Can the 2019 general elections be held before its scheduled term? It is being speculated that the Modi-Shah duo seems to be determined to make possible the next General Elections ahead of time. In January 2019, the tenure of state governments of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is going to be completed. It is also being speculated that after the month of September (since Chief Justice Deepak Mishra retires in October), a major decision will be taken by the Supreme Court on Ram temple. Perhaps this is the reason why Modi-Shah duo, riding on the Ram-Mandir Agenda, is working on strategies to come to power in 2019 once again.

BJP top echelon had to stand by its promise to former Gujarat chief minister Anandi Ben Patel, and ultimately the party has announced her appointment as the new governor of Madhya Pradesh. Prior to this, a long-run battle was on between Anandi Ben and the top leadership of BJP. From ticket distribution in the Gujarat elections to division of ministry, Anandi Ben’s resentment was visibly at its apex. When Nitin Patel, who is associated with the Patel community and maintains close terms with Anandi Ben, elevated the flag of revolt on being allotted a ministry of lesser importance, he obviously got the blessings of Ben. After this, Hardik Patel dialled Nitin Patel, who asked him to ring him up on WhatsApp call. Hardik said that there is nothing to hide in it. The world (Modi-Shah) should know that despite such adverse circumstances, the Patels unite as one. Sources reveal that after this an important meeting of Patel MLAs was hosted by Anandi Ben, in which 17 Patel MLAs participated. After this, Shah dialled Anandi Ben asking, “Why are you doing this?” Sources tell that to this Anandi Ben responded, “You did not stand by your promise, you are anti-Patel. You have not given a ticket to my son, and gave the ticket to my seat to my opponent.” It is said that after that, the supremo – Modi – had to himself take over the issue in his own hands, only after which Ben quit on the fight and has been rewarded for the same now.

Congress wants to put in its full strength for the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan, Ajmer and Alwar. Enthused by his new elevation, Rahul Gandhi is also very active for the two by polls. From the beginning of it, Rahul has been wanting that the state Congress President Sachin Pilot should be contested in Ajmer, where he would have to battle against the son of Late MP Sanwar Lal Jat. But understanding the fragility of the matter, Sachin thought it is better to exit the battle field. He could sense that the entire by poll will surf on the waves of sympathy. Sachin cleverly stepped aside saying that he would push the heel peak to help Congress win at Ajmer and Alwar, while at the same time his aides revealed that he was afraid if he lost the battle of Ajmer, then he would have to simultaneously give up on his dream of becoming the next CM. At the same time, Rahul’s aide Bhanwar Jitendra Singh has also refused to join the electoral battle, because the BJP has fielded Minister Jaswant Yadav of the outgoing Raje-government from Alwar. Being a Yadav constituency seat, Bhanwar felt that he could face difficulty competing here, and instead pitched for 71-year-old Karan Singh Yadav.

Vishva Hindu Parishad President Pravin Togadia, who seems really troubled in front of the media, has been consistent in his measures to do away with the ‘faults’ in his stars for the last two-and-a-half years. For the residents of Vasant Vihar area of Delhi, Togadia was a regular sight around 5:30 am on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Malai Mandir in the past two and a half years. He would first climb up the stairs to the main temple and offer prayers to lord Karthik. After that, he would climb downstairs and orbit nine times around the ‘Navagraha’. Togadia used to visit the temple within a full-fledged security. But from the last week of December, Togadia suddenly disappeared from the radar. The continuous absence of Togadia from the Malai temple raised many questions. The country is now well aware of what happened after that and it is being said that those like Togadia and Sanjay Joshi, who brought harm to the BJP in the Gujarat elections, there is a complete preparation to teach them a lesson.

Sources reveal that a crucial meeting of the Vishva Hindu Parishad executives was convened in a fortnight ago, in which Sangh number two supremo ‘Bhaiyaji’ Joshi was also present. Sources say that in this meeting it was decided that now it is necessary that the VHP be given a new face, given that it’s International President Raghav Reddy and Overseas Affairs President Pravin Togadia have been glued on the top shelf for way too long now. To this proposal, Togadia came out with strong opposition and said that no one can be removed from a post in such arbitrary manner. If that be the case, then the organisation should hold elections. It is said that the Sangh did not take Tagodia’s opposition too well, and during the on-going Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s saint conference in Allahabad, the VHP senior member Swami Chinmayananda has given the indication that some other leaders alongside Praveen Togadia will be discharged from the organisation. It is possible that in the coming days, you will see the VHP split into two camps.

Come January 27, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s autobiography “Citizen Delhi: My Time, My Life” is set to be released in the Jaipur Lit Fest. The book has been published by Bloomsbury. This autobiography has yet not been released but already put the Gandhi family in a state of muteness. Sources suggest that in the biography, Sheila Dikshit has exposed many big secrets, especially in larger detail about the Commonwealth scam. And it is a commonly known knowledge that the roots of the Commonwealth scam are reportedly related to Robert Vadra i.e. the Gandhi family. The Congress has already begun with the process of damage control. Randeep Surjewala, the head of the Communication Department of the party, called several senior Congress leaders of Delhi to his residence at a lunch and sought suggestions for handling the situation after the unveiling of the book. In one of the suggestions, it was said that Mrs. Dixit should be urged to hold the release of the book at the moment, but everyone knows it that the water has risen above the head.

71-year-old Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party has begun to hear the rebellion. A section of the party accuses that Lok Janashakti has trimmed down to becoming Paswan dynasty party. Paswan is a minister at the Center, while his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras is a minister in the Nitish-government of Bihar. Ramvilas’ son Chirag Paswan is a party MP from Jamui, Bihar. And now the son of Ramvilas’ another brother Ramchandra Paswan, who is also a Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP, Prince Raj has been made the president of the student wing of LJP. Prior to this, Prince Raj had also contested the Bihar assembly election in 2015, where he had to face defeat.

यूपी की सत्ता हाथ से जाने के बाद से लगातार मुलायम सिंह यादव अपने पुत्र अखिलेश से कुपित चल रहे हैं। अखिलेश को भी अपने पिता की इस नाराजगी का इल्म है, चुनांचे वे अपने पिता को खुश रखने का हर संभव प्रयास कर रहे हैं। पिछले दिनों जब नेताजी इटावा में अपने खास समर्थकों से घिरे थे तो कथित तौर पर उन्होंने अपने समर्थकों से खुलकर कह डाला कि ’टीपू (अखिलेश) पर कभी भरोसा मत करना, उससे सतर्क रहना।’ इससे पूर्व यूपी के निकाय चुनावों के नतीजों से आहत होकर नेताजी ने यह बयान दे डाला था कि सपा की यह दुर्गत तो तब भी नहीं हुई थी जब उन्होंने रामभक्त कार सेवकों पर गोली चलवाई थी। सो, नेताजी की नाराजगी का मर्म भांपते अखिलेश सीधे लखनऊ एयरपोर्ट जा पहुंचे, जहां नेताजी का चार्टर्ड इटावा से लखनऊ पहुंचने वाला था। अखिलेश को एयरपोर्ट पर यूं अचानक पाकर एयरपोर्ट पर पहले से मौजूद कुछ पत्रकार हरकत में आ गए, उन्होंने अमौसी एयरपोर्ट पर अखिलेश की घेरेबंदी कर उनसे पूछा-क्या वे यहां अपने पिता का आशीर्वाद लेने आए हैं?’ हालिया दिनों में पिता के बयानों से आहत अखिलेश का दर्द उनकी जुबां से छलक आया और वे बेसाख्ता पत्रकारों से कह बैठे-’आप देख ही तो रहे हैं कि पिछले कुछ समय से नेताजी हमें किस प्रकार का आषीर्वाद दे रहे हैं?’

Prem Kumar Dhumal may have lost the assembly election from Sujanpur this time but till the last moment of the declaration of the next Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, he did not give up. He kept on trying for himself and he kept talking about this directly with Modi and Shah. Sources say that, in fact, Dhumal had been deeply aware this time that if he surrendered so easily, then the political future of his son Anurag Singh Thakur would be a question mark. Anyway, his defeat from Sujanpur was unexpected because defeater Rajendra Rana of Congress was once amongst the devotees of Dhumal. Rana gradually made his entry into the houses of Sujanpur through his NGO. The NGO distributed sewing machines on a large scale to women and girls. The poor were given a permanent home. In the favor of Dhumal, Modi had himself organised an election rally.
On the other hand, in Dhumal’s Hamirpur, BJP could win only 3 out of 5 seats. Actually, the people of Hamirpur did not like the daily visit of police on account of BJP to the marriage of the then Congress chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s daughter. Perhaps, this is the reason why Virbhadra’s son Vikramaditya kept camping in Hamirpur during the entire time campaign.

Four dissenting (read disgusted) MLAs of Jharkhand have taken their pile of complaints against state Chief Minister, Raghuvar Das, to the BJP high command, Amit Shah. They have alleged that the state government has shown an utter lack of political will and have forfeited all political powers to the state bureaucracy. They have told Shah that Das is fast losing his popularity and especially among the Brahmans as well as tribal communities. It is well known that the all powerful voice in the state is that of Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, set to retire in coming February. However, Das seems hell bent on getting her an extension. The four MLAs met Shah, who is said to have heard their gripe carefully, and sent them back with an assurance that soon, things will change. Now, that is that most people are waiting for!