The recent appointment of Manmohan Vaidya as joint general secretary of the RSS could not have pleased Narendra Modi or Amit Shah.
The reason is that Vaidya and Modi have an unpleasant history that goes back to the time when the former was looking after Gujarat for the RSS and the latter was chief minister of the state.
There were many differences between Vaidya and Modi. Ultimately, Vaidya was removed from Gujarat at Modi’s insistence and has held a grudge against him since then. He was forced to keep a low profile as Modi grew in stature and importance to become the prime minister.
Given this background, Vaidya’s elevation and induction in the team that leads the RSS is a surprise. RSS watchers wonder whether there’s a hidden message here for Modi and Shah.
Vaidya’s appointment comes after weeks of intense lobbying by Modi’s supporters to have Dattatreya Hosabale promoted from joint general secretary to general secretary in place of Bhaiyaji Joshi.
Hosabale is known to be close to Modi and his elevation to the second most powerful post in the RSS would have strengthened the PM’s position within the Sangh.
Till the night before the new team was constituted by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, it looked like Modi supporters would have their way. Imagine their shock and disappointment when the announcement came.
Not only was Joshi retained as general secretary but Modi’s bete noire Manmohan Vaidya was brought in as joint general secretary, putting him at par with Hosabale.
Those familiar with the RSS feel that the relationship to watch in the coming months is the one between Hosabale and Vaidya.
They foresee tensions that could impact the Modi government and its equation with the RSS as the countdown for the next general election begins.
So near, yet so far
Poor Rajiv Shukla. He would have been back as a Rajya Sabha MP but for an airport shutdown in Ahmedabad. He just couldn’t get to the Gujarat capital in time to file his nomination papers.
The story is rather sad. Shukla’s term finishes in April. It looked like he wouldn’t get a re-nomination because the Congress was finding it difficult to accommodate him with its dwindling numbers.
Suddenly, there was an opening. The party’s nominee for one of the two seats the Congress can win from Gujarat, Narainbhai Ratwa, was threatened with disqualification because he had failed to obtain the mandatory no dues certificate from civic authorities.
The Congress decided to rush Shukla to Ahmedabad to take his place. Unfortunately, the decision was taken at 12:10 pm on the last date of filing.
Ahmedabad airport had shut down at 10 am that morning for repairs and maintenance and wouldn’t open till the evening.
Shukla explored all options to get to Ahmedabad before closing time, including getting a private plane. But nothing worked out.
In the meantime, the returning officer in Ahmedabad decided to accept Ratwa’s nomination papers after the Congress moved an application. The door to the Rajya Sabha that had opened briefly for Shukla shut again.
Congress circles are wondering why the party left Shukla hanging in hope till the last moment.
Soothing ruffled feathers
The Congress party’s decision to replace one of its senior MPs from Maharashtra, Rajani Patil, with journalist Kumar Ketkar shocked many.
Patil herself was upset and depressed. Realising that she needed to be pacified, Sonia Gandhi sent word to her in Parliament asking to meet her.
Patil was so excited that she rushed immediately to Sonia’s chamber only to find that the Congress matriarch had gone to her car. Patil was asked to join Sonia in the car and the two drove to 10 Janpath.
On the way, Sonia soothed her ruffled feathers and assured her that her experience and services would be put to good use in the party. She would not be marginalised, Sonia told her.
By the time they reached 10 Janpath, Rajani Patil was feeling relieved and pacified. But she was soon in a tizzy again because she found that in her hurry to meet Sonia at Parliament, she had left her purse and mobile phone behind in Central Hall where she was sitting with fellow MPs.
She had no money to get back to Parliament and no way of checking where her bag and phone were. Patil didn’t know what to do. Could she dare approach Sonia with her problem?
Ultimately, she borrowed money from one of the drivers at 10 Janpath and then walked across to the Congress headquarters next door to plead for some transport back to Parliament.
There was relief for her in Parliament. Fellow Congress MP Kumari Selja had picked up her bag and mobile phone and kept them safely. After she calmed down from her harrowing experience, she had time to mull over her brief meeting with Sonia.
It was only then that she telephoned Ketkar to extend her congratulations for the Rajya Sabha nomination. At least Ketkar has begun his maiden stint in Parliament on a good note, thanks to Sonia Gandhi.
Victory headgear
The Samajwadi Party’s trademark red caps were out in Parliament as its victory margins in the two by-polls in UP increased. Jubilant MPs celebrated the stunning results by sporting the caps, much like BJP MPs had worn patkas from the northeast the day after the saffron sweep of Tripura.
Unfortunately, there were not enough caps around so senior leaders like Ram Gopal Yadav remained bare headed. But the excitement in the hall was palpable. No BJP MP was to be seen while opposition MPs milled around looking ecstatic.
Lalu Yadav’s Rajya Sabha MP daughter, Misa, who was keeping tabs of her party’s performance in the Bihar by-polls celebrated with the same enthusiasm as news of the RJD’s victories came in.
She said she would send a message to both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi asking them to hold a celebratory dinner for the entire opposition to mark the fall of the BJP in the key states of UP and Bihar.