Tridib Raman
The bugle for the Bihar elections has been sounded, and for both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, this contest is nothing short of a “do-or-die” battle. For the first time in nearly two decades, since the 2005 assembly elections, real issues are actually being discussed and scrutinized. Otherwise, for the past 20 years, Bihar’s elections have largely revolved around caste equations and religious polarization. This time, Nitish Kumar and the BJP have handed Tejashwi Yadav’s Mahagathbandhan several opportunities, but so far, the RJD leader has struggled to capitalize on them. Both Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya believe that the dynamism and aggression Tejashwi displayed during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are missing from his current campaign. Is this simply because his advisor has changed? Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha served as Tejashwi’s “brain and heart,” guiding him through key political decisions. But this time, Jha is conspicuously absent from the scene. Sources say his father is unwell and undergoing treatment at Delhi’s AIIMS, where Jha is spending most of his time, rarely visiting Patna these days. In his absence, Sanjay Yadav, an aide from Haryana known for turning setbacks into opportunities—has emerged as Tejashwi’s new advisor. At present, Tejashwi appears to be relying solely on Sanjay’s counsel. It’s said that under Manoj Jha’s guidance, Tejashwi had successfully brought Mukesh Sahni’s VIP Party into the Mahagathbandhan. Jha had also advised Tejashwi to personally visit Upendra Kushwaha’s residence to win him over. But Sanjay Yadav reportedly disagreed, arguing that a leader of Tejashwi’s stature shouldn’t have to court smaller party leaders. As a result, Tejashwi never met Kushwaha, who is now contesting with the NDA and aiming to erode the Mahagathbandhan’s traditional vote base. In the previous election, it was Manoj Jha who urged Tejashwi to make unemployment the central issue, helping him strike a chord with young voters. Even if Manoj Jha’s father remains in the hospital, Tejashwi’s optimistic politics, at least, shouldn’t be put on a ventilator.
What’s Going on in Vasundhara’s Mind?
Tridib Raman
For the BJP’s central leadership, sidelining Rajasthan’s erstwhile queen Vasundhara Raje Scindia has never been easy. Ever since the party handed over the state’s reins to a relatively new and inexperienced leader, the saffron hopes in Rajasthan have seemed to fade slightly. A few days ago, during a rally in Banswara, Prime Minister Narendra Modi bypassed all other leaders present on the stage and went straight to greet Vasundhara warmly. That brief moment sparked a wave of renewed enthusiasm among her long-dormant supporters. Soon after, Vasundhara had a long and meaningful meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and since then, her political graph in Rajasthan appears to be taking new leaps. On the occasion of Ram Navami, Vasundhara hosted a lunch for her supporters, which saw a large turnout of current and former MLAs. During the gathering, her trusted aide and MLA Yunus Khan suggested, “Madam, the time has come for you to tour the entire state. We can plan it district-wise, with a long convoy of cars accompanying you.” But Vasundhara stopped him gently and said, “No, the time for that hasn’t come yet. Even Lord Ram had to endure exile. Look, I’m 72 years old now, it doesn’t feel right to ask for something for myself anymore. But if I ask for something for all of you, perhaps that might be granted.” The atmosphere turned a bit somber. To lighten the mood, her close confidant, MLA Shrichand Kriplani, asked playfully, “Madam, what was the Prime Minister saying to you on stage?” Vasundhara smiled and replied, “He said, ‘Vasundhara ji, people like you and me have risen beyond the lure of position and prestige.’” At this, one of the former MLAs quipped, “But Madam, isn’t it rather convenient for him to say that, given he already holds the highest position there is?” The remark was followed by an uneasy silence around the lunch table.
Guess Who This Is?
These days, an old case from 2006 has once again grabbed the spotlight, flooding social media with renewed chatter. A post allegedly written by Mohan Guruswamy on the social media platform X has gone viral, describing how a Malaysian engineer connected to Kerala’s PATI-BEL, an Indo-Malaysian joint venture to upgrade and maintain 1,600 km of highways in the state, died by suicide. This was, in fact, a World Bank–funded project. The project manager, 58-year-old Lee Sin Ben, reportedly took his own life in November 2006 after uncovering a major corruption scandal. At the time, Kerala was governed by a Left Front government, and serious allegations emerged that state officials were refusing to release payments to the company without taking bribes. The then PWD Secretary found himself at the center of the storm. As soon as the scandal broke, the Kerala government swiftly transferred him to another post. Now, nearly 19 years later, that very same bureaucrat has become one of the central government’s most favored officials, entrusted with safeguarding the pillars of Indian democracy with supposed impartiality. But, as the saying goes, if you appoint the cat to guard the bowl of milk, only God can protect the milk.
Yogi’s Gaze on Purvanchal MPs
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has now become adept at reading the sounds from the political backdrop. Recently, Yogi met with more than half a dozen BJP MPs from Purvanchal and shared his thoughts with them. The BJP MPs present in this meeting included two from the Rajya Sabha. These two MPs were Neeraj Shekhar and Seema Dwivedi. Besides them, 3-4 other Lok Sabha MPs of the BJP were also present in this meeting. Yogi has held meetings with MPs from Purvanchal even before; generally, the responsibility of organising such meetings is entrusted by Yogi to his trusted leader, Ravindra Kushwaha. But this time, Kushwaha had lost the Lok Sabha election from Salempur. So, the task of organising this meeting was done by Kamlesh Paswan, a Dalit MP from Bansgaon, who is currently also a Minister of State for Rural Development in the central government. This time, Yogi had exerted tremendous effort to get Kamlesh elected to the Lok Sabha; he had barely managed to get Paswan elected by a narrow margin of just 3150 votes. However, Yogi was dealt a strong blow when Paswan, immediately after winning the election, went to Delhi and started circling around the BJP’s ‘Chanakya’, as he had to become a minister in the government. He did become a minister, with Yogi presumably tolerating the opposition. Then suddenly, he changed his allegiance again and came to Lucknow to mark his attendance before Yogi. This behaviour of his was highly displeasing to Delhi; his ‘blow-hot-blow-cold’ conduct was taken seriously by the BJP Chanakya as well, and one day he was severely reprimanded for this very behaviour. It was even said to him, ‘Several corruption cases, even land-grabbing cases, are pending against you, yet we made you a minister.’ These honourable ministers are circling their Delhi bosses with garlands, but internally, they are also being consumed by the fear that ‘no matter what, the coming time belongs to Yogi.’
Even the Rajya Sabha Can’t Buy Happiness for Gupta Ji
Rajendra Gupta, a prominent businessman from Punjab, has this time been sent to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party from the seat vacated by Sanjiv Arora. According to sources, Gupta had previously extended considerable support to the Akali Dal. When the Punjab assembly elections were approaching this term, it is said that two senior AAP leaders, Bhagwant Mann and Sandeep Pathak, approached him and requested that he assist the Aam Aadmi Party in the elections. Gupta reportedly agreed and generously supported the party. After AAP’s electoral victory, these same leaders allegedly assured Gupta that “the party would bring him to the Rajya Sabha in the near future.” However, when the party faced a humiliating defeat in the Delhi assembly elections, it is believed that the party supremo conveyed to Gupta that “the party is in deep crisis, and in exchange for a seat in the Rajya Sabha, he would need to provide substantial support.” As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Close associates of Gupta now reportedly remark, “In politics, relationships matter little; in the end, only money works.”
Why is Hemant upset with Rahul?
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Hemant Soren is generally counted among the exclusive admirers of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. However, around the time of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, his stance towards Rahul and the Congress seemed somewhat changed. Hemant’s displeasure with the Congress is also evident from the fact that he has clearly instructed the state bureaucracy that ‘all files related to decisions being taken by the Congress ministers in his government should first be sent to him for approval; the final decision on this will be that of the CM.’ Citing sources, important information has been received that a few months ago, an important meeting took place between Hemant and Rahul. Soren told Rahul – ‘I go a step beyond what you people want from me and do things for you. But just think, what do you people do for us? I have requested you before as well to help ‘JMM’ emerge as a tribal party at the national level. In Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, South Bihar, a large section of our tribal brothers and sisters live; we cannot go with the BJP even if we want to. So, please help our party advance in these states.’ Rahul promised Hemant, ‘It will be done, and we will start this with the Bihar elections.’ When seat-sharing was being discussed this time, Rahul told Tejashwi that ‘some seats should be left for JMM too.’ But Tejashwi did not agree. He told Rahul, ‘What stake do they have here?’ Rahul, despite wanting to, could not put any pressure on Tejashwi. This very thing deeply hurt Hemant Soren.
Shivraj Singh’s Cautious Optimism
Last week, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was in his hometown of Bhopal, engrossed in a casual tea conversation with some of his favorite journalists. During the chat, one fair-skinned journalist, who, by coincidence, is also from Shivraj’s own community, couldn’t contain his excitement and said to him, “Congratulations! We hear you met Mohan Bhagwat ji, and that the RSS is proposing your name for the post of President?” According to sources, Shivraj replied, “To offer congratulations, wait for the results of the Bihar elections. These election results will determine whose coronation it will be.” In other words, the face of the crown could change depending on Bihar’s outcome, perhaps this was precisely the point Shivraj wanted to convey.
