so. Besides having to face humiliation after his defeat, he spent a lot of money on contesting the election. There are reports that he may be fielded from his home constituency. Both his adversaries in the party and his well-wishers are in favour of his contesting the election. Keeping that in mind, the leader has started saying he is opposed to contesting the Lok Sabha election – though a group in the party still pitches in for his being a candidate for the polls. Apart from that, because his family members are against this leader these days, many hurdles have got in his way to contest the polls, even if he wishes to.
For greener pasture
A few leaders of the Congress plan to switch over to the ruling party. Two leaders who lost the assembly election are ready to the other side of the fence – the BJP. One of them, a former legislator, is in touch with a minister for his entry in the ruling dispensation. The minister has assured that he will help him join the party. Because the former legislator was in the BJP, he is pulling out all the stops to return to the party fold, but another minister is disinclined to his comeback. The minister, aware of the former legislator’s efforts to join back the party, is taking a crack at stopping him. Likewise, another Congress leader, keen on joining the ruling party, has contacted a senior leader of the BJP who, however, is in a dilemma over meeting the opposition leader. Such politicians feel the grass is always greener on the other side.
Bid to woo leader
Before the arrival of the new in-charge of the BJP’s MP unit many politicians are rigged out to please him. A few leaders in the party’s state unit are acquainted with the in-charge. Some of them aspiring for tickets for the Lok Sabha election are also in touch with him, expecting his help to meet their demand. The in-charge has, however, hinted the ticket-seekers at his inability to help them. Many of them are also meeting the second-in-command in-charge seeking his help to get tickets. Likewise, many leaders of the party are also contacting the former in-charge with the object of getting a chance to contest the LS poll, but he, too, is giving a wide berth to such people. The in-charge of the party’s state unit has barely any role in the election. He himself is calling up a few leaders to know of the political situation in the state to show his importance.
Spooky war room
The Congress’s war room during the assembly election reminds many – especially those who have read The Canterville Ghosts of Oscar Wilde – of a haunted house. An American minister wants to buy it along with the ghost and furniture living there. We know the consequences. The Congress set up its war room for the assembly election in a house located in 74-Bungalows area in the state capital. The house has been allotted to the only Congress MP from the state since 2019. Locals say it is a haunted house and whosoever lives there finds himself in political ruins. Once it was allotted to an in-come tax officer, it was not known whether he imposed any tax on the original resident of the bungalow. Yet after his transfer to another place, the house was lying vacant. Afterwards, the cursed house was handed over to the Congress. The alleged ghost living in the house might have thought that it had a friend – though in the form of a political party – which is as old as he himself is, so he would no longer be lonely. Anyway, having to bite the dust in the election, the Congress decided to shift its war room to the party office. Now, the ghost is alone – though it is not known whether the wraith is still chasing them.
