Overheard In Bhopal: Change Of Heart, Feeling Edgy, Humpty Dumpty? & More

Change of heart

A senior leader of the Congress, critical of the BJP government, has suddenly become its fan. Although he is judgmental about the Centre, the leader not only keeps mum about the state government but also lauds its decisions whenever he is with his close aides. There are reports that the leader has developed clouts in the government after a long time, and the situation has come to such a pass that he can get anything done through the government. Because the officers have also begun to give him a lot of importance, the Congress leader has become an admirer of the ruling dispensation. The reports about his appreciation of the government have reached many other leaders who are trying to dredge up the reasons behind his sudden change of heart. It is said that some people close to the leader have played an important role in bridging the gap between him and the government.

Troubled by rumours

A senior leader of the Congress is troubled by the canards spread about him by his adversaries. Again, the word on the street about him is that he is joining the BJP. The party selected him as one of the campaigners for the by-elections, but after his public meetings were cancelled, the Congress leaders spread the rumours that he is again planning to join the BJP. The truth is that his programme had to be cancelled because of his ill health. Because in politics, to be in the pink is a necessity to any public figure, his illness was not cited as the reason for cancellation of his programme. But his adversaries in the party had it on bush telegraph that the leader was going to change sides. The piece of gossip has forced the leader to make it clear that he is not going to leave the Congress. Because there were speculations in the past that he would join the BJP, the leader had to face many problems. So, he does not want to let such a situation arise again.

Waiting for a chance

Many politicians, who were once associated with the BJP and resigned from it, are hopeful of getting a chance to return to the party after the readmission of a former minister into the organisation. The BJP refused to retake those leaders who defected to other political outfits, rebelling against the party before the assembly election. Although the BJP admitted the politicians of other outfits into its fold ahead of the Lok Sabha election, it denied re-entry of those who had quit the party. But the return of the former minister to the party has opened the door to the rebels. There are reports that the son of a former MP is sparing no effort to return to the party. But because he fought the election as an independent candidate against the party nominee, the organisation declined to retake him. Apart from them, many others who defected to the Congress before the assembly election are keen to return. These leaders are using their links to come back to the parent organisation. Many rebels are now queuing up outside the residence of the leader who played an important role in bringing the former minister back to the party.

Feeling edgy

The ministers are getting ready to present reports of their respective departments to the media. Each minister has to prepare a report about the work done by his department. The government has advised each of them to tell the public through the media about the achievements of his department. A few ministers, who have done some work, are reportedly happy with the government’s proposal, thinking that their names will also hog the headlines in the media. On the other hand, some ministers are getting nervous, thinking lest they should be dressed down during such a presentation.  When Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the chief minister such an initiative was taken, but many ministers walked out of the ring.

Preaching spirituality

A leader of the Congress is paying more attention to religion and spiritualism than politics. During the by-election, when BJP and Congress leaders were lacing in one another, this politician was making videos on spirituality and posting them on social media. He seems to have decided to remain in religion as well as in politics. This is the reason that he is talking on social media about the importance of religion as well as of spirituality. He delivers religious discourses to the Congress leaders and recites Chaupais (quatrains) from the Ramcharitmanas. Because of his religious discourses, his adversaries in the party are facing problems. They say he may create problems for the party in the coming days for he sometimes talks about politics and often about religion.  It is heard that a group in the Congress has become active to remove him from his position.

Humpty Dumpty?

Two senior politicians of the ruling party – a minister and a legislator from a big district in the state – are at loggerheads. The situation has come to such a pass that they are not on speaking terms. Yet, they do not spare an opportunity to deride each other. The legislator, though a former minister, still holds sway over his constituency and its surrounding areas. He is opposed to the demand of a woman MLA of the Congress to declare her constituency, which is close to his political borough, a district. On the other hand, the minister is supporting her demand. This has sown the seed of rivalry between them. When the legislator’s opposition to the woman MLA’s demand was brought to the minister’s notice, he took a jibe at his adversary, saying “The former minister is a minnow and not the Bhelsa Ki top (the big cannon of Bhelsa city, now known as Vidisha). By saying so did the minister refer to Humpty Dumpty, probably a canon kept at the top of the tower of St Mary at Walls Church, and caused havoc to the soldiers below after its fall during the English Civil War?