No questions for the PM, please; Jyotiraditya may ‘win’ bungalow

Responding promptly to the worldwide outbreak of the mysterious coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a series of proactive steps to deal with this serious public health issue. The Prime Minister followed it up by speaking to world leaders about how they can combat this disease together and then went on to address the nation to seek the cooperation of people during these challenging times. But curiously, in this flurry of activity, Mr Modi did not think it necessary to address Parliament on this issue even though it is currently in session. Nor was there any effort to reach out to the Opposition or chief ministers though it is the state governments that are directly responsible for handling the crisis. In fact, Mr Modi has not been seen in either of the two Houses ever since reports of coronavirus cases started pouring in, not even on his question days. There was a time when question hour in Parliament was considered sacrosanct and presiding officers did not take kindly to such dalliance. As Rajya Sabha chairman, the late Shankar Dayal Sharma had even pulled up V.P. Singh when he was Prime Minister for coming late to the House on his question day.

Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP, J.K. Jain has embarked on a special mission to combat coronavirus. He has been coming to Parliament House with a bagful of masks that Mr Jain has been distributing to MPs along with a handwritten note to each recipient in which he has made several suggestions to lawmakers. He has requested MPs that they use the MPLAD scheme money for the mass production of these wash-and-wear khadi masks in their respective constituencies. This, he said, will not only provide employment to people but also create awareness among them about the steps they can take to keep coronavirus at bay. Unfortunately, there are few takers for Mr Jain’s proposal.

For Kamal Nath, the loss of his government will also mean the loss of a bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi. The senior Congress leader has been occupying number the 1, Tughlaq Road, bungalow for more than a decade now. It was allotted to Mr Nath when he was a minister but he managed to retain it even after he took over as Madhya Pradesh chief minister by getting the premises shifted to the state government quota. The urban development ministry is now waiting anxiously to cancel this allotment and move the bungalow back to the Central pool. While Kamal Nath will have to forgo his accommodation in the VIP zone, his bête noire, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been given a Rajya Sabha seat, will move back to Lutyens’ Delhi as he is also tipped to get a ministerial berth in the Modi government. He could well be allotted the 27, Safdarjang Road, bungalow, which was originally occupied by his father, Madhavrao Scindia. After his death, it remained with the family. Jyotiraditya Scindia had to vacate the place after he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Nationalist Congress Party boss Sharad Pawar is known to exercise total control over his cadres but Kandhal Jadeja, his party MLA in Gujarat, has proved to be an “autonomous body”. Though Mr Pawar has repeatedly assured the Congress of his party's support for their candidates in the March 26 Rajya Sabha election, Mr Jadeja is not expected to toe the party line and the NCP bosses can do nothing about it. Mr Jadeja happens to be the son of the famous “Godmother” Santokben, and has a long list of cases against him. Consequently, he can ill-afford to be on the wrong side of the BJP government in Gujarat. The NCP legislator has already met the BJP bosses and assured them that his vote will go to their candidate.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy appears to have impressed the BJP leaders, especially law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. And there is a reason for it. In his interactions with them, Mr Reddy has assured the BJP bosses that his government has no intention of confronting the Centre and would instead extend all cooperation to it. He also sought Mr Prasad's guidance for his move to abolish the legislative council in his home state. Launching an attack against his chief political rival, Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, Mr Reddy is said to have told the BJP that it had erred in having an alliance with Mr Naidu as the latter has no base in the state and that the TDP had done well in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly polls only because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity. Needless to say, this has led to speculation that Mr Reddy’s party, the YSR Congress, may be joining the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre.

Anita Katyal

is a Delhi-based journalist