What possibly transpired between Mamata and Pawar ?
New Delhi:
Between Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar, they might have already shared the prized offices of Prime Minister and President !
A powerful federal front of regional parties - as dreamed by Mamata Banerjee - would need a powerful regional party in Uttar Pradesh too. Can either of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party or the BSP of Mayawati add further complexities and drama in the national power game?
Lust for power is a legacy when it comes to Congress and ex-Congress leaders.
The meeting between Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar - incidentally both former Congress leaders in Mumbai on Dec 1 - is the talk of the town especially after the Trinamool Congress chief made "There is no UPA" remarks. Abhishek Banerjee had also accompanied Mamata, and if you do not believe, look at the snap above.
Obviously, it has gone viral as well.
Political observers, other key stakeholders and media persons are debating on what might have transpired between the two.
One version is Mamata could have possibly offered to her former senior colleague - the prospect of office of President of India - the election for which is due July next year.
This could make West Bengal's firebrand leader's claim to the post of 'Prime Ministerial candidate' in the run up to the 2024 general elections much easier.
The 'Maratha strongman' Pawar for long harboured an ambition to be Prime Minister but now due to his failing health and age, he could possibly readily 'reconcile' and settle for the President's post.
Theoretically, NCP's new found ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, would back him rather unhesitatingly.
Sena - that pledges politics of 'Marathi manus' assertion - had backed the Congress nominee Pratibha Patil in 2007 despite the fact that NDA had then announced Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as their candidate.
Trinamool sources are tight-lipped about any such 'power-share' formula. But they agree that Pawar almost became India's Prime Minister in 1991 after Rajiv Gandhi's death when Congress had good representation of Pawar-loyalists as Congress MPs in the 10th Lok Sabha from Maharashtra.
Pawar had then joined P V Narasimha Rao cabinet as the Defence Minister. NCP sources would easily confirm that the 'Maratha strongman' never gave up the ambition for the big post. The split caused by him in 1999 in Congress to float NCP on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin must be seen from that perspective.
Interestingly, for long Pawar had cultivated friendship with the communists as he knew pretty well the 'hidden 'power' of the Left in throwing up or making a Prime Minister.
H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral were two beneficiaries of the Left's behind the curtain power politics.
Janata Dal oldwar horse Ramakrishna Hegde was left leaking his wounds furiously when he saw the manner a semi-mofusil character like Deve Gowda was made India's Prime Minister. The communists have not been forgiven by well informed Indian voters.
Ironically this time around in 2021 and beyond, Pawar has to get himself ready to do business with Left's onetime bitter rival Mamata Banerjee.
Political observers know that both Ms Banerjee and the 'Maratha strongman' have enough political flexibility and their respective admirers call it only pragmatic politics.
Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala did not quite struggled or had any hesitation in waxing eloquent when he wanted to describe Mamata as an opportunist !
In fact, what has been going around is sheer 'opportunistic games' by Pawar and Mamata.
It is another chapter that only after left humiliated Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala on Dec 2 described Mamata as 'an opportunist'.
The snap of Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee touching Pawar's feet has gone viral and not without good reasons.
Mamata Banerjee has done business with Congress whenever the games suited her, but would now dump her original 'home'. Pawar too has been of the same legacy and culture.
The 1999 'opportunism' of Pawar was an exemplary illustration. Within months of causing split in the Congress on Sonia's foreign origin and floating NCP, Pawar and also Sonia Gandhi did not mind sharing powers yet again in Maharashtra.
NCP has another record. It has been a so called Left ally in Kerala and Mamata's partner in West Bengal.
But during the media interaction in Mumbai on Dec 1 in the presence of Mamata Banerjee, the NCP chief was a bit cautious though he too spoke about 'collective efforts'.
The Congress leaders certainly see Mamata's remarks as 'hostile' but they say Pawar was softer and sober.
"We agreed upon the need to strengthen the collective efforts and commitment towards safeguarding democratic values and ensuring the betterment of our people," the NCP stalwart had tweeted later.
Of course, NCP has the compulsion to keep Congress in good humour as there is still a coalition regime in Maharashtra with Congress as a constituent.
In 2019, it was Pawar who not only managed Shiv Sena to come out of NDA fold, he met Sonia Gandhi personally to ensure Congress support for a government headed by Uddhav Thackeray.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal has counseled Mamata Baneree to see reason. "Thinking that without Congress anybody can defeat BJP is merely a dream," he said.
Surjewala says, “Unhe bhi atma manthan karne ki jarurat hai (Mamata Banerjee also needs to do an honest soul searching)".
But such a thing exists ever in Mamata's brand of politics?
However, it is also a known thing as the largest state Uttar Pradesh legislators would play a crucial role in the ensuing presidential polls next year.
Therefore, the importance of polls in UP along with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa increases manifold.
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BJP MP Alphons wants to replace “socialist” with “equitable” in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi
(The introduction of the Private Member's Bill was protested and Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh 'reserved' his decision on it. Alphons has argued that the term “socialist” has “political connotations" and also carries a historical baggage.)
BJP member in Rajya Sabha and former Union Minister, K J Alphons, on Friday sought to introduce a
Private Member draft law - The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021- that seeks to replace the word
“Socialist” with “Equitable”, among other changes in the Preamble.
Alphons has argued that the term “socialist” has “political connotations" and also carries a historical baggage
which need not be acceptable to a large section of India.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh had initially allowed the introduction of the Private Member's
bill, but later reserved his decision on it.
RJD MP Manoj Jha and MDMK's Vaiko registered strong protest and disapproved the introduction itself
saying Preamble of the Constitution is the basic structure.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, V Muraleedharan also requested the chair to "reserve this and
give a ruling at a later date".
Alphons, through the Bill, also wants the descriptions for equality and fraternity changed by
enlarging its ambit and introducing “happiness, assuring a high gross domestic happiness” in the Preamble.
The Bill seeks to change the words “Equality of status and of opportunity” to “Equality of status and of
opportunity to be born, to be fed, to be educated, to get a job and to be treated with dignity”.
It also said there should be “access to information technology” in the objectives of the Preamble.
RJD MP Manoj Jha argued that the Bill needs the prior approval of the President before it is introduced.
“Preamble is part of the basic structure of the Constitution... Please do not do this,” Jha said.
“Amendment to Preamble is an attack on the edifice of the Constitution,” Jha argued.
Mr Vaiko also said, "Sir, it is a very serious matter. You should not allow it".
Chair also disallowed Alphons to speak on the bill.
“At this juncture, you are not allowed to discuss the Bill.....If anything is there, it is for the House to decide
and not the chair or not me," the deputy chairman said.
After Minister's request and objections from opposition members, he said,
"If this is the opinion of the House, then we will reserve it...and I will come back".
The Preamble to the Constitution of India presents the principles of the Constitution and
indicates the sources of its authority.
It was adopted on November 26, 1949 by the Constituent Assembly and came into effect on
January 26, 1950.
As originally enacted the Preamble described the state as a "sovereign democratic republic",
to which the terms "Secular" and "Socialist" were later introduced through the 42nd Amendment in
the 1970s.
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