Round The States

New Delhi, 9 February 2019

State Vs Centre

FIGHTER DIDI TAKES ON MODI

By Insaf

Kolkata can boast of its street-fighter, Didi. Firebrand TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again shown her mettle. History was written when she uprooted the CPM from the State and now her eyes are set in going all out to stop the BJP from getting a foothold in her bastion. The standoff with the Centre will obviously give extra ammunition to her cadres but more importantly has upped her ratings within the Opposition brigade as one to stand up to Modi-Shah team single-handed. This, despite differing views whether she was correct legally to halt the CBI in questioning her Police chief. Her dharna at Esplanade was unprecedented, what with a Cabinet meeting being held there. And, didi even took a gamble-- of New Delhi contemplating President Rule citing constitutional breakdown. The stage fortunately did not arise as the Supreme Court dealt with the CBI’s urgent petition and laid down the ground rules for both the parties. And both seem to claim it was their “moral victory.” However, the timing went wrong for the BJP, it must admit. It put Didi in an enviable position and got her overwhelming support from the Opposition. One more step towards building the anti-BJP mahagathbandhan—by even having the Congress support her. At the end, the Centre’s strategy went awry-- akin to cutting off the nose to spite the face!  

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Karnataka Nagging Suspense

Karnataka continues to give the ruling JD(S)-Congress nightmares. The nagging question being whether the seven absentee Congress MLAs at the Governor’s address to the Assembly commencing the Budget session on Wednesday last would actually switch over to the BJP side, predictably for greener pastures? While the Congress may confidently tell JD(S) not to panic, the fact that these MLAs ignored the party whip cannot be brushed aside by Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, who smells a rat in this partnership, given that his predecessor, Congress’ Siddaramaiah was denied the top post. And while, the Congress needs to put its house in order, the BJP is making sure of not letting go of any opportunity available to topple the government. Its MLAs created a big ruckus in the Assembly and forced Governor Vajubhai Vala to cut short his speech. They barged into the well of the House shouting slogans protesting that against his speech saying the government has lost the confidence of the people. However, the Congress claims that the ‘missing’ MLAs would be present when the Finance Bill would come up for vote. Call it wishful thinking!

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Kerala’s Welcome Flip Flop

God’s own country is going through a conundrum! With vote bank politics being played over the Sabarimala row—to allow or not to allow women in the age group of 10-50 years -- the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the temple, has thrown a googly. On Wednesday last, it did a volte face before the Supreme Court, which was hearing 56 petitions against and for its order allowing unrestricted entry to women. The Board sprang a surprise before the Constitution bench, saying it no longer had any objections to the entry of menstruating women. “Women cannot be excluded from any walk of life on biological attributes…equality is the dominant theme of the Constitution,” it said. This should not only bring a cheer among women and social activists, but the Left Front government would be merry pleased. Politically, it has scored over rivals BJP and Congress, who had galvanized supporters against the court order. And in the street battles, the LDF government was at the receiving end for not being able to maintain law and order to ensure compliance of the court’s order, as it was unacceptable to the traditionalists and devotees of ‘celibate’ Lord Ayayappa. No more, maybe. Thanks to the Board, it can heave a sigh of relief, at least till the SC pronounces its order, which is reserved.

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Sense of Relief In UP

Uttar Pradesh can heave a sigh of relief. The decision by the VHP not to agitate for the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya till the General elections are over is pleasantly welcome. Though the decision was taken last week at the Dharam Sansad in Allahabad by the Hindu seers, it was announced only on Tuesday last. The VHP’s reasoning: in the midst of elections, the most holy and spiritual of issues become political and it didn’t want the Ram temple to become an electoral issue! Not very easy to digest the retreat as it has been holding dharm sansads across the country demanding the Government bring an ordinance to enable the construction. There is more than meets the eye. Could it be the VHP sees the fervor as compared to the 1990s is far less? Or that it is better for the Government to keep options open for reaching out to allies post-polls? Or for that matter at this point when political heat is building up fast, the temple frenzy would make matters worse for Yogi Adityanath’s administration, and should be avoided? Though which reason may have worked for the VHP is anybody’s guess, the ball is now in the Centre’s court. It would do well not to push for the extra land it seeks for the temple and patiently wait. 

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Assam Budget Sops

The BJP-government in Assam seeks to soften the Citizenship Bill blow by enticing its people instead. Well that is what the Budget presented in the Assembly on Wednesday last is being seen by many to attempt. For the 53 lakh households, the Government has announced rice at a subsidized rate of Rs 1 kg (instead of Rs 3), about 10 gm of gold for brides (after marriage certificate is produced), scholarship funds for girls belonging to the minority community (Rs 2000 crore kept in the kitty), free rice and sugar to 4 lakh families of tea garden workers, free textbooks for students whose family income is less than Rs 2 lakh per annum, et al. Indeed, it’s a downpour of sops. But the question is whether Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be able to deliver as it is Rs 1,193.04 crore-deficit Budget for 2019-20. Guess, for the time being it will be like what the Union Budget did—a feel-good factor among BJP’s core vote bank. The intent would be to cross the bridge when they come to it—i.e. post the big election battle.        

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Swine Flu Havoc

Winter playing truant has four State governments’ health departments under heavy pressure. Swine flu is taking its toll. So far 2,101 cases of influenza (A) H1N1 have been reported between January 28 and February in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab. The numbers could be more and worse the there have been 226 deaths i.e. 1 per cent of cases reported. However, doctors seem to suggest that these deaths would have other underlining factors and that the rise in numbers compared to the past would be due to increase in the unimmunized population. Given that the flu is recurring every winter season, it’s obvious that the governments should be well-prepared and not hide behind explanation that it is due to climate change and that the virus being dynamic keeps changing. What further complicates matters when governments, say the Congress one in Rajasthan seeks to play politics over it saying that the figures are far less than what these were in the BJP government!. All must remember the adage a stitch in time saves nine.---INFA

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