KEEPING TABS ON POWER POLITICS IN PUNJAB, HARYANA, HIMACHAL PRADESH AND J&K
Catch KP live!
Punjab assembly speaker
Rana KP Singh has been giving interviews to news channels on different issues from time to time. Before the interview is broadcast, he makes sure people know about the programme and watch his performance. The speaker’s secretary in the state assembly sends messages to his acquaintances with a request to watch the programme. For those who miss the programme, his pictures and promos from the interview are sent. The speaker is seen taking the state government’s side on crucial issues such as drugs, besides clarifying his stand on ruckus in the House.
Jobs fairs at private varsities raise brows
The Punjab government’s move to hold job fairs in private universities from Monday has raised questions. The state has two state-run technical universities in Bathinda and Kapurthala but only private universities have been given the task to invite companies. Also, private technical education colleges are upset over being left out of the special campaign in which students from private and government institutions have to enrol themselves for job interviews held by private companies. Buzz is that private universities are doing this free of cost just to make the government happy and the latter may return the favour in form of a “toothless” regulatory body. It was the pressure of private varsities only due to which the regulatory body was put on hold.
Bir Devinder’s ‘buffoon’ jibe at Cong leaders
Taking digs at Congress leaders who climbed an open jeep along with local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in Ferozepur when he was taking guard of honour during the Independence Day function, former deputy speaker of Punjab assembly, Bir Devinder Singh, called them “buffoons”. He asked the party leadership not to ignore the “nuisance”. Congress MLA Satkar Kaur and another leader Inderjeet Singh Zira were with Sidhu in the open jeep, besides the local deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police. Punjab
Congress president Sunil Jakhar said that all Congress leaders are responsible for their act and should conduct themselves within the protocol. However, a response from Sidhu is awaited.
Union Jack or Tricolour? Take your pick
The home page of the Haryana Swarna Jayanti celebrations’ portal, http://haryanaswarnajayanti.org, of the Haryana government has become a talking point. The website, which has a photo of the Union Jack, the national flag of United Kingdom, along with
the Tricolour, caught the attention of quite a few bureaucrats and others. The reason for putting the photo of Union Jack on the website is interesting. The visitors interested in reading the English version of the portal have to click on the UK flag and ones interested in viewing it in Hindi have to click the Tricolour. Smart thinking, say some, others think otherwise.
Hooda to join BJP!
Congress MLA from Rai, Jai Teerath Dahiya, has finally blurted out what political observers in Haryana have been speculating for some time. Dahiya, considered close to former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda, openly said that Hooda may join the BJP. The statement, though refuted by the ex-CM himself for now, is being seen as a pointer to changing political equations in the state. Hooda has been on the back foot in the Congress where he has not been able to get his rival Ashok Tanwar removed from the Haryana Congress chief’s post. Also, he is facing a plethora of inquiries related to corruption during his tenure in the government.
Shinde gets taste of HP Congress infighting
AICC general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde and secretary Ranjeet Ranjan, who are on a weeklong tour of Himachal Pradesh, have been given the tough task of uniting the party factions. Infighting in the Congress proved embarrassing for the two leaders when old political foes, former Union communication minister Sukh Ram and chief minister Virbhadra Singh shared the dais in Mandi. Virbhadra hit out at Sukh Ram, blaming his erstwhile Himachal Vikas Congress for the defeat of the Congress in 1998. “I am not Aaya Ram Aur Gaya Ram type. I have always stood with the party,” he said. Sukh Ram, on the other hand, credited himself for the telecommunication revolution in HP and vowed to give a befitting reply to Singh at an appropriate time. Shinde and Ranjan had no option, but to underplay the two state leaders’ dig at each other.
Ranjeet Ranjan & her ‘pocket money’
Congress firebrand leader Ranjeet Ranjan, who is co-incharge of party affairs in Himachal Pradesh, likes to hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During her trip to Dharamshala last week, the Bihar MP led the charge on issue of demonetisation. Counting the side-effects of the Centre’s decision to recall high-value currency notes, she said it affected women the most. The Congress leaders said demonetisation did not bring out any black money, but forced women to disclose their savings. “You know women take out money from their husband’s pocket for emergency. I still do it,” she said. Though the Congress spokespersons have said this time and again, she was probably trying to keep the note bandi issue alive. Only time will tell if it helps her party in the state elections that are due in another three months.
BaliVirbhadra barb show goes on
Himachal Pradesh transport minister GS Bali shares a love hate-relationship with chief minister Virbhadra Singh. During a party workers’ conference on his home turf, which the chief minister did not attend, the minister hit out, though subtly, at Virbhadra in front of the party’s senior leaders. “Raja se rank hone mein jyada waqt nahin lagta,” he said. Though he did not name anyone directly, his apparent target was the chief minister who is referred to as “Raja Saab” by his followers. Virbhadra, who came to know about his minister’s remark, responded the next day. “I wish Bali becomes not a Raja, but a Maharaja,” he said.
Mehbooba pursues her father’s dream
Even in this turbulent phase, Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti seldom misses any opportunity to pursue the “dreams” of her late father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Though National Investigation Agency has suggested closing down two trans-LoC trade routes with Pakistan, Mehbooba favours opening more border routes with PoK and Pakistan. The CM last week first talked about opening Suchetgarh-Sialkot route. In Kargil on Saturday, she advocated opening Kargil Skardu route. Her party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had during the UPA regime had taken up three routes with Pakistan, but the proposal was put on hold after the 2008 terror attack. While she is trying to cater to her constituency, alliance partner BJP, which won 25 seats in Jammu region in 2014, has failed to do its bit in providing basic amenities to people of the area. On festivals like Raksha Bandhan and Krishna Janmashtami, people of Jammu suffered without electricity and water. A number of agonised residents took to social sites, posting sarcasm-laden remarks to remind the BJP its slogan of “Bijli Pani Jo De Na Sake Woh Sarkar Nikami Hai”.