Tridib Raman
These days, Captain Amarinder Singh feels deeply betrayed by the BJP leadership. In his mind, it seems only one thought is running: “They used me, and now they don’t even acknowledge me.” The BJP began to feel that “the Captain is nothing more than a spent cartridge, of no further use to us.” So, the top leadership of the party set aside all their grand promises to him and pushed him into cold storage. Close aides of the Captain lamented that “at the very least, he could have been made governor of a state.” Hurt by his continuous neglect, Amarinder had once even resolved to return to his old home—the Congress. He met Sonia Gandhi, had tea with her, and shared his innermost thoughts. In a way, the Captain signalled to Sonia that “whether or not I rejoin the Congress formally, I will continue to support it directly or indirectly.” But as soon as the central government got wind of this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation against the Captain and his family. The matter relates to properties belonging to his son abroad, in France, Dubai, and Switzerland. Now even the court has said that “the ED may investigate these properties.” Punjab, in any case, remains a sore spot for the BJP. Despite repeated efforts, it has been unable to gain a foothold there. Once, it had the support of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Now, it wishes to sail its political boat in Punjab with the help of AAP defectors and the Captain’s old loyalists. Thus, Congress leader and Captain’s former close confidant, Manish Tewari, has emerged as the BJP’s natural choice. He is the MP from Chandigarh and is seen as a prominent standard-bearer of Congress’s rebel faction. A Brahmin by caste and counted among Punjab’s senior leaders, Tewari had already been on the BJP’s radar. Modi even included him in the delegation of MPs under “Operation Sindoor”, brushing aside Rahul Gandhi’s objections to his name.
Who will assert their dominance in Ladakh?
Tridib Raman
The mountainous desert of Ladakh is simmering over the issue of granting full statehood and protecting tribal rights under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The apex body of Leh and Kargil, which is leading this movement, had decided to remove political figures from its organization under public pressure. The axe of this decision also fell on two major leaders, one of whom is Thupstan Chhewang, who not only left the BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but also resigned from his Lok Sabha seat. He is a former two-time BJP MP. Apart from him, Congress veteran Rigzin Zora also had to resign from this apex body. However, Thupstan Chhewang is unable to hide his RSS background and his closeness to the BJP’s central leadership, even if he wants to. Meanwhile, he is being challenged by a non-political person, engineer and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, who has emerged as a new beacon of hope for the people here. This is the second time Wangchuk has undertaken an indefinite fast. Apparently, he has also become a thorn in the side of the central government. However, the Union Home Ministry has managed to get Thupstan reinstated in this apex body by setting a strange condition. But the local people see this as the government’s policy of pressure. This is also confusing Thupstan – ‘will he stand fearlessly on the issue of Ladakh or will he be forced to toe the Centre’s line?’ Whatever it may be, this has become a major challenge for Thupstan’s own clean public image.
Mehraj has Become a Problem for his own Party
Tridib Raman
Mehraj Malik’s political journey is full of unsolved mysteries. However, one day, to everyone’s surprise, he swept Jammu and Kashmir with the AAP’s broom and won the assembly election. Overjoyed, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also suddenly made him the head of its Jammu and Kashmir unit. The surprising thing is that before Malik’s political rise, it was hard to find people in the state who even knew about the AAP. Malik’s political journey is interesting in many ways. He first came into the limelight when he registered an unexpected victory as an independent candidate in the District Development Council elections. After this, he consistently built an image of an outspoken and aggressive public representative. He often clashed directly with officials over public issues. This very style made him even more popular among the people and the media. However, this very excessive aggression backfired when he showered abuses against the Deputy Commissioner of his home district, Doda, accusing him of not implementing public welfare projects. He was then arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Following this, the government and administration began digging into his past. During this investigation, some old videos of him were found where he was seen giving controversial speeches in support of terrorists. The government immediately sprang into action; preparations began to measure Malik further. This investigation has caused worry lines on the foreheads of the AAP. Now, they find Malik difficult to either swallow or spit out.
Congress Gears Up for Battle in Bihar
Can the Bihar elections become Rahul Gandhi’s political saviour? The way the people of Bihar, especially its youth, recently welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ has greatly boosted the Leader of Opposition’s morale. Rahul sees the Bihar elections as the harbinger of a new Congress. Therefore, this time, Congress aspirants there are having to go through multiple rounds of screening. The most important report is the one Rahul is considering from his trusted aide Sunil Kanugolu. After this, state Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaraju also has his own recommendations, but the approval of the Pradesh Congress Committee is also needed. This means that this time, Rahul is not blindly trusting the approval of the screening committee led by Ajay Maken. So far, the Congress has been demanding only 70 seats in the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). However, sources believe that this time, the Congress may have to settle for just 55 seats. This is because last time, even after getting 70 seats, the Congress could only get 17 MLAs elected. Meanwhile, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Rajesh Ram has sent a prepared list of potential candidates to Delhi, in which three names have been sent for each seat. This list is currently with Rahul Gandhi and the central screening committee. Earlier, Rahul was also advocating for 5-7 seats in Seemanchal for Pappu Yadav. However, the way independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, was seen laughing and chatting with PM Modi on stage during the inauguration of the Purnia airport recently must have certainly raised doubts in Rahul’s mind: ‘Is the BJP trying to woo Pappu?’ To underline the importance of the Bihar elections, the Congress has decided to hold this time’s CWC meeting in Patna. This extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee is scheduled for September 24 at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. It is believed that besides Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka, and Kharge, all three Congress Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, state presidents, and other central officials will also be present in this meeting.
Why Is Priyanka’s Wayanad Visit Called “Private”?
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has arrived in her parliamentary constituency, Wayanad, on a 12-day private visit, staying at the Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa. But her so-called private trip has created a stir within the state Congress, especially in the Wayanad unit. District Congress president N.D. Appachan has already clarified that “this is the Congress MP’s personal visit, for which she informed only her private office. The local Congress office was not given any information regarding her travel plans.” Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are also expected to join Priyanka at the same hotel in Wayanad for four days. Sources suggest, however, that Priyanka Gandhi herself is troubled by the internal factionalism within the local Congress. She wants “Congress leaders in Kerala to improve their coordination and work together in the interest of the party.” This has also raised a key question: if Priyanka’s trip was indeed so private, why has it taken on such a wide scope? During her stay, she is continuously meeting with local residents, listening to their grievances, meeting tea plantation workers, interacting with landslide-affected families, and engaging with various religious leaders and bishops. In other words, Priyanka Gandhi’s current Wayanad visit appears to have a very specific political purpose behind it.
Bihar Elections and the PK Factor
In politics, sometimes even a pawn complicates the board when placed before the king. The case of Prashant Kishor in Bihar appears to be one such example. According to a BJP internal survey, PK is steadily building influence among his own caste base, the Brahmin community, as well as among other upper castes such as Bhumihars, Thakurs, and Kayasthas. Yet, he has been unable to consolidate support among Muslims, Dalits, OBCs, and EBCs. Ironically, the voters he is managing to attract are largely BJP’s own traditional supporters. That is why Kishor has been urged to “rework his strategy”, lest the fire that consumes the house comes from its own lam
