By Tridib Raman
Has an ordinary soldier of the BJP redefined the authority of its top leadership? Why is saffron politics so agitated over the election results of the ‘Constitution Club’ in New Delhi, announced last week on 13 August? In this election, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, a five-time BJP MP, was pitted against Sanjiv Baliyan, a Jat leader from the same party who had the backing of the party’s top brass. Before the election, Baliyan hosted a dinner for MPs, attended by nearly 260 current and former MPs. In contrast, only 40 people
attended Rudy’s dinner. The party leadership was so determined to ensure Baliyan’s victory that, for the first time, five deputy chief ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh were assigned to secure his win. However, when the election results were announced, it was as if a shockwave hit the Delhi establishment. Their favoured candidate lost by 102 votes. Out of a total of 707 votes cast, Rudy secured 392, while Baliyan managed only 290, including 110 votes from former MPs. Just a day before the election, a close BJP MP ally of Baliyan was confidently claiming that Rudy would lose by at least 125 votes. Now, the BJP leadership is scrambling to investigate where this spark of rebellion came from in their well-disciplined party.
Who Urged Rudy to Step Aside?
Tridib Raman
Highly reliable sources within the BJP claim that before the Constitution Club election, a prominent senior BJP leader summoned Rajiv Pratap Rudy and asked him not to contest this time. To this, Rudy innocently asked, “That’s fine, but who do you want to field in my place?” That’s when Sanjiv Baliyan’s name, a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, was revealed. Rudy tried to explain to this senior leader that he had first won this election in 1991 and had been winning the post of secretary of the club’s governing council unopposed ever since. Over the past two and a half decades, he had transformed the club, making it modern and high-tech. Rudy said, “I am a five-time MP, yet I hold no significant position in the party or the government. Besides, it was Harmohan Dhawan and Chandrashekhar ji who brought me into politics.” These words deeply irked the senior BJP leader, who then took direct control of the entire election.
When the Thakur inside Rudy Awoke
Tridib Raman
Rudy did not take the arrogance of the BJP leadership lightly. Now, he did not want to leave any stone unturned in securing his victory. After this, he sought an appointment with Sonia Gandhi, and it was Sonia who connected him with Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Later, he met SP leader Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh promised him full support because Akhilesh and Balian are sworn rivals. Balian also has a similar hostile equation with RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, who stayed away from the elections and did not come to vote, but his party’s MPs were seen marching in support of Rudy. After that, Rudy approached Misa Bharti. Since Rudy has had an old enmity with the Lalu family, Misa bluntly told him, “I am sorry, we cannot support you.” Meanwhile, Nishikant Dubey, through his sharp remarks, managed to create a wave of sympathy for Rudy. He openly declared, “Balian has entered the fray only to free the Constitution Club from the clutches of pilots, IAS, IPS officers, and leftists.” As a result, even those who disliked Nishikant ended up casting their votes in Rudy’s favour.
Priyanka’s Daughter Also Under Investigation
Tridib Raman
After targeting Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Robert Vadra one after another, the central investigating agencies have, in a shocking move, turned towards Priyanka’s daughter, Miraya. Sources close to Priyanka reveal that Miraya, who is currently abroad, has received at least three notices from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in her name. In fact, several of Robert Vadra’s properties are registered under his daughter Miraya’s name, and therefore the investigating agencies now want to question
her about this matter. Robert Vadra, meanwhile, has already been making frequent rounds of these agencies every week. Many of his properties have already been “attached” by the ED. If sources are to be believed, the sword of arrest is now hanging over Robert Vadra before the Bihar elections.
Justice Pardiwala’s Path to Chief Justice
Tridib Raman
The two-member bench of Supreme Court Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, which delivered a significant verdict on freeing Delhi NCR from stray dogs and relocating them to shelter homes, has been in the spotlight recently. Dog lovers had hoped that either the government or the opposition would vocally champion this issue, but both sides have remained largely silent. This is because both the ruling party and the opposition are aware that Justice Pardiwala’s judgments have never been questioned, and he holds significant importance as he is set to become the Chief Justice of India on 3 May 2028 for a term of 2 years and 3 months. This period will coincide with the time when the nation gears up for another general election.
Who Will Be the Next Vice President of India?
Tridib Raman
Speculation continues regarding the selection of the country’s new Vice President. Sources close to the BJP leadership reveal that the Prime Minister has made his intentions clear regarding the choice of the next Vice President. According to these sources, the PM has instructed his close aides that “the next Vice President should be someone with a thorough understanding of rules and laws and whose veins run deep
with the BJP’s ideology.” Sources indicate that two names are currently under serious consideration: one is a senior Brahmin leader from the BJP, and the other is Thawar Chand Gehlot, who belongs to the Dalit community.
BJP Unfazed by Opposition’s ‘Vote Theft’ Claims
Tridib Raman
All the opposition parties across the country are coming together and continuously challenging the Election Commission over “vote theft.” Despite this, these protests seem to have no impact on the BJP leadership. According to a source connected with the PMO, it has come to light that the Prime Minister has recently made a change in his daily routine. Nowadays, he makes sure to take a two-hour nap after lunch, which helps him feel refreshed and get back to his work with renewed energy and alertness.
