Madhya Pradesh Political Punch: Bury Worry; Old Order Changes; Without Guarantee & More

Bury worry

Two ministers of the state cabinet are stewing over the proposed ministry reshuffle. Both have a problem. The party leaders and the head of state are unhappy with the duo. These two ministers fear lest they should lose their ministerial berths in case of a cabinet reshuffle. Some recent happenings have sullied the image of one of the ministers.

He has told those working for him to refurbish his image. The minister has begun to issue orders for the public welfare. He shows he wants to solve public issues. But the minister is trying to keep his chair safe. 

Another minister is in the same condition. He is also toiling to stay in power. He often visits Delhi to maintain a rapport with the central leadership.

Old order changes

More than 16 months have passed since the new government took over. It is clear to the ministers that a time has come to shift their loyalty. But one of the ministers is still loyal to the old government.

All ministers have removed the photographs of the previous government from their office cabins. Yet, the minister, still faithful to the previous regime, has kept the old photographs in his office. The minister was, however, never close to the past regime.

Thus, people visiting his office fail to understand the reasons for his loyalty to the previous regime. The minister keeps away from pleasing any senior leader of the party. It is true that he is not friendly with the leaders of the city he comes from. He has joined a central minister’s group. However unfriendly he may be with the party leaders, his caste equations ensure his ministerial berth.

Old case

The problems for a senior Congress leader may increase if the government orders an inquiry into a much-discussed old case. Nobody knows what will happen to the leader. He may have to undergo a media trial.

But a few leaders of his party are happier about it than their counterparts in the BJP. There are reports that he troubled many Congress members. So, the piece of news delighted them. They think he may get enmeshed in the case. Such leaders want him to stay out of state politics.

They feel because of this leader, the Congress is unable to return to power in Madhya Pradesh. One of the leaders wants a lot of publicity for the case. His purpose is to tarnish the senior leader's image in the eyes of the party high command.

Without guarantee

The Congress Party's in-charge is visiting different places across the state. He recently went to a place in Bundelkhand After a function, when he was being introduced to the Congress leaders, some of them were whispering something to one another.

A former legislator was whispering into the ears of another leader that by the time an in-charge gets acquainted with the party men in the state, the high command sends another. He wanted to say the party had three in-charges in just one and a half years.

The leader said the party men would listen to the new in-charge only if there was a guarantee that he would remain in the state until the next assembly election. A few Congress leaders also said his hard work would be fruitful if he had a say in the distribution of tickets for the assembly election.

There are reports that wherever he goes, the party men say the same thing. The person in charge is worried about it. He can hardly guarantee that he will continue as the state in charge until the next assembly election.

Good days

The head of state’s announcement to bring the transfer policy to the cabinet has delighted his ministerial colleagues. A minister had been so delighted that he held a discussion with the staffers of his department soon after the meeting with the head of state.

The minister even informed his staffers about who would deal with which category of transfers. The minister also discussed with them who would look after the department, and who would take care of the district functioning under him.

Similarly, another minister and his OSD are joyous about the announcement. The OSD called up the officers in the district working under the minister. He indicated to the officers that a certain amount of money would ensure the transfer and some amount for stopping it.

The government did not lift the ban on the transfer policy to keep away from such chaos. As soon as the government lifts the ban on transfers, there will be a lot of confusion.

Seethed in anger

A former legislator of the ruling party is seething in anger. I-T sleuths raided his residential premises in the Bundelkhand region. The raids surprised him, for the members of the ruling dispensation rarely face such action.

The raids have something to do with his assets, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income. He asked the senior party leaders to rid him of the situation. But his attempts fell through. Now, he is finding a way out on his own. The action enraged him.

He often breathes out his fury in private. The former legislator is, however, waiting for an opportune time to hit back at the party. His father, once a member of the state cabinet, was an influential leader of the party in the Bundelkhand region.