Anita Katyal | Rahul-Tejashwi Friendship Intact; Naveen Goes For Some Retail Therapy

When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ducked questions about the Opposition alliance’s chief ministerial candidate in Bihar, everyone concluded that there was a rift between him and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav. It was also speculated that by refusing to name Mr Yadav for the top post, the Congress was mounting pressure on its alliance partner for a fair share of seats in the coming Bihar polls. However, it transpires that Rahul and Tejashwi have not fallen out but the Congress leader’s non-committal response on the leadership issue is part of the Mahagathbandhan’s carefully crafted strategy to wean away the extremely backward classes (EBCs) from the Janata Dal (United). The EBCs have traditionally been wary of the Yadav community because of its tendency to dominate over the backward classes lower in the caste hierarchy. It is believed that periodic public announcements about projecting the RJD scion as the Opposition’s chief ministerial face could feed their fears. The Opposition is, therefore, treading carefully as it is imperative for it to expand its voter base beyond Muslims and Yadavs by reaching out to the EBCs. It is precisely for this reason that the Congress has released a special 10-point manifesto for the welfare of EBCs.

Guess who has been indulging in some quiet retail therapy in the Capital? None other than former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and, true to form, he kept it characteristically low-key. Known to avoid the limelight, the veteran leader was spotted last week at Tarini’s home furnishings sale at Aga Khan Hall. Not surprisingly, Patnaik was not accompanied by an entourage and came with no security paraphernalia. He slipped in quietly — in fact, his visit went unnoticed by other shoppers — browsed the collection and left after purchasing two quilts. He spent some time admiring the products and even complimented the owner Shashi Sehgal on the designs, saying they should “sell well”. Mr Patnaik is clearly more relaxed now that he is out of power. His outing was a refreshing change from other politicians who prefer to use their downtime at page three events.

Jammu and Kashmir has faced near-total disruption for weeks on end but little is known about it to the rest of the country as the national media has been negligent in reporting on the travails of the citizens there. The newly-carved Union Territory was hit as train services were halted except for relief specials, the Vaishnodevi Yatra was suspended for weeks and both the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot highways were either blocked or were barely functional, cutting off vital transport and supply routes. Water supply was cut in some areas of Jammu for over two weeks, adding to the misery of the people. The Vaishnodevi landslide itself claimed 32 lives but the enquiry reports from this tragedy and the 2022 stampede have yet to be made public. The collapse of transport infrastructure has choked the economy as trucks carrying horticulture products from Kashmir are stranded while tourism lies in tatters. This year’s unprecedented disaster was triggered by incessant rains, cloudbursts and massive landslides but angry residents insist it was a man-made catastrophe due primarily to unchecked developmental activities and rampant deforestation. The government, they complained, has been indifferent to their woes while their MLAs and MPs were conspicuous by their absence. In fact, chief minister Omar Abdullah was all set to travel to Paris but called off his trip in view of growing public anger.

The weekly press briefings following the Union Cabinet meetings are a routine affair for journalists on the beat. It involves the usual announcement of the Cabinet decisions and then a brief question and answer session. This is followed by a chat over a cup of tea along with biscuits and samosas. But some imaginative person has clearly been working on the menu. The snacks now served with the tea are from the state which has figured prominently at the Cabinet meeting. If it okayed projects in Gujarat, then dhokla and khandvi is served. And if the focus is on Maharashtra, it’s time for vada pao. Last week, the Cabinet cleared a slew of railway and infrastructure projects in Bihar. Needless to say, Bihar’s favourite dish litti chokha was the flavour of the day. In fact, Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who briefs the press, makes it a point to give details of the menu at the end of the session.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is currently facing his worst political crisis. The hill state has been rocked by angry demonstrations by students who have taken to the streets in large numbers to protest against the recent paper leak in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission examination. The street marches commenced in Dehradun but soon spiralled out of control and have spread across the state with students taking a cue from their counterparts in Nepal and Bangladesh. The slogan — “Paper Chor, Gaddi Chhod” — has gone viral along with protest songs which are the staple of such protests. While a rattled Mr Dhami is still coming to grips with the situation, his detractors in the party, former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni, are keeping a keen eye on these developments.