Rajya Sabha Rumblings
The Congress Rajya Sabha list is out and there seem to be more disappointments than appointments. One grouse of course is that outsiders have been given tickets from states which are tipped to go to elections soon. Both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are prime examples. What makes it perplexing is that Randeep Surjewala, who is a Congress leader from Haryana, has been accommodated in Rajasthan despite the fact that there was a vacancy from Haryana (this has been given to the Delhi based Ajay Maken). Ditto for Mukul Wasnik, who has not been accommodated from his home state Maharashtra. Instead, the Maharashtra seat has gone to the UP-based poet-cum-minority face, Imran Pratapgarhi. Congress sources say that Bhupender Singh Hooda was not keen to support his bete noir Randeep Surjewala from Haryana, while Wasnik’s candidature from Rajasthan remains a mystery. More so as the Maharashtra state unit is not happy with Pratapgarhi’s candidature. When they were told this was to counter Owaisi’s campaign in the state, a state leader asked, “Will Pratapgarhi start singing Aurangzeb’s praises too? Is this what the Congress needs to do in the state?” However, all the three names from Uttar Pradesh are said to be Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s choice (these are Rajiv Shukla, Pratapgarhi and Pramod Tewari). In fact, sources also indicate that Priyanka herself would have been a better choice for a Rajya Sabha nomination, as apart from everything else it would have ensured a Gandhi in each house. But for some reason this was denied and the candidature of her favourite Rajiv Shukla is being seen as a “consolation prize” for denying her an entry to the Upper House.
Team RaGa is In
The one winner from the Rajya Sabha nominations is Team RaGa—from Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh to Mukul Wasnik. One reason for this could be that this is a continuation of the Chintan Shivir theme, which paved the way for Rahul Gandhi’s ascension as party chief. The Gandhi scion has been maintaining that his voice is not heard within the party and that he is the only leader taking the fight straight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS. Since he is not a member of the Upper House he has ensured that his team is there to take up the same issues that he will be raising in the Lower House. So first the durbar is being prepared with all the loyalists being prepared, and then will come the ascension.
Good Omen or Bad Tidings?
The day the BJP held a high-profile press conference at its party headquarters, that was addressed by Amit Shah and a team of Cabinet ministers, was also the day that Delhi was hit by a fierce and sudden squall. Since the timing of the squall coincided with the press conference, those inside the media hall had no idea of what was happening outside. When the briefing was over they stepped out to see the ravages wreaked by the storm to all the celebratory decorations put up. This has some whispering and conjecturing if this was a good omen or bad but all whispers were put to rest by Cabinet minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who announced that even during weddings when it rains, it is considered a shubh muhurat (good tidings).
Cabinet Reshuffle?
Is there a Cabinet reshuffle on the cards? The presidential polls are due in July and there are indications that we could be having new incumbents as both President and Vice President. While the name of a southern based Governor is doing the rounds for President, there is no certainty of her candidature, for this government is known to go for the unexpected, at the very last minute. As for the post of Vice President, there is speculation that the Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan could be brought to Delhi, for having a minority leader in the post would also send the right message to the international community that has been critical of India’s “social” chemistry of late. In fact, even Ghulam Nabi Azad’s name was doing the rounds for VP (for Azad’s name would have the added advantage of upsetting the Congress as well, which has left the veteran leader out from the Rajya Sabha nominations). But Azad has also made it clear that he is not keen to leave the Congress and the BJP too would not take the risk of an outsider, so this one is pure speculation. However, as reported in this column last week, the buzz of one of the top four Cabinet ministers being promoted remains. One of them has reportedly refused to be moved to the post of Vice President. And even if none of them get to Rashtrapati Bhavan there could still be a reshuffle, with some changes in the top four. All in all, the next fortnight will be an interesting one, politically speaking.