BJP Party President Amit Shah is not prioritizing the appointment of other party satraps at present. Only Ramlal and his core team seem to be most active about choosing party state presidents. It is also Ramlal who is getting along the most with Sangh’s BJP Prabhari Krishna Gopal. It is worth noting that just like a regular Swayamsevak, Krishna Gopal’s priority is to focus on collective leadership and responsibility. So, regarding the appointment of party state presidents, the Sangh and the BJP have reached a consensus that people who have a proactive image and those who would rather travel within their states and strengthen the party instead of loitering around in the party headquarters, should be at the helm of things. The biggest issue is choosing the party state president in UP. While the Modi-Shah team is in favour of having Dinesh Sharma as the president, a big chunk of UP party leaders feel that instead of a Brahmin like Sharma, someone from a backward caste should be chosen. As a result, the names of Dharampal Singh and Swatantra Dev Singh are doing the rounds. It is being said that a few days ago, Amit Shah brought out another name from his quiver – that of Central Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, who is an old-time Swayamsevak and is a party Parliamentarian from Ghazipur. Apart from this, BJP party workers in the state have an old demand – that of showcasing a face in the 2017 Assembly elections. If everything goes according to Sangh’s plans, the party’s youth leaders are keen on having Varun Gandhi as the chief ministerial candidate from the BJP. However, this will not be easy for the Modi-Shah team, but then what is politics if not accommodating the odds?

Against the backdrop of the Pathankot terrorist attack, the hunt is on to find the Vibhishan amidst us. The NIA is looking at Punjab Police from various angles in the same connection. Sources close to investigative agencies say that the more SP Salvinder Singh is being interrogated, the more new angles to the story are being discovered. Considering the gravity of the matter, the NIA is bringing Salvinder Singh to Delhi on Monday. The investigative agencies are trying to find out if it was a mere coincidence that when Salvinder Singh was the city SP in Gurdaspur, Dinanagar sees a terrorist attack; moreover, the central investigative agencies were not given enough opportunity to get to the heart of the matter, and Punjab Police went on an overdrive trying to brush the issue away. That is because the entire episode has a political angle to it – one that connects to the Akalis. The investigative agencies are also trying to investigate why the entry strategy for Dinanagar and Pathankot attacks was similar. And now it is not a secret that drug peddlers played a big role in helping the terrorists step on Indian soil. Neither is it a secret that these drug dealers and their bosses have political protection, and the name of a person from the ruling party is being named again and again in relation to the matter. It seems the NIA has some solid proof, based on which it is taking Salvinder Singh for further interrogation to Delhi. There is a possibility this might also bring to light the ugliness of Punjab Police’s face.

Krishna, Bhagwat and Geeta are some names that have a strong impact on Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. Maybe that is the reason she took personal interest in trying to get the Indian girl Geeta from Pakistan back into the country. It is worth remembering that when Geeta was merely seven or eight years old, this deaf and mute girl had accidentally boarded the Samjhauta Express and landed in Pakistan. Ever since Geeta has returned to India, Sushma is keeping a keen eye on her daily activities. A few days ago, Madam Swaraj also went to Indore to meet Geeta, where she is living in an organization for the deaf and mute. The DNA report from the Mahato family, which claimed to be Geeta’s family, has come negative. So in her last meeting with Geeta, Sushma spoke to her through sign language and tried to find out if she still remembered anything from her childhood. Geeta presented some scenes from her childhood and the image she portrayed of her village indicated that it must be a village in Bihar. Through signs, Geeta also mentioned the festival where the sun is worshipped, and Sushma understood she was referring to Chhath Pooja, a prominent festival in Bihar. So now Sushma has decided that she will seek the help of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to look for Geeta’s family and will probably write a letter to him about the same, very soon!

The revelation of tapes revealing the equation between BJP MLA Manturam and Amit-Ajit Jogi is not a sudden one. Sources say the Modi government’s hawk eye had already identified Thakur Raman Singh’s knack to rule, and a keen eye was kept on him – the same that had been on Vyapam as well, in the past. It had been clear to the Centre how Thakur sahib works alongside the Opposition when it comes to making a state like Chhattisgarh function. Then, a lead about the entire thing was given to an English newspaper. Ever since the Vyapam genie has come out of the bottle in Madhya Pradesh, and the Centre has the keys to it (thanks to the CBI), Shivraj has been shown his place. So is Raman next, now? The script for this had been written much before, and Raman has been reined in, too. Modi’s arms are indeed long.

Final touches have been given to the reshuffle in the Modi government at the Centre. It may not be a major one, but the indications will be so. A face or two from UP might get a chance to be seen at the Centre. Some minister from Bihar might lose their position, and some ministers along with Ananth Kumar might see their portfolios being changed. Amit Shah wants some seasoned faces in his team; those who have experience when it comes to organizational skills. As a result, those such as Dharmendra Pradhan might be taken away from the government and made to work for the party. Pros at organizational skills, some people are already reaping the benefits in the government, and they too might be sent back to the party. Those such as Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi might get a promotion and thus get a Cabinet post or an independent portfolio. Preparations are also on to make Najma apa a governor. This will happen in a hurry too – any day after January 14.

Whispers of a Cabinet reshuffle had led to loud speculation that the prime minister is not happy with his Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s work. As a result, he might be dropped from the Cabinet altogether; naturally, Prabhu started giving it his all to save his post. First off his list was to ask for time to meet the prime minister, so that he could give a report with details on his work so far. But when, despite all efforts, the prime minister did not give him time, Prabhu reached out to his dear friend Manohar Parikkar. Sources say Parikkar took him to Narendra Modi; keeping Prabhu’s case before Modi, Parikkar said to Modi that if the latter shows Prabhu the door at the last minute, the Shiv Sena will get a big opportunity to get on Prabhu’s case. Convinced of Parikkar’s logical argument, Modi assured Prabhu he will get another chance. In the next Cabinet meeting, the PM openly praised Prabhu and the railways, which was an indication that Prabhu is under PM’s wings for now.

Ever since Suresh Prabhu has taken over the railways ministry, he is trying all he can to give his ministry a makeover. Rising above the banal and predictable, he is trying to set the ground for path-breaking initiatives. So much so that when dedicated workers from the BJP and Sangh find it tough to get their railways reservation tickets confirmed, they go to Prabhu’s chambers and directly address the issue. Right after Prabhu became the railways minister, negative things have been circulating around about him and the trend continues. A few days ago, a similar docket of papers arrived at BJP’s Margadarshak Dal’s veteran Lal Krishna Advani’s desk. After examining the papers, Advani forwarded the same to his fellow associate Murli Manohar Joshi for further action. Sources say the papers reached Prabhu via Joshi, because the latter’s son-in-law is Suresh Prabhu’s PS. Prabhu took immediate action about the papers and gave clarifications to Advani and the matter was soon brushed under the carpet.

Modi government has become extra kind to veteran and noted journalist Swapan Dasgupta. Thanks to his dear friend Arun Jaitley, Dasgupta has come on the board of Larsen & Toubro for an annual salary package of Rs 1-1.5 crore. But his own dream is to become India’s high commissioner in London and he has expressed his wishes to Jaitley and Modi in the past. A few days ago, he had gone to meet the prime minister, and let it slip during his conversation with the PM that until now, he has written 78 essays in Modi’s favour and defense. Sources say that to this Modi replied saying, “You are being adequately rewarded for it as well. From L&T alone you are getting Rs 10 lakh a month, even though company’s chairman Naik had met me and complained about you.” Despite all this, when Dasgupta repeated his request to become India’s high commissioner in London, the government hurriedly announced Navtej Sarna as India’s high commissioner in London. Sarna is the foreign ministry’s spokesperson at the moment and is due to take charge of his new post in a few days from now.

Usually out of depth in the political ocean, State Minister for Finance Jayant Sinha has suddenly come into the limelight. He hosted a big Christmas party at his official residence a few days ago, and his people fanned the speculation that the prime minister himself will be there for the lunch party. At this, some minister friends informed Sinha that the prime minister will be on a foreign tour at that time. Sources say that Sinha innocently replied to this saying, “Arun Jaitley will be there for lunch and my father Yashwant Sinha will be there as well. A big part of media will also be attending the event.” In the ministers’ eyes, Yashwant Sinha is a ticking time bomb that can go off any time. Fearing something like this, most ministers decided not to attend the party. Arun Jaitley did come for a while but returned soon thereafter saying he has a boil on his foot, which needs hot compressions. The most surprising thing was that Mrs Jayant Sinha was absent from the event.

The PM may not have attended Jayant Sinha’s party, but the PMO took cognition of the event and said, “You are a Central minister, and are inviting nearly 200-250 people for the party. Alcohol will be served, too; all this is not a nice thing.” If sources are to be believed, Sinha shot back saying that he lives abroad, where serving alcohol for Christmas parties is a regular thing. The PMO is said to have retorted saying, “You are not there anymore – you live in India now.”