Tridib Raman
Congress party, lagging significantly in the political arena, now seems to be placing greater faith in the alignment of celestial bodies. The newly constructed Congress headquarters, “Indira Bhavan,” on Kotla Road had been ready for quite some time, but astrologers had declared January 15 as the auspicious day for its inauguration, and so Congress complied. With a glimmer of hope for better days, Congress eagerly awaits a similarly auspicious day to take decisive actions. Astrologers have marked January 28 as another significant date, when Venus enters Pisces, where Rahu is already positioned. Venus, being Rahu’s guru, makes this conjunction especially important. Astrologers believe this planetary alignment will bring about the ‘Malavya Yog’ a phase where stalled efforts succeed, and fortune favours the previously unlucky. Thus, Congress leaders have scheduled a crucial meeting at “Indira Bhavan” on January 28, aiming to initiate significant changes within the party. This meeting could witness the beginning of a major restructuring of the Congress organization, not just at the national level but also in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand, where discussions may focus on appointing new state presidents. It is said that alongside senior office bearers, all current and former chief ministers and state unit heads will participate in this meeting. Additionally, filling vacant posts in state organizations will also be discussed. This could mark the emergence of a new, revitalized Congress, operating from its new headquarters with renewed determination.
Message Behind Rahul’s Patna Visit
Tridib Raman
Yesterday, on January 18, Rahul Gandhi was in Patna, addressing the “Constitution Protection Conference” organized by civil society. While the event was officially non-political, the Congress party had been preparing for its success for quite some time. However, the banners and posters displayed by Congress in Patna to welcome Rahul Gandhi were promptly removed overnight by the Patna Municipal Corporation. The responsibility for organizing this conference was assigned to Mohan Prakash, Congress’s in-charge for Bihar. A few days ago, Mohan Prakash had reached Patna and was meeting the state party officials and district presidents one by one, requesting them to make Rahul’s meeting a success. Suddenly, Mohan Prakash came to know that the new Congress headquarters was to be inaugurated in New Delhi on January 15, so he rushed to Delhi. Along with him, Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh and leader of the legislative party Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Khan also took the flight to Delhi. While coordinating virtually with Bihar leaders, Mohan Prakash received significant support from key Dalit leaders in Bihar, including Rajesh Ram, former MLC Lal Babu, and Pratima Das from the Ram Sundar Das family. These Dalit leaders were aware of Rahul Gandhi’s preference for appointing a Dalit leader as the new Bihar Congress president in place of Akhilesh Prasad Singh. Their efforts bore fruit, as the “Constitution Protection Conference” gained traction across Bihar. In a last-minute change, the venue was shifted from Shri Krishna Memorial Hall, with a capacity of 2,000, to the larger Bapu Auditorium, which accommodates 5,000 people.
Weigh Your Words
Tridib Raman
This young leader, who is contesting elections from Delhi on a BJP ticket, is famous for his foul language. This time, he is presenting a challenge to the biggest leader of AAP, putting his reputation at stake. He asked a former RWA president of a posh colony in New Delhi, whom he knows, to organize a tea party at his home and invite the prominent and enlightened people of the area. The former RWA president did the same, inviting 40-50 people to his home for tea. The tea had just started when a former army officer present there, who was among PM Modi’s fans, said to the BJP candidate, “Son, you are young and talented, the country is looking at you with hope, but why don’t you have control over your speech? Why do you speak such nonsense and provocative language?” On hearing this, the saffron candidate got upset. He turned towards the organizer and said, “I did not know that you have invited your paid sycophants to my meeting…” Then, there was a ruckus in the meeting, and one by one, people started leaving the tea party midway. The organizer also got angry and said to the BJP candidate “This is not Mundka or Najafgarh; you should have thought a hundred times before saying anything here.”
Why BJP Heavyweights Opted Out of the Election Race
Tridib Raman
The BJP leadership is showing signs of concern regarding the Delhi elections. Amit Shah is continuously holding meetings with Delhi BJP leaders, boosting their morale. In yesterday’s meeting, Shah’s main message was, “We are winning Delhi, just campaign vigorously.” However, sources say that the selection of BJP candidates in Delhi is fraught with many tangled stories. The selection process involved Delhi BJP in-charge Baijayant Panda and Delhi BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva, but they couldn’t resolve many issues. The decision to release the party’s manifesto in three parts was also somewhat unusual. The party’s top leadership wanted all heavyweight leaders of Delhi BJP to contest the elections. Hence, party president Nadda spoke to Smriti Irani and Meenakshi Lekhi. The party wanted Smriti to contest from Greater Kailash, where Punjabi and Bengali voters dominate. Smriti’s father is Punjabi, and her mother is Bengali, although they are now separated. However, when Smriti was not ready to contest, the BJP fielded its councilor Shikha Rai in her place, who received 43,563 votes in the last election, while the winner Saurabh Bhardwaj got 60,372 votes. Meenakshi Lekhi was also not very keen on contesting; her preferred seats were New Delhi or Delhi Cantt, where she couldn’t secure a place. Vijay Goel was very eager to contest, but the party did not favor him.
How much Purvanchal is in BJP’s mind?
Tridib Raman
Local BJP leaders and workers in Delhi do not seem very happy with the ticket distribution this time. Especially, the BJP, which claims to represent Purvanchali people, did not give much preference to candidates from Bihar and UP in ticket distribution. According to rough estimates, there are more than 25% Purvanchali voters in Delhi alone. They have significant influence in 29 out of 70 seats in Delhi. There are about 15 seats in Delhi where more than 50% of the voters are Purvanchali. However, BJP has fielded only 5 Purvanchali candidates, compared to AAP’s 12 Purvanchali candidates. Many BJP leaders are also not lagging behind in playing the ‘Purvanchali emotions’ card, which is proving advantageous for AAP in Delhi.
Why So Much Trust in Kailash?
Tridib Raman
Kailash Gahlot, who was a minister in the AAP government, switched to BJP, despite facing Income tax, CBI, and ED cases. The BJP did not disappoint him and fielded him from Brijwasan. The BJP had been trying to bet on a Jat face like Gahlot since last August when the then-jailed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal asked Atishi to hoist the flag on August 15. However, the Delhi LG, sensing BJP’s intentions, gave this unique opportunity to Kailash Gahlot instead of Atishi. This was the first announcement of Gahlot’s proximity to BJP. Sources say that a close relative of Gahlot is very close to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It is believed that Doval was the one who brought Gahlot into the BJP camp, assuring him that if BJP came to power in Delhi, he would be given a very important responsibility.
Trump’s Oath: Special Invite to Indian Business Tycoons
On January 20, Donald Trump will take the oath of office as the President of the United States for the second time. For his inauguration ceremony, Trump has sent invitations to heads of state from countries such as Italy, France, Japan, and Australia, as well as numerous wealthy individuals from around the world. From India, Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji, and Narayana Murthy, along with more than two dozen wealthy individuals from Dubai, have also received invitations. Trump’s message is clear: “People should bring their wealth to America and instantly gain citizenship here.” The overarching message the new President of the United States wants to convey to the world is “Trump Means Business.” In the coming days, this sentiment will resonate throughout the United States.
