True Custodian of the Hindu Faith
According to a survey carried out by C-Voter, as many as 83% of the respondents feel that the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir donation theft issue is a serious one. Clearly, this is something that the double engine of the BJP government, both at the Centre and the state, is all too aware of and has moved swiftly on the FIR and the SIT probe.
What the BJP is also banking on is the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s own track record on law and order and is hopeful that Yogi Adityanath’s image will counter any moves by the Opposition to pinpoint a corruption charge under his watch.
In the meantime, Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav has been actively raising the issue, as has the Congress. But the question remains: whom do the voters see as the custodian of the Hindu faith? Has the scam dented that image of the BJP?
Perhaps that’s the next survey for Yashwant Deshmukh and his team to undertake.
The Punjab Storm
The Congress has attempted a very delicate balancing act in Punjab by retaining Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the PCC chief and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi as the campaign in-charge. This has kept the hopes of both alive as the party’s next best face for Chief Minister, though if one recalls the precedent of Madhya Pradesh, where Jyotiraditya Scindia was the campaign committee chief and Kamal Nath the PCC chief, the chief ministership went to the latter.
Of course, a lot has changed since then, but Channi is not taking any chances and has expressed his displeasure at not being made the PCC chief. Clearly, the Punjab unit is no stranger to factional infighting, having weathered (or been blown away?) by the Captain Amarinder vs Navjot Singh Sidhu vs Charanjit Singh Channi storm last elections.
So, watch this space.
Back to the Limelight
It was in January last year that Abhishek Verma joined the Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena. He was then appointed national coordinator for alliances and elections, but it is only recently, during the defection drama of six MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s (UBT) Sena, that Abhishek’s “role” came to the limelight, for his name cropped up as one of those who had reached out to the rebel MPs to persuade them to defect.
To recall, Abhishek was arrested in June 2012 over charges of corruption and money laundering. It was alleged that he was involved in questionable arms deals. However, after serving a stint in Tihar Jail, a CBI court dismissed the charges against him in 2017 for lack of evidence.
Prior to that, Verma was an influential face in the national capital, known for his lavish farmhouse parties. It would be interesting to see how the (once) Delhi-based businessman’s role evolves in one of Maharashtra’s most influential political outfits.
