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Modi moves to Delhi, who’s back home in Gujarat?
Omar ‘cool but alert’ on Modi
Southern states on Modi’s radar
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Cong hunt for spin docs begins today
NIA takes Yasin Bhatkal to his ‘Darbhanga module’ hub
Defence lawyer in trouble over sexist remark
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Modi moves to Delhi, who’s back home in Gujarat?
Ahmedabad, September 14 Though the state party leadership is not yet ready to discuss his possible successor, it is believed that Modi is considering his cabinet expansion and may appoint a deputy CM in the near future. The No. 2 can look after the day-to-day affairs of the state in Modi’s absence as he would now be forced to spend more time outside the state to campaign for the NDA. Several names are doing the rounds for the deputy CM’s post. The front-runner is believed to be revenue and urban development minister Anandiben Patel. “Our immediate attention is to ensure BJP’s win all the 26 Lok Sabha seats from the state and make it easier for Modi to get to the top post in the country,” said state BJP spokesman IK Jadeja. Both the party leadership and the CM’s office in Gandhinagar are certain that Modi would not quit as CM on his own. He can do so only hours before he takes oath as the prime minister. In case the BJP and the NDA fail to capture power, Modi would continue as CM without any interruption. “There is no question of considering his successor at this stage,” Jadeja said. Modi remains unchallenged within the party in the state even if he remains busy with national politics. Ever since Modi moved to the national polical scene, and particularly after his comfortable third consecutive win in the 2012 Assembly elections, he has been paying little attention to the state affairs. Modi is expected to delegate more powers to his cabinet colleagues. Besides Anandiben Patel, finance minister Nitin Patel and the energy minister Saurabh Patel are considered to be in the race to take over the mantle from him. All the three had also been ministers in the former Keshubhai Patel cabinet but Anandiben was considered closest to Modi even after he was banished from the state as a compromise formula following the Keshubhai Patel-Shankarsinh Vaghela rift in 1995. Ever since Modi has started spending more time outside the state, Anandiben is usually acting as the second-in-command even though Nitin Patel was the number two in the cabinet. BJP sources do not rule out the possibility of Assembly speaker Vajubhai Vala being named for the top job. Vala has a record of sorts: he held the finance portfolio since the days of Keshubhai Patel till the last Assembly elections. Vala, known as the Saurashtra strongman, was the only leader who vacated his seat when Modi was trying to enter the Assembly in 2002. Amit Shah, one of BJP’s national general secretaries and in charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs, is considered a dark horse. But Modi could be cautious. Shah is an accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.
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Omar ‘cool but alert’ on Modi
Jammu, September 14 Omar, then minister of state for external affairs, had put in his papers saying he would not be a party to the government supporting Modi. He was the only minister who had abstained from the council of ministers’ meeting that supported Modi. Then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had rejected Omar’s resignation. In an interview today, Omar Abdullah said: “It (Modi’s nomination) won’t affect much because local issues dominate in Assembly elections. Since there are elements who would try and gain from polarization, there might be a limited fall-out, but not much”. He said: “With the kind of (communal) incidents that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh and in Kishtwar, there is a possibility of these elements trying to create a situation… we are alert on that count.” When asked about his reaction on Modi’s nomination, Omar said: “Nothing”. “This (Modi’s nomination) is their (BJP) internal party affair,” Omar said. He said he was conscious of the fact that Modi and his team would take up the recall of Article 370 (guaranteeing special status to J&K) and the Hindutuva agenda. “But that may have only a little fallout in the elections.” The BJP has been highlighting “fear psychosis” among the minorities in J&K, the only Muslim majority state in the country. Their argument is that minorities were made to flee the Valley and that there is a design to change the demographic character of the plains of Jammu, where the minorities are in a majority. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate had hogged the headlines when he had arrived in Srinagar along with the then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi during the “Ekta yatra” in January 1992 and hoisted the national tricolor at Lal Chowk in the summer capital. He also visited Srinagar and Kargil in July 1999, coinciding with the recapturing of Tiger Hill from the Pakistani intruders.
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Southern states on Modi’s radar
New Delhi, September 14 While Modi’s plan for Karnataka involves the return of former BJP Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa to the saffron fold, for Tamil Nadu he appears to be wooing Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who, sources say, seems quite favourable toward her Gujarat counterpart. Actor Rajnikanth is also believed to be part of the southern design along with some prominent Seemandhra film stars, who have been sending feelers to the BJP. Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, who is desperately attempting a comeback, is also on the BJP radar. But for Kerala, Modi's plan appears to be somewhat different. He is planning to swing the Hindu vote by associating with Mata Amritanandamayi — a powerful spiritual leader who is often considered a common unifying factor among the Hindus of the region. He is expected to attend Mata Amritanandamayi's birthday celebrations around September 26-27.
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Cong hunt for spin docs begins today
New Delhi, September 14 Starting tomorrow, the All-India Congress Committee will hold a five-day mega workshop with 50 state-level spokespersons who will compete with each another to earn a place on the national stage. The Congress communiqué to participants clearly mentions: "The workshop is being held to try and make you better communicators and help us select national spokespersons and TV panelists considering it is a huge responsibility for you to represent the party". Clearly, the exercise will result in changes in the Ajay Maken-led Congress Communications Department with a possibility of some among the serving national spokespersons and 30 TV panelists being dropped to accommodate newer, better performers. For the participants, selected from among the 300 who had attended the first national workshop for spokespersons and TV panelists held in July, it will be a test of wits and knowledge as they will be evaluated over the five days for their communication skills on specific subjects. The AICC has sent course material to participants on UPA's flagship programmes like MNREGA, food security law, land acquisition Bill, mid-day meals, National Skill Development Programme and women and child welfare schemes among others and the delegates are expected to come prepared to face questions, engage in group discussions, give mock TV interviews and even bites. Another subject of debate post the rise of Narendra Modi in the BJP will be social polarisation and ways of addressing it. Importantly, the workshop will be held at 15, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, the highly secretive war room office of the Congress where entry is prohibited. Among those slated to address delegates are Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Food Minister KV Thomas. As for the criteria for short listing, sources said the 300 participants were silently observed when they attended the July workshop and were rated on their communication skills. From Punjab, Rajanbir Singh and Jaiveer Shergill have been selected to attend the workshop. A cursory glance at the participants reveals state Congress presidents have had a say in shortlisting the candidates.
In poll mode
n The workshop will result in changes in the Ajay Maken-led Congress Communications Department with a possibility of some among the serving national spokespersons and 30 TV panelists being dropped to accommodate newer, better performers n For the participants, selected from among the 300 who had attended the first national workshop for spokespersons and TV panelists held in July, it will be a test of wits and knowledge as they will be evaluated over five days n The AICC has sent course material to participants on UPA's flagship programmes the delegates are expected to come prepared to face questions, engage in group discussions, and give mock TV interviews.
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NIA takes Yasin Bhatkal to his ‘Darbhanga module’ hub
Darbhanga (Bihar), September 14 Bhatkal was also taken by the team, led by Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav, to Jamalchak village where the IM terrorist used to live. He was also taken around many other places as part of efforts to understand the network he built here, the police said. Bhatkal, known as 'Dr Imran', stayed in Darbhanga in 2010-11 and used to practise Unani medicine, police said. Meanwhile, NIA officials took Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi to a few places at Bahadurpura in Hyderabad, where he along with some others allegedly resided and made the bombs, sources said. — Agencies
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Defence lawyer in trouble over sexist remark
New Delhi, September 14 The Delhi Bar Council has taken a serious view of AP Singh’s statement after it received several complaints from NGOs and other organisations condemning the statement made by him. Apparently referring to the 23-year-old victim in the December 16 incident, the lawyer for two of the convicts had told mediapersons: “If my daughter was having premarital sex and moving around at night with her boyfriend, I would have burnt her alive. I would not have let this situation happen. All parents should adopt such an attitude.” Murari Tiwari, secretary of the lawyers' body, said he had received verbal complaints from NGOs and various other organisations condemning Singh's statement. “I have asked the complainants to give their complaints to us in writing. If we don't receive any complaint in writing, the Bar council would suo motu take up the issue at its September 20 meeting.” Tiwari also said Singh’s statement came under “professional misconduct” and the lawyers’ body could take action against him. — PTI
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Ahmedabad, September 14
Omar Abdullah is “cool but alert” over the BJP naming Narendra Modi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
A defence lawyer in the December 16 gang-rape case has courted trouble with his remarks that he would have burnt his daughter alive had she been having premarital sex and moving around at night with her boyfriend.
