The BJP is bound to face a stiff alliance test in its third term. The signs were evident after ally Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) said it would demand a review of the Agnipath/Agniveer recruitment scheme for the Army and reiterated his support for caste-based census, besides demanding special status for Bihar. Meanwhile, the other significant ally, Chandrababu Naidu, has his eyes on the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post, in addition to special category status for Andhra Pradesh. There is also the buzz that some rift within the BJP itself is emerging after the party’s diminished election performance. Yet another source said that the alliance partners, particularly regional parties, were aware they might be entering a Faustian bargain and this will keep avenues, opportunities and possibilities open for the INDIA bloc.
SHINDE SENA GRUMPY ABOUT NOT GETTING A CABINET BERTH
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena expressed resentment and disappointment over the allocation of cabinet berths in the newly-formed Narendra Modi-led NDA government, highlighting that the faction looked at it as “partiality” in the distribution of ministerial positions. This comes after the NCP led by Ajit Pawar said it will wait for a Cabinet berth rather than accepting a Minister of State position. However, Shiv Sena’s stance on supporting the government unconditionally was reiterated, with the party empowering the need for Prime Minister Modi to continue the nation-building efforts. On the other hand, expressions of dissent have also surfaced from one of the oldest NDA allies since 2004, the AJSU. Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary, the lone MP of AJSU, has expressed disappointment at being slighted in the Cabinet and indicated that its repercussion would be seen in the Jharkhand Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.
BJP MAY GET ‘WORKING PRESIDENT’ FOR TIME BEING
The BJP will be moving forth for appointing the party’s new national president as incumbent JP Nadda has joined the Modi 3.0 cabinet. Nadda has been appointed as the Health and Family Welfare Minister as well as the Chemical and Fertilizer Minister. Sources in the party hinted that a Working President of the party will be chosen once PM Modi returns from his Italy tour later this month. The Working President is chosen by the party’s parliamentary board. The board can also ask Nadda to continue in his post and appoint a working president. According to the BJP constitution, the national president is elected only after the organisational elections are complete in 50 per cent of the states. The membership campaign will commence in July and continue for about six months. The new president will be elected in December-January.
CPI (ML) LIBERATION IS BACK IN THE GAME
The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation or CPI (ML) Liberation, an ally of the Mahagathbandhan, is back in the game after winning two of the three Lok Sabha seats allotted to it. The party fielded Sudama Prasad of the Kanu-Halwai OBC community and had defeated Union Power Minister R.K. Singh in Arrah, In Karakat, Raja Ram Singh, a Kushwaha, won in a triangular contest against Upendra Kushwaha and popular Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, a BJP exile who contested as an Independent. In the 2020 Assembly election, too, the CPI (ML) Liberation’s strike rate was above 63 per cent, winning 12 of the 19 seats it contested.
AKHILESH YADAV EYES DELHI AFTER WINNING LUCKNOW
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is gearing up to spread “PDA” and has decided to expand its influence in other states, too. Is Akhilesh eyeing a national role? Akhilesh had resigned from Karhal assembly seat to win the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency. Yadav also stepped down from the Leader of the Opposition post in the UP Legislative assembly. There was a general consensus among party leaders that, after the victory of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, that he should move to the central political arena to establish the SP as a national party. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Akhilesh halted the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The setback to the BJP, with seats declining from 62 in 2019 to 33 in 2024, stopped the BJP from gaining a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha. The SP emerged as the single largest party in Uttar Pradesh, winning 37 seats, and became the third-largest nationally. The party’s vote share also increased to 33.38% from 18.11% in 2019. (IPA Service)