Opinion Inside Track: On pundit’s order
A cabinet minister became nervous on hearing about the ministerial reshuffle since he feared that PM might feel that his performance was not up to scratch.
Modi is particular that when the government takes major decisions, there is no confusion or misinterpretation in spelling out the plan and in fielding questions from journalists
A cabinet minister became nervous on hearing about the ministerial reshuffle since he feared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might feel that his performance was not up to scratch. He consulted an astrologer, who suggested that to avoid the “unfavourable planetary positions” in his horoscope, he must immediately take possession of his government bungalow in the Capital, and stay there overnight. On a three-day tour, the minister asked his nephew to take possession of the bungalow and organise a griha pravesh (homecoming prayers). He himself reached Delhi after midnight one day simply to spend the night in the bungalow before flying off to Mumbai. He retained his portfolio.
Apply, no reply
N Srinivasan, the sidelined president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), wants to cultivate BJP chief Amit Shah, who is also president of the Gujarat Cricket Association. Srinivasan hopes that Shah will use his clout to ensure that the seven to eight BJP members on the board vote for him in a future BCCI election. So, on every festival, Srinivasan has been dutifully sending SMS greetings to Shah, and on every BJP electoral victory, congratulating the party president on his amazing success. Srinivasan has, however, received no response. It turns out Srinivasan has been mistakenly SMSing a Mumbai sportswriter who happens to share the same name as the BJP president.
Off the track
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu started his ministerial innings on an unfortunate note. Last Monday, all the 30-odd members of the Railway Board skipped a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee. Railway officials obviously felt that making the acquaintance of the new minister was more important than attending the meeting. While the head of the Railway Board telephoned Dinesh Trivedi, chairperson of the committee, to make his excuses, others did not even bother to do so. The MPs in the committee, cutting across party lines, were so peeved that some wanted a breach of privilege motion moved against the railway officials. The minister had to apologise personally.
Govt’s spokesperson
A Major reason Prime Minister Modi handed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley additional responsibility of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is that he required a credible face and able speaker to act as government spokesperson on important issues, including briefings of Cabinet meetings. Modi is particular that when the government takes major decisions, there is no confusion or misinterpretation in spelling out the plan and in fielding questions from journalists.
Cut to size
The Prime Minister has asked Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to review the NSG security cover provided to VIPs since it was felt that they may not require such elaborate protection. The security details of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and former MP Amar Singh are among those under review. All three will not take kindly to any reduction in their security, which is seen as a sign of prestige, especially in their state of Uttar Pradesh.
Meeting TMC style
Meetings of a party’s parliamentary board are normally small, intimate gatherings held in a conference room. But this is not the case with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. The TMC has called a meeting of its parliamentary party at Kolkata’s Netaji Stadium on November 22. Clearly, it may be a parliamentary board meeting but many more than just the party’s 34 MPs will be attending.
Patel push-ups
When Narendra Modi was chief minister of Gujarat, the powerful Patel community of the state had been reined in. But with Anandiben Patel at the helm, the community is once again riding high, whether in educational institutes, rural cooperatives, small and medium enterprises or politics. Of the two newest ministers of state in the Modi Cabinet from Gujarat, Mohan Kundariya is a Patel. In the Gujarat Cabinet, apart from Anandiben, Saurabh Patel and Nitin Patel hold important positions. Resentment against the clout of the Patels is growing in the state, and though the old KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) combination is yet to see a revival, the new chief minister should watch her step. Activation of KHAM pressure can prove troublesome.
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