Rising star

Aparajita Sarangi, the member of parliament from Bhubaneswar, is slowly emerging as a major challenger to Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union minister of education and skill development and entrepreneurship, in the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Till now, Pradhan has been ruling the roost in the state unit. His managerial skills are acknowledged by almost all the leaders of the party where his word is considered to be final. However, Sarangi, who took premature retirement from the Indian Administrative Service to join the BJP, has learnt the political ropes rather quickly. Her popularity has been growing both as an MP and a national spokesperson of the BJP. In view of this, the leadership has started nurturing her talent.

Last month, Sarangi went to Gujarat where she reportedly underwent a crash course on the BJP’s election strategy. Recently, she was even seen imparting tips to senior BJP leaders on the art of managing and winning elections. “Spoke to all my Party colleagues about the methodology of creating a strong Organization. Sought everyone’s support... ” Sarangi tweeted. This was apparently in preparation for the upcoming panchayat elections which will be a major test of popularity for parties ahead of the general elections in 2024. Sarangi, who won the 2019 election against all odds, seems set to challenge the virtual monopoly of Pradhan in the Odisha BJP unit.

Bold message

How big a lantern have you seen? The Rashtriya Janata Dal is going to instal a huge lantern — its election symbol — weighing around six tonnes. It will be installed at the party’s state headquarters in Patna. The RJD chief, Lalu Prasad, is expected to light it on his arrival from New Delhi. The lantern will stay lit round the clock.

When asked about the need for such a huge lantern, the state party president, Jagdanand Singh, is said to have pointed out that the RJD, although currently in Opposition, is the largest party in Bihar. Others added that it will send a bold message that the ‘age of the lantern’ is not yet over. “In any case, the scarcity of coal and electricity in the country created by the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre is pushing the country towards a time when lanterns will be the most reliable source of light,” another RJD leader added.

The ruling Janata Dal (United) retaliated by asserting that it showed the designs of the RJD to take the state backwards. One JD(U) leader stressed that the RJD should erect a pillar and put a lantern atop it. “It would serve as a lighthouse to warn people from going near the RJD office,” he quipped.

Fishy affair

It is not odd for two top leaders of rival political parties to meet, at least in the usual sense. But things have been unusual in Karnataka of late with three former chief ministers engaged in a battle over who met whom. HD Kumaraswamy of Janata Dal (Secular) insists that PC Siddaramaiah of the Congress had secretly met BS Yediyurappa of the BJP, fuelling speculations about a possible alliance. Since Yediyurappa is yet to reconcile with how his party forced him to quit a few months ago, there are rumours of him floating a new party. But both Siddaramaiah and Yediyurappa have vehemently denied meeting each other. Siddaramaiah has been a thorn in the BJP’s side for a long time and he would prefer to remain so. That is why at least a section of the BJP leadership smells something fishy in the alleged Siddaramaiah-Yediyurappa bonhomie.

Tough task

The Karnataka CM, Basavaraj Bommai, has been trying his best to please the top leadership in the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ever since he was appointed for the top job more than two months ago. From being an advocate of the anti-conversion law to giving tacit support to moral policing, he has come a long way.

But with strong moorings in socialism and as an erstwhile member of the Janata parivar under the tutelage of his late father and former CM, SR Bommai, Bommai

Junior has the tough task of holding on to his chair even if his party gets lucky in the 2023 state polls.

Never give up

It is nearing two years since JP Nadda took over as the BJP national president. However, he is yet to assert his authority within the party. Leaders as well as party workers feel that Nadda has to seek the nod of either the prime minister, Narendra Modi, or the home minister, Amit Shah, for every decision that he takes at the organizational level.

Now that Covid restrictions have been eased, Nadda appears to be taking charge. He has reportedly directed Union ministers to visit the BJP headquarters on a regular basis and meet party cadres. The newly appointed health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, was apparently the first to spend time at the party office earlier this week and others are expected to follow suit. The decision was taken in view of the upcoming assembly polls to appease the cadres who have been complaining that ministers do not meet them. The buzz in the party corridor, however, is that Nadda is using this opportunity to stress the importance of the organization he heads.

Tej Pratap Yadav File picture

Footnote:

Tej Pratap Yadav recently decided to walk barefoot for 2.5 kilometres from Jayaprakash Narayan’s statue in Gandhi Maidan, Patna to his residence to pay homage to the leader on his birth anniversary. The sun was blazing and soon the asphalt road became very hot. Yadav tried to walk briskly but it did not work. Then, his supporters came up with the idea of pouring mineral water in front of him so that he could complete his walk. “What a waste,” quipped a senior RJD leader watching the entire episode.