The buzz is that the place is almost complete and that finishing touches are being given to the PM’s residence. But what will happen to the Prime Minister’s old residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, earlier known as 7, Race Course Road
There is growing fear in the Trinamul Congress that the incidents of violence against Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh could adversely impact the coming West Bengal Assembly polls. Now that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has swept the polls, the Mamata Banerjee-led party will be keeping a close watch on the new government’s policies vis-vis the minorities and India. The news about the brutal killing and lynching of Hindus in Bangladesh has become a talking point in West Bengal since there are a large number of Hindus from Bangladesh who have settled in the state but have family and friends there. The Trinamul Congress is worried that if this violence escalates and the new government in Bangladesh shows little inclination to put an end to the killings, it could lead to a possible Hindu consolidation in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. On its part, the Narendra Modi government has ensured that this matter remains centrestage. It has lodged strong protests with Bangladesh over the killings of Hindus. At the same time, the BJP is stoking fears in West Bengal with its focus on illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.
Now that the Prime Minister’s Office has formally shifted from the South Block to the new building complex, named Seva Teerth, it is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will follow suit by moving to his new residence located close to the new office. The buzz is that the place is almost complete and that finishing touches are being given to the PM’s residence. But what will happen to the Prime Minister’s old residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, earlier known as 7, Race Course Road. The three-bungalow complex is spread across 12 acres, comprising the residency, office, a guest house and space for the security apparatus. Several senior leaders from the ruling dispensation must be eyeing the place but it is not clear if the old complex will be used for residential purposes or for important meetings and other official work. There are also niggling doubts that the bungalows could be brought down as part of the government’s redevelopment project. However, there is no clarity on this issue so far.
The next two rounds of Rajya Sabha elections are due in April and June and, as is to be expected, the Capital’s political grapevine is already speculating about those who are jockeying for a seat in the Upper House. The competition in the Opposition camp, especially the Congress, is particularly intense as the party’s strength in the state Assemblies has dwindled substantially. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is said to be lobbying for a seat but Congress insiders maintain he could lose out to former minister Jitender Singh, known to be close to Rahul Gandhi. The last time when the Congress was in power in the desert state, the party had picked outsiders for the three vacancies but this time, it appears it plans to nominate someone from the state. Then there is Praveen Chakravarty, chairperson of the All-India Professionals’ Congress, also known for his proximity to Rahul Gandhi. It is speculated that he is trying for a seat from Tamil Nadu or Telangana. Tamil Nadu could prove to be difficult as the DMK is unlikely to accommodate the Congress given the tension between the two over seat sharing for the forthcoming Assembly polls. Former Congress leader Kiran Chaudhary, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party two years ago, is hoping to get another term but there are murmurs that the party could instead pick a Jat leader for the upcoming vacancy in Haryana.
There is both good and bad news for the Congress from poll-bound Kerala. The good news is its credible performance in the recent local elections which has given confidence to the Congress about returning to power in the upcoming Assembly polls. The party is also relieved that it has resolved the factional battle in the state unit by mollifying its Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, whose public statements had become a source of acute embarrassment for the leadership. But, as they say, it is not over till it is over. The bad news is the findings of the party’s internal surveys which show that the battle in a bulk of seats will be very close for a variety of factors including anti-incumbency against sitting MLAs and the emergence of the BJP as a third political player. Clearly, the Congress can’t afford to be complacent as it has a knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Will former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh go back to the Congress? This issue gained currency last week after Congress general secretary Bhupesh Bhagel said the party was open to his return. Congress insiders maintain tentative moves have been made to facilitate Mr Singh’s “ghar wapsi”, especially now that his bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu is out of the picture. There is talk that the Congress has offered to rehabilitate Mr Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh as part of the comeback package. Though Mr Singh has denied these reports, it is known that he has been marginalised in the BJP which ignores his inputs on Punjab. That Mr Singh and his son have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in an old case also indicates all is not well.
