Vasundhara Raje is a frustrated woman these days. She has unleashed her power against the media in the state, blocking ads for the last 6 months against any paper that has even a word against. At a recent party meeting, many MLAs complained that they would be badly affected next time and that she should recant from her decision. Vasundhara dryly quipped that till she was in power she would rule as her ancestors had ruled, and if she lost next time that was her fate. The MLAs sarcastically said that they should also learn from her ancestors, who betrayed the rani of Jhansi and sided with the British, and that they should too jump off the sinking ship and switch sides at an appropriate juncture soon before the next polls.

Power is a funny thing. Pawan Bansal, a powerful minister in the UPA govt was buying a book to read in a bookshop in Chandigarh last week, when the attendant said to him that he looked familiar, and who was he. He replied angrily that he was a 3 time MP and a minister from there. The attendant said don’t tell lies I know you work in the golf club I have seen you many times there. Bansal laughed and told his workers later that they must work hard to make sure he is reelected so that he doesn’t have to suffer the shame of being a nobody like this any longer.

There might be frown lines on the high command’s high brow regarding the BJP saffron star Varun Gandhi, but this grandmother and father’s party, the Congress, is full of praise for him. A few days ago, an important meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Congress was in progress in Lucknow. The meeting lasted for three hours, out of which 40 minutes went by in just discussing Varun. It started with Congress MLA Bansi Pahariya, who had the courage to say it in a meeting that if Priyanka Gandhi was not going to step into active politics, they should contest the elections with Varun’s face in the background. He said it was only then that the party could give stiff resistance to parties such as the SP-BSP. MLC Naseeb Pathan supported Pahariya and said they could take advantage of Varun’s image as being one who is well educated. Former Minister Ram Surat Upadhyay took the discussion further and said they should let their feelings be known to the high command; if they could have Varun agree to come with them, they would be back in the fight in UP. It was former Central Minister RPN Singh who took a realistic view of it and said, “This is a Congress meeting, and we have been praising a BJP politician for the past 40 minutes.” Former State Congress President Arun Kumar Munna flared up and said, “We aren’t talking about the BJP; we are talking about our political leader’s son, who has not said anything against us in the past nine years.” He gave a piece of his mind to RPN Singh by saying, “I am surprised at what RPN has to say; who doesn’t know his father has made a place for himself in politics by taking care of Sanjay Gandhi’s slippers.” The present UP prabhari Ghulam Nabi Azad was seen with a smile on his lips at all this and said, “Your wishes will be carried to the party high command.”

There are some special reasons for Swamy Prasad Maurya to leave the BSP. One, apart from himself, he was also asking for tickets for his son and daughter. It is worth remembering that his daughter Sanghamitra Maurya had contested in the last elections from Etah and had lost badly. BSP supremo refused to give party tickets to Swamy Prasad’s children. Apart from that, there are serious allegations against his nephew, who was the president of the Avadh Mandal for the BSP, to taking money with the promise of getting others party tickets. If sources are to be believed, Mayavati even got investigations carried out to know the truth. Sources say Behen ji had some solid proof that in the past two months, Swamy Prasad had met BJP leader Om Mathur three times, apart from meeting Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav three to four times, and was negotiating with them. It is said Mayavati was also speculating that in the negotiation, Maurya was asking for a minister’s post from the Modi government, and the BJP had dismissed his demand outright. Then he started getting cozy with the SP; Akhilesh was ready to get him into the party, but he had refused to make Maurya a minister in his government. Sources say one day Maurya’s secretary reached the party’s office one day, and one of the workers in the party who he was close to told him that “babuji” would be expelled in a couple of days, and that papers were being typed out for the same. The secretary ran to Maurya and told him about this. Maurya dashed to the SP and then resigned from the BSP.

Like it was disclosed in this column for the first time, this July 30-31, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, known as a branch of the Sangh, will be celebrating its golden jubilee for completing 50 years in Britain. A two-day camp is going to be organized in London, which will see the attendance of noted Sangh leaders such as Mohan Bhagwat and Dattatreya Hosbole. Swamitra Gokhale, head of Sangh’s foreign department, is the main organizer of the event. The program might see the presence of world’s top celebrities such as Hollywood star Leonardo di Caprio, Virgin Airlines’ Richard Branson, India’s Sachin Tendulkar, and so on. The organizers have made it a point to keep the British government and London-based Indian embassy out of this. That is because the recent decision of “Brexit” and the announcement that David Cameron will resign, has created a lot of buzz. The program will see Maharishi Vedic Research University play a big part. The purpose behind this is to not only spread the message of Hindutva, but also to encourage vegetarianism. Personalities such as di Caprio and Richard Branson are also leaning in to campaign for beef ban and vegetarianism. Sangh wants Hindutva should also be looked through a scientific prism, so that its acceptance becomes global. Sources say the Sangh heads will stay there for two days, and will meet with world-famous personalities. The organizers have made it clear that big personalities such as Caprio and Branson will also not get to sit on the stage, which will be reserved for sadhus and saints, as well as spiritual gurus.

An all-powerful minister in the Modi government called up Central Minister for Textiles Santosh Gangwar and said, “I am calling you for the fifth time. You are still not releasing a notification on Chetan Chauhan. Don’t make the mistake of taking me lightly.” This was concerning the appointment of National Institute of Fashion Technology’s (NIFT’s) director. The minister was confused, because he had not received any instructions from the PMO. Sources say that the minister tried to ask the powerful man if he had spoken to the PM about this. He was told, “Yes, I am speaking to you only after speaking to him over the phone. Mr Minister felt assured at this, and he announced the appointment of Chetan Chauhan in a hurry. Incidentally, the other minister was on leave on that day. After the announcement, the minister got a call from the PM, and sources say the minister got a piece of the PM’s mind. He was told that he should have asked the PMO before taking any such decision. The minister referred to the all-powerful minister and said he was told the PM had been spoken to. “If it was so, why would I have called you?” said the PM.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is calling the shots in Modi government. But a lobby in the party is against him; this is the same lobby that favours Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar’s name for the new National Security Advisor. Doval’s coterie says when Jaishankar did not prove to be a good diplomat and an efficient foreign secretary, NSA was an even bigger responsibility. His supporters also believe that when Jaishankar was India’s ambassador in the US, our relations with the US were not good. On the other hand, the group supporting Jaishankar is advocating that it was time Doval was appointed the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, because he was an expert in the state’s issues.

After getting the permission from the CBI court to meet a close relative who was counting his last breaths, Essar Group Head Ravi Ruia was seen partying at the Loulou night club at London’s 5, Hurt Ford Street. Reliable sources say Ravi Ruia, an accused in the 2G scam, was also seen with Robert Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Sources also say the party was thrown by Vadra’s close friend and Dubai-based industrialist Rajiv Vazir. The party and all that happened there is the talk of the town at present.

He is pretending to have soured his relations with the absconder industrialist Vijay Mallya, but it is because of this influential minister at the Centre that Mallya is living a respectable life in London. Not just that, he is making his presence felt in public events there. A few days ago, the book release of a big Delhi lobbyist was sponsored by Mallya in London. The best part about this is that the Indian embassy was the co-sponsor of this event. What was also surprising was the presence of British Education Minister Joe Johnson at the event. Mallya was seen talking informally not only with Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, but officials of the Indian foreign ministry were also seen running circles around him. But with Indian banks looking for Mallya through politically-tinted binoculars, Mallya’s strutting around in style seems to be justified, too.

A prominent investigative journalist of a big investigative English daily is under the ED’s scanner for a transaction of Rs 5 crore. Sources say that Mr journalist had allegedly assured arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari that he will help him; in exchange, Bhandari also helped the journalist financially. After this, the journalist approached ED Chief Karnail Singh to defend Bhandari. Karnail Singh is known as an honest and strict officer. Without much ceremony, he let PMO’s Nripendra Mishra know about all that the journalist had to say. It is believed Nripendra Mishra told his to the PM himself and asked his opinion on the matter. PM answered, “Do what is right. Journalists are not demi-gods. We are not obligated to agree to everything they say.” The ED expanded its circle of investigation after this, and right after that, Bhandari’s association with Robert Vadra came to light with just one mail. And so now the story is about other political implications.