Anita Katyal | ’Tis The Season Of Flip-flops In WB; In BJP, Chadha Off To Shaky Start

As soon as the West Bengal poll results were declared, Kolkata city stood transformed. The change was not just confined to outer trappings but it also extended to the attitude and the worldview of the people. The city was soon awash with saffron as BJP flags were everywhere, including autorickshaws and lampposts. Those who were on the margins scrambled to register themselves as the winning party’s supporters. The foot soldiers who were once aligned with the Left parties and then shifted loyalties to the Trinamul Congress, could be heard advocating a ban on the sale of fresh meat on the roadside. Trinamul Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta, said to be close to outgoing chief minister Mamata Banerjee, lost no time in apologising to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari for attacking him. His explanation — he was intimidated by the Trinamul Congress cadre and feared that defiance would have consequences for his family. And West Bengal’s crowning glory, Jadavpur University where the dominant campus culture has been anti-establishment and associated with secularism, now wants to get rid of its “anti-nationals” and rusticate the ultra-Left elements.

Former Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha appears to have got off to a shaky start in the Bharatiya Janata Party. Soon after he joined the party, he called on the BJP president Nitin Nabin. This move would have earned him brownie points with his new party bosses but BJP veterans said Mr Chadha blotted his copybook by requesting Mr Nabin to help him get an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or home minister Amit Shah. This was immediately frowned upon for in the BJP it is the leadership which initiates meetings with party leaders and office bearers and not the other way round. Mr Chadha obviously forgot that he is no longer with the Aam Aadmi Party where he had easy access to its head Arvind Kejriwal in his capacity as a senior and trusted leader. Mr Chadha again found himself in the doghouse when television news channels splashed news stories about the former AAP leader’s possible inclusion in the Union Cabinet with an eye on next year’s Punjab Assembly polls. According to BJP insiders, when phone calls were made to the news channels denying these reports, they learnt that this information was given by Mr Chadha himself. Having been a media favourite during his stint with the AAP, Mr Chadha will have to learn to keep a low profile or else he’ll be in trouble.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has campaigned vigorously against dynastic politics for over a decade, focussing primarily on the Congress and family-controlled regional parties. But it tends to overlook its principled stand when its own political interests are at stake. Take the case of the Bihar Cabinet which was rejigged following former chief minister Nitish Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha. A cursory look at the line-up shows there are as many as 10 dynasts in the Cabinet. And this does not include the new Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary who is son of former multiple term MLA Shakuni Choudhary. Three former chief ministers — Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Jagannath Mishra — have ensured ministerial berths for their sons. The BJP’s dynasts include Rama Nishad, wife of former MP Ajay Nishad, Sanjay Singh Tiger, brother of former two term MLA Dharampal Singh and Shreyasi Singh, daughter of late Digvijay Singh ‘Banka’ and Putul Kumari, both former MPs. Then there are others from the Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

As a party which prides itself on taking a tough stand on national security, it was surprising that the Bharatiya Janata Party did not mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor with any major event. Except for a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi commending the “unparalleled courage” displayed by the armed forces, there were no grand yatras, processions or other big bang programmes. BJP leaders maintained the party had no time to plan anything as they were preoccupied with Assembly polls. It was instead left to the armed forces to mark the occasion. Sceptics said the government did not wish to draw attention to Operation Sindoor as it would revive the debate on US President Donald Trump’s role in facilitating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

Even before lobbying for Kerala’s chief ministerial post gathered momentum, two divergent views were doing the rounds in the Congress. A section of the party in Delhi was keen that Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal be elevated to the top job. Though one of the most influential figures in the organisation due to his proximity to Rahul Gandhi, Mr Venugopal has not exactly endeared himself to a growing number of party members in Delhi. Many of them would prefer that Mr Venugopal be shifted to Kerala, a safe distance away from them. But the mood in Kerala is markedly different. Sections of state leaders would prefer it if Mr Venugopal is retained in Delhi. They made it known to the party leadership that installing Mr Venugopal could lead to serious resentment within the party ranks and may not be acceptable to the electorate either. But Mr Venugopal has his support base among the newly elected MLAs, having backed their candidature during ticket distribution.