KEEPING TABS ON POWER POLITICS IN PUNJAB, HARYANA, HP AND J&K
WHATSAPP WAR
A WhatsApp group of 107 IAS officers in Punjab witnessed two senior officers exchange sharp words last week. The exchange began with principal secretary, health, Anurag Aggarwal blaming the interdepartment deputation for many administrative problems and financial loss to the state exchequer. To which, principal secretary, finance, Anirudh Tiwari replied that he should not send the staff of the health department on deputation. “Please send back one doctor attached to the finance minister,” pat came the reply from Aggarwal. A medical officer Dr Amit Arora is working with Tiwari’s boss, Manpreet Singh Badal, as an officer on special duty (OSD) on deputation. What followed was a long silence in the group.
CM’S ‘LIGHT’ DIET
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh led the Congress campaign in Dakha assembly constituency. He held two roadshows sitting in a specially mounted chair atop a campaign bus and had quick bites inside the vehicle.
Amarinder is fond of pizza and French fries but had these in moderation. “The CM takes very little food. We shared the pizza on day one. The next day, he only had a small packet of fries,” said Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu who accompanied the CM on his roadshows.
THE MLA RETURNS!
Rebel legislator Baldev Singh made a surprise U-turn to return to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He was among the most vocal supporters of Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira who had led the rebellion against the party leadership and floated his separate party. When he announced his ghar wapasi (homecoming) through a post on Facebook after a meeting with AAP’s state president Bhagwant Mann and some others, Baldev had his picture with Khaira and other rebel legislators as his cover photo. Though he removed it after two days, the Jaitu MLA still has a poster related to Khaira’s call to his supporters to reach Bargari on the fourth anniversary of the Behbal Kalan police firing to observe October 14 as a ‘black day’ as his profile photo. Also, he has been avoiding calls since announcing his return.
WINNING OVER MIGRANT VOTERS
In Phagwara reserved constituency, migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh form a sizeable segment of voters. Both Congress and BJP tried hard to win their support in the October 21 bypoll. The ruling Congress got Bhojpuri singer Khushboo Tiwari and female dancers who entertained the gathering at a party event in Onkar Nagar on Wednesday night in which industries minister Sunder Sham Arora, in-charge of the election campaign in the constituency, was present. The BJP also called party MP and Bhojpuri star Manoj Tiwari to address a rally in support of its candidate Rajesh Bagha on Saturday, putting up posters. But Tiwari could not reach due to a technical glitch in his helicopter. Later, BJP’s state affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha and national secretary Tarun Chugh addressed the gathering.
CHOPPERS AT LEADERS’ SERVICE
The once controversial AgustaWestland helicopters were much in demand during the poll campaigning in Haryana. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar canvassed in at least two Italian flying machines hired from Universal Airways and DLF Limited. Incidentally, one of the choppers hired by the chief minister was the same machine used to fly Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from Panchkula to Rohtak jail in 2017 after his conviction. Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, too, remained airborne for the most part of the campaign period in an Agusta chopper hired from OSS Air Management. Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala and his mother Naina Chautala though campaigned in a Bell helicopter hired from Pinnacle Air Pvt Ltd.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Ranbir Singh Mahendra, son of late Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, is turning out to be a carbon copy of his illustrious father, at least in terms of physical features. The 75-year-old Congress candidate from Badhra assembly seat gives an illusory impression of his father. His demeanour adds to the illusion as he speaks and makes gestures in a similar manner as his father used to do. Mahendra was probably never regarded as the heir apparent to Bansi Lal and his brother Surender Singh was the preferred choice of his father to carry on his political legacy. Surender died in a chopper crash 14 years ago and the legacy baton went to his wife Kiran Choudhry and daughter Shruti after Bansi Lal passed away. Mahendra though seems to have the persona to fill in Lal’s shoes though the age is not on his side.
BJP’S NEW POSTER BOY IN HP
Union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs Anurag Thakur may have kept away from campaigning for the October 21 bypolls in Pachhad and Dharamshala, but he has certainly emerged as the new
poster boy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his home state. Anurag visited Una, Bilaspur, Mandi and Shimla to attend consumer fairs but didn’t campaign in the two assembly segments. However, the party put his photos on its posters and flex boards along with other leaders such as working president JP Nadda, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, state unit chief Satpal Singh Satti and former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal.
CM JAI RAM’S SENSITIVITY
Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur is popular among the masses for his sensitivity. During electioneering in Dharamshala assembly segment, Thakur was scheduled to address an election rally at Mandal village near the town on the final day of canvassing. When he came to know about a death in the village, he cancelled the political rally and visited the bereaved family to pay his last respects to the departed soul.