Chandigarh Confidential

Rain no deterrence

Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal must have prayed ‘rain,rain go away,come again another day’ when it started pouring during the SAD road show in Moga on the last day of campaigning. The reason was Deputy CM didn’t want to use an umbrella in front of the media and people of Moga. While there were numerous people perched on SAD’s mini-truck,when it started raining only two umbrellas (for Deputy CM and Joginder Pal Jain) were taken out immediately. But as soon as the lensmen started clicking Sukhbir with umbrella while others were braving the downpour,he closed the umbrella and returned it to the workers. So did Jain. Deputy CM must have prayed for the rain to ‘go away’ immediately.

Sycophancy or respect

Unique scenes were witnessed during the Congress road show in Moga. While the Congress workers were busy raising slogans of ‘ Congress ki jai,Vikramjit Chaudhary ki jai,Youth Congress ki jai’,Punjab Youth Congress president Vikramjit Chaudhary stood like a guard behind Capt Amarinder Singh in the open vehicle during the whole road show. He soon pointed a finger at Amarider from behind and made some eye movements and the slogans changed to ‘Captain ki jai,Amarinder ki jai,Panje wale Amarinder ki jai!’ It is difficult to say if it was a token of respect or a part of sycophancy in the Congress family.

CM not in ‘pink of the health’

Although Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,campaigning for Moga bypoll claimed that he was fit and fine. He also took jibes on Capt Amarinder Singh said “Sorry,Captain Sahib. I have no good news to give you about my health. I am too hale and hearty for your good. Mera sehat-mand hona tuhaadi sehat layee changa nahin (My good health is bad for your health).” However ,it doesn’t seem that CM actually is in pink of his health as not even three men could help him climb staircase during a public meeting at Rajindra School Grounds. Badal went on to say that he was getting healthier and younger. “Elections,in particular,work on me like a magic tonic.”

CM vs Captain

CM Parkash Singh Badal was in the best of his witty mood during Moga bypoll campaign. He made crowd laugh with various punches on Capt Amarinder Singh. In one of the rallies he said,“After the last assembly poll,the Congressmen just do not know what has hit them. They have fallen into a deep and dark pit of despair. In fact,they are trying to drag the people also down with them. Hum ton doobe hai sanam ,tumhe bhi le doobenge.” Continuing with the onslaught,Badal commenting on Captain’s lifestyle,said,” I am a people’s man and I am most comfortable only with them. I am not a palace pet.” he also went on to offer what he called an unsolicited advice.”Rukhi sukhi kha ke meri sehat hor ban di hai. Captain Sahib da pet upset ho janda hai je aam lokaan de ghraan vich kujh khan naal. Eh five star khaane khan valian nu Bhai Lalo di roti changi nahi lagdi.” (Going from house to house to meet the people is an honour for me. I enjoy eating simple food offered to me with love. But Captain sahib gets an upset stomach if he doesn’t get five star meals). Enough is enough

With the rumours that two three more Congress MLAs including two from Doaba region may join SAD (Badal) in coming days following which by- poll would become compulsory in those constituencies,the Akali leaders have become quite a worried lot here. “We are already fed up with elections as in the past one year we have fought four elections including Assembly election,two by-elections and local bodies elections in a row and had spent a lot of energy and amount,” they say. Also parliamentary elections are due next year and now more bypolls in state would be a great pain in the neck. Even in bypoll,which can be handled by the local leaders and star campaigners,SAD high command does not spare the leaders across the state and orders them to be present leaving all other work,they said. “We pray to God to spare us from more by-polls,” one of them said.

Obituaries

Haryana Vidhan Sabha’s budget session that began on Friday witnessed an unexpected suggestion from the opposition – Indian National Lok Dal – which insisted that Fiza Mohammad’s name be also included in the obituaries reference list. The issue was raised by INLD legislator Rampal Majra who stood up after the obituary reference was made in the House and looked towards Hisar MP,Kuldeep Bishnoi who was sitting in the Speaker’s gallery. Bishnoi’s wife Renuka is a member of Haryana Assembly. Majra pointed out that since Fiza Mohammad was also a relative of one of the members of Haryana Assembly,her name should also have been included in the Obituary reference. The unexpected suggestion invited strong opposition from the treasury bench. Fiza was “sister-in-law of Renuka as she had got married to Bishnoi’s brother Chandermohan,who changed his name to Chand Mohammad for getting married to Fiza Mohammad aka Anuradha Bali.

No.1 Haryana

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears to be obsessed with his claims that Haryana is the No.1 state in the country. These days,Hooda has made it a point that wherever he goes,especially at any function in New Delhi,he ensures that Haryana is projected loud and clear as the leading state . To give prominence to his claims,Hooda ensures that a comparison is drawn between Haryana and Gujarat and people are made aware that BJP stalwart Narendra Modi’s state still lags far behind his state when it comes to overall development. However,it is another matter that Hooda is facing a lot of criticism from his own party cadres who had been slamming him for a “regional bias’ and ensuring development and growth only in the NCR and Rohtak.

Over-enthusiasm

The recent display of over-enthusiasm by a new entrant in state politics – Dushyant Chautala,elder son of INLD legislator Ajay Chautala – created a little problem for his father who took permission from the Tihar jail authorities and made a phone call to Dushyant on Wednesday evening. Dushyant who was busy addressing a rally got excited to see the timing of phone call and used it as an opportunity to make his father address a rally of people in a village in Sonepat district. He put the phone on speaker mode and made Ajay Chautala deliver an emotional address to the people. The INLD’s media wing also availed the opportunity and issued a press release about the incident to a section of media. However,Dushyant soon realised the goof-up and started requesting the mediapersons not to carry the news item about Ajay addressing people through a phone call from inside the jail. Of course,Ajay might not have got permission from the jail authorities to address a rally from inside the jail by using an official jail phone as such a facility is not allowed to any convict in any part of the country.

Sukhbir’s wardrobe ‘malfunction’

While the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was busy taking digs at eating patterns of his political rivals,he was reminded of his rising girth after a wardrobe “malfunction” during campaigning in Moga. The well-dressed Sukhbir had to face some embarrassment when the belt of his pajama loosened and it slipped down a little “below the belt”. None of his partymen or security personnel could dare hold it,lest it became obvious for the public hearing Sukhbir thunder at the Congress. So the junior Badal held fort – his hands went back promptly to hold the pajama – while he concluded his speech.