Satraps around the Citadel

When the old order changes, so do the regional rajas. Things fall apart, yet the centre holds and new provincial chieftains ride with fresh ...

When the old order changes, so do the regional rajas. Things fall apart, yet the centre holds and new provincial chieftains ride with fresh new mandates up Rajpath. After all, when the raja is replaced, new mansabdars must rise to power. Only a few months ago the Iron Lady of Chennai vanquished her political opponents, Andhra’s techno-CM was the dreamboy of Lutyensland and the secular messiah of UP was promising a Yadav conquest. Now with an unexpected new mandate, here come the new Big Three: the shepherd-prince of Bihar, the nemesis of all psephology; the strongest Maratha, winner by one of the biggest margins this time; and the Dravida patriarch, slayer of Amma, sunglasses at the ready to deal with the political glare of New Delhi. Presenting a list of the regional bosses who are in and those who are out:

Sharad Pawar, chief, NCP

Armed with 9 MPs, his prime ministerial ambitions thwarted for the moment, the touchy ‘foreign origin’ issue buried under a moral avalanche, the veteran Maratha who won by one of the largest margins of over 4 lakh votes from his constituency Baramati is one of this government’s most useful allies. Likely to be rewarded with high office.

Laloo Prasad Yadav, chief, RJD

Commander-in-chief of as many as 21 MPs, there were whisperings he wanted Home so that he could run it in his usual kitchen cabinet style. Be that as it may, he too is one of the regional bosses definitely in with the new government.

M. Karunanidhi, DMK leader

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Having swept Amma aside, and with a formidable 15 MPs, the Congress-led coalition is already making hectic attempts to accommodate the strongmen from beyond the Vindhyas. Sonia’s crucial partner.

Those who are out

Jayalalithaa, supremo, AIADMK

Er..?

Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP leader and UP CM

All dressed up and nowhere to go. 40 MPs and a winner, yet he is not in the government and likely to be a malcontent, na ghar ka na ghat ka. Poor Mulayam. He rode to Delhi in a procession, only to find that somebody else was dulhe raja.

Chandrababu Naidu, TDP leader

The Internet doesn’t give you bijli, sadak, pani, nor does it give you a mandate. Once the Andhra Factor was gunpowder for the NDA, now it’s only yesterday’s bisi bela bhaat.

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