Round The States

New Delhi, 19 January 2019

Bengal Mega Rally

WHO WILL BE TALLEST NETA?

By Insaf

Will Kolkata ditto Bengaluru, is a question uppermost on many a leader’s mind. Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on the mega opposition rally being hosted by TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata at Brigade Parade grounds today. With an invitation extended to all regional--big and small parties—she obviously, is eyeing a bigger role for herself in the fight against the BJP’s Modi-Shah combine and not just getting the flock together. Rather hoping to lead the elusive alliance before General Elections. The timing is both interesting and critical as regional satraps are already in the mode of cementing partnerships, be it arch rivals the BSP and SP in Uttar Pradesh, or TRS and YSR Congress Party in the South, making TDP fume, with chief Chandrababu Naidu now dropping the Congress and going it alone. So far, most parties including the DMK, RJD, JD(S), Congress, BSP, SP, JVM, RLD, NC have accepted Mamata’s invite and while they may put up a united front for photo-op, the nagging question will still remain—whether these regional players will be able to put personal ambitions behind and form the mahagathbandhan. Post rally, it will be the closed-door meetings between leaders that BJP would need to pry on. Or will it decide not to lose sleep over it as seven months after Bengaluru, the anti-BJP flock is leaderless!  

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UPSC & Top Cops

Top police officials across the country can heave a sigh of relief. The Supreme Court has come to their aid and ensured they are kept immune from political interference. On Wednesday last, it rejected applications of five State governments—Punjab, Bihar, Kerala, Haryana and West Bengal -- seeking implementation of their own local laws for selection and appointment of their Director General of Police (DGP). This it said was in ‘larger public interest and to protect the police officials from political interference.’ More so, as ‘Some State governments had even gone to the extent of appointing their “favourite” officers as DGP on the very date of their retirement so that they would continue to serve for another two years till the age of 62.’ Simply unacceptable! Thus it reiterated: governments must first consult Union Public Service Commission before the appointments; they must send names of probables three months before incumbent DGPs are to retire; the UPSC will prepare a panel of three officers fit to be DGP and send it back and as far as practicable, the UPSC will choose people within the zone of consideration who have got a clear two years of service and must give due weightage to merit and seniority. And finally, the State shall “immediately” appoint one of these persons shortlisted. There is now no room for any ifs and buts.

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Karnataka Intrigues

Karnataka continues to elude the BJP. Unable to take over the reins seven months ago, the saffron brigade’s attempt to dislodge the Congress-JD(S) government seem to have failed. State BJP President BS Yeddyurappa is learnt to have tried to poach 16-odd ‘disgruntled’ Congress MLAs and keep his flock together in Gurugram to form the government. However, realising that the requisite number wouldn’t oblige and that about 12 MLAs had developed ‘cold feet’ last minute, he aborted what is called ‘Operation Lotus.’ A relieved Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara too confirmed that “All the Congress legislators are with us and everything is all right in the party. Some legislators may be away, but they will be back in Bengaluru soon.”  Importantly, it has also given renewed confidence to Chief Minister Kumaraswamy who told the media on Wednesday last “I am relaxed” and that his coalition government was ‘running smoothly.’ For how long though is anybody’s guess.

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Delhi’s Gamble

Back from the wilderness! That’s what Delhiites would say for the comeback of Sheila Dikshit, three-term Chief Minister (1998-2013) of the national capital. At the age of 80 she has been handed over the reins as the Congress chief in a bid to revive the grand old party, devastatingly decimated by AAP five years ago. The choice has raised eyebrows as it sends a signal that not only does the party have a deficit of leadership, but that it may just piggyback on AAP with a tie-up. More so, as she replaces Delhi chief Ajay Maken, who has been vociferously critical of AAP and is said to have been against any alliance with it. In addition, there are rumours that senior advocate HS Phoolka, who is representing the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, had resigned from AAP in the backdrop of Kejriwal being amiable to an alliance with the Congress. While only time will tell what eventually pans out, Sheila’s comeback was a grand affair by the party on Wednesday last. There is no denying that the development mantra did fabulously well for her during her tenure, but will it work now? She has vowed to win all seven Lok Sabha seats but that remains questionable. Not if the party decides to tango with Kejriwal.

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Assam’s Growing Unease

Assam is sitting on a powder keg. Every day opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Bill is growing, with even the ruling BJP starting to hear rumblings within. While Chief Minister Sonowal has sought to quell fears that the Bill will betray the people, already reeling under dilemma over the NRC, five of his MLAs have come out openly against the Bill. Religion, they argue cannot be basis for grant of citizenship to foreigners, which the Bill seeks to provide to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. “No migrant, whether he or she is a Hindu or of any other religion, should be granted citizenship,” is the clear mood. The rumblings may grow as these are being heard even in adjacent Arunachal Pradesh, where former Chief Minister Gegong Apang has resigned from BJP’s primary membership citing unhappiness over the Bill, among others. There is a demand that Assam, which has seen the AGP walking out of the alliance with BJP, follow Meghalaya, which took the lead in the North East to adopt a resolution last May to oppose the Bill. New Delhi will need to keep a watchful eye not on the State alone but Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and others to ensure that it doesn’t have more on its plate it can handle and remember a stitch in time will save nine.  

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Mumbai’s Dance Bars

Three cheers to the Supreme Court! Its Thursday order paved the way for re-opening of dance bars in Mumbai, gave a rap to Maharashtra government for being “more influenced by moralistic overtones...” and struck down number of its tough provisions. The apex court spelt out dos and don’ts such as: no obscene dances; no showering of money on dancers but giving tips is ok, no CCTV cameras; shot down rules that only ‘good character’ person can obtain bar licence, segregating of bar room from dance stage, bars cannot be within one km of religious/educational institutions and ban on serving of alcohol in dance bars etc. Peeved over the fact that no bar licences had been issued since 2005, despite orders, it was firm there can be “regulation” but “not total prohibition.” Predictably, the Fadnavis government went overboard and will need to re-look at its 2016 law. Till then the dance bars will come alive and ensure the right to livelihood remains intact for the bar dancers and its owners.---INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)