Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, keen on attracting Dalit votes, wants Prakash Ambedkar, B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson and president of Republican Party of India (Ambedkar), to merge his party with the Congress and become its Dalit face in Maharashtra. When Ambedkar was in Delhi this week to join a protest march, he met Rahul, who too was participating in the march. The two also had a meeting on the sidelines of the march. Rahul apparently offered Ambedkar a Rajya Sabha seat in lieu of his support in Maharashtra. The talks being at a preliminary stage, the two leaders are expected to meet again.
Delhi Jama Masjid’s “Shahi” Imam Ahmad Bukhari had a “secret” meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav alone, and followed it up with another meeting two days later. This time his sons-in-law accompanied him. He made a slew of demands, and in return, he promised that he would ensure that the Muslim community supported the Samajwadi Party in the UP elections next year. Ahmad Bukhari wanted a ministerial post for his son-in-law, Umar Ali Khan, who is a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in UP. He wanted an MLC seat for his second son-in-law. He also wanted his follower Waseem Ahmed, who was removed from the chairmanship of the UP Pollution Control Board, to be reinstated. The CM told Ahmad Bukhari that he would get back to him after discussing the demands with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. However, this has riled Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party’s “own Muslim face”, who has called Ahmad Bukhari a “political bargainer”. Before the last Lok Sabha elections, Ahmad Bukhari had invited a lot of criticism after he tried to strike a deal with Sonia Gandhi in lieu of Muslim support.
U.P. BJP cadre wants Varun as CM face
Two recent reports given to BJP president Amit Shah by Sunil Bansal, the party’s organising secretary in Uttar Pradesh, may help shape the BJP’s poll strategy in the state.
In one report, party workers from over 50 districts of the state have expressed preferences for their candidates, but have also wanted to know whether the BJP would project a Chief Ministerial face.
The other report was from RSS workers at the district level. In both reports, Varun Gandhi seems to be the “overwhelming favourite” of the cadre as the CM face. Amit Shah has reportedly asked Bansal whether the findings of the reports were accurate.
J&K watching Union budget
After BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav met PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, the uncertainty over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir seems to be finally coming to an end. Now all eyes are on the Union Budget and both the BJP and PDP are expecting that there will be something in the budget for both Kashmir Valley and Jammu. If the budget “package” is only for the Valley, it would not help the BJP whose base is in Jammu.