Tridib Raman
Has Omar Abdullah, who once decorated his political stage alongside the Congress under the guise of opposing the BJP, finally revealed his true colours? If not, what explains his frantic dash from Srinagar to Delhi recently, where an important meeting was convened at the residence of the BJP’s Chanakya? If sources are to be believed, the meeting lasted for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. Before Shah, Omar presented a humble submission: “I believe in carrying everyone along. To run my government properly, I also need your cooperation. If there is any task suited to me, I am at your disposal.”This was essentially a political surrender. Only a week prior, the Congress had handed over the names of two of its MLAs to Omar to be appointed as ministers in his government; the Congress top brass had submitted these names only after receiving Omar’s prior consent. However, after this crucial Delhi meeting, Omar’s politics took a new turn. It was decided that he would keep the Congress out of his government. This is because, in the coming days, a major split could be engineered within the state Congress, and from among the breakaway Congress legislators, one could be appointed a minister. During the conversation between the two leaders, it was also decided that “these two leaders will meet face-to-face at an interval of at least three months so that this harmony in mutual relations continues in the future as well. ”
What Actually Happened with Omar?
Tridib Raman
The million dollar question is: what mishap occurred with Omar that he was forced to come to his knees like this? According to reliable sources, a case of Disproportionate Assets against the Abdullah family stands looming large. Omar seeks “immunity” (Abhaydan) from the Center in this matter. Sources claim that the complainant in the Disproportionate Assets case against Omar is not an opponent, but a Lok Sabha MP from his own party, with whom Omar is currently at loggerheads. This MP has been an MLA several times from Omar’s party and a minister in his government. Sources claim the MP provided details of Omar’s properties to investigative agencies, alleging that Omar alone has four flats and a commercial space in Delhi, besides a house in London. It is also claimed that several of his properties are in the name of a journalist friend. Is this the major reason Omar has been forced to seek refuge with the BJP?
Why Is the Government Confused Over the Trade Deal?
Tridib Raman
The central government is deeply conflicted over the latest trade deal with the United States. The Modi government had wanted the announcement of this deal to come after the conclusion of the current session of Parliament, but the US was in a hurry. As soon as US President Trump spoke to Prime Minister Modi over the phone, the information was hastily posted on social media by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor. About 45 minutes after this post, Trump announced the India–US deal on his own social media platform, Truth. Prime Minister Modi, however, took nearly an hour to respond. At 11:02 pm, he finally confirmed the development. But this trade deal is riddled with not one but several complications. The biggest sticking point is that Trump wants India to source LNG, animal feed, and sorghum exclusively from the United States. At present, India imports these commodities from Mexico, Argentina, and several European countries. We even have formal trade agreements with five or six countries. Trump wants India to shelve all these existing trade agreements and conduct business solely with the United States. Not just this, America also wants to sell India cooking oil, soybeans, and cotton. India’s problem is that a large part of Madhya Pradesh depends on soybean cultivation, it is the main crop for farmers there; while Maharashtra, especially the Vidarbha region, is heavily dependent on cotton farming. Therefore, India cannot import these products entirely from America, as it must also safeguard the interests of its own farmers.
What Does America Want?
The main terms of the interim agreement between America and India are being finalized. Under this, India will either completely eliminate or reduce tariffs on a long list of industrial goods and agricultural products imported from the United States. These products include Dried Distillers Grains (DDGS), red sorghum used as animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine, spirits, and other products. On the other hand, the US will impose a reciprocal tariff of 18 percent on products exported from India. These include textiles and garments, leather and footwear, plastics and rubber, organic chemicals, home décor products, handicrafts, and certain categories of machinery. The US may reduce or remove tariffs on certain products exported from India, such as generic medicines, gems, and diamonds. It is also being decided in this treaty that India agrees to buy products worth $500 billion from America over the next 5 years, including energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal. In other words, at first glance, America seems to be “hitting the jackpot” in this trade deal.
When Akhilesh Met Ravan
Recently, a special person came to meet Akhilesh Yadav in his office at Parliament House, Chandrashekhar ‘Ravan’, the MP from the Nagina parliamentary seat. Akhilesh was already surrounded by people; seeing Ravan enter, he immediately asked his people to leave so he could discuss some important matters privately with the independent MP. Ravan wasted no time in telling Akhilesh, “If Dalit voters do not join the SP in the ’27 assembly elections, the speed of the ‘Cycle’ (SP symbol) might stall in Western UP.”
Ravan then asked Akhilesh for 25 seats for his party. Akhilesh said, “This number is too high; we won’t be able to give that many.” To this, Ravan replied, “Didn’t you leave 25 seats for Jayant in ’22?” Akhilesh said, “Yes, I did, but they could only win 8. This time, we will leave only as many seats for allies as they have the potential to win.” Then, on Akhilesh’s advice, Ravan went to meet Dharmendra Yadav on the night of February 3rd. Coincidentally, it was also Dharmendra’s birthday that day, so Ravan first wished him and then began discussions for the future. At the start of the conversation, Dharmendra reminded Ravan, “Don’t forget, you couldn’t have won this election without our help, because there are 7.5 lakh Muslim voters in your seat who are SP sympathizers.” Dharmendra then said bluntly, “We can leave 10 seats for your Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram), but we know you have a shortage of capable candidates to contest them. So, our condition is that out of these 10, we will field our own people on 5 seats, who will contest on your symbol.” Hearing Dharmendra’s words, Ravan was somewhat taken aback and has asked for some time to think over this SP proposal.
Is Gandhi Family Angry with Pappu Yadav?
Although the popular Bihar MP Pappu Yadav is counted among Priyanka Gandhi’s declared “Hanumans”. But what exactly happened after the Bihar elections that Priyanka is not even taking his calls? Recently in Parliament House, when Pappu was present with his wife, Ranjeet Ranjan, the couple ran into Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. After the necessary greetings, Pappu felt that Rahul was not comfortable talking to him. Rahul even quipped immediately, “You have already done whatever ‘good’ you had to do for us in Bihar; in the process, you distanced Tejashwi from the Congress.” At this, Pappu asked Rahul for a time to meet, saying he would explain everything in person. But Rahul brushed him off, saying his schedule is very tight these days and he would send a message when he is free. Some BJP MPs hovering nearby were also listening to this entire conversation. As soon as Rahul left, they came to Pappu and said, “See? If you had done even half as much for Modi ji, he would have had his hand on your back by now.” Pappu was left speechless.
Electoral Heat is on in Assam
The Assam Assembly elections have taken a dramatic turn as “Saffron” CM Himanta Biswa Sarma adopts a “Yogi-style” campaign, openly targeting the Muslim community in his rallies. Whether this has consolidated the Hindu vote is yet to be seen, but it has certainly forced Muslim voters to polarize in favor of the Congress out of fear of the BJP. This shift has left regional heavyweights like Badruddin Ajmal struggling, as voters move away from “vote-cutter” parties. Furthermore, the Ahom community appears dissatisfied with Sarma’s working style; if they lean toward Congress, it could be a jackpot for the party. While Muslim voters make up 35% of the state, an estimated 7-8% were removed from the SIR, leaving a decisive 27-28% block ready for battle. With 13-14% Bengali Hindu voters naturally siding with the BJP, the Congress’s success depends on the sharpness of its strategy and whether Rahul and Priyanka can provide the necessary momentum to “cross the finish line.”
The Media Maestro Returns
The “all-powerful” officer in the PMO has made a homecoming. Since the US-India trade deal negotiations, he has reclaimed his position in handling traditional media. It appears PM Modi felt that the media network this individual built over the last 12-13 years was not being managed effectively by Ashwini Vaishnaw’s team in his absence. Consequently, this “old veteran” has been reinstated. The pro-government media circles were jubilant at the news, with “Welcome back, Doctor Sahab!” trending across X (formerly Twitter). To mark his return, a post drafted by Doctor Sahab praising the India-US trade deal was posted simultaneously by nearly 20 major journalists from their X handles.
