In Kerala, senior leader of CPM, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had said that Hindu votes are being polarised towards the BJP, and the CPM is facing its effect. His statement came before the results of Aruvikkara byelection and all other leaders had rejected his apprehension. But the results proved him right
The Congress and CPM, which are considered champions of secular politics, are suddenly worried about Hindu votes. In Kerala, senior leader of CPM, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had openly said that Hindu votes are being polarised towards the BJP, and the CPM is facing its effect. Balakrishnan’s statement came before the results of Aruvikkara byelection and all other leaders had rejected his apprehension. But the results of the Aruvikkara seat proved him right.
The BJP’s vote share increased to 35,000 from a mere 8,000. The Congress won the seat but the margin has decreased; the CPM too faced defeat. Now, the CPM leaders are worried that if there is polarisation in favour of the BJP in the next elections, what will happen to the partyIJ In fact, in the 2011 elections, Hindus were against the Congress, Muslim league and Kerala Congress alliance, and were polarised in favour of left Front. That was the reason why there was a margin of only three seats between the UDF and lDF. Despite being in power for five years and massive infighting within the party, the CPM had got many seats. But this time, Hindu voters are no more with left Front due to the BJP.
In 2011, Hindu voters were polarised in favour of the Congress in Assam. The BJP was weak there and Muslim votes were polarised in favour of Badruddin Ajmal’s party. In this scenario, majority voters had gone either with the Congress or with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). Its effect was evident: The Congress was successful in coming to power for the third consecutive time, whereas the BJP lost five seats and got only five.
This time, the BPF is with the BJP, so Congress leaders are worried that Hindu votes will be polarised towards the BPF. If the Congress goes into an alliance with Ajmal’s party, then the polarisation will be more intense.
FUTURE OF lAND BIll
Though the Finance Ministry run by Arun Jaitley has given an indication that the Government may call a Joint Session of Parliament to get the land Bill passed, in reality there is little chance of that happening. It is difficult for the Government to get the Bill passed in Rajya Sabha, and the same difficulty will arise in the Joint Session. The Government is not keen to increase tussle on the issue. Of course, it can get the GST Bill passed after negotiation with the Congress and TMC, but is not too hopeful of getting any support for the land Bill.
The Parliamentary Committee, which was formed especially for the land Bill before Parliament Session, hasn’t found consensus on any topic. In the Parliamentary Committee, members from the Congress and TMC have raised questions over the Ordinance promulgation after the constitution of the committee.Apart from this, Congress members have sought three weeks’ time so that all States can give their opinion on the matter. It must be noted that Parliament’s Monsoon Session is only for three weeks. So, it is evident from the demand of the Congress that it wants to linger on over the Bill.
On the other hand, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has said that the land Bill will neither be allowed to be passed in the Rajya Sabha nor would it be rejected. If any Bill is not rejected in the House, the Government can’t call a Joint Parliament Session. The Congress and left are planning to build pressure on the Government.In this scenario, the Centre will be left with one option: Re-promulgate the Ordinance and defer the Bill till the Winter Session. Several BJP leaders are also of the view that the land Bill should be deferred till Bihar elections.
ANTI RAHUl CAMP IN CONG
There is infighting within Congress. Rahul Gandhi’s team members have apparently set a deadline of September to do away with the veterans of the party. On the other hand, the veterans are trying to puncture the hard work done by Rahul in the recent days.
The leaders who sit at AICC are disappointed that only two leaders of the party are in focus — Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala. Ramesh is making new revelations about Vasundhara Raje almost daily, and Surjewala is conducting media briefings on almost all issues. Programmes of Rahul and activities of the party are being decided by Ajay Maken, Surjewala and K Raju.
That is the reason why the leaders who have been sidelined are trying to derail the party. And its effect is being seen: There is news that the Congress is ready to support the GST Bill if the Government removes Sushma Swaraj and Raje. On the other hand, the BJP is not ready for any such condition. The official stand of the Congress is that if the Government agrees to its five demands, the GST Bill will be passed.
One of the opponents of Jairam Ramesh planted the news that there was no consensus on raising the issue related to Raje’s family. In fact, some of the leaders are trying to leak the news of differences within the party so that the proposed changes in the organisation — which are scheduled for September — are deferred.They know well that Rahul is going to form a new team in September and some of the veterans will be removed. Among the old general secretaries, only Madhusudan Mistry and CP Joshi will find place in the new team.
Sources in the Congress say this time Rahul will have 12 general secretaries, including four women. Apart from women, there will be a quota for OBCs, SC/ST and minority. Probably Surjewala, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, K Raju, Meenakshi Natarajan and RPN Singh will be made general secretaries.Jairam Ramesh could also become a general secretary. Rest of the veteran leaders will be accommodated in the CWC, which doesn’t have much role. Rahul is going to make the CWC on the lines of BJP’s Margdarshak Mandal.
AAP ON BlACK MONEY
It is said that dreams can be sold only once. Though it is also true that leaders and parties of Indian politics have proved this wrong time and again. For years, almost all parties have harped on one issue: Garibi hatao. This has been a political issue right from the 70s. The BJP has also done politics on the Ram temple issue in many elections.
The second favourite issue is that of black money. In the last elections, the BJP had raised this issue. Narendra Modi, along with Baba Ramdev and some other people, claimed that several crores of Indian money is parked in Swiss banks, and if it was to be brought back, every citizen of the country would see golden days.
BJP leaders had promised that if they would form the Government, this black money would be brought back. Though, this is true that even after one year nothing concrete has been done on the matter.So, in the next elections, black money will be the issue of the Aam Aadmi Party. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will bring up the issue in the next elections. He is planning to expand his party in the country and is in search of an apt issue.
During the session of Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal said the BJP had failed on the black money issue but he would raise it. He appealed to the people to support him and said that if his Government comes at Centre, he will certainly bring back black money.
Probably, Kejriwal wants to start his old movement again. He claims that he was the first person who had put the list of HSBC into the public domain, with Swiss bank details of many Indians. He will expose some other such material and then raise the issue of black money.
tamil nadu war in delhi
It seems that the war of Tamil Nadu is being fought in Delhi. While the BJP is trying hard to please Jayalalithaa, the Congress is trying to make the DMK happy by heaping more troubles on Amma in the DA case.
At the behest of the Congress high command, the Karnataka Government challenged the High Court’s decision on Jayalalithaa in the Supreme Court. It is said that the Karnataka Government didn’t want to move the apex court as it felt the case had nothing to do with the State. In fact, SC had transferred the case to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu. So, the Government wanted to keep away from the case.
leader of JDS, HD Deve Gowda, had given the same advice, but Congress leaders in Delhi were adamant, after which Siddaramaiah moved SC. Karunanidhi is said to be happy and can go into an alliance with the Congress.
On the other hand, the BJP wants to keep Jayalalithaa happy at any cost. That is the reason why BJP leaders, who always claimed to have zero tolerance against corruption, didn’t say one word on whether or not the appeal should have been made in SC. Even after the appeal, they didn’t say anything.
Apart from this, Jayalalithaa would be happy that the Central Government didn’t give permission to her arch rival Maran brothers for launching channels. Marans are, in fact, media barons, but the Ministry of Home Affairs is not giving a nod to their licence for the channels.Though it is also being said that there is no consensus in the Government on this issue. Jaitley is in favour of granting the permission and the AG has also recommended for the license, but the MHA is adamant on not clearing it. The BJP is seeing it as a decision which can give the party political mileage.
NO DECISION TIll BIHAR polls
Sources in the BJP and Central Government say that most of the political and legislative decisions will be deferred till the Bihar elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing a difficult time due to four women leaders of the BJP. MEA Sushma Swaraj, HRD Minister Smriti Irani, CM of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje and Minister in Maharashtra Government Pankaja Munde are stuck in some or the other controversies, and the PM is under pressure to seek their resignation.
This is a big political decision, but Modi is putting it off and will be firm only after the Bihar elections. He doesn’t want to give a new issue to the Opposition to boast on after removing any one of the four leaders.Similarly, many important Bills are to come in this Session of Parliament, including the land Bill and GST Bill. The Finance Minister has decided that from April 1, 2016, GST will be implemented. But if Rajya Sabha doesn’t approve the recommendation of the select committee, then the Bill will not be passed. The Opposition is also gearing up to stall Parliament.
