Madhya Pradesh Political Punch: Party Hopping, Out Of The Scene, Eye On RS Polls, Changed Attitude & More
New address!
Several leaders of the BJP are searching for a new shelter after a senior functionary’s return to his parent organisation. Such politicians counted on the senior functionary. Because the senior office-bearer of the party has gone to his previous outfit, those politicians fear lest the party should sideline them. Ergo, they are creating a pawn phalanx on the political chessboard. The names of three/four persons are doing the rounds for the post that the senior functionary was holding. Now, some BJP leaders started befriending them. Many leaders are gathering at the residence of a Bhaisahib from the Malwa region, who is keen to join the position that has fallen vacant. Many of them are seeking time to meet him. Similarly, many politicians are meeting a low-profile RSS leader. Those who do not know him have started gathering information about him. Until a decision is taken to appoint someone to the position, a few BJP politicians will continue to mark their presence at the residence of important leaders of the party.
Party hopping
A few Congress legislators may change their party before the Vidhan Sabha election. Three Congress legislators defected to the BJP before the Lok Sabha election in 2024. Among them, one lost the by-election, and the other won. A woman legislator, who has almost switched over to the ruling party, is unable to muster enough courage to face an election, resigning from her parent party. Now, the Congress is making a list of legislators who may change their allegiance before the assembly election. About a Congress MLA, it is said if the BJP gives him a ticket, he will quit his parent party. Similar is the condition of an MLA from Nimar. If the party does not give him importance, he may say goodbye to the Congress. In the current situation, many Congress legislators doubt that the party will be able to win the next election. Many legislators feel because the party failed to win the previous election when it was batting on a strong wicket, there seems to be little hope for them to form a government the next time. In this situation, many legislators of the party are worried about their future.
Out of the scene
A few leaders of the BJP seem to have gone out of the scene after the announcement of the names of the state party office-bearers. When they were given the responsibility, the party’s top bosses expected them to remain active in the day-to-day working in the party office, but they were out of sight. Among the BJP’s state general secretaries, only one is active in the party office. The rest of them seem to have vanished after getting the positions. Similar is the condition of other leaders. Though some of them had been initially active, they got busy in their own business after a few days of getting the assignments. After the appointment of the officeholders, the way the three leaders, made in charge of different works, function is worse. They take little interest in work. One of them does not even come to the party office. The other one is trying to get a position either in a corporation or on a board by any means. Because of the cold approach of the office-bearers, the office lacks the lustre that it once had.
Eye on RS polls
The election for three Rajya Sabha seats from the state is going to be held in the coming days. One seat is set to go to the Congress. A former chief minister, after whose term in the Rajya Sabha the seat will fall vacant, will not be sent back to the Upper House. Taking the current situation into consideration, the former CM has already announced his plans to vacate the seat. Another former chief minister and a minister are taking more interest in the seat than others. The former chief minister, who is now an MLA and plays an important role in state politics, wants to go to the Rajya Sabha and field his son from his constituency for the Vidhan Sabha election. His influence in the party has ebbed, but he has not given up efforts to carry out his plans. A former minister is also trying to go to the Rajya Sabha. There are reports that the former chief minister, who is vacating the seat, is in favour of the former minister. The former chief minister is also not in favour of his counterpart going to the Upper House.
Changed attitude
A woman minister, who, when she joined the cabinet two years ago, behaved politely and was known for her simplicity. But her attitude has changed. She uttered fewer words when she took over. Among her ministerial colleagues and in her constituency, she would remain silent. But today, she is not the same person as she was. People in the corridors of power say the officers do not give her much importance. So, she has picked a fight with them. She hurls caustic remarks at the officers during the meetings in her constituency. She also raises her voice when she speaks to the officers in the department. She would initially praise the cabinet minister of her department, but now, she murmurs criticism against him. Some of her advisers have reportedly told the woman minister that only a sharp-witted person can go ahead in politics. Those who are not shrewd are sidelined in politics. The minister’s changed attitude has surprised many in her assembly constituency. The minister has a major problem with a powerful politician in her constituency, so whenever she finds an opportunity, she roasts him.
Toilers in politics
Politicians often project their image of frugal living and tell the tales of their toils in their salad days. They do so to contrast with the political elite. It does not matter whether they may have accumulated significant wealth or not. Yet they love to show their man-of-the-people persona through their yarns of struggle. A politician from Gujarat, who reeled out the stories of his being a tea seller at a railway station, won the people’s heart. He became the chief minister of Gujarat and the prime minister of India. The people always reckon his stories of toil. But few know that a renowned politician from the state, too, had a tough grind when he joined politics. He recently told a crowd how he would sell tea and poha in Ujjain. The story surprised those who heard the story because little is known about his past. Now, the people in the corridors of power talk about how the powerful politician would struggle. Some of them even whisper into each other’s ears that the politician, who is now the head of the state, may have a chance to become the country’s prime minister.