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Dilip
brings Sonia, Pawar together |
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 The
yawning gap in the relationship between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and
Congress President Sonia Gandhi appears to have disappeared. Thanks to
the behind-the-scenea activity of legendary Hindi film star, Dilip
Kumar, the two leaders who used to work against the interests of each
other, now have decided to mend fences both inside and outside
Parliament. —Sonia’s equations with Pawar deteriorated soon after her
arrival in active politics. In the recently-concluded Goa Assembly
polls, their relationship came to such a head that whoever was
rejected by the Congress for a ticket for the Assembly poll was
awarded with a ticket by the NCP. As a result, the Congress fared
badly in the Assembly poll. However, before the same pattern could be
repeated in Gujarat where elections are due, the Congress is taking
the help of Dilip Kumar who has tried to sort out differences with the
wily politician from Maharashtra. |
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Ramata Jogi |
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 Congress
leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has showed that he has the ability to turn
Kashmir issue in the party’s favour. On one hand, he has revived the
almost dead Congress by encouraging young Kashmiri leaders, who were
feeling alienated so far due to the high command’s insensitive
attitude, to work vigorously for the party. On the other, he has made
NC leader Farooq Abdullah aware of the fact that the State could no
longer remain a fiefdom of his family and the party. A young Congress
leader in his early 50s, Azad has also made it clear that his presence
in the Valley would change the dangerous life of the Kashmiri for the
better. Azad's arrival has made the life of the BJP and its supporters
uneasy. His charisma has begun to affect both all sections of society
in the state. But then, only the results of the forthcoming Assembly
elections in the State will show how far Azad’s arrival in Kashmir has
affected political life. |
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Venkaiah drops Jana, Thakre |
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 BJP
chief Venkaiah Naidu dropped former party presidents Jana
Krishnamurthy and Kushabhau Thakre from the newly formed parliamentary
board. The ostensible reason given for their non-inclusion in the
board, which was constituted at the behest of Deputy Prime Minister L.
K. Advani, was that they were old and lacked mass appeal. Thus, in
dthe “generational change” that has been sought to be brought about by
the constitution of the board, the two stalwarts failed to get a berth
because they were in their 70s. But, has the same yardstick been
applied fairly in the selection of new board members? Prime Minister
A. B. Vajpayee, his Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani and Human
Resources Minister Murli Manohar Joshi who are board members, are in
their mid-70s. The troika forms the power centre, while Jana and
Thakre are spent forces, opined one senior BJP functionary. It would
have been better if he had said that Jana and Thakre did not match the
BJP’s standard of politics. All said and done, the fact why the duo
failed to get entry in the new team is their personal equation with
Advani and Venkaiah. Both Jana and Thakre have not shared a good
relationship with either Advani or the newly appointed BJP chief. And
this is well reflected in the “generational change” which has been
brought about.
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