Tactical Holidays

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Tactical Holidays

Friday, 16 November 2018 | Gajendra Singh Negi

Lofty claims of the TSR Government about increasing efficiency of administration by cutting down unnecessary holidays fell flat on its face recently as a pliable Government yielded to the demands of State Government employees and people of Purvanchal when it declared public holidays on the occasion of Govardhan Puja and Chhath respectively. In a departure from past where declaring holidays had been a favourite appeasement ploy of the politicians to garner sympathy of different sections of the society, the BJP government under TSR drew appreciation when it converted some public holidays into restricted ones. Last year the state government also took a commendable decision of declaring Chhath holiday in only plain districts but this year wary of attracting displeasure of people of Purvanchal in the ensuing elections of Urban Local Bodies it yielded and took the decision of public holiday across the state. Only a few days ago the pliant government had succumbed to the demands of state government employees when it had declared holiday on Govardhan Puja.

Rested veterans

The silence of big guns of both BJP and Congress in the Urban Local Bodies elections is intriguing and brings into focus the internal dynamics of power in these major political forces of the Himalayan state. The Congress party has made sparing use of indomitable Harish Rawat who till recently had towered over the politics of the party like a colossus. The BJP on the other hand has found it prudent to keep its tried and tested old war horses, Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ in the stable. It is apparent that the current state leadership of both these parties is perfectly aware about the capacity of these battle hardened leaders to hog the limelight which invariably relegates others to the background so they are being kept at bay. One close lieutenant of Harish Rawat summed up things by candidly quipping, “We are reserve force of the party to be used during emergency.”

Vision decision

In an astute move, the state unit of Congress party released its ‘Vision Document’ for the elections of Urban Local Bodies instead of ‘manifesto’.  The change is important as it absolves the party from any obligation to fulfil its promises made ahead of the polls. It is learnt that some veteran Congressmen pointed out to the leaders engrossed in giving final touches to their ‘Election Manifesto’ that given the contours of power where BJP is ruling in both the state and centre, it would be counterproductive to promise anything for the electorate of ULB elections because even if voted to power in these bodies the party would not be able to do much with antagonistic state and union governments. These wise fellows having seen thick and thin of things calmly suggested the party that instead of releasing a mundane and morally binding ‘manifesto’   they should go for something glossy like ‘vision document’.  Their suggestion was gleefully accepted by the mandarins of the grand old party. 

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