Cool Breeze: Pawarplay

 

According to sources, the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra is all set to snap ties in a few months. And waiting in the wings is the NCP, which is only too happy to step in with “outside” support in exchange for a Cabinet berth at the Centre. In fact, NCP leader Sharad Pawar is all set to flex his muscle on his 75th birthday on 12 December, with three birthday bashes, including one in Delhi and another in Baramati in Maharashtra. Both Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister have been invited, but the question is: will she agree to share the dais with the PM? For, given the bonhomie between Modi and Pawar it is almost certain that the PM will attend. In fact, what has sparked speculation is also the fact that the Modi government recently nominated Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule to speak at the United Nations instead of one of its own MPs. So watch this space.

 

Interestingly, Congress president Sonia Gandhi walked out of Rashtrapati Bhawan after she led a protest march against the growing “intolerance” in the country, and walking up to the waiting media, she began her speech with “Mitron (friends)’. Since this is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite catchphrase the media couldn’t help but smile at that. However, no one in the Congress noticed, or seemed to notice. 

 

After Arun Shourie heaped praise on “sayaana” Manmohan Singh recently, Congressmen are wondering if there will be a third coming for the Good Doctor as Prime Minister. For should the Congress be in a position to form the government again, it is clear that Rahul Gandhi himself would prefer to opt out of the PM’s chair. And who better to install at Race Course Road than the tried and tested Manmohan Singh? In fact, Congressmen are intrigued as to why the former PM has not yet spoken in Parliament on the economy or other issue. Although Manmohan Singh is to be found in his seat every morning at 11 am in the Rajya Sabha, he is yet to make a speech. Perhaps Manmohan Singh may surprise his colleagues inside Parliament for he seems to have taken heart from Shourie’s praise by launching a scathing attack against the government for not creating a conducive atmosphere for investment while speaking at a Nehru Memorial lecture recently.

 

Will Rahul Gandhi be finally elevated as Congress president? The latest to add to the speculation bandwagon is Captain Amarinder Singh, who gave an interview to NewsX recently claiming that the elevation would happen in March 2016. Well, whatever else import that date holds for the Congress, it is also the first anniversary of Rahul’s disappearing act last year when he went off on his infamous sabbatical in February-March.

 

You have to hand it to one of BJP’s most articulate spokesmen, Dr Sambit Swaraj on exit poll day. With each channel predicting a different result for the BJP, he quipped that he had to show different moods on different channels depending on the poll results of that channel. Clearly, the task of a spokesperson is not an easy one on 24X7 media.