In a dilemma
The supporters of a senior leader of the Congress who has recently defected to the BJP are in a dilemma, for they do not know whether they should join the BJP or stay with the grand-old party. The party is also making a list of the leaders who support the defector and interacting with those whose names are on it to stop their flight to the BJP. There are reports that three former legislators are particularly in confusion – because though they want to join the BJP – they are unable to make a decision. One of these former legislators, who has been with the BJP for a long time, is close to a senior leader. He has many businesses in the state and told the Congress leadership that he will not hop to the BJP. On the other hand, there are discussions in the BJP that he may join the party anytime soon.
For ministerial berth
A legislator is trying hard to get a ministerial berth. Before the formation of the ministry, he was confident of getting a position in the cabinet, but he has been deprived of it – despite all efforts. His failure to get a ministerial berth may have upset him for a while, but he is again betting the farm for it. Four ministerial berths are still vacant, so he is taking a crack at getting one. The legislator has realised that one can get into the cabinet if one has the blessings of the central leadership, so he is pulling out all the stops to please the top bosses in the party by engineering defection in the Congress. The legislator is also circulating the fact in Delhi that he is playing an important role in making dents in the opposition camp. He is also trying to please the Chief Minister and the party organisation in the state. Now, it is to be seen who Lady Luck smiles on after the Lok Sabha election.
Irritating minister
A leader of the ruling party, holding an important position, is feeling irritated because of the behaviour of a Union Minister. Both of them were recently present at a function. The Union Minister did not leave the company of the senior leader even for a while. He wanted to meet an eminent person who came to the town for another event and some other leaders, but the minister butted in. When the leader made efforts to do some other things, the minister got in his way. The minister delivered long lectures coated with sugary words in every event along with the leader of the organisation. The minister wanted to show that he had a lot of influence in the area. When the leader returned from the event, he was very angry. There are reports that the leader wants to keep away from any events that he and the minister are supposed to attend together.
Curried contest
A contest for superiority between two legislators has spiced up the chinwags among officials of Bhopal Municipal Corporation. A legislator enjoys so much cuff in the corporation that his is almost the last word there. Although many senior officers dare not go against his diktats, one of them is unhappy because of the law-maker’s regular interference which, he thinks, is impeding the smooth working of the corporation. In trying to curb his influence, the officer has opened a front against the law-maker. The officer knows the legislator has been the reason behind providing jobs to many of his (law-maker’s) supporters in the corporation. He passed on the information to another legislator who wants to get as much data as possible about the jobs that his colleague’s supporters got. The legislator is squaring off for a fight, because he has an old score to settle with his colleague. This contest for superiority or complex, as one may call it, has gingered up the tell-tales in Bhopal Municipal Corporation that otherwise remains busy in disposing of debris.
Old hand needed
The Chief Minister’s order for allotting new staff to the ministers has sent one of his cabinet colleagues into a spin. He is so worried that he wants at least one officer of his old team who he has confidence in. He says it will be difficult for him to keep faith in all the officers of his new team. For this reason, the minister plans to request his boss to provide him with at least one officer of his old team. The minister comes from the Chambal region, and a large number of people visit his office daily from there. Ergo an old hand is required to deal with his supporters most of whom are from rural backgrounds.
Captain at sea
Three months have passed since the new captain of the grand-old party took its helm in the state, but he finds himself at sea. On the one hand, the organisation has become inactive, presuming that the captain will form his own team. On the other, the old hands are still occupying the office and barely keen to leave any space to the greenhorns to strengthen the captain. When the party is busy dousing the flames of internal squabbling that is smouldering it the Lok Sabha election is knocking at the door. Two important leaders and their hangers-on who took the appointment of the party’s new wheelman with a pinch of salt have launched an undeclared non-cooperation movement. They are working like outsiders. As a result, the new driver of the old engine – as the party and its head may be called – finds himself hogtied. Yet he has to take the party out of this mess leading it from the front. He has the tools but he needs right hands to finish the task.
