Tridib Raman
In its attempt to change its conduct, character, and face, this party has been engaged in such efforts since its inception. In championing new politics and in the art of creating new myths, this saffron party has no equal. Especially since 2014, the party has brushed aside many accepted traditions and taken several big decisions. Is the coming time also preparing to write yet another such new chapter? Could Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman become the next national president of the BJP? If not, then why is it that at her government bungalow at 15 Safdarjung Road in New Delhi, the CPWD is not only demolishing and reconstructing new infrastructure, but also building large halls for meetings, installing several porta cabins, changing the bungalow’s décor, and preparing large waiting rooms for visitors? When an attempt was made to learn about this from an official associated with the Finance Minister, he evasively replied, “Since the Hon’ble Minister now has to hold many departmental meetings at home, these new constructions are being carried out accordingly.” But this explanation doesn’t seem convincing, because it’s no longer an unsolved puzzle where exactly the Hon’ble Minister’s ministry operates from and who actually runs it. Let’s assume for a moment that perhaps the Minister’s workload has increased—but then why, for the past three months, has a Garhwali Hindi teacher been regularly coming to teach her Hindi? Everyone knows how much of the ministry’s work is really conducted in Hindi. Sources linked to the BJP reveal that Nirmala Sitharaman’s personality is woven in a way that perfectly suits the party’s two top leaders. Like the recently elected Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Nirmala too hails from Tamil Nadu. This means that if the BJP were to choose her as its next president, it could hit several targets with a single arrow. For instance, it could send a positive message to women voters across the country, create a favorable environment for the lotus to bloom in the southern states, and most importantly, break the backbone of Tamil Nadu’s traditional Dravidian politics. And, of course, giving the BJP its first-ever woman president would bring credit both to the party and to Prime Minister Modi himself.
What is going on in the RSS?
Tridib Raman
Generally, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is such a mature and disciplined organization that news of conflict or struggle at the top never comes to the surface. But recently, when RSS’s number two, Dattatreya Hosabale, suddenly fell ill during a meeting in Jodhpur, his blood pressure dropped, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Immediately after this, Sunil Ambekar, considered a close associate of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, called a press conference to brief on Dattatreya’s health. In the conference, journalists were given the latest updates on Dattatreya’s condition.This conference was quite unusual from the RSS’s perspective. The RSS is a voluntary and autonomous organization, and Hosabale, a functionary, does not hold a constitutional position that would require issuing a ‘health bulletin.’ It’s said that Hosabale himself was surprised about who authorized Sunil Ambekar to take such an audacious step. When this whole matter was investigated, some surprising facts came to light. For a long time, there has been a buzz among RSS supporters and on social media about whether RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who is also turning 75, would vacate his position for a successor. While there’s no age limit for the position of Sarsanghchalak, Bhagwat himself has said on several occasions that the RSS needs to expand its reach to the new generation and become more modern in its approach. People who know Bhagwat well claim that he is in favor of handing over the top leadership to a younger person after him. He believes the new leader should be someone in their 55-60s who can successfully lead the organization for the next decade and connect with more young people. In the current situation, if Bhagwat were to step down, his natural successor would be Dattatreya Hosabale, the number two in the organization and its General Secretary (Sarkaryavah). However, Hosabale is around 70 years old, which doesn’t fit Bhagwat’s theory of young leadership. Furthermore, Bhagwat’s close associates are not keen on Dattatreya’s closeness to PM Modi. So, Ambekar’s press conference might also have been a way of signaling that Dattatreya is not fit enough on health grounds. In the age of social media, where perceptions have such a strong hold, it becomes easier to create a new narrative.
Journalists Return Empty-Handed
Recently, PM Modi inaugurated Mizoram’s first railway line, flagging off the Rajdhani Express and three other trains. The Ministry of Railways had been preparing for this event for a long time. To cover the event, the ministry had invited journalists from all over the country and arranged for them to stay in the most expensive hotels there, providing excellent arrangements for transportation and food. But it seems fate had other plans. The PM was supposed to travel from Lengpui Airport in Aizawl to Lamyual Ground by helicopter, where the journalists had already been taken. However, due to heavy rain, the PM’s helicopter could not take off. Out of necessity, the PM had to flag off all the trains from Lengpui Airport itself.
Will the Forest God Wake Up?
The tribal communities of Chhattisgarh have a special attachment to forests and the environment. However, there is a lot of anger among the youth over the rampant damage to forests in the name of urbanization, industrialization, and electrification, with trees being cut indiscriminately. In this region, Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (Mahagenco), operated by the Adani Group, is carrying out large-scale tree felling. After Hasdeo, now 2584 hectares of land are to be acquired for the Tamnar tehsil in Raigarh district, which includes about 215 hectares of dense forest land. It’s estimated that more than 50,000 trees have already been cut, with about 500,000 more yet to be felled. This has caused a lot of anger among the local people, especially the youth. Environmentalists consider this project a major threat to tribals and the environment. This might be why the NGT had canceled the environmental clearance given to Mahagenco on January 15, 2024. However, in August 2024, the Central Ministry of Environment gave it a new environmental clearance. The Hasdeo matter in Chhattisgarh hasn’t even cooled down yet, and people’s anger against this industrial group has erupted in Tamnar. Seeing this, the former Congress Chief Minister of the state, Bhupesh Baghel, posted on his X handle: ‘BJP’s slogan—one tree in the name of mother and the entire forest…?’
What is Cooking Between BJP and AAP?
If politics is an unwritten script of uncertainties, then it can only be understood through subtle hints and knocks. What else could explain the sudden shift where Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has consistently opposed the BJP and Modi, is now seemingly falling into the BJP’s clutches? To refer to the recently concluded Vice-Presidential election, it’s important to note Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee’s statement where he seemed to hint at AAP MPs for cross-voting. Sources claim that a secret deal has been struck between the BJP and AAP regarding their future political strategy. Under this agreement, AAP will create a favorable environment for the BJP in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, indirectly and directly helping the BJP establish a foothold in the state. In return, central investigating agencies might ease their grip on AAP leaders like Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain, and they might even be provided with a way out. In exchange, AAP will act as a ‘B team’ for the BJP in elections, a role it is currently playing in the Bihar elections. AAP has announced that it will field candidates in all 243 assembly seats in Bihar, which could indirectly benefit the NDA alliance. This is because AAP believes it can attract new voters and gain the support of minority voters in Bihar. Additionally, in states like Gujarat, where the BJP and Congress are in a direct contest, AAP could work to undermine the Congress. So, this time, Abhishek Banerjee’s subtle hints may hold some truth. In this Vice-Presidential election, the NDA had the support of 427 votes. Even after adding 14 votes from Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, the NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan received 452 votes, meaning he benefited from a dozen cross-votes. In this context, it is logical to question whether this cross-voting points to this very deal between the BJP and AAP.
Congress MP Defies PM Boycott
Prime Minister Modi’s Manipur visit was scheduled in advance, and Congress leadership had instructed its Inner Manipur MP, Bimol Akoijam, to boycott the visit and not go to Imphal to receive him. It is understood that Congress General Secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal personally spoke to the MP and asked him to boycott the Prime Minister’s visit. However, it is believed that Akoijam was not willing to comply. Citing protocol, he reportedly said: “Since I am the elected MP from the region, and the country’s Prime Minister is visiting my constituency, my presence there is mandatory from a protocol standpoint. Although I have been a vocal critic of BJP’s policies and will continue to be so.” For context, Bimol Akoijam is an intellectual, academic, and filmmaker. He also serves as an Associate Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
