Rearguard Action !!
Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say - "I am neither tired and nor I am retiring".
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio is state's longest surviving chief executive and his friends say - he cannot afford to be 'tired'; till his job is complete.
His critics do not disagree. "I cannot agree more .. Rio has a lot to do. Just the other day. he gave away FNTA to Eastern Nagaland. In future, New Delhi may give him some awards. And I wish him a longer stint in power," said the leader - onetime "close" to Rio.
It was a sarcastic remark.
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| Conrad Sangma |
Conrad is a dynast and belongs to the club of Apok Jamir, Gaurav Gogoi and Omak Apang. He is the most successful one. He is the only chief minister from this illustrious group.
Apok and Gaurav are with the Congress and hence struggling. Omak Apang is hardly in news these days even as he could become Union Minister and had served under Vajpayee.
In Meghalaya, tables are being turned reportedly.
Eight UDP MLAs led by Education Minister and Amlarem legislator Lahkmen Rymbui are understood to be waiting for a decision from the BJP’s national leadership before taking the next step.
They want to switch sides — a move that would possibly recast the balance inside Meghalaya’s ruling coalition. Conrad's sister Agatha lost 2024 Lok Sabha poll and his brother James Sangma is also a successful neta and a minister.
Gaurav Gogoi
My 'favourite chief minister' (like Trump's favourite Field Marshal) is a great survivor. Rio may not be a Jamir ... but as a former disciple of his mentor; Neiphiu Rio has learned all the text book and out of text book moves from S C Jamir.
And it is time for Rio to 'repay' debts if any he had towards Late P A Sangma.
In 2014 when Rio was just a Lok Sabha MP; the former Lok Sabha Speaker was his constant guide, friend and a source of patience and inspiration.
So technically, Conrad can take Rio's help. Perhaps there is already a problem between Conrad and Himanta Biswa Sarma and so that 'correction' would be also essential. Moreover, Rio has Ram Madhav (a vice president without portfolio) to dial up and organise a meeting of the three.
However, Ram Madhav may no longer be the former
'intellectual general secretary' and a 'potential' prime minister material. So Rio will have to be careful a bit on those lines.
Nevertheless, the NPF chief has also created his set of problems by the merger of 2025. He may forget, it was the same NPF that held a 'beef fest' in 2017 apparently only to tease the Lotus party.
Rio might have also provoked some elements in Delhi by his August 15 statement on a special panel under a Union MoS Home.
In Meghalaya, UDP rebels alleged that in several constituencies represented by UDP MLAs, development schemes and contracts were being pursued without adequate consultation with the elected legislators.
Instead, the NPP leaders who are not members of the Assembly were taking a prominent role.
The UDP legislators are exploring whether an understanding with the BJP could give them greater political leverage.
Such a process also resulted in a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
A section of RSS has mooted the idea that before next year's Presidential elections; the BJP should have their chief ministers in Meghalaya and Nagaland too. These are still the early days.
In Meghalaya, the BJP tried going solo in 2023 polls. The outcome was not very good. They could just retain two seats - same legislators who had won in 2018.
In Nagaland; the BJP obliged Rio handing him 40 seats. But no good or favourable news could be enlisted from Hebron.
Should Lotus party still trust the Cock (now that the Globe has vanished) is an open question. The UDP has 12 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly; the BJP has two.
For Meghalaya politics, we may point out that under the anti-defection law, a merger needs the support of at least two-thirds of the legislature party.
That means eight of the 12 UDP MLAs can easily merge with the BJP.
No disqualification. If that threshold is crossed, the BJP’s strength would rise into double digits.
Hence, the UDP would be also replaced as the second-largest partner in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).
The NPP had won 26 seats, so number wise it is much ahead. But veteran Mukul Sangma had five Trinamool MLAs and they too now many friends in the BJP. A few numbers here and there can change in a region where we have the old proverb - North East leaders sneze when there is winter in Delhi.
We are in the month of September and mother nature will agree 'winter' is not very far.
At the national level, BJP's chief strategist 'chanakya' Amit Shah is more focused on big or large targets.
One Nation, One Election and even increase in Lok Sabha seats to 800 plus.
The Battle of 2029 could be of much bigger scale than being anticipated by the likes of K C Venugopal or even a beleaguered Mamata Banerjee.
The Rajya Sabha numbers will also increase gradually. The Upper House of Parliament is a good rehabilitation ground from good old Congress era.
Then, where is the bar to have a dynast Conrad or an 'overworked' Neiphiu Rio in the same House ?
ends
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