Modi and his favoured followers may have shown the door to Prashant Kishore, who was instrumental in devising a winning strategy after the party’s win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but it’s Acche Din for Kishore even after leaving Modi camp. He got Nitish into power, then he met Rahul, who sent him to Captain Amarinder Singh. The Congress may not have big chances to win in Punjab, but the Rahul-Priyanka duo has asked Kishore to ready the UP 2017 elections strategy. A few days ago, the presentation that Kishore made about UP in the presence of prominent Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Madhusudan Mistry, and Nirmal Khatri, saw Rahul pretty excited about it. Now the team of Madhusudan Mistry and Prashant Kishore is going to decide which Congress party leader will get the reins of the party in UP. Priyanka is showing equal interest in Kishore’s “Mission UP”.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has joined the ranks of new strategists in the Congress; she has not only taken the responsibility for the 2017 Assembly elections in UP, she is also letting Rahul know of her opinion on every crucial matter. It is being said that Priyanka is responsible for ensuring Rahul’s strategies are realised regarding the Kanhaiya matter. Thus, be it Rahul’s JNU tour or UP yatra, sources say it was Priyanka who got him to do it; Rahul wanted to make more sense of things without rushing into things. To better understand the Congress’ chances in the UP Assembly elections, Priyanka has also got a prominent survey agency to carry out a public opinion survey. If sources are to be believed, a few days ago, Priyanka had a long meeting with the top brass of the agency at Jawahar Bhavan, where she discussed the survey results concerning every seat. It is said that Priyanka has also asked the agency to look for the right candidates for UP elections. In the entire meeting, Priyanka’s main worry was how to ensure the Congress gets more votes than the BJP.

Modi government has changed its tactic regarding the bail of Kanhaiya, the student president of JNU, who is also embroiled in the JNU controversy. Now it doesn’t want to give it too much importance. It is believed that in the days to come, this will lead to the chances of Kanhaiya being released, stronger. Sources say that of the 10 girl and boy students that he has named during police interrogation include that of Aparajita, prominent Left leader D Raja’s daughter. Those in the government feel that with the Budget session round the corner, if this matter is not controlled, the Communist party might join hands with the Congress and make it tough for the Parliament to function. Sources say that of the 10 names Kanhaiya has named in connection with the February 9 incident, six are girls; and if a girl is arrested in the matter, the issue might become a bigger one than it already is. The Left parties might try to take advantage of this in the West Bengal elections as well. This is the reason the government has eased its grasp on Kanhaiya’s bail, and his chances of being released have become stronger.

Habitual to backstage politics, veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has made his party a force to contend with in connection with the Tamil Nadu elections. Even party Vice President Rahul Gandhi had thrown in the towel regarding Tamil Nadu at a party core committee meeting. Sources say Rahul asked his party people to focus more on Kerala elections rather than Tamil Nadu; that is because Rahul can still see ample opportunities for the Congress in Kerala. Ghulam Nabi, who was finding it tough to find a wavelength with the new-generation people leading the party, went and met with Sonia Gandhi and asked her for a last chance. He and DMK chief Karunanidhi go back a long way, and he could explore new possibilities for a coalition for the Congress. After getting a green signal from Sonia, Ghulam Nabi stayed put in Chennai, and met with Karunanidhi, Vijayakanth, and Ramadoss one by one, and initiated a conversation about a coalition. In this coalition, the Congress wants 35 seats; Karunandhi is ready to give 15, and the final deal might be signed for 20-22 seats. This will help the Congress mark its presence in the state Assembly. Ghulam Nabi Azad’s real strategy is regarding the 2019 Lok Sabha elections; if the Congress goes into the battlefield with this coalition, Ghulam Nabi feels the Congress will be in a position to win eight-10 seats. Maybe that is the reason Rahul is giving a little more importance to Ghulam Nabi nowadays.

Central minister Mahesh Sharma has emerged as a prominent player in the saffron politics. His recent rise in importance has worried even UP’s heavyweight leaders. Socially smart and a gregarious Sharma’s doors are always open to people from the UP; as a result, in the presence of local politicians, industrialists, and media people, Sharma does not forget to mention how he has connections with the PM and PMO. For political acrobatics, Sharma doesn’t shy away from theatrics either; for instance, in the presence of people, he makes it a point to call up the PMO to ask what time he has to be there. An industrialist from UP told about this to UP’s most powerful leader Rajnath Singh and asked him if Mahesh Sharma has indeed become one of the closest persons of the prime minister. Sources say Rajnath Singh couldn’t wait to know more and without mincing his words, asked the same to the PM. Modi laughed at Rajnath’s innocent question and said it was nothing of the sort. It was just that since Mahesh Sharma was taking care of his constituency Varanasi, he keeps visiting the PMO, and that it is a routine work. He also added that Sharma doesn’t meet Modi often, and that he gives his progress report of the officers, and leaves. PM also told Rajnath that he had given this task earlier to Railway Minister of State Manoj Sinha, but he wasn’t as tactful as Sharma. It was only after hearing this that the Thakur leader heaved a sigh of relief.

AAP’s graph in Punjab has gone through the roof recently. Many public opinion surveys are of the view that AAP could come to power with a big majority. Sensing the change, AAP has given this crucial responsibility to Manish Sisaudia and Sanjay Singh that they look for a chief ministerial candidate from the party for the state, so that the face can then be launched for the campaign. For now, three names are said to be in the fray – M H Fulka, Succhha Singh Chotepur, and Bhagwant Mann. The party is also in constant touch with BJP dissident Navjot Singh Siddhu, who wishes that the AAP launch him as the chief ministerial candidate for the state, and if this happens, he will gladly join the party. But sources say AAP has told Siddhu that if he joins the party, he will be given a Rajya Sabha seat. Alongside, the party will not only give a ticket for Siddhu’s doctor wife, but might also give her a prominent ministry in case the party comes to power. Now the ball is in Siddhu’s court, and he knows how to hit a bouncer across the boundary.

Prashant Kishore, who wove a winning strategy for Nitish Kumar in Bihar, is busy spinning strategies for Captain Amrinder Singh in Punjab nowadays. The “Kishore effect” can be seen in Captain’s political stance. For instance, Captain has distanced himself from his two favourites, whom he had not distanced despite Sonia asking him to. One of them is his media advisor Bharatendar Chahal, and the other is MLA Rana Sodhi. Captain, who would be full of himself, also looks like a changed man; he is interacting with college students, and is allowing people to take selfies with him. His everyday routine has changed, too. Captain now tells people he wakes up at 7 am, and does the paath as well. He always keeps “Jay ji” in his car, and has also announced that he will not give a Congress ticked to anyone from his family. With all this being done by Captain, the Congress might just be back in the fight.

Ever since talks have gained ground that several ministers from the Bihar quota might be in trouble after the terrible loss in Bihar elections, Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan appears to be completely besotted with Modi. On the completion of 19 months of Modi government, Paswan held a press conference at his home instead of his own office. The press conference lasted for an hour-and-a-half, and Paswan ji was armed with his favourite lines, such as “Maan letey hain”, “Jo hai ki”, and “Kya kehtey hain”. He gave the credit for each and every accomplishment of his ministry to none other than the prime minister. The backdrop also had pictures of only Modi and none else. As part of a well thought-out strategy, Paswan had instructed his brother Ramchandra Paswan and Parliamentarian son Chirag Paswan to stay inside the house itself. As soon as the press conference got over and lunch was served, both Ramchandra and Chirag Paswan emerged from the house. Chirag met journalists with a lot of warmth, and one of the journalists wanted to know the party’s stand about the suicide of a Dalit student in Hyderabad. Chirag’s readymade answer was, “We formed a fact-finding committee under the leadership of Ramchandra Paswan ji, and the committee handed me the report last night. I’m going through it, and if needed, we will talk to the prime minister about it.” Paswan ji’s chest puffed with pride at Chirag’s reply; he was seeing his political inheritance being taken care of and growing.

Has the BSP supremo changed? Or has she got some new insights for her changed political avatar? Used to celebrating her birthday with great pomp and show, Behen ji celebrated her 60th birthday with a lot of restraint and in a quiet manner, that too at her official residence in Delhi. Sensing a change of winds in UP, the entire building lobby of the state was seen making a line for her residence on January 15. As all public opinion surveys are indicating, Mayavati might sweep over the polls in 2017, based on the issue of law and governance. Thus, on her birthday, several prominent bureaucrats were seen with expensive gifts, marking their attendance in Mayavati Durbar late into the night. Among these officers were also those who had meaty positions in Mayavati government and have managed to find favour with Akhilesh’s government as well.

Now it’s time for painting the Pathankot matter in different hues. Despite a lot of hard work, the NIA has still not got any substantial information from SP Salvinder Singh, and despite the meandering, the matter now rests upon drug peddlers. Where getting all the arms and ammunition across the border is concerned, investigative agencies themselves are shocked how it reached inside despite the four tall walls on all sides and strict security measures. How did the terrorists manage to get inside with all the arms, ammunition and explosives despite close circuit cameras installed everywhere? Now it has been revealed that the cameras were not working. Investigation is also on to find out if the cameras were shut down according to some plan, or was it a serious security lapse. News is also coming out on the army, air force, and the NSA having grave differences of opinion about this. News from within the army says that the command changed three times during the entire operation. Sources say Ajit Doval showed serious reservations to this. NSA has made it clear that during its meeting with the air force and army chief, it had been decided that the operations will be led by the most senior and able army office Dushyant Singh. And this is what happened. NSA has made it clear that the same person handled the entire operation. But the responsibility for security of the area was that of the air force; so now investigation is on to find out if there was a mistake in the security, or if it was some inside Vibhishans who helped the terrorists.