Akalis play spoiler
The BJP leadership was not caught unawares by Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha. For months the party had tried to appease Sidhu, but it was prevented from providing any acceptable sop to him by the intransigence of the Akalis, who have been at loggerheads with the high-profile Sidhu for years. In March this year, Sidhu expected to be the BJP’s candidate to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab since he had to forego fighting from his Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency to make way for Arun Jaitley. But the Akalis declined to back him. The BJP finally brought the cricketer to the Upper House through a nomination in the eminent persons category. Sidhu expected to be made a minister when Modi expanded his Cabinet, but again Sukhbir Singh Badal vetoed the move. If Sidhu has not as yet joined AAP, it is because Arvind Kejriwal is reluctant to declare him the party’s chief ministerial candidate. For Sidhu, Kejriwal, too, will eventually pose a problem. The AAP leader is uncomfortable with anyone with a mind of his own.
Only one dynasty
Margaret Alva’s new book, Courage and Commitment, subtly brings out the real reason for her falling out with the Congress leadership. She notes candidly, “Once I had made the mistake of saying: ‘The Alvas are the only political family to have a member in Parliament without a break for almost half a century’. This statement sealed our fate. It was seen as a challenge.’’ Alva came from a distinguished political family. Her in-laws were Joachim and Violet Alva, freedom fighters, MPs, lawyers and journalists. In fact, Alva refers to them proudly as the first couple of Parliament since they were both MPs at the same time. Unfortunately, Alva’s children could not continue the family legacy. In the 2008 Karnataka Assembly elections, her son Nivedith was deliberately denied a Congress ticket although sons and daughters of many leaders in Karnataka and other states had been accommodated. This led to Alva’s agitated comment to a journalist: “Different rules exist for different people.’’ After that sacrilegious remark, her future in the Congress was over and she was pensioned off as a governor.
Priyanka’s clout
Priyanka Vadra’s rising importance in Uttar Pradesh was evident from the recent meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. Every speaker mentioned Priyanka’s name in their addresses to the party members and each time her name came up, it was greeted with much applause from the audience.
Not starry-eyed
Actor Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan have been taken aback by the Modi government’s unhelpful approach to the case registered against Salman in 2002 for allegedly driving a Land Cruiser over people sleeping on the pavement in Mumbai. In contrast to the other two Khan superstars, Shah Rukh and Aamir, Salman and his scriptwriter father supported Modi. Before the 2014 elections, Salman flew kites with Modi during the Makar Sankranti festival, for which he received much flak from the Muslim community. He asserted that Modi did not have to apologise for the 2002 riots. After the Bombay High Court acquitted the actor this year, the Maharashtra government went in appeal. The appeal is understandable, but what Salman and Salim think is not is the fact that attorney general Mukul Rohatgi seems to have taken a personal interest in the matter. Rohatgi appeared in court twice when the case came up and described Salman’s acquittal as a “travesty of justice”. He wanted the case taken up on a priority basis.
No Christian help
Many in the Congress believed that Sonia Gandhi as party president had a soft corner towards fellow Christians and promoted their careers. With the release of Margaret Alva’s autobiography, which takes several digs at Sonia, the buzz in the party is that Sonia’s co-religionists have turned out to be the most disloyal, despite going places because of her patronage. Alva follows in the footsteps of others such as Ajit Jogi and the late Purno Sangma.
Not Candy Crush
While many Congresspersons were quick to deny that Rahul Gandhi was sleeping in Parliament, Najma Heptulla does not dispute that she was not listening intently to a particular debate in the Rajya Sabha recently. But she denies that she was playing Candy Crush on her mobile as reported in The Indian Express. Heptulla explained that she was working on a crossword puzzle, a more intellectual pursuit and one that other illustrious parliamentarians, such as the late Indira Gandhi, have resorted to during the dull moments of a debate.
