SIDHU’S NO BALL
Last week, there were some rumours in the national capital that Navjot Singh Sidhu was joining the Congress. That he had met Rahul Gandhi and got the go-ahead. However, Captain Amarinder Singh, the face of the Congress comeback in the state, rubbished the claims. More so when one of Sidhu’s conditions apparently is that the Captain should not be declared as the Congress party’s chief ministerial candidate. According to Congress sources, it was Captain’s bête noir within, former PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa who was fuelling these rumours. Clearly Captain needs to first fight the enemy within before taking on AAP and the Akalis.
BJP’S NEW STAR CAMPAIGNER?
Has veteran actress and playback singer Salma Agha been roped in to campaign for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh? She has certainly been very vocal recently in condemning the Uri attacks. The Pakistani born Agha was in 2016 given the Overseas Citizen of India card. Amidst rumours of her campaigning for the BJP, Congress leader Raj Babbar was asked in a media interview recently what he thought of his former co-star joining his rival’s bandwagon. Pat came Babbar’s reply: the film we had acted in was initially called Talaq (Divorce) and then the name was changed to Nikaah (Marriage). But now it seems it’s back to Talaq. Clearly, Babbar doesn’t need a choreographed script to deliver his punch lines.
IS IT PRIYANKA’S TURN?
After Rahul Gandhi’s kisan yatra, which was more in the news for farmers stealing his cots (khaats), Congress sources say that his sister Priyanka could hit the campaign trail next month, though hers will not be a yatra but select sabhas in various constituencies. Again, sources point out that while Prashant Kishor and his team are keen on this, the old guard in the party is still cautioning against exposing Priyanka during the Assembly elections.
KISHOR’S NEXT STOP
Apparently, Prashant Kishor is not overtly enthused with his stint with the Congress in handling the Punjab and UP Assembly elections, especially the cow belt. There is talk that he would not stick around till the general elections, but may go back and rejoin Nitish Kumar’s bandwagon. If this is correct then one wonders whether he sees Nitish as a more sellable face of the Opposition instead of Rahul Gandhi.