Bharati in Himalayas, her shadow on Ranchi

Her name did not come up even once, her act of indiscipline was not referred to even in passing, and her future was kept out of the agenda. ...

Her name did not come up even once, her act of indiscipline was not referred to even in passing, and her future was kept out of the agenda. But despite efforts to render Uma Bharati a ‘‘non-person’’, her shadow hovered over the BJP national executive meeting here today.

It was most visible in the jubilant mood in the anti-Uma camp as results of the Madhya Pradesh local bodies polls started trickling in. Of the 11 municipal corporations where counting was on, the BJP has won eight and was ‘‘neck to neck’’ with the Congress in Bhopal.

Before the cameras, Chief Minister Babulal Gaur was more circumspect. The victory, he said, was because of the BJP’s ‘‘sangathan’’ (organisation). No individual should take credit for it. The dig wasn’t exactly subtle, aimed as it was to puncture claims that Uma Bharati had been responsible for the spectacular victory of the BJP in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held under her leadership.

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Several delegates made much of the fact that Uma Bharati was not mentioned even once. ‘‘She is only important for the media. As far as we are concerned, she is a dead issue,’’ a known Uma detractor said. Another senior leader offered a different spin: ‘‘It’s between her and the party president. Advaniji can revoke the suspension whenever he wants. He does not want to drag it out in the open.’’

The official silence on Uma only means that the leadership is open to the idea of taking her back. Otherwise, the national executive would have been the right forum to endorse the decision to suspend the sanyasin.

8 injured, 20 detained following clashes amid Ganesha idol procession in K’taka’s Maddur

Cities2 hr ago

Eight people were injured and 20 detained in clashes during a Ganesha idol immersion procession in Maddur, Karnataka. A curfew has been imposed and additional forces deployed to ease tensions. The clash was sparked by alleged stone pelting, and police are working to prevent further escalation. Similar incidents in the past have caused significant damage.

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