Power Games: Congress helping Tharoor to keep Kharge grounded

Internal Report
Congress helping Tharoor to keep Kharge grounded

The guidelines issued by Congress for the party president’s election have raised many eyebrows in the party. The guidelines aim to provide a level playing field for the two presidential candidates — Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor. It says party office bearers across the country should not campaign for or against the two contesting candidates. It directs the state Congress units to provide equal support and facility to both candidates to help them meet the voters. The party has also informed all voters that they are free to elect any one of them, as per their choice. Congress leaders say this is the first time in their memory that such guidelines have been issued. They say all office bearers were inclined to openly support and campaign in favour of Kharge after it became clear that he is a candidate supported by the Gandhi family. But this has been disallowed. Congress leaders say the guidelines help Tharoor as he cannot be attacked by prominent leaders holding top party posts. They say the Gandhi family does not want a completely one-sided election in favour of Kharge. It would prefer a close contest to keep Kharge in control. Sources pointed out that prominent party leader Jitendra Prasad got 96 votes when he contested against Sonia Gandhi in the last presidential election. In the election before that, Sharad Pawar got about 800 votes and Rajesh Pilot got 300 against Sitaram Kesri. Tharoor overtaking Pawar, Prasad and Pilot would be a humbling experience for Kharge. The election guidelines are likely to help Tharoor improve the challenger’s votes against the favourite. The election guidelines are part of the party’s grand plan of keeping the Gandhis in pole position.

Tottering Talks
SARMA saved Naga talks; no pact on flag, statute

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s personal intervention brought the government of India’s talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) back on rails after the two sides almost reached a point of no return. Sources said the NSCN (IM) leadership had lost faith in the Union government’s previous interlocutor R N Ravi for his alleged dilly-dallying on accepting some of the key elements of the 2015 framework agreement signed by him on behalf of the Union government and the NSCN (IM) leadership in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then home minister Rajnath Singh. The 2015 document said that it is an agreement between ‘two entities’. The NSCN (IM) leadership says that its flag and Constitution are two of the biggest elements establishing the Nagalim (Greater Nagaland) as a separate identity. NSCN (IM) leaders want a final agreement signed with the government of India recognizing the separate Naga flag and Constitution. Ravi did not move ahead on this demand of the NSCN. Instead, he started talking to Naga groups other than the NSCN (IM). This angered the NSCN (IM) and it shot off an angry letter to the Prime Minister expressing a lack of faith in Ravi. This is when Himanta intervened. Ravi was transferred as Governor of Tamil Nadu, and former special director of Intelligence Bureau A K Mishra was appointed as the new interlocutor. But the talks are still stuck on a separate Naga flag and a Constitution with no solution in sight.

Media Wars
Adani may take control of NDTV by December

The inevitability of NDTV’s takeover by India’s richest businessman Gautam Adani was signalled also by the TV channel’s Magsaysay award-winning star anchor Ravish Kumar starting his own Youtube channel last week. Kumar has been one of the most vocal critics of the Narendra Modi government. The joke in media circles is that Adani, who is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is buying NDTV only to silence Kumar. Adani group’s media arm — AMG Media Networks Ltd — made a public announcement last month that it had acquired a 29.18 per cent stake in the TV channel. Adani’s acquisition has enabled him to acquire another 26 per cent shares of the company making him the majority shareholder. The promoters of the TV channel have taken legal recourse against the takeover bid. Sources, however, say that Adani is likely to take control of NDTV by December this year. The staff has been sounded out about the impending management change. NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy have reportedly started winding up as their attempt to thwart the takeover bid has been legally untenable.