From the India Gate: Controversial 'Hand' holding, mobile phone phobia and more

HAND HOLDING

When a Hindu firebrand leader and known Congress baiter like Anantha Kumar Hegde openly hugs a Congress leader, the ricochet of this act is felt far and wide.

Hegde recently embraced Congress leader Satish Sail at a meeting held in Karwar, Karnataka. This gesture surprised many as Hegde, MP and a former Union Minister, has never done anything like that in the past.

Though Hegde is in political hibernation, echoes of his fiery anti-Congress speeches are still felt among the Hindutva fans.

Speculations on what made Hegde hug Sail range from detachment from politics to dissatisfaction in saffron leadership.

His absence during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Ankola during the Assembly polls had sparked rumours. Is it a new realisation that people on the other side of the fence are also nice or a hint to Congress leadership? Curtains on this enigma will be unveiled only in the coming days.

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KARADI TALES

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is most common among older adults. Such a worry seems to have gripped septuagenarian Sanganna Karadi, Koppala MP.

Rumours that incumbent MPs who have crossed the age of 70 may be denied tickets to contest LS polls jolted Karadi, who is relatively unknown to most people in Karnataka. His performance in the Parliament seldom made headlines.

Upset over the rumours, Karadi supporters say that in spite of his age, their leader remains enthusiastic and energetic. He is fit and healthy.

Endorsing his supporters' stand,  Karadi was bold enough to state: "I am as old as Prime Minister Modi. If Modi is going to receive a ticket, then I must get one too. Even if Modi doesn't, it's fine."

Sensing danger, senior BJP leaders BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraja Bommai have stepped in to pacify Karadi. Karadi’s angst stems from the rumour that the BJP, which won 26 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, will go for new faces in a dozen seats and deny tickets to MPs who are above 70. Many other worried leaders are addressing the media more than ever to register their presence in the race for 2024 tickets.

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CAPITAL GAIN

In football, the timing of a tackle by a defender stands between a team’s win and loss. This is not very different in politics too. More often than not we have witnessed a key politician’s timely intervention changing the course of a debate or trending controversy.

At a time when the Congress in Kerala was running for cover after its state president got embroiled in a bribery scam, came the diving tackle from Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden. Though not a pre-meditated move, Eden’s private bill in the Parliament mooting the possibility of shifting Kerala’s capital from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam totally silenced the cacophony against KPCC president K Sudhakaran.

Clouds of allegations suddenly disappeared. Even group leaders within the party joined hands to isolate Eden.

Interestingly, the Opposition also seems to have decided to shelve its attack against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of Eden’s private bill. They were firing on all cylinders against the government but seemed to have run out of ammo. One can’t be blamed for suspecting a political quid-pro-quo going by the age-old dictum 'Dilli mein dosti, Kerala mein gusthi'.

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MOBILE BAN

Phone anxiety is hounding the head of a major party in Uttar Pradesh. But it is a phobia with a difference as he fears that proceedings of core committee meetings will be leaked if 'trusted' leaders are allowed to carry their cell phones.

The young leader is very sensitive as Lok Sabha elections are nearing. He had faced embarrassment after there was a leak of video and audio recordings of sensitive meetings.

Cadres now blame that 'one' leader who played 'Vibhishan' and couriered inner-party secrets to the opposite camp.

The young leader seems to have quipped that the lure of seats could give birth to more Vibhishans and till Lok Sabha polls are over, mobile phones will have to be kept outside along with footwear; and, maybe, self-esteem too.

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CRESTFALLEN

His hopes shattered after BJP’s central leadership anointed the Queen as the party’s face in the upcoming elections in Rajasthan. With this, the leader known for mobilizing masses and staging instant protests is crestfallen.

In recent years, Netaji organized and staged many protests with the hope of either making it to the Union Cabinet or being given a pivotal role in the upcoming Assembly elections. But after witnessing the cold shoulder from BJP top brass in Udaipur recently, Netaji has sensed the danger of being sidelined.

He has told his cadres not to stage any protest till further notice. Why invest energy in a mission impossible seems to be his thought, sources said.

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