The defection of Tejashreeben Patel, who signed Patel’s nomination form for the Rajya Sabha, is another blow for the Congress. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)
Unkindest cut
For master strategist Ahmed Patel, the defection of Balwantsinh Rajput and Tejashreeben Patel from the Congress’s side was the unkindest cut. Rajput owes his political career entirely to Patel, who also helped the former village grocery store owner build up a flourishing oil manufacturing business. In Rajput’s educational institutions, Ahmed Patel’s photograph is displayed prominently. For the Rajya Sabha election, Rajput was to have been one of Patel’s key aides for the campaign. But on returning to Ahmedabad after his meeting with Patel in Delhi on July 22, Rajput’s phone was switched off for nearly 72 hours. Then came the bombshell announcement that he would be contesting as the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate against Patel, his mentor. The defection of Tejashreeben Patel, who signed Patel’s nomination form for the Rajya Sabha, is another blow for the Congress. She was the biggest backer of Patel youth leader Hardik Patel. In fact, Hardik started his initial campaign from her house.
Quick adjustment
The two articulate JD(U) spokespersons in Delhi, K C Tyagi and Pawan Varma, did not take more than a minute to make a complete U-turn in their political arguments once Nitish Kumar announced he was switching from the Mahagathbandhan to the BJP. Varma explained the JD(U)’s “very explicable reasons — our frustration with corruption and the evidence on the ground that the people will not tolerate it’’. K C Tyagi cited Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan and Charan Singh to stress that anti-Congressism was in the DNA of the JD(U) and that by getting out in time, Nitish Kumar was saved from becoming another Manmohan Singh. However, their colleague Sharad Yadav is speechless. Last week he informed reporters that as of now he is on “maun vrat”.
Dressing down
If BJP president Amit Shah gave party Rajya Sabha MPs a dressing down for bunking during voting on a crucial clause of the National Commission for Backward Classes Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was even more severe. Asked to explain their absence despite a whip, eight MPs are reported to have claimed that the doors of the Upper House were shut just as they were about to enter. While BJP ministers have taken the rebuke very seriously and have since been found sitting dutifully throughout the House deliberations, some in the BJP backbenches are still missing.
Missed opportunity
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi missed yet another opportunity to mend fences with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Last week, senior Congress leaders from Delhi such as Manmohan Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad flew down for the bhog held for Singh’s mother, Rajmata Mohinder Kaur of Patiala, who died in July last week. Even opposition leaders, such as Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, were present. But Rahul chose not to attend.
Not like UP Yadavs
Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti asserts proudly that she along with her parents and brothers and sisters are united in fighting the CBI cases against her family. “In Bihar we are not like UP,’’ she points out. This appears to be a reference to the split in Mulyam Singh Yadav’s family.
No making up
Ram Jethmalani quit as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel after writing a stiff note to the CM who refused to take responsibility for his lawyer calling Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a “crook’’ in court. Jethmalani demanded payment of Rs 2 crore in fees and hinted that Kejriwal wants to settle with Jaitley. Since Jethmalani sent a copy of his letter to Jaitley, some wonder if Jethmalani wants to smoke the peace pipe. Neither of the two rumours is correct. Jaitley is determined to continue with the Rs 20-crore defamation suits, for which he has paid huge court fees in advance. If Kejriwal loses the case and pleads insolvency, under the law he would not be able to fight any future election.
Pointedly absent
Naresh Agrawal organised a reception for MP Ram Gopal Yadav, on completing 25 years in Parliament. Most of Yadav’s colleagues in the House were present at the felicitation, including bulk of the MPs from the Samajwadi Party, Venkaiah Naidu and Piyush Goyal from the BJP, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule from the NCP, Kamal Nath, Manmohan Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad from the Congress. Even Prime Minister Modi attended. But Mulayam Singh Yadav did not show up and sent word at the last minute that he could not come because of ill health. Clearly the rift in the Samajwadi Party has not healed.
