'Smriti Irani pressure' sustains on Rahul Gandhi as BJP makes it clear that unlike 2019, Wayanad will not be a a cakewalk for Congress star

Smriti Irani now chases Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad

Smriti Irani, Rahul Gandhi's Amethi nemesis, will be in Wayanad on Thursday as the BJP state president files his nomination papers to take on the Gandhi family scion for the Lok Sabha 2024 polls. The BJP and Smriti Irani have kept the 'pressure' on Rahul Gandhi over Kerala's Wayanad, and don't want it to give a 'cakewalk' for him.

"Kaun kehta hai aasman mein suraakh ho nahi sakta...(Who says there can't be a hole in the sky...)," said Smriti Irani while proclaiming her victory in Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 

It was a big victory as the BJP leader had defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion. Amethi was a pocket borough for the Congress party's first dynasty for years. 

Rahul Gandhi continued to be an MP in the Lok Sabha despite being humbled at Amethi as he won Wayanad, a 'safe seat' because of the demography of the constituency in Kerala. 

 

Guess who??? Priyanka during 2009 campaign 

He won by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. The Gandhi family scion is contesting again this year from Wayanad but the Congress is yet to take a final call on Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh -- now a BJP stronghold.  

In October 2023, we have debated in this blog on the possibility of Rahul Gandhi moving out of Wayanad.

Here is the link: 

Blog Link: Will Rahul Gandhi dump Wayanad in favour of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu ?

Essentially, what needs to be understood is that in 2023, the Congress started giving much indulgence to the DMK leaders.  

In 2023 a more emphatic question that cropped up was why Congress started accommodating such anti-Hindutva (anti-Sanatan Dharm) remarks from DMK leaders. The grand old party has not disapproved or never reprimanded M K Stalin and his party for such remarks. While there have been attempts for 'denial' or dissociation from such statements, Priyank Kharge almost echoed the voice of Stalin's son.  

In terms of religionwise population breakup, Wayanad district has 49.48 percent Hindus and a substantial number of them could be strictly anti-BJP and pro-communists. In 2019 polls they must have voted in favour of Rahul. After Hindus, Muslims form about 28.65 percent of population in Wayanad and they are followed by 21.34 percent Christians. 

ends 

Look 'who' spoiled things for India at the borders with China :::: Dr Jaishankar says: ".... Nehru's position was we deserve the UN seat but first China should get. ....there was a time when Nehru said India second, China first"

“India was working on alternative logistic corridors that will link the Pacific with the Atlantic Ocean. The shipping lines passing through the Suez Canal are in danger. They are in danger because of drone and missile attacks and Somalian pirate attacks. 

We have sent 21 Naval vessels to the region. For a large economy like us, it is not enough to have one or two connectivity corridors,” said Dr S Jaishankar in Ahmedabad while speaking on the topic of  “International Policy: A catalyst to Viksit Bharat”.

 "....Nehru's position was we deserve the seat but first China should get it. We at present are following India first policy, but there was a time when Nehru said India second, China first," said External Affairs Minister Dr S Jashankar in a blistering attack on India's first prime minister. 

Foreign policy can play a crucial role in taking domestic industries to other countries, getting crucial technology, creating logistics and connectivity for business, he said.

In Ahmedabad speaking at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the foreign minister said: 

"In 1950, (then home minister) Sardar Patel had warned Nehru about China. Patel had told Nehru that today for the first time we are facing a situation on two fronts (Pakistan and China) which India had never faced earlier. Patel also told Nehru that he does not believe what the Chinese are saying as their intentions seem different and we should take precautions," Dr Jaishankar said.

"Nehru replied to Patel that you are unnecessarily suspicious of the Chinese". 

"Nehru also said it is impossible for anybody to attack us from the Himalayas. Nehru was totally dismissive (about Chinese threat)," Jaishankar said, adding that everyone knows what happened subsequently.

"Not only that, when the debate of a permanent seat of the UN (Security Council) came and it was being offered to us, Nehru's position was we deserve the seat but first China should get it. We at present are following India first policy, but there was a time when Nehru said India second, China first," he said.

Dr Jaishankar further said: Patel was not in favour of taking the Kashmir issue to the UN as he knew the "mentality" of a judge there.

"If you know that the judge is partial, would you go to seek justice from him? But that's what happened, the issue was taken to the UN and immediately a lot of pressure came to stop the military exercise (to reclaim POK)," he said, adding "today we have ended up in these situations due to mistakes of the past."

"Today when we talk about our boundaries, some say rewrite our boundaries. Our boundaries are still our boundaries, we should never ever doubt that," the External Affairs Minister said.

In the last ten years, the Union government has tried to deal with many issues inherited from the past, he said, adding that it has been successful in finding solutions to some of them while some issues will take more time.

"In the case of Kashmir we have a Parliament resolution (regarding POK) and everybody has to respect it," Jaishankar said, adding that it was important to seek answers about our position today, but it was also important to look at the mistakes of the past.

Earlier, giving a lecture at GCCI on `International policy, catalyst of Viksit Bharat', Jaishankar said for the development of any economy, five factors are crucial: production, consumption, technology, logistics and demography.

Some of the takeaways of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last visit to the US were that after almost 40 years the US agreed to give India a jet engine technology, and three firms making semiconductor chips agreed to establish plants in India, Jaishankar noted.

"It was when the prime minister put these things forward to US President Joe Biden, it could materialize," he said.

India was working with friendly countries to create new business corridors and the proposed India, UAE, Saudi Arabia to Europe corridor is one of them, the minister said.

India's top priority was exports and Indian businesspersons can take help from the country's embassies in foreign countries to increase exports, he said.

Certain things in politics call for perseverance.... that is 'continued efforts' !! For BJP, Kerala remains a far-cry ... perhaps exactly the manner Congress is today unable to take on Modi at national level

(Many say 'anti-Modi' obsession of Indian opposition parties without focusing on a genuine 'face' and alternative political and governance model have harmed the Congress and its allies.)

 They call it PERSEVERANCE ...meaning "continued efforts" to do or achieve something despite difficulties, shortcomings failures and stiff opposition.

In Kerala, one refrain in political circle is quite usual -- Where's the BJP? .......Onno BJP (or are you BJP ?) !!
But RSS is not new in the southern state and neither it has shied away from shedding sweat and blood. Yet....

On the similar fashion today -- 'revival' for India's grand old party - the Indian National Congress remains a distant dream. 

Let us deal a bit on Congress fault line first.  

There is no deep rooted strategy, methodology or any 'systematic' effort to rejuvenate it. Worst is perhaps the dependence that it can strike gold again as had happened in 2004.   

Then there is no 'will power' and the push to make major structural changes.

There is inertia when it comes to need to adopt new steps and 'investing' in leadership beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family. 

Then of course comes 'why so much' time and resources have been wasted on Rahul Gandhi. What is more important the party's success or 'revival' of the Congress party that would be ready to give all credits to Rahul Gandhi. Mother's love is blind !!

There is practically no planning to 'turn the tide' in party’s favor whenever such opportunities come and go especially in the last 10 years. 

Now let us take a look at BJP/RSS journey and real hard work in Kerala. 

Believe it or not, the RSS started functioning in Kerala in 1957 -- perhaps long before it went even in Assam.

Insiders say there are 5,140 shakhas in Kerala, according to a booklet published by the Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha. 

 'Shakhas' (local wings at the level of Mohalla and blocs) in Kerala could even outnumber them in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Yet when it comes to concrete electoral gain, it is nowhere. Experts say one reason is there was a time in Kerala when quite paradoxically the CPI-M had emerged as the 'pro Hindu and pro-upper caste party'.

For certain peculiar reasons, the Congress was the pro-minority party and that too heavily inclined towards Christians. Congress veteran Vayalar Ravi told this blogger around 2015-16 that when he had come to meet Sanjay Gandhi to join Youth Congress, one strong ad clear message from Sanjay Gandhi was stay away from RSS and try to work amongst Muslims and Christians. In other words, the RSS had significant presence in Kerala even in the 1970s when Sanjay was really powerful.

From late 1940s to 1963-64, the RSS had kept Kerala as part of Madras/or Tamil Nadu 'pranth'. 

But it is true, according to veteran Congressman from Kerala Vayalar Ravi, thanks to Indira-Sanjay duo and  their Emergency days that the membership of the RSS in Kerala shot up manifold between 1977 and 1983.

During the 1970s, Kerala had a Congress government headed by Indira's trusted man K Karunakaran and incidentally, the CPI backed the Emergency and thus  space was 'created' for the RSS to work more seriously with the people.

But the general tendency of the Hindu voters was to bank on CPI-M -- which was then a strong anti-Congress force both in Kerala and also West Bengal. It is also true that the merciless manner of operation/political functioning of Marxist and other Left cadres resulted in killings of RSS youth workers. An estimated 300 of them lost lives between the late 1960s and 2000. Otherwise, Kerala too would have seen BJP's growth like Karnataka. 

Moreover, the Leftist propaganda was superb and as a result educated lot stayed away from the RSS/Jan Sangh or later the BJP. 

But neither the BJP nor the RSS have given up on Kerala. But in 2018 when Leftists were ousted in Tripura, it was a big signal.

The BJP leaders used to say, how the BJP performed in Tripura was like a 'litmus test' handled successfully on how the party can perform in other Indian states where it is not in power. 

Tripura was ruled by communist government since 1998. The BJP party strategists knew this well. Tripura is/was not like the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where pro-Hindu issues such as the banning of beef, cow vigilantism, were under the political spotlight. In Tripura, they needed to tackle more pressing issues like unemployment, women empowerment, and industrialization.

Voters in Tripura are/were essentially pro-left. Many possess an intellectual affinity to Marxism and the communists have wielded power long and often in the state.

But the BJP leaders could break the umbilical cord between the voters and pro-Marxist intellectualism. Hence, there are hopes about Kerala in the saffron camp.

 For Congress: The biggest challenge was to 'tarnish' Modi's popularity 

And precisely this was the area, they failed. While select media especially the western newspapers websites and English newspapers backed Rahul Gandhi every day --  the judgement they sought to pass was erratic. The mandate in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh were chiefly due to local factors. Both the states have the tendency to throw out the incumbent regime(s). But the spin doctors cajoled by the likes of Jairam Ramesh interpreted the entire show as results of Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Even Rahul started believing the same. Thus, when the crux of the competition came, the Congress fumbled badly and was humbled in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh. Telangana was only a consolation and so slowly the Karnataka reality came to light. 

"But despite the Congress’ gloomy prospects, its rejuvenation remains crucial for India’s political opposition at the national level," runs an article in 'The Diplomat'.

It points out that though a number of strong regional parties have posited formidable challenges to the BJP in states such as West Bengal or NCP in Maharashtra; no opposition party other than the Congress has the national support base.

The Janata parivar used to unite against Congress. This happened in the 1975 and aftermath and also in the 1980s when V P Singh had emerged a 'face' taking on Rajiv Gandhi.

In last 10 years we saw no one! And hence TINA (there is no alternative) factor today goes abundantly in favour of Narendra Modi.

Election tracker: The Blogger and the woods of northeast

 

Namo's charisma combined with aggressive pro-Hindu politics ensures he remains favorite in the race .... and yet Opposition leaders are being sent behind bars....

“I say, the worst or the best of the Modi-led regime, depending on how one looks at it, will come in the next few years,” says social scientist Ramakanto Shanyal.

Narendra Modi may not be voted out as his charisma combined with aggressive pro-Hindu politics ensures he remains the favorite in the race.

 How and why India that is Narendra Modi's Bharat is heading towards one-sided election ..... Hardly such a thing has happened in the recent decades in world's multi-community and multi-religious democracy !!

Is Narendra Modi trying to browbeat Indian opposition ahead of national poll ?  

However, critics say the prime minister and his pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are displaying anxiety, citing the weaponizing of law enforcement agencies, the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate, which is mandated with probing financial crimes, against opposition parties.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and a key leader of ‘INDIA,' which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, who is challenging BJP in the general election, was arrested on March 21 and placed in custody until April 15.

Pre-poll surveys and political pundits are tipping Modi for a third consecutive term. It will be a record. Last time such a milestone was achieved during the stint of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 

The first round of voting will take place on April 19 to elect India’s new Lok Sabha, the 543-member lower house of parliament. But now the tables are turned, Modi and his foreign minister - a suave career diplomat Dr S Jaishankar - say Nehru was not quite sincere about protecting nation's integrity and geographical boundary.  

"The fact is they (Nehru and his government and even daughter Indira Gandhi) simply did not care...," Dr Jaishankar said in his press conference at BJP headquarters on April 1.

Dr Jaishankar went on: "To demonstrate that if one looks at ... This is an observation by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1961 ... He (Nehru) writes --- "I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim to it".  

"I (Nehru writing) don't like matter like this pending indefinitely and being raised again and again in Parliament". 

(the row relates to Katchatheevu island)  

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and his AAP government has been accused of corruption in the allocation of private liquor licenses and a probe into the matter has already seen two of his top ministers jailed.

The timing of Kejriwal’s arrest is seen as an attempt to weaken the main challenge to Modi’s ambitious plan of winning a brute majority with 400-plus seats for the BJP and its allies within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Sadly, for the AAP there is no sympathy visible for Kejriwal and his party yet. 

This is happening with a Chief Minister which freebies culture vis-a-vis electricity bills even affect upper middle class besides the poor. 

Another former chief minister, Hemant Soren from the eastern state of Jharkhand, was also put behind bars over an alleged land scam. The Modi regime is also accused of 'tax terrorism' by the Congress party, which has had its bank accounts frozen with some 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) in them put under lien — which means that they cannot be withdrawn or transferred.

Tax recovery notices have been slapped on the Congress party that has ruled India for 54 of its 76 years since independence in 1947. 

However, the IT department told the Supreme Court on April 1 that they will not initiate any "coercive action" to recover 35 billion rupees in penalties for violations of tax exemption laws in the past by Congress, until after the election.

Congress leaders have called the action politically motivated and an attempt to financially cripple in the middle of a crucial election campaign.

Ashutosh Talukdar, a political analyst based in Assam, feels Modi has successfully weakened the opposition by various means.

“Forget India's minorities, it is the political opponents who are feeling threatened today and feel alarmed,” he said.

Refer UCA News article

Link

Many opposition leaders accused of corruption have joined the BJP and have had investigations against them suspended or dropped by the federal agencies.

Congress leader Sanjay Das from the northeastern Meghalaya state said the BJP is misusing power to wrest the election.

“In today's India, nothing is ruled out because no one can say ‘no’ to Narendra Modi,” he added, hinting at how federal agencies were merely doing his bidding.

According to an estimate, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned, questioned, or raided nearly 150 opposition politicians since Modi assumed office in 2014.

The INDIA alliance parties rallied together on Easter Sunday in the national capital New Delhi in an apparent show of strength.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called for a stop to the “fixed match” being played out by Modi and threw an open challenge saying his “BJP is not going to cross 180” forget winning 400-plus seats.

The opposition parties tried to give the impression that they were all united and set to take on Modi's powerful juggernaut with a unity of purpose.

Political observer Paplu Vatsya in Modi's native Gujarat state said that if the opposition is really united it could defeat Modi’s ambitious plan of gaining a brute majority in parliament.

“Modi is nervous about the prospect of having to take on a united opposition,” he observed.

Hence, the prime minister and his BJP were resorting to taking action against opponents with corruption charges, hoping it would find favor with the people, who want a corruption-free India.

“I am not just probing the corrupt. It is my guarantee that whoever has looted the people of my country, I am returning the stolen wealth of my people back to them,” Modi announced as he kickstarted the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state.

He said the general election was “between the BJP-led NDA, which is fighting against corruption, and the other group, which is fighting to save the corrupt.”

To assess why Congress is unable to create a real workable 'narrative' to take on powerful leader Modi ...the grand old party has to revisit '2009 story' of BJP's debacle

 We must have heard ... 'Work all day .... live on hay'. 

We must have also heard that if someone works for 40 hours a week ...for long 40 years; on retirement he may get a substantial amount of money as pension and can live retirement days happily for next 20 years and more.  But like a lot of things in the contemporary setting, such 40-40 plan may not work at all.  

Hence it is always relevant to think out of box. One such 'out of box' reference for India's grand old can be the way the BJP fought back with the support of its mentor RSS after the 2009 debacle.

Sonia Gandhi - Amid 'parched' hope !!

In 2009 after BJP got the shocking defeat and Dr Manmohan Singh could return to power; the RSS was convinced that the saffron party would not been caught in the mess it found if veteran L K Advani had not strayed from the core ethos of the BJP in 2005 and called Mohammed Ali Jinnah a 'secular' leader.  Poor Advani did not have any special love for Jinnah in 2005 but after defeat in 2004, Advani grew desperate to capture power and emerge as the Prime Minister.

Of course, he had all the reasons to feel frustrated and most actions carried out coming out of sheer desperation generally prove counterproductive. 

If the BJP suffered it in 2009; the Congress is sadly suffering the same malady in 2024 and it all started in 2014.   

The move by Advani to make the BJP 'more acceptable' simply could not work. Advani had to resign as party chief and his friend and lieutenant Jaswant Singh could not deliver and hence was even 'expelled'. In other words, drastic churning started in his party. The BJP strategists and backroom players got into work quickly. The RSS too pulled up sleeves and pulled up those who wanted to change from the original ethos of the Sangh. 

Once Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar were summoned to meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in his Delhi office at Jhandewallah and all four were asked to drive in a single car.  

Such strong sense of disciple and commitment are not expected in Congress. At least for Rahul Gandhi -- there was no accountability even as he lost two consecutive polls 2014 and 2019.  Nevertheless, to change the ground reality, the Congress needs to take up some mega corrective steps.  

And now - less than three weeks left for the first round of voting; such corrective strategies may not be available. 

In other words, accept the mandate of 2024 and start preparing full steam for 2029. 

This is where Rahul Gandhi has blundered. His statement on 'match-fixing' never showed Rahul as a statesman or a Neta of substance.  Rahul has not been sure about 'core' voters for his party and though he displayed 'sacred (Brahminical) thread', at times he inched so close to ultra-Left ideology that it came epitome of electoral losers by raising slogans or been seen with those who raise anti-India slogans. 

His caste census demand ploy also could not go a long way in a polity where the BJP gave an OBC Narendra Modi as India's Prime Minister.

And whenever there was less influence of communists and even of the Naxal principles, Rahul and Congress believed 'the victim' card would fetch votes. 

That did not help either and there are a plethora of reasons for the same. 

Even the 'Loktantra Bachao' (Save Democracy) rally on March 31 at Delhi's Ramlila ground banked typically on we are the 'victims' mindset.

It gathered leaders from each party of the Opposition alliance but had no effective planning of a challenger and thus presented no narrative to counter the Modi government's policies. 

What about any concrete 'alternative agenda' plan; -- even that was missing. So how do the Congress and other opposition parties go from here.  

On the same day even as opposition tried to offer a robust resistance to Modi in an united shape; West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, considered a powerful provincial leader against Modi, in an election rally in her native state said: Communist Party of India (Marxists) and the Congress (of Rahul Gandhi) are in league with the BJP in her state'.  

"Each vote you give to CPI-M will go to the BJP, each vote for Congress is casting your vote in favour of the BJP," she said, showing all that is not good enough in terms of opposition unity.

Let us presume Modi could be nervous and he can be defeated if opposition comes united for one-on-one contest. In seats where Congress is taking BJP in a straight contest, Modi may lose. One logic is Modi needs to give away 40-50 seats of 303 tally he had in 2019; the game is finished. However, others say things can still only be wishful thinking. 

Let us look at three recent rallies by the Opposition I.N.D.I block. On March 3, there was one at Patna. On March 17, Congress organised the second one in collaboration with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's fledgling breakaway NCP. And in between Mamata had a show on March 10th. She announced candidates in 42 segments and paraded her nominees. 

The snub on Congress and CPI-M was more than a mere snub or political message. It was insult.

Undecided how to go about, the Congress swallowed its self-pride. Notably, Mamata's party had missed Rahul's Mumbai rally as that marked the end of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. On March 31 in Delhi -- all came together and even as Mamata herself was not present. her party was represented by Derek O' Brien. In other words, as the largest party in the opposition bloc is Congress able to 'control' the show?

For the BJP and the RSS ---- they knew how things progressed even on Dec 6, 1992 when Babri Masjid was brought down. Many years later in 2019 and also on Jan 22, 2024, they knew they 'controlled' things when the Ram mandir was inaugurated. 

In contrast, the Congress has 'exposed' itself and its associates of having only a single point agenda -- oust Narendra Modi. This is happening around a political protagonist who in public perception may brave against 23 years of incumbency. Rahul Gandhi's statement against EVM and that India's election is nothing more than IPL match fixing only raise a serious question on his ability to operate under the present constitutional norms and system.

On the other hand, Modi even if is up to 'deviate' from the hitherto norms is giving the impression that all his actions are within the ambit of Indian Constitution. Losers may only pen a book and give the title -- 'How to copycat our accidental way to glories of 2004'.

But accidents are accidents.  

ends 

 

March 31 : Blunder Rally 

Who got maximum media coverage by the Ram Lila ground's March 31 rally - it was Sunita Kejrwal ..Is it a glimpse of 'Congress mukt' Indian polity ??? !! Coalition era may be 'no longer relevant' but single party domination days are over....Hence Bharat Ratna for Advani deserves closer studies ::: As Kejriwal walks into Tihar, a 'master of deception' has let down people

(Aam Aadmi Party leaders for company; Manish Sisodia is in Jail No 1, Satyendar Jain in Jail No 7, and Sanjay Singh in Jail No 5 and Arvind Kejriwal now in Jail No. 2) 

Politics is best in a democratic set up. And in a democracy like India, it is often full of anecdotes and fables.

From die-hard Modi Bhakt to the most bitter critic -- everyone seems to suggest that once Narendra Modi gets 400 MPs by his side after June 4, 2024, the 'best' or the 'worst' of the Modi-led NDA regime will come in the next few years depending on how one looks at it.  That Bharat Ratna was given to L K Advani could be debated. But what is important is the 'timing'. Notably it has come in the Election season and in a way that's paying homage to the man who handled elections in favour of his party so well. 

But it is true two last elections of his life 2004 and 2009 - in particular- typically went against him. But L K Advani handled polls and coalition management very well. He was the master operator when it came to handling 'the many faces' of the BJP especially around 1991 and 1992. Congress Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao was also the party chief and the grand old party faced many challenges. 

In 'moderates' versus hard-liners, BJP leaders versus VHP, Bajrang Dal versus VHP, L K Advani was a unifying factor. He had direct hot line with RSS headquarters Nagpur and thus the real games including the grounds those led to demolition of Babri Masjid/structure was only to keep the Rao-led Congress guessing. Veteran Advani really handled things well. And hence conferring India's highest civilian award was perhaps a befitting tribute.

Now it may be imperative to look at Narendra Modi factors and politics around him. There was a time NDA constituents like Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP quit the coalition and ultimately in 2004 the BJP suffered a shocking defeat. Alliance partners like N Chandrababu Naidu left, came back in 2014 and again left in 2018. In 2024, the TDP is back in NDA fold.  

Of course, Modi has been a hyper active Hindutva leader already but if he can muster an enhanced mandate of 400 plus, it is any body's guess now that the Prime Minister will go for pushing some radical changes in legal and social trajectories. India may opt for a Presidential form of politics and the Hindu way of life, social practice and teachings may be imposed in school curriculum, social functions and also in administration.

This is also an era when anti-corruption crusader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has gone to Tihar Jail No. 2. It may be little relevant now to reflect upon the past when his guru Anna Hazare was sent in there. 

That moment marked the beginning of the end for Congress-led UPA. We are writing all these when people are also talking about 'friendly fights' vis-a-vis general elections. 

We have seen such games in the past. In Haryana in the late eighties, the CPI-M and BJP then 'friendly' and anti-Congress parties had fought friendly polls.

Hence, analysts say while the players may have changed, the equations remain, and countering the might and strategy of today's BJP may prove challenging. 

Another refrain is with more "friendly contests" in circa 2024, things are increasingly likely to favour Narendra Modi.

Arvind Kejriwal will have home-cooked meals, bottled drinking water, and a supply of toffees in case of a sudden drop in blood sugar levels, a Delhi court said Monday.

The Chief Minister (still in office) begins a 14-day spell in the city's Tihar Jail following his arrest last month in the alleged liquor policy scam.

He will also be allowed to meet his wife - Sunita Kejriwal - during his time in jail, and have access to bed linen from home, including pillows and a quilt. He will also be provided with medical equipment to monitor his health given he is a diabetic patient and has a weak immune system.

Kejriwal's former deputy, Manish Sisodia, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi's K Kavitha, a former lawmaker from Telangana, are among the opposition leaders behind bars in this case.

Blogger

Biggest losers in Ram Lila ground on March 31 was the Congress party and Sonia and her two 'kids' .

Have you been to any hyped political event where Congress stalwarts and 'dynasty' protagonists make a beeline and the 'centre of attraction' was someone called Sunita Kejriwal -- still not a full time political player. 

Who got maximum media coverage by the Ram Lila ground's March 31 rally - it was Sunita Kejrwal, wife of 'jailed' and still in office Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 

The fact of the matter wherever Sonia got some 'media mileage' was because she shared the stage with Sunita Kejriwal. The 'event managers' of the country's first political dynasty have let the 'family' down. Someone should be sacked !!  

There is another way of looking at it. Is it a glimpse of 'Congress mukt' Indian polity !! 

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita ::: Losers and 'Gainer' !!

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan (in NDA) said, "...This is the same Kejriwal and his party who has spoken against the corruption in the same Ramlila Maidan along with Anna Hazare. 

It's surprising and funny actually that the list he was carrying with names of corrupt leaders, 80% of them today attended the rally to support Arvind Kejriwal. 'CBI is the govt's parrot', this was alleged when Congress was in power. 

If you don't trust the judiciary and lack faith in law & order, you will be pushing the nation towards anarchy...". 

Absolute power -- corrupts absolutely. Frustration to fight out Narendra Modi has 'blinded' the entire Congress party, their first family and the advisors. Sonia Gandhi was Congress president for about 20 years and where has the grand old party landed !! ???????

(Will have to get up at 6:30 am,,,, , Dal, Sabzi For Lunch and Dinner: Arvind Kejriwal's Tihar drill and routine) 

ends 

'No relief' despite US making noise and notwithstanding Opposition backing him ......Delhi court sends Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15

 Arvind Kejriwal moved applications, seeking permission to have special diet, medicines, books including Geeta and #Ramayana and religious locket which he is wearing, while being in the judicial custody.  

Delhi court sends Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15.

 

As expected, the Enforcement Directorate flagged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "non-cooperation" in court, saying he has not given passwords for his digital devices. 

Kejriwal was arrested last month in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

During today's hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, said that the agency is not asking for further remand in light of the Supreme Court's recent judgment in Senthil Balaji's case.  

S V Raju argued that Kejriwal's conduct in the lock-up was "totally non-cooperative" and he was providing authorities with "evasive replies". He also claimed that the Delhi Chief Minister was "misleading (the) investigation" into the liquor case.

"In future we may require custody. That's the only purpose [of the statement]," SV Raju told the court.

Furthermore, The Delhi High Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate to file a status report before the trial court on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to restrain Arvind Kejriwal from issuing orders or directions from custody. The High Court has ordered the federal agency to treat the PIL as its own representation.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate, and was sent to the custody of the federal agency till March 28. Then, his custody was extended by four days and it ended today.

The Delhi Chief Minister's arrest came a day after the Opposition INDIA bloc's mega rally in the national capital on Sunday against the arrest of Kejriwal.

The 'Loktantra Bachao' rally at the Ramlila Maidan witnessed the participation of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, among others.

Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren, also addressed the gathering.

Sunita Kejriwal read out a message from her husband, which said, "I present six guarantees on behalf of the INDIA Alliance. First, there will be no power cuts in the whole country. 

Second, electricity would be free for poor people. 

Third, we will build government schools in every village. 

Fourth, we will build Mohalla Clinics in every village. 

We will make a multi-speciality government hospital in every district. Everyone would get free treatment."

"Fifth, farmers would be given the correct price for the crops. Sixth, the people of Delhi have faced injustice for 75 years. We will give statehood to Delhi. We will complete these six guarantees in five years. I have done all the planning from where the money for these guarantees will come. My resolve has become even stronger in jail, I will soon come out."

ends