Politics, strange bedfellows

When maverick Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy publicly supported Sasikala’s claim for the chief minister’s post in Tami Nadu, his detractors in the party hoped that he was doing so with a long-term agenda of joining the AIADMK. Their wishful thinking is based on the perception that Mr Swamy is not happy in the BJP, which is not giving him much. Actually, Mr Swamy finds himself in a piquant position. He has joined the BJP and is also a member of its national executive, but he has been denied membership of the legislative party in the Rajya Sabha. In fact, the party has written to the Rajya Sabha chairman specifically statin Mr Swamy’s name should not be included in the party’s list of members. As a result, Mr Swamy does not get an opportunity to speak at length in the Upper House. This is the chief reason why Mr Swamy has not been heard regularly though he did make a splash when he first entered the Rajya Sabha. The BJP was initially thrilled when he attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi but backed off subsequently because even its members were embarrassed by the wild allegations he levelled.

It is no secret that finance minister Arun Jaitley and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla are on friendly terms. The two bonded when they worked together at the Board of Control for Cricket in India where they put aside their political rivalries and were invariably on the same page through the cricketing body’s various controversies. When the Supreme Court ordered the removal of BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke from their posts recently, Mr Jaitley is said to have worked the back channels to get Mr Shukla a plum post in the new setup. So it was not surprising that when he was asked by Congress floor leaders if he would like to take part in the discussion on budget, Mr Shukla declined. The reason: as a member of the principal Opposition party, Mr Shukla would have to slam the Budget and he did not want to do so. Instead, he said he preferred to participate in the debate on President’s address, as that would allow him to attack the judiciary. Both Mr Jaitley and Mr Shukla have their reasons for being upset with the judiciary, primarily because of the Supreme Court’s orders on the BCCI issue.

While BJP leaders publicly insist that their party will win a comfortable majority in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, they privately admit that the party may find it difficult to cross the halfway mark in the 403-member Assembly. This picture may yet change but the confusing reports from the ground are not too encouraging for the BJP. Consequently, BJP leaders have started preparing for all possible contingencies. Since there is a likelihood that no political party may get a majority, the BJP believes it will have to find an alliance partner to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh. Having done business with the BSP in the past, the saffron party is learnt to have opened channels of communication with Mayawati through her party’s Rajya Sabha MP Satish Mishra. At the same time, the Narendra Modi government is going slow on the recent inquiry initiated by the Enforcement Directorate against Ms Mayawati’s brother after cash deposits of Rs 1.43 crore were detected in his bank account and Rs 104 crore in the BSP account. There were a spate of news reports on this case recently quoting Enforcement Directorate sources but these have suddenly disappeared.

BJP leaders, specially its ministers, have two pet dreads these days: a visit to a doctor and a trip to London for very different reasons. According to senior ministers, each time they go to a doctor, they are invariably handed his or her curriculum vitae for possible consideration for a Padma award or a promotion. Surprisingly, this list includes some prominent names. Those who have already been awarded are also not exempted from this list as they start lobbying for a higher award. For instance, a Padma Shri awardee believes he deserves a Padma Bhushan and a doctor who has received a Padma Bhushan is keen on a Padma Vibhushan. On the other hand, ministers said, a trip to London can land them in a controversy. Since the British capital is a favourite destination of lobbyists, middlemen and law evaders, ministers are nervous of bumping into them at social gathering. This chance meeting is invariably publicised on social media, by the likes of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya to show they are on good terms with the  ministers. A senior minister recently commented that  there are more “middlemen” in London than in Delhi.