The sudden demise of Ahmed Patel has triggered speculation about who could become the permanent treasurer of the Congress. The party announced Pawan Bansal’s name as interim treasurer. The entire discourse is based on the misconception that the treasurer is supposed to raise funds for the party. Funding, corporate donations or other contributions mostly happen on the strength of the party. The most important qualification of the treasurer is having the trust and confidence of the supreme leader. Ahmed Patel was two in one, a fund raiser and a trusted custodian of resources. There are leaders like Digvijaya Singh, P Chidambaram, and Ashok Gehlot who are capable of raising funds but it is unlikely they will be appointed treasurer. Although it’s is too early for guess names, Rahul’s aide Kanishka Singh or Kamal Nath who enjoy complete trust of the family, could be given the job.
93-YEAR OLD PRAKASH SINGH BADAL RETURN PADMA VIBHUSHAN AWARD
93-year old Shiromani Akali Dal’s five-times chief minister and one of the Punjab’s tallest leaders, Prakash Singh Badal who was among the NDA’s oldest allies and had quit NDA and the Modi govt at the centre in September 2020 against the farm laws, has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind for returning his Padma Vibhushan. The country’s second highest civilian award was given to him in 2015.
CONGRESS’S KISAN ORGANISATION REMAINING HEADLESS FOR LONG
The Congress has appointed regular President for Indian Youth Congress but at the time of farmer’s unprecedented agitation, the Congress’s farmers wing is headless. In fact, Nana Patole who was the chairman of All India Kisan Congress was elected speaker of Maharashtra assembly one year back. Now nobody in Congress thinks to appoint a chairman for All India Kisan Congress. In the same way, the Congress has also not appointed new heads for its SC, ST and OBC wings. Nitin Raut a minister in Maharashtra government continues to head the SC department and Chhattisgarh Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu is continuing as chairman of OBC department.
SASIKALA’S RELEASE FROM JAIL BEFORE TAMIL NADU POLL, MAY AFFECT AIADMK
BJP is now making the strategy to fight the assembly elections of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Home Minister Amit Shah visited West Bengal and Tamil Nadu with an aim to strengthen the party organisation ahead of assembly polls. During his visit to Tamil Nadu, the former DMK MP KP Ramalingam has joined the BJP and also declared that BJP will fight assembly election with AIADMK and BJP is hoping that Ramalingam will bring DMK leader Alagiri, the elder brother of MK Stalin also in BJP. The buzz is that if Sasikala a close aid of J Jayalalithaa is released from the jail before the election, it will make the election difficult for BJP as AIADMK Chief Minister K Palaniswami who had rebelled against Sasikala after being rejected from Chief ministership, had sidelined Dinakaran, the nephew of Sasikala. And a new battle will start among AIADMK supporters.
CPI(M) RAJYA SABHA MP K K RAGESH MOST ACTIVE IN FARMERS MOVEMENT
CPIM Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala K K Ragesh has been camping in Delhi for the past few days and joining farmers protest at Sindhu border. He is among the eight opposition MP’s who were suspended for unruly behaviour during passage of controversial Farm Bills. While the farmers have not allowed politicians to join the protest, Ragesh has joined the protest as joint secretary of the Kisan Sabha, the Farmers wing of the CPM. (IPA)