From the India Gate: Forgotten Rs 2000 crore promise, Chalo Cuba and more
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FollowPYAR KI JHAPPI
'Munnabhai MBBS' introduced 'pyar ki jhappi' as an effective password to open locked minds. Such an act by Rahul Gandhi seems to have convinced Siddaramaiah to let go of his Kolar dream.
The whole of Karnataka didn't know what made Siddaramaiah restrict himself to the Varuna constituency. None could ask him till journalists found him in a good mood the other day.
One being asked, Siddaramaiah said that a "boy" hugged him with a smile and said "Kolar Nakkoj". He did not know how to react. But Congress managed to restrict him to Varuna through this hug-diplomacy. Sidda were to later admit that the "boy" was Rahul Gandhi.
This definitely took some of the journos to that day when RaGa had tried a similar trick on NaMo in Parliament to become a laughing stock.
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OUT OF FOCUS
The Left government's almost nil response to the alleged scam clouding the multi-crore project for installing AI cameras on Kerala roads is quizzing the intelligence of the common man.
Like many other allegations that hounded the LDF ministry, especially close kin of the chief minister, the Opposition is scanning files to connect dots that can lead the probe to the Cliff House.
But the efforts are failing to create any impact given the infamous groupism within the Opposition.
Ironically, all top leaders of Congress are holding separate press conferences to release "proofs". Much before Opposition leader V D Satheesan came with his set of evidence, prominent leader Ramesh Chennithala unveiled many documents in support of his graft allegations.
This was soon followed by KPCC president K Sudhakaran who met the media "warning of" strong agitation against the government. But Kerala is yet to witness any joint agitation against the scam even as the Government continues to ignore all brouhaha.
Even BJP seems to be a divided house as Sobha Surendran preferred to go solo without taking state leadership into confidence. With groupism plaguing each political party, the government looks likely to wriggle out of this series of allegations also. A joint opposition strike over the CCTV scam really looks out of focus.
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HOLA, CUBA
Than being a platonic socialist destination, the Kerala government does not miss any chance to learn from the Cuban model. Right from the Cuban model in health care to mosquito eradication, successive governments have tried to imbibe the best of Cuban practices. But not one of them has yielded desired results.
To the contrary, some of them like the health care model have fallen flat. In fact, one such attempt in Thiruvananthapuram literally made a government hospital useless for the neighbourhood population.
Similarly, a Cuban model to eradicate mosquitoes never left the pupa stage given the huge cost of medicine to be used in the process.
Despite all this, the chief minister and health minister are all set to fly for learning more from Cuba. Many see it as a tit-for-tat move after the Centre turned down the CM’s request to visit UAE to take part in an investors' meet.
But yet another school attributes it to the Communist romance to wrap Quixotic projects in Cuban garb. Till we know the details, it is hasta la vista CM.
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EVE POWER
Bhavani Revanna, the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, always had her eyes on the Hassan seat. But after the party gave the ticket to Swaroop Prakash, Bhavani seems to be a transformed person.
She was there when Swaroop filed a nomination. Bhavani has been campaigning for Swaroop addressing him as Mane Maga (son of the family). With this, Bhavani's mass appeal has scaled high and she is in demand for campaigning in other parts of the state also.
As a Zilla President, Bhavani has already showcased her administrative skills. Party insiders know her influence on supremo Deve Gowda. The cocktail of skill, persuasion and perseverance is slowly moulding Bhavani into a leader to reckon with within the JDS. How it all translates into democratic ambition will be seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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WHERE'S THE Rs 2000 CRORE?
Well, that was the amount promised for the development of the proposed new districts. But no one seems to be remembering that promise even as voters wait for their own district in some parts of Rajasthan.
Even the chief minister Ashok Gehlot is totally silent on this.
It's said that many ministers have stopped attending public meetings fearing this query. But insiders in the government say that not a line has been drawn to carve out these districts. Looks like Gehlot and colleague will have to go into hibernation till some action is seen on the ground.
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PLUNDER IN UNIFORM
Inmates of a prison in Rajasthan have grown a productive vegetable garden on the premises. Organic produce from this garden narrate the story of a jail officer who decided to engage jailbirds in such activity.
But a new officer who took his place had better ideas. He began taking the harvest home with a view to ensuring pesticide-free veggies for his family. It’s also said that vegetables from the jail garden reach the dining table of top brass regularly.
Seeing the loot, the jailbirds cannot be blamed for chanting the Biblical sentence: Fowls in the sky do not sow, nor do they reap… the Father feedeth them.
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