The My Mandate public opinion survey of UP that was recently conducted by Parliamentarian, BusinessWorld, and Janta ka Reporter doesn’t seem to give a clear mandate to any one party. It is worth noting that with a sample size of 25,000, this is the biggest such survey being conducted in UP. Compared to 25 per cent votes in 2012, the BSP might jump by 9 per cent votes this time; the party might win 169 seats with a percentage of 34 votes. The BJP can be seen making a quantum leap; while it had to sit satisfied with just 15 per cent votes, this time the vote share might jump to 30 per cent. From 47 seats of last time, the BJP might register a win in 135 seats this time. UP’s young chief minister Akhilesh seems to be losing a lot of ground. With 29 per cent votes in 2012, the SP got 224 seats for itself. This time, the SP’s vote percentage has slipped to 24 per cent and it is speculated that it might only get 74 seats this time. If you look at who the people of UP would like to see as the chief minister, Mayavati is leading the race with 28 per cent votes. Akhilesh is on number two with 25 per cent votes; the third position is surprisingly being held by Varun Gandhi, with 23 per cent votes. Although the BJP has officially not announced its chief ministerial candidate in UP, Varun Gandhi has shocked people by getting 53 per cent votes despite many other names in the fray. This time, law and order might become the biggest electoral issue with 29 per cent votes. What is also surprising is that leaving behind heavyweights such as Govind Ballabh Pant, Sucheta Kriplani and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Mayavati has emerged as the most successful chief minister of UP with 32 per cent votes. The same survey has called Narendra Modi the best prime minister of independent India with 35 per cent votes. At the same time, the youth of the state has crowned Akhilesh Yadav as the youth ideal with 30 per cent votes. Mayavati may not have indulged in politics regarding the farmers, but she has emerged as the biggest farmers’ leader with 30 per cent votes, as against farmer leader Ajit Singh, who got 12 per cent votes. The My Mandate survey of UP might just serve as an eye-opener for the election brawls that are about to begin.

Mining Secretary Balvinder Kumar has penned a thought-provoking book, Awakening a Thinking Mind. He invited his department minister Piyush Goyal to release the book. When Goyal got up to speak, he got carried away and just won’t stop. According to him, ever since Modi government has come to power at the Centre, bureaucrats have stopped looking after their own interests, and have started working in the earnest. According to Goyal ji, what is being reported in newspapers and the talk in government offices is true – secretaries of ministries have stopped playing golf. It is said the minister also managed to ask his secretary how he found the time to write the book despite a hectic day schedule. It is said Mr Minister also advised Balvinder Kumar that it was all right if he has written one book. But if he keeps repeating this, it might look like he doesn’t work and only keeps writing. Balvinder Kumar is surely ruing the moment when he asked Piyush Goyal to come and inaugurate the book.

Power and bureaucracy might appear to be in a symbiotic relationship, but when bureaucrats themselves start indulging in politics, no one can stop politics from rearing its ugly head. A strange thing might be in the offing in the UP Assembly elections. Sources say some IAS officers from the UP cadre have taken it upon themselves to give some tickets to SP and BSP candidates. They are not only lobbying for people who they want for particular seats, but are also making sure from the party high command that they will bear all the expenses for these candidates contesting the elections, and will also give it their all to make sure they win. Oh, politics, you vile vixen!

The Badal family is a worried lot at the way Akali Dal seems to be losing the race for Assembly elections n Punjab. Now they are trying various tricks of the trade to make sure they are the election race fray. The Aam Aadmi Party has also thrown its gauntlet in the ring. A few days ago, a video went viral on social media, which showed the Badal family having a few great laughs with Captain Amrinder Singh, over dinner. Sources also claim that the Akali family has conducted sting operations of several AAP candidates and prepared sex CDs. Arvind Kejriwal has deflated the balloon saying fake CDs of his party people are being made and that this number might be up to 50. The Badal family also knows that Badal senior won’t be able to get votes citing his old age, but might play a big game just before the elections. Reliable sources say that the water issue from the Sutlej-Yamuna link is still in court, where water distribution between Punjab and Haryana is to be decided. As soon as the decision is made, Prakash Singh Badal might quit his post to oppose the decision and might request the governor to dissolve his government. But this decision might come like a double-edged sword, because it isn’t easy to go for elections while staying out of the government.

An enthusiastic minister of state for mining in a BJP-led state went for a surprise inspection of a steel plant. Mr Minister wanted to make sure no labour laws were being violated in the plant. The plant belongs to a big industrialist with political clout. When Mr Minister reached the gates of the plant with his entourage for the sudden inspection, he was made to stop there. He wasn’t allowed to enter despite him saying he was a minister with the government. After a lot of back and forth, the industrialist arrived at the gates, where he had a heated argument with the minister and there was some pushing and shoving as well. The industrialist scolded the minister and said he had no business going there without permission. He then called the chief minister while standing at the gates; the chief minister asked to speak to the minister and then scolded his own minister over the phone. “How did you go there without informing me? Come back immediately.” Mr Minister came back shame-facedly. But who will return his lost respect?

The question is a pertinent one – are the days of Shivraj Singh Chauhan as the popular Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister really numbered? Reliable sources close to the BJP claim that an alternative for Shivraj is being actively looked for by the party. The two names that are being considered include that of Sangh beloved and Minister of State (Independent charge) for Environment Anil Madhav Dave, and Jaibhan Singh Povaiah, who is not only a senior minister in Shivraj’s Cabinet, but has also led Bajrang Dal in the past. In the days to come, the state might also get a new governor because the current governor of the state Ram Naresh Yadav ends in October. Reliable sources close to the Central government say the name of party’s senior leader Lalji Tandon is more or less final. Where changing the chief minister is concerned, the matter may be postponed until the UP elections, although the Sangh wants immediate action on it.

The attitude of two senior leaders – Bhaiyaji Joshi and Krishna Gopal –during Sangh’s crucial meeting in Bhopal was a tad tough about Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Sources say the meeting that lasted from 10 am to 5 pm, Shivraj had to answer several uncomfortable questions. In the past 11 years of his rule, there have been several corruption cases have been reported. Investigations about Vyapam case have increased in speed and that is enough to worry Shivraj. After Sangh’s clear warning to Shivraj, the party’s state outfit is seeing changes taking place. Those trying to stake claim to the chief minister’s post are already doing the rounds to Delhi and Sangh.

UP’s Samajwadi leader Mulayam Singh’s elder daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav seems to be more a woman steeped in Indian traditions rather than a politician. You can sometimes spot her sitting in Central Hall, and you will never see her without the pallu over her head. Any senior party who meets her and asks her about her well-being, she doesn’t miss touching their feet. Be it Jaya Bachchan or Amar Singh, Dimple is seen repeating this ritual. Badal family’s daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur is also seen with a covered head.

Several faces have come forward to defend Sandeep Kumar, who has lost his seat due to the CD matter. Some of these are from AAP, some players from social media, and several noted journalists. Some of these argue that the CD is four-five years old, because the Kumar who can be seen with the woman is a tad slim. Ashutosh has become so aggressive in defending Sandeep that he has even raised questions on Gandhi-Nehru family. Those who are familiar with Ashutosh’s brand of journalism and his politics, this is not new. But some excited party workers have started investigating into the other Sandeep Kumars of the party. A young leader from AAP of UP, who is taking care of election duties in several states, is also in the ring of questions. Reliable sources close to AAP says the party is worried about the politician’s phone bills. At a time when the phone rates are so low, his bills clock anywhere between Rs 40,000-50,000. It is said when his bill details were looked into, it was shocking. This hot-blooded politician’s phone was replete with calls to paid numbers for entire nights. So hold your heart – the days to come might see a new CD emerging.

Social media might be heatedly debating over the controversy of PM’s face being used for Jio mobile’s advertisement. But as a clever strategist, Mukesh Ambani deserves many praises. That is because when it comes to using people and cashing in on opportunities, there’s no one like him. In the past, too, Mukesh has been using the media in an extremely clever way to communicate his aggressive business strategies. It is said he has a stake in no less than 200 Indian channels. His Observer Research Foundation has been working towards obliging journalists and keeping them happy, for a long time. His Innovation Council is known for swaying intellectual thinking on a global level. It is said Mukesh has given seats to seven-eight Nobel Prize winners in this council. Mukesh devises a well thought-out strategy to make sure his products have a scientific reasoning and address the gaps in the market. Jio is a perfect example of this, and it has rung the warning bells for well-established telecom companies in India. Sources say sensing danger from Jio, India’s top telecom company Bharti has sold most of its shares to Singapore Telephones. Idea has been unable to revive itself from the jolt, while Vodafone is hurriedly trying to devise a strategy to address the challenge.