From the India Gate: Chat G-P-T in Congress, Chennai Express and more
There is a lot that happens behind the scenes in the corridors of power. Opinions, conspiracies, power games and internal wrangling galore in the political space. Asianet News Network's massive ground presence taps into the pulse of politics and bureaucracy across the country.
FollowCHAT G-P-T
No AI is needed to decipher that G stands for Gehlot, P for Pilot and T for Tactics. Though both the leaders were in a dogfight over the Rajasthan skies till recently, they have signed a truce accord following a meeting in Delhi.
The G-P pact envisages a scenario where both the leaders join hands to lead the party in the upcoming Assembly election with a view to reassuring a repeat victory. The understanding is that the pilot of the new government will be Sachin and the incumbent CM will get a ``big’’ role in Delhi.
While the Gehlot camp is hunky-dory about the formula, Sachin's followers believe that he will not have a smooth flight even if the party comes back to power. They think Gehlot will continue to play the role of an air traffic controller in charge of Pilot’s government.
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VACUUM PUMP
First time in the history of Karnataka, there is a leadership vacuum in the Opposition in the Assembly and the Councils. Though BJP won 66 seats, it is former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy of JDS (with only 19 seats) who is playing that role in the interim.
Kumaraswamy has been vocal in accusing the Congress Government of ``transfer deals’’ and 'YST' a la GST. According to HDK, the acronym YST stands for a percentage of ``transfer fee’’ to be paid to a political kin. He also claimed to be in possession of an audio clip to prove his charges.
BJP is echoing HDK’s allegations in an attempt to gain political mileage even as the party struggles to play a proactive opposition role. But HDK’s steamrolling has left many, including BJP members, to think aloud about a possible understanding with JDS. They feel BJP can add more muscle to Kumaraswamy’s bid to unsettle the new government.
Operation Shakthi in Kerala, Bengal Drama and more
CHENNAI EXPRESS
The Protagonist of this movie gets embroiled in a local family drama en route to Rameswaram. As the political theatre of Tamil Nadu gets ready for the 2024 mega show, BJP state president Annamalai -- all set to launch his padayatra from Rameswaram -- is also hoping for a hero from the North.
He has already invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah to flag off his yatra. He is also putting pressure on the party to parachute yet another union minister Nirmala Sitharaman into state politics (Ironically, Kerala BJP is also considering fielding Sitharaman to take on Sitaram’s party in 2024).
Annamalai hopes that this script will help his party -- if needed -- to go solo as prospective alliance partners AIADMK, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Tamil Maanila Katchi (TMK) are yet to fall into the jigsaw.
AIADMK has a different view on introducing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). If AIADMK decides to contest alone, BJP will have to form an alliance with PMK and TMK. But Annamalai thinks otherwise and wants to showcase his power. And there is no other place than Rameswaram to dream big. For, here, all journeys end and new ones begin, literally.
Mutiny within Kerala CPI-M, 'Shiv' Tandav and more
SEMI-SPEED REACTION
It is all about the right chemistry. And as a professor of chemistry, K V Thomas -- Congress leader turned Left fellow traveller -- knows the right formula to make himself relevant even in the autumn of his life. A former union minister, Member of Parliament and Kerala Assembly member representing the Congress party, Thomas drifted towards the Left after he was denied his proportionate share in the party and its leadership.
Though the party took action, Thomas still lives the life of a Congressman donned an immaculate white khadi shirt and dhoti. But his heart throbs for the Left. However, his recent bid to catalyse a semi-speed railway line with the help of metro-man E Sreedharan has raised eyebrows. Sreedharan was fielded as a BJP candidate in the last Assembly election.
Thomas met Sreedharan and broached the rail project with the full blessings of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Reciprocating the initiative, Sreedharan is now on full steam to plot the journey. He is now proposing a semi-speed rail corridor, which could be later upgraded as a high-speed track, as an interim measure.
Thus, the Thomas formula helps the LDF Government to implement its botched K-Rail project. It’s a win-win for BJP, still basking in Vande Bharat glow, as the party can camouflage it as a central government project. The sudden development has put Congress activists, who were protesting against K-Rail, in a quandary. Party has already claimed that the new proposal is an "over bridge" between Left and BJP when Kerala is chugging towards the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Left is right and IAS vs IPS in Tamil Nadu
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