राहुल गांधी की किचेन कैबिनेट बनती नहीं कि बिखरती जाती है। इसके कई अहम सदस्यों ने एक-एक करके राहुल का साथ छोड़ दिया। एक वक्त था जब राहुल की किचेन कैबिनेट का चेहरा (2014 से 2019 तक) ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया, दिग्विजय सिंह, मीनाक्षी नटराजन, सचिन पायलट, जितिन प्रसाद, आरपीएन सिंह, मिलिंद देवड़ा जैसे नेताओं से मिल कर बनता था। बाद में आरपीएन सिंह, सिंधिया, प्रसाद व देवड़ा जैसे नेताओं ने राहुल का साथ छोड़ अपनी नई राह पकड़ ली। अब राहुल की नई किचेन कैबिनेट में केसी वेणुगोपाल, अजय माकन, जयराम रमेश, मणिकम टैगोर, सुनील कानूगोलू के नाम शामिल हैं। कानूगोलू भले ही राहुल मंडली में शामिल अपेक्षाकृत एक नए चेहरे हैं, पर 2024 के आम चुनावों के लिए गठित कांग्रेस की ’टास्क फोर्स’ का उन्हें अहम सदस्य बनाया गया है।
पिछले सप्ताह प्रियंका गांधी सवेरे-सवेरे एक प्राइवेट जेट से हैदराबाद जा पहुंची, जहां उनकी तेलांगना के मुख्यमंत्री रेवंत रेड्डी से अकेले में एक लंबी बातचीत हुई। कहते हैं फिर वह उसी जेट से सीधे शिमला आ गईं। शिमला में उनकी मुलाकात वहां के सीएम सुक्खी, कांग्रेस की वरिष्ठ नेता प्रतिभा सिंह और मुकेश अग्निहोत्री के साथ हुई। इसके बाद ही पार्टी में इस बात पर सहमति बनी कि सोनिया व प्रियंका दोनों ही नेत्री लोकसभा का चुनाव नहीं लड़ेंगी, पार्टी सोनिया को तेलांगना से और प्रियंका को हिमाचल से राज्यसभा में भेजेगी।
Winds of change are flowing for sure in the Congress. Preparations are on to bring several Central ministers in the organisation. The trend has started with Jayanthi Natarajan already and now ministers such as Jitin Prasad, R P N Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot may also choose to work for the organisation. Sachin Pilot may be asked to head the Rajasthan Pradesh’s Congress Committee and Scindia may be asked to become the head of Madhya Pradesh Congress.
Time and tide have never waited for anyone. As 2013 seems to become the past, Congress Supremo Sonia Gandhi seems is heading to the Maldives with her family to welcome the New Year. The country, on the other hand, is still wondering what is the big deal for the common man to celebrate in the New Year’s.
Finance Minister has already said in Tehelka’s ThinkFest, “I believe in being in politics gracefully and exiting politics gracefully.” Has that exit time come? Otherwise what was it that was bothering PC so much that he met Sonia Gandhi a few days ago and told her frankly, “Please change my Lok Sabha seat because I will not win from Shivganga this time. I want to contest the next elections from Puducherry. If that is not possible, let me sit in the Rajya Sabha and if even that is not possible, it is all right. I have seen enough in my political career.” This came as a shock to Sonia and she merely smiled at Chidambaram.
Modi has let his charm work on Kirorimal Mina, who has been dissatisfied with the BJP. Modi has spoken to Mina and assured him that if the BJP comes to power in the Centre, Mina will get a place in the Union Cabinet. All Mina has to do is get his Assembly seat NCP winners in Rajasthan to support Vasundhara Raje in forming a government in the state. It is worth mentioning here that this time Mina has given party tickets for Rajasthan Assembly elections to mostly those who were unhappy with the BJP, especially those who left the party because they couldn’t get a ticket from the saffron party and had left it. Mina, too, has no option but to agree to Modi’s offer because he knows his party will get divided if he doesn’t agree.
The Sangh has made the Delhi Assembly elections a matter of pride. Sangh’s representative Nitin Gadkari is also in-charge of the Delhi elections for the party. This makes it easier for Sangh to interfere. The Sangh Parivar has spread its say down to the management of voting booths. Two dedicated workers from the Sangh are there for each booth. Their primary job will be to get those with leaning for the BJP to the voting booth. But BJP candidate are not getting any special financial help from the party. Several party candidates have complained about this to Gadkari. The BJP’s budget itself is between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for each seat. And now that the elections are only a few days away, the candidates are getting some money from the party, because the BJP leadership believes that its candidates are financially strong enough to contest their own elections.
