Tridib Raman
The world’s richest industrialist, Elon Musk, is set to expand his influence in India by launching his satellite phone service by the end of January. In the recent US presidential election, Elon Musk proved to be Donald Trump’s trump card in securing his victory. Obviously, making Musk happy will be an initiative to bring a smile to Trump’s lips, knowingly or unknowingly. Musk’s company, Starlink, is all set to enter India. Initially, Musk will work in the fields of communication and EV. Starlink could become one of the largest companies in India providing internet facilities, and experts consider it a warning bell for Reliance Jio. It should be noted that last week, Musk launched 23 new LEO satellites from Florida to start his satellite-based service in India through his SpaceX company. The most notable thing is that out of these 23 satellites, 13 have ‘direct to cell’ capabilities, which can connect directly to mobile phones and activate them without any special equipment or mobile tower. This means that even if you go to the remotest areas of India where there is no mobile tower, you can remain in the network with the help of these satellite phones. You can make phone calls or avail internet service. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently announced that his ministry is ready to give an internet service license to Starlink on a first-come, first-served basis in India. However, experts are concerned that once Starlink gets the green signal, TRAI will not have much control over it because this service will be operated directly through satellites instead of towers, which will not be easy to control. In such a situation, India’s data can also go directly to Starlink. The government’s DPDP Act makes localization of data storage mandatory, but will this rule prove to be as effective in the case of Starlink? This is the biggest question.
Who Will Lead JDU after Nitish Kumar?
Tridib Raman
There is ongoing speculation about the political successor of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and who will take over the command of JDU after him. There are also ongoing concerns about Nitish’s health. Superficially, two names are being discussed as Nitish’s successor: one is the party’s national working president, Sanjay Jha, and the other is Rajiv Ranjan, also known as Lallan Singh, a minister in the Modi government. Sanjay Jha has very cordial relations with the top leadership of the BJP. As party president, he is continuously touring the state in view of the upcoming Bihar elections and is trying to strengthen the JDU organization. However, there is a concern within a section of JDU that if Sanjay Jha has his way in ticket distribution, he can bring to fruition the BJP’s plan where the saffron party intends for JDU to give tickets to BJP leaders who can win most of its seats. This would make it easier for JDU to merge with BJP if the situation arises. The most surprising aspect is that Lallan Singh is reportedly fully supporting Jha’s highly ambitious plan behind the scenes.
When will BJP get a new President?
In the coming days, BJP may get its new president. Currently, Muralidhar Rao, who comes from South India, is said to be the frontrunner in this race. If sources are to be believed, the RSS has also sent a message to Prime Minister Modi that they do not have a specific name for the new president, but Sangh leadership wants a young president for BJP, aged between 50-55 years, who has well-known organizational skills and is always available for party leaders and common workers. Sangh has also expressed its displeasure with the current president, JP Nadda, to the top leadership. The Sangh says that Nadda never makes decisions on his own, and even in elections, Amit Shah has to put his team with him. It is also difficult for organizational people and party workers to meet him, and he is adept at shelving files. The RSS has also blamed Nadda for the defeat in Himachal. It is said that the RSS has not yet forgotten Nadda’s statement when he boldly said that BJP no longer needs the RSS.
Mamata’s Banner Flying High
Tridib Raman
It seems that the Congress party, having lost in Haryana and Maharashtra, has also lost the trust of its alliance partners. Now, the allies of the Congress-led INDIA alliance are looking to Rahul Gandhi to break this new Chakravyuh. Everyone knows that the architect of this new labyrinth is the same top industrialist of the country on whom Rahul has always been attacking from Parliament to the streets. Now, some political parties are active in showing Rahul’s Congress the way out of the INDIA alliance. These are the same leaders who are now advocating for handing over the command of the INDIA alliance from Kharge to Mamata. Whether it is Lalu Yadav, Sharad Pawar, or Akhilesh Yadav, all are advocating for making Mamata Banerjee the leader of the INDIA alliance. Even leaders like Jagan Mohan Reddy, who have now become disillusioned with the BJP, are unknowingly marching in favour of Didi. Surprisingly, Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party, who is a staunch opponent of Jagan in Andhra politics, is also counted among Mamata’s admirers. Although he is currently supporting the NDA government, he has also indicated in a subtle way that if the command of the INDIA alliance comes into Mamata’s hands, he might consider switching sides. One notable thing in this entire matter is that all these parties, ready to unite under Mamata’s umbrella, do not have any reservations against Adani like Rahul does. In fact, leaders like Pawar, Mamata, and Chandrababu sometimes even boast about their friendship with Adani.
Soren’s Trust in Congress
Hemant Soren may not have confidence in following the path of the other constituent parties of the INDIA alliance, but he wants to keep Congress settled with a reasonable price if not cut-to-size. Talking about the recent Jharkhand Assembly elections, Soren was skeptical about the attitude of the Congress leadership from the beginning. He had given 30 seats to Congress to contest in bulk, but the reports he was getting from the field indicated that more than half of the Congress candidates were not putting their money and resources into the election. According to sources, immediately after this, Soren directly spoke to Rahul Gandhi and asked him to provide more election funds for their candidates and also arrange programs for big leaders here. However, somewhere the Congress leadership believed that their candidates were capable of contesting the elections on their own. So, when the money did not come from Delhi, it is said that Soren himself summoned the Congress candidates, helped them financially, and held at least two meetings in their respective constituencies. Only then was Congress able to win 16 seats in Jharkhand. Although Soren rejected the demand for a Deputy CM from Congress, he did oblige them with four ministerial posts. So, it is not surprising that Congress MLAs in Jharkhand have so much trust in Soren.
Colorful Contest Between BJP & AAP
In Delhi, this time, there is a do-or-die battle between the BJP and AAP. Considering the unpredictable outcome of this election, a senior Delhi BJP leader has given a unique New Year’s gift to journalists covering the BJP beat. According to sources, journalists covering Delhi BJP have been gifted expensive iPhones as New Year’s presents. Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has sought the counsel of astrologers. Acting on the advice of one of his trusted astrologers, Kejriwal has changed the color of his party’s election symbol, the ‘broom,’ from white to black. Following the saying “Buri Nazar Wale Tera Muh Kala” (May the face of the evil eye be blackened), all of AAP’s promotional materials now feature a black broom instead of a white one. However, the party has not provided any explanation for this change.
