Navjot Singh Siddhu, who is an expert at funny one-liners and the world of cricket, didn’t understand saffron politics until the very end. Someone close to him says while giving him a Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP had assured Siddhu that he will be given independent charge and be made the minister of sports and youth, but that didn’t happen. The core committee formed for Punjab elections, of which Siddhu was made a member, never organized even one meeting. But many “Secret core group” meetings were held at Amit Shah’s residence, where Siddhu was not even invited! Sources say Siddhu had been asking for a meeting with BJP President Amit Shah for the past four months, but Shah was never available. Thus, when the list of BJ P candidates for Amritsar and Patiala was being finalized, Siddhu went and gave some names of people he favoured for the probably list to Ramlal. But it is said that the powers-that-be didn’t even take a glance at the list. Siddhu’ wife was in constant tough with AAP’s people. A hurt Siddhu, too, suddenly made up his mind to leave the party and give up the Rajya Sabha seat. Sources say Shah immediately called him up after his resignation, and told him to reconsider his decision. Siddhu was also told that in the coming few days, he will sit with Modi and find a solution to this. When Siddhu didn’t relent, Shah used his trump card and told him, “What about the case that has been slapped on you; there will be no help forthcoming on it.” Siddhu also behaved like he couldn’t care less and said, “You do what you can, and see if I care.”

The minute Siddhu left BJP, people from the Congress and AAP started trying to get cozy with him. Sources say Siddhu and Captain Amrinder Singh had a meeting at a well-known industrialist and politician Keval Dhillon’s farmhouse. Siddhu became a little emotional during the meeting and told Captiain, “You are Siddhu, and so am I. You are a maharaja in any case, and what you say will be done.” Sources say Captain promised Siddhu that he will be made the head of the campaign committee in Punjab. It was all set, until Captain’s political arch rival Manpreet Badal made an entry.

Sensing Siddhu’s entry into the Congress, Manpreet Badal hurriedly went to Delhi and met with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. It is worth remembering that Rahul had promised Badal that he will be next in line after Captain. But Siddhu’s entry into the party could change all that. An upset Badal bared his heart to Rahul and told him that he will leave the party if he is continuously ignored like this. To placate Badal, Rahul called up Captain then and there and said, “Ask Siddhu to speak to Badal first.” When Siddhu got the party’s message, he got really angry, and told Captain point-blank, “I can’t go knocking on every door.” And he chose to stay at home.

Priyanka Gandhi has been forced to change her strategy about UP. After he got a survey conducted in the state by her favourite agency, the Congress is shown as getting only 14-18 seats. Now leaders close to Priyanka was unsure about putting her into the UP cauldron. Obviously, they don’t want to use their trump card on a wasted effort. It was initially decided that Priyanka will take care in at least four dozen rallies in UP, but now she is reconsidering this. So much so that there was a party workers’ meeting in Lucknow that she had agreed upon attending, but now she may not fly there altogether. She wants to check the political winds before taking flight.

Those politicians who have been lucky enough to become ministers got a party message a few days ago. It said that they should ask the communities in not just their own constituency, but of the three districts adjoining their constituency, to organize events in their honor. Obeying party orders, Dr Mahendra Prasad Pandey, Krishna Raj, and Anupriya Patel organized events to themselves in the districts adjoining their constituencies. Anupriya organized it in Kanpur, Allahabad and Mirzapur, while Dr Pandey in Chandauli, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. But only a handful of people could be collected for these events. Sources say that upset this the turnout at these events, Anupriya Patel complained to the party prabhari Sunil Bansal over the phone, saying even local Parliamentarians didn’t deem it fit to attend the event. Bansal hurriedly made a few phone calls to some such Parliamentarians and asked them why they hadn’t attended the event. The reply shocked Bansal to the core: “Why should we come? We weren’t made a minister, after all!”

It looks like the GST Bill will be passed in the coming Parliament session. That is because most Congress leaders, even those from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, feel it won’t be advisable to sit on the GST Bill for too long now. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also standing in full favour of the GST Bill. The only roadblock is in the form of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. Rahul is still holding his own about the bill, but insistence from senior leaders might make him change his stance. Because GST is a bill that will require Constitutional amendment, an order from the house is required to pass it. A voice voting will not do, and a “yes” or “no” vote will be required. Considering this, the BJP managers have already become active. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the most active from the BJP, who has recently been given an independent charge; he is approaching Opposition Parliamentarians and speaking to them. Sources say the Congress has only asked of an assurance that no direct attack will be made on Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. At the same time, the Congress is looking at making this Parliament session a happening one; Modi government getting egg on its face in the Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand matter will be made a big issue. Apart from that, issues such as rising inflation, Kashmir and foreign policy – particularly NSG and China — will be played up. After showing the door to its bigmouth Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, the BJP is giving an indication about going soft. In fact, Ananth Kumar has been given particular advice about it.

Modi Cabinet’s senior minister Nitin Gadkari is walking in his boss Modi’s footsteps now. At present, he is in the US for a week; he first reached Washington, where he took part in a conference with some prominent thinktank members of America’s infrastructure sector for the Atlantic Council. The same day, he took part in the roundtable conference of the US India Business Council, and then met with Anthony Fox, US secretary of transportation. He went to New York on July 13. There he met with investors in the meetings organized by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. After the meeting ended, he walked to Times Square with his NRI friend, where he shopped a lot and bought sugar-free chocolates for himself. Both of them landed at Indian restaurant Accent thereafter; it is worth mentioning here that the restaurant is owned by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar, and is known in New York for its Indian dishes. Later in the evening, Gadkari had to attend a dinner hosted by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.

Congress’ strategist Prashant Kishore has made it clear to Rahul that in UP, the Congress is fighting the number four fight. Priyanka is also said to be of the opinion that be it the SP or the BSP’s government in the state, it will make no difference to the Congress. Both Priyanka and Prashant agree that this time the BJP has to be stopped, and to stop Modi’s Ashvamedha horse that is galloping from Assam to Lucknow. Sources say the Congress has investigated about 100 Assembly seats, where it will give its all. When a prominent party leader lamented a paucity of funds, “We are not in a position to pour in all our resources in the 403 seats.” Sources say Prashant has got Rahul to speak with Nitish, and thus a coalition between the Congress and JD-U is taking shape, and the Congress is hoping to get Kurmi votes. A popular UP Congress leader has made it clear that if the Congress manages to win even 50 seats, it might agree to a coalition with the BSP.

Kashi’s highly knowledgeable pandit Pandit Krishnamurty Dhanpathi, who is said to be closest to the prime minister, will be 70 this July 22. To pray for his long life, a big yagya is organized for him on the 22nd. This will actually be a Ayush jap; Pandit Dhanpathi is actually from south India, but has been staying in Varanasi for the past four generations. Sources say to attend the Ayush jap, someone has been designated by Modi, who will travel from Delhi to Varanasi. It is worth mentioning here that when Modi took Rajnath Singh to Varanasi for the first time during the Guru Pushya Yog with the intention it his constituency, he had met Acharya Dhanpathi for the first time. It was then that Modi was given a blessing by Acharya that the Guru Pushya Yog during which he had arrived was so auspicious that his Vijay Rath would keep riding on, and that he will establish new milestones of success. It is also important to note that the delegation of 150 pandit and acharya who will be going to Japan on October 17, will be doing so under the leadership of Acharya Dhanpathi. This delegation will pray for peace and prosperity and perform the panch mahayagya there, which is a prayer to Ganpati, Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, and Surya, and all the four Vedas are acknowledged. Most of those in the delegation are from Varanasi. Sources say this panch mahayagya in Japan is a well thought-out foreign policy move by Modi towards Japan.

With shocked expressions, Congress leaders saw Priyanka in a changed avatar. With her clear arguments, she vent managed to make her brother keep quiet. During this important party meeting, Rahul made it clear in the attendance of state prabhari Ghulam Nabi Azad that he was neither in favour of Sheila Dikshit being promoted as the chief ministerial candidate, nor did he support the name of Sanjay Singh. In place of Raj Babbar, Rahul was looking at making Rajaram Pal the chief of Congress’s state committee. On the other hand, Sanjay Singh was also adamant on staking his claim for the president’s post. Rahul’s belief was that since Sheila Dikshit’s name is embroiled in controversy, and at a time when the BJP is making tall claims about morality and correctness, the BJP may target the Congress by attacking Sheila. Both Priyanka and Prashant were of the opinion that by putting forward Ms Dikshit’s name, 29 per cent of Brahmin votes could be tapped into. Along with that, Rajput, Muslim, and Dalit (non-Chamar) votes might also be roped in.