Tridib Raman
In the biting cold of December, Uttarakhand’s already frigid politics has suddenly flared up once again, this time over the long-forgotten Ankita Bhandari murder case. Nearly every day, a new audio clip linked to the case is going viral, dragging several senior leaders of the ruling party into the controversy. The largest political party, which champions morality and integrity, is now facing a ‘face-saving’ crisis. Uttarakhand is in shock, and the simmering anger among the youth could spill onto the streets at any moment. The factionalism within the Uttarakhand BJP has also come openly to the surface. Two influential figures who had long shielded Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami now find themselves trapped in the very web they once spun. One of them is said to be a powerful official from the Prime Minister’s Office, whose name the Congress has repeatedly invoked in recent days to stir controversy. It is being whispered that even the Prime Minister may now be looking to distance himself from this loyalist. There is talk that he may be sent to Uttarakhand as an adviser to the Chief Minister. Another major name to surface in the viral audio controversy is that of BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Gautam, who also happens to be the party’s in-charge for Uttarakhand. Gautam is known to share a close rapport with Chief Minister Dhami, one reason why Dhami has repeatedly received protection from the high command even in the most adverse situations. However, if the BJP’s Chanakya decides to take a hard line now, Dhami’s exit may well be inevitable. It is being reported that the party leadership has already begun exploring alternatives. At this moment, the name of State Assembly Speaker Ritu Bhandari is said to be leading the race. According to sources, this name has the blessings of BJP Organisation General Secretary B.L. Santhosh. The second name in the race is that of Minister in the state government and son of Vijay Bahuguna, Saurabh Bahuguna. As always, BJP National Spokesperson and Media In-charge Anil Baluni is also quietly pushing his name forward this time, but he is unlikely to be much liked by the BJP top brass. Consequently, several other contenders for the Chief Minister’s post have also started making rounds in Delhi already. However, it is also possible that at the last moment, the BJP high command pulls out a surprising name from its bag, someone you may not have thought of or known about.
When will Nitin’s ‘Team Nabin’ be formed?
Tridib Raman
Until now, it was being claimed that the BJP’s newly appointed national working president, Nitin Nabin, was counted among the close confidants of RSS number two, Dattatreya Hosabale. However, the RSS has now issued a clarification stating that the election of the BJP president is the party’s own internal decision and that the Sangh does not consider it appropriate to interfere in the matter. In other words, the RSS has, in a carefully considered manner, distanced itself from the entire issue. Now the question arises: when will Nabin announce his new team? Sources linked to the BJP claim that Nitin Nabin’s new team will likely be announced after the Bengal elections. The BJP top brass might be thinking that all party leaders will give their all in the Bengal elections so that their hopes of being adjusted in the organisation remain alive. It is also being said that Nabin’s new team will be completely new, equipped with fresh faces, relatively young, so that the buzz of a generation change in the BJP can be further fueled. So, speculations are rife that 80 to 90 percent of the faces in Nabin’s team will be new and fresh. The BJP constitution also sets a maximum tenure of 8 years for National General Secretaries; most of these General Secretaries have already crossed this fixed limit. And yes, the 2029 Lok Sabha elections will likely be fought by this very new team of Nabin. So, every face to be included will be thoroughly vetted. Sources claim that New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj could get special importance in Nabin’s new team; she could be appointed as the BJP’s national spokesperson and media in-charge, replacing Anil Baluni.
Battle for Bankipur
Tridib Raman
Before being declared BJP’s National Executive President, Nitin Nabin was an MLA from Bankipur Assembly in Patna and a minister in Nitish Kumar’s government. Now that his path goes via Delhi, it is possible that in the coming days, the BJP may bring him to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar itself. This will vacate one ministerial post from BJP’s quota in the Bihar government. Also, a by-election will be held for the Bankipur Assembly seat. Bankipur is a Kayasth-majority seat, so it is expected that the BJP will field a Kayasth candidate from here. In this context, two names are being widely discussed, and both are counted among Nitin Nabin’s closest associates. One is BJP National Secretary Rituraj Kishore Sinha, and the other is Sanjay Mayukh. Both these leaders are also Kayasth by caste, and both have a claim to a ministerial post in the Nitish government. However, another senior Kayasth leader from Bihar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, is busy playing his own tune. He is pushing for his wife Maya Shankar from the Bankipur seat. His wife is a retired professor from Patna Women’s College, a skilled sitar player, and has long been associated with the ‘Spic Macay’ program. Ravi Shankar Prasad wants that if for some reason the BJP top leadership is unable to give a ticket to his wife, then his son should be given the opportunity from this seat.
Who Is This Power Broker Rishu Shree of Bihar?
Tridib Raman
In recent days, the name of a young power broker in Bihar, Rishu Shree, also known as Rishu Ranjan Sinha, has been making headlines. He is an accused in an alleged ₹2,000-crore tender scam and is widely reported to have deep connections within Bihar’s IAS lobby. Rishu Shree is said to enjoy close relations with several senior IAS officers in the state. According to reports, he is developing an “IAS colony” in Hajipur, near Patna, allegedly to cater to this influential network. Several retired IAS officers are said to have booked plots in the project. When senior Bihar IAS officer Sanjeev Hans was arrested on money-laundering charges, the Special Vigilance Unit also registered an FIR against Rishu Shree in connection with the same case. However, at the time, his alleged protectors within the government were reportedly so powerful that no action was effectively taken against him. Sanjeev Hans was later granted bail. Despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s reported displeasure with him, Rishu Shree is said to enjoy the backing of several senior leaders within the JD(U). He is also reported to have close ties with IAS officer Anand Kishor, who is considered close to the Chief Minister. Anand Kishor currently serves as chairman of the Bihar School Examination Board and has received a service extension until 2026. According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its report, has alleged that Rishu Shree funded foreign trips for several IAS officers and their families at his own expense and invested their illicit funds in Dubai. It is claimed that he bore the expenses for overseas trips undertaken by 2017-batch IAS officer Yogesh Kumar Sagar and 2014-batch IAS officer Abhilasha Kumari Sharma, along with their families. Sources further claim that at least eight IAS officers linked to what is being described as the “Rishu Shree syndicate” are currently under the ED’s scanner. There are also reports that when a substantial amount of Rishu Shree’s money became stuck within the Bihar government system, he sought the help of a well-known ‘Baba’ to retrieve it. However, the effort reportedly failed, and it is believed that the Baba extracted a significant sum from Rishu Shree in return.
How Bhagwant Mann Turned the Tables in Punjab
There was widespread speculation that the Mann government in Punjab could fall victim to growing anti-incumbency sentiments, and in the upcoming 2027 Punjab Assembly elections the Aam Aadmi Party might face a crushing defeat at the hands of Congress. However, Punjab’s recent local body elections have effectively debunked these prevailing assumptions.Under Bhagwant Mann’s leadership, AAP secured victories in nearly 70 per cent of the seats in the recent elections to district councils and block committees. This win is unprecedented for Mann in several ways. For one, throughout the campaign he foregrounded himself and his government, asking for votes explicitly on the basis of his work and governance. Although voter turnout remained below 50 per cent, Mann succeeded in mobilising his core party supporters and getting them to the polling booths. When AAP won the Punjab Assembly elections about three years ago, the campaign was fought largely on the performance of the Delhi government and in the name of Arvind Kejriwal. At that time, Mann was not the people’s first choice but rather Kejriwal’s choice for Chief Minister. Now, however, it appears that Mann’s long-standing urge to step out of Kejriwal’s shadow has finally taken concrete shape.Anyway, ever since Kejriwal lost the latest Delhi elections, he, along with Manish Sisodia and his dear Vaibhav, has been camped in Punjab over Mann’s head, which probably is not sitting well with Mann. This was the reason why in these local body elections, Mann asked for votes in his own name and for his work, not Kejriwal’s. Sources say that if Kejriwal dares to provoke Mann before the 2027 elections, Mann could even form his own separate party and contest.
Rajya Sabha from Bihar
In the coming days, many Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are falling vacant. It is believed that three of these seats will come under BJP’s quota and two seats will go to JDU’s share. In BJP, it is almost considered that one of these seats will go to Nitin Nabin; on the second, Bhojpuri star and singer Pawan Singh could be sent to the Upper House. In such a scenario, there is fierce tussle within the BJP coalition for the third seat. HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is also a Union Minister, is staking his claim on this seat. On the side, he is also throwing the threat that if this seat is not given to his party, his son Santosh Suman will resign from the Nitish government, but BJP considers this merely a bluff by Manjhi. Meanwhile, the tenure of RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha in the Rajya Sabha is ending in April. He had got the Rajya Sabha seat for only two years. So, Kushwaha wants this seat for himself. But the BJP has made it clear that it will bring Upendra Kushwaha’s son Deepak Prakash to the Legislative Council seat vacated by Mangal Pandey. Thus, BJP cannot give Kushwaha a sweet deal in both hands. Meanwhile, LJP(Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan wants this Rajya Sabha seat for his mother Reena Paswan. However, BJP’s thinking is that it may reserve this seat for that alliance partner who talks about fielding a Dalit candidate for this seat. It is worth noting that Chirag’s mother Reena comes from a Punjabi upper-caste family.
Mahayuti Stuns BJP in Local Polls
In the local body elections of Maharashtra, both constituent parties of the Mahayuti alliance, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar), have delivered a spectacular performance. This performance was so impressive that even the BJP was left stunned for a moment. Both Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar know that if they appear weak at the grassroots, the BJP will flick them away like a fly in milk. Therefore, in these elections, both poured in their money, strength, and political acumen. Shinde conducted multiple ground surveys for each seat; when the need to change candidates was indicated, he rose above caste and religion and changed his candidates multiple times. Candidates were given no shortage of funds or resources. They fought this election exactly the way their party fights Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections.
