Congress’ excited vice president seems to be keen on changing his working style. Contrary to his past habit, Rahul Gandhi is now inviting media people to his home, and sharing with them what is in his heart. He first sent out invitations to owners of news channels and newspapers, but sensing the gravity of the situation, only a handful of media muguls reached Rahul’s residence. After a month, that is last week, Rahul sent out invitations to newspaper editors and bureau chiefs, and a young owner of an investigative newspaper went there with his editor. Educated abroad, this newspaper owner had gone to meet Rahul a month ago as well, when the former had asked newspaper owners to come and meet him. But that day Rahul was unable to recognize him and ask him for his introduction. The newspaper owner was hurt at this; what upset him even more was that his own editor once again introduced him to Rahul. This small mistake by Rahul upset the newspaper owner so much that he left within a few minutes of going there and didn’t stay back despite Rahul’s insistence.

For the coming elections in UP, the BJP has already made its strategy clear – that it will not put the prime minister’s image at stake. Seeing how things turned out in Bihar, Amit Shah has decided to portray UP’s prominent leader Rajnath Singh as the party’s face. The saffron party has announced six rallies so far, and it is believed that instead of Modi, these rallies will be attended by Shah and Singh. A few days ago, four MLAs from western UP went to Rajnath Singh’s residence with sweets and said, “Now you are our leader.” But Rajnath Singh could neither eat the sweets nor refuse them. An inner fear is gripping him and he’s wondering if Modi-directed Shah team is making him a scapegoat in UP.

Assam’s Maulana Badruddin Ajmal is becoming a victim of his own devices. Sources say that because he had internally made a deal with the BJP, prominent Muslim leaders and organizations are wary of joining hands with him, Not just that, buyers of his company’s agar perfume, and the sheikhs of West Asia who have financially helped him, are unhappy with the fact that Maulana may have any spoken or unsaid association with the BJP. So a few days ago when Ajmal invited Jamat-e-Hind and other Muslim organizations, and even called MIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi over the phone and requested him to join his political rally in Barpeta, none of them came. These Muslim leaders and organizations believe that the more active they are, the more the BJP will benefit in the elections. Keeping quiet, these people want to help the Congress internally.

Vijay Mallya is tweeting that he is not an absconder. Dharma guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who claims to teach the art of living, is claiming that he will not pay the fine of Rs 5 crore even if he is sent to jail. The question is, how can you compare a high priest of materialism and a spiritual guru? The common factor – both these people who shoot off their mouths have the patronage of the powers-that-be. The world knows that a prominent minister in Modi’s government played a big role in getting Mallya out of the country. This minister hails from south India and has been friends with Mallya since the time the latter wanted to come into the Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate with JDS’ assistance. Deve Gowda’s party could get him merely seven votes, and the rest of 34 votes could have come only from the BJP. Then this BJP leader solved the problem for Mallya by putting in a word with Arun Jaitley, who was then the BJP prabhari from Karnataka. It is said that Mallya returned the favour, and floored with him his private yacht, stays in luxury hotels, and expensive gifts. During that time, some intimate moments were also caught by the camera, which were enough to bargain with the minister at a later date. Sources say it was because of the pressure from the minister that the CBI had to change the language of its lookout notice for Mallya. For his flight to London, the immigration office also behaved kindly with Mallya. The world also saw how the prime minister braved nature’s several obstacles (storms and hail) and made it to Sri Sri’s programme venue, enjoyed it, and gave a powerful speech as well. Then there’s the matter of people from Sri Sri’s team refusing to pay the fine slapped by the NGT, saying it was a religious organisation and didn’t have that kind of money. It was then that a news channel nurturing the Congress and Left’s ideology, started to pore into the bank accounts of Sri Sri’s organisation. With that, it became clear how rich the religious guru really is. The channel came under fire, and the first instalment of Rs 25 lakh was paid. The PM’s heart also softened and the ruling party became free to shower its affection.

Varun Gandhi, who has been brought up with Gandhi family’s culture and is BJP’s Parliamentarian from Sultanpur, knows well which direction to take and when to forge one’s own path when the winds of change are blowing over the political environment. As a result, thought-provoking articles by him are appearing in national and international newspapers, and he is posing questions in the Parliament as well. His pet hobby is writing poems, however, and it is his form as a poet that is gaining precedence over his being a politician. His birthday is on March 13, and he has found a unique way to celebrate his birthday this year. On his birthday, he will be with the farmers of UP. He is going to visit three villages in Muradabad – Dhaki, Niwar Khas, and Sarkara Param. There, he will hand out cheques of Rs one lakh from his Parliament salary, to each of the families of those farmers who had committed suicide because of financial troubles. It is worth noting that in the past, too, Varun Gandhi has gone to districts such as Agra, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Sitapur, and Sultanpur, and given financial assistance to farmers there. Before 1995, farmers in UP committing suicide was unheard of, but now it seems like the farmers in the state are going the Maharashtra way. In his poem “In my heart”, the young Gandhi says,

“’In my heart
there is a filigree of death
It will not let me bleed
For as I rise and rise and rise”.

Modi’s people can’t stand him, and Nitish and the Congress can’t get enough of him. Contrary to what Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit think, both Rahul and Priyanka have started to feel that Prashant Kishore really is valuable, and so they have started giving him more responsibilities. But few people know that Kishore started his innings in India with Rahul. Back then, Kishore used to run a strategy company in a South African country. When he couldn’t find any medium to reach out to Rahul, he stood among the crowd that would collect for the junta durbar at his residence. When Rahul met him, he couldn’t help but be impressed with what Kishore had to say. He was given a job with a salary of Rs 50,000, and was appointed in Amethi with Kishori Lal. Later, to design his election strategy, Modi needed someone from Rahul’s side, and someone who closely knew his working style. Kishore was the man, and he made good use of his information, and became a part of Modi’s core team, from where he took a flight of success.

If you notice closely, only those ministers who are close to Jaitley have a say in Modi’s Cabinet. Niramala Seetharaman is one of them. The lady is a JNU product, and knows how to make good use of an opportunity. She became a minister at the Centre only by speaking and speaking well; she even got a good ministry. But for some time she has become so immersed in her ministry that she forgot to stay in touch with those who have made her what she is. When Jaitely needed her sharp shooting and influential speeches in the DDA matter, she left for South Africa for a conference. Sources say a few days ago, an important Cabinet note was to be made, and it needed her signature. But she was away in Hyderabad. Miffed with all this, Jaitley has made it clear to her that if she still doesn’t mend her ways, the coming time will change things for her.

The Congress high command has made it clear to the opposition group (Gurudas Kamat) that for now, the reins of Congress in Mumbai will be controlled by the present state party president Sanjay Nirupam. Local elections are to take place in Mumbai soon, where Shiv Sena-BJP hold sway. The Congress high command wants Nirupam to be focused solely on these elections. Those in opposition to him have been made to understand that they should either help Nirupam, or be ready for anti-party proceedings. Alongside, Nirupam has been told to move ahead taking all groups along with him.

Himachal Pradesh is aghast that due to personal differences between two political families, the opportunity to host the India-Pakistan 20-20 match in Dharamshala has been lost and gone to Kolkata. Sources say Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s grouse against Anurag Thakur is that he makes even a cricket match in Himachal into a party event. Whenever there is an international match there, the entire town is chock-a-bloc with posters, courtesy Thakur, and which have big photos of father and son (Dhumal and Thakur). Virbhadra’s complain is that Thakur tries to get political mileage of even a cricket match. Why doesn’t someone who likes Anurag tell him as much?

While on one hand the top brass at BJP can’t get over self-delusion, on the other hand, the Congress, which is struggling to win back its place, is giving the 2017 UP Assembly elections all it’s got under the leadership of ace strategist Prashant Kishore. Contrary to the saffron party’s ideology, Kishore has devised a strategy to play a bigger innings. His first attempt is to project Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the face of the Congress party in UP, but at present, it is said Priyanka is not ready for it just yet. In such a scenario, Kishore has devised another foolproof plan; in case Priyanka does not come on board, Delhi’s former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit can be portrayed as the party’s face in the state. That is because Sheila is the daughter-in-law of Umashankar Dikshit, an old family from UP. Also, she is a woman, and has proved her prowess and abilities as the chief minister of Delhi in the past. Non-backward castes, especially the Brahmins, might be roped in to support her in UP. And if this strategy works, the Congress might win back lost ground in the state.