Anita Katyal | Jaishankar vs Goyal On Deals; Why BJP Can’t Fire Vijay Shah

In all the excitement and controversy generated by Shashi Tharoor’s inclusion in the all-party delegations sent abroad by the Centre to apprise world leaders about Operation Sindoor, virtually everyone overlooked the fact that the Congress names picked by the Narendra Modi government also included the low-key two-time Lok Sabha MP Amar Singh. Though not as high-profile as the other Congress members, the Bharatiya Janata Party had its reasons for pushing for Singh’s inclusion in the delegation. The former bureaucrat has earned his spurs in the political battlefield by winning two Lok Sabha elections from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab. He is a respected leader, has a clean image and comes with decades of administrative experience. More importantly, he is a dalit leader. It is no coincidence that Amar Singh’s inclusion in the all-party delegation comes at a time when the BJP is on the lookout for a credible face who, it believes, can aid its efforts in expanding its footprint in Punjab. While extending a friendly hand to Mr Singh, the BJP is also planning a campaign against the Congress for ignoring a dalit and picking Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar in its list of members for the all-party delegation.

Like all other world capitals, Delhi too thrives on conspiracy theories. Statements by politicians are scrutinised carefully and dissected minutely while deep meaning is read into them. It is, therefore no surprise that recent statements by external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and commerce minister Piyush Goyal were quick to activate Delhi’s political grapevine. In a recent interview to a news channel, Mr Jaishankar referred to the ongoing trade negotiations with the US and other countries, wondering why these dragged on for so long with three to six months gaps between the meetings. “If I were doing it, I would be at it till the job gets done,” he remarked. It is perhaps no coincidence that Mr Goyal, in a conversation with media persons, pointed to the risks involved in negotiating with someone holding a gun to your head. While timelines are important, he said, national interest cannot be compromised. Predictably, these remarks were seen to suggest some tension between the two ministers. Still others believe Mr Jaishankar was making a case for the merger of the trade and foreign ministries as it is in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The Madhya Pradesh government is facing the heat for not removing its minister Vijay Shah for his crude and crass remarks against Col Sofiya Qureshi. Mr Shah’s detractors both inside and outside the party have stepped up their campaign against him after the minister was pulled up by the Supreme Court which has also ordered that a SIT probe the matter. The SIT is slated to submit its report to the apex court on May 28. The state government will be compelled to proceed against Shah if the report raps him and presses for action against him. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party would then have to contend with a bigger problem as Mr Shah has made it known that he will float his own party if he is removed. Alternatively, he wants an assurance from the party that it will name his son as his political heir. As a tribal leader, Mr Shah commands a following among the Scheduled Tribes. Any move by him to branch out on his own has the potential to hurt the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.

The long, overdue election of the Bharatiya Janata Party president appears to have hit a pause button following the Pahalgam terror attack. The Modi government was first preoccupied with Operation Sindoor and is now focused on isolating Pakistan internationally for abetting terrorism. At the same time, the BJP has got busy in organising tiranga yatras across the country to keep the nationalism flag flying high. Soon the government will begin preparing for the Monsoon Session of Parliament after which the BJP leadership will hit the campaign trail for the forthcoming Bihar elections. Meanwhile, the BJP is hoping that Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor will ensure that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will be more amenable to the party’s choice for the president’s post.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party all set to take electoral advantage of Operation Sindoor in the upcoming Bihar election, the Opposition has to necessarily redraw its strategy. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, the main anchor of the Opposition mahagathbandhan, is said to be of the view that it should not expend its energies on taking on the BJP. It has instead identified Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and the Janata Dal (United) as the weak link in this election. While Nitish Kumar’s credibility has survived his various political flip flops, his health has become a major talking point in poll-bound Bihar. The RJD campaign is expected to focus on Nitish Kumar’s inability to run a government for another five years. At the same time, it also plans to go beyond its traditional Muslim-Yadav social base by making a conscious effort to reach out to the EBCs which have been voting for Nitish Kumar. The RJD strategy includes distribution of more tickets to EBC and dalit candidates. A series of Atipichda Bachao rallies is also in the works.