Hum Bolega To Bologe Ki Bolta Hai, is that what Narendra Modi thinks!

As a prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh often came under attack for either not speaking or speaking too less even when there were issues aplenty to address. However, he silenced the opposition by his famous address in Parliament about three years ago when he invoked an Urdu couplet to hit back at his critics.

"Hazaron jawabon se achchi hai khamoshi meri, na jaane kitne sawalon ki aabru rakhi (My silence is better than a thousand answers, it keeps intact the honour of innumerable questions)," Singh said in August 2012 in his statement during the discussion on coal block allocation scam.

PM Narendra Modi

The incumbent Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is a leader who is known for speaking, and speaking a lot. He would often criticise Manmohan Singh for not speaking whenever it was required.

But that was when he happened to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat as he aspired to rule the nation. He still speaks, but not when the opposition parties attack him over any issue. He takes time and reacts only when either the matter snowballs into a major controversy or, many a times, just dies down.

The ruling BJP is under attack once again. This time, over favouring former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, who has been facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe, procure documents from the UK to travel to Portugal.

The opposition first attacked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who even admitted to helping the other Modi by speaking to British Labour MP Keith Vaz. As the matter persisted, the opposition stepped up the attack and even dragged the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) into the controversy. Now many parties have been seeking the prime minister’s reply on the issue.

But Modi, who has of late restrained himself from frequent public speaking, probably after knowing the sanctity of the post he holds, has been silent.

I wonder what Mr Prime Minister must be thinking while he is attacked by the opposition parties. Probably Kishore Kumar’s famous song from 1974 Hindi hit “Kasauti” -- Hum Bolega To Bologe Ki Bolta Hai (If I speak up, you will say I speak too much), picturised on megastar Amitabh Bachchan -- would aptly describe the situation of the prime minister.

Delhi Goes Broom-Broom

For a change, it’s broom-broom, not vroom-vroom on Delhi roads (obviously not all) these days as theme cleanliness makes its way back to the national capital.

It all started from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachch Bharat Abhiyan” last year, when social media was abuzz with comments of his “masterstroke” that saw both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) virtually conceding their election symbols – hand or palm and broom respectively – to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

AAP's Safai Abhiyan in Delhi on June 13.
AAP/Twitter

Modi’s campaign became a big hit with the prime minister himself nominating celebrities from different walks of life for his #SwachchBharatAbhiyan. The opposition, however, rubbished it saying it was only a photo op for Modi and his party colleagues.

Somehow, Delhi’s cleanliness war has revived. In fact, it has not just revived, but has intensified. The fight is not restricted between the ruling AAP and its key challenger BJP, but even now insignificant Congress has also jumped into the fray.

A day after Delhi's sanitation workers called off their strike over their unpaid salaries, it was a battle for broom-upmanship when leaders of both the BJP and the AAP took to cleaning the streets as they also threw dirt at each other blaming for the garbage crisis in the city.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia led the AAP campaign on the city roads along with the party leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba on Saturday morning.

Delhi BJP's Safai Abhiyan on June 13.
BJP/Twitter

It was then the turn of BJP to wield the broom as the party’s Delhi chief Satish Upadhyay also got into the cleanliness mode. As he led the cleanliness drive, Upadhyay blamed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the stinking mess, accusing him of only doing politics rather than focusing on governance.

Congress too is not sitting idle all this while. And, the party’s charge was led by none other than the party’s heir apparent Rahul Gandhi. The party launched a dual attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre and AAP's state government over the garbage crisis in the city after some sanitation workers visited the Congress vice-president to thank him for his support.

The Congress claimed that it was after Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the agitating workers that the matter was resolved and nearly 15,000 sanitation workers ended their 12-day strike.

Rahul Gandhi with Delhi Safai Karmcharis during their agitation on June 12.
@OfficeOfRG/Twitter

"Now when the strike has ended, those belonging to the party of PM Narendra Modi and AAP have come out on the streets for a photo op in the name of clearing the garbage. Neither AAP nor those belonging to Modiji's party spare any opportunity of photo-up," senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said.

Whoever gets the credit for any good that happens in Delhi, let the city and its people benefit. Let the broom fight go on so that Delhi gets rid of that stink it has remained notorious for. Hope these Safai Abhiyans do not just end up as photo ops for these parties!

Who is a better diplomat, Sushma Swaraj or Narendra Modi?

She was once seen as a future prime minister as she impressed not just her own party leaders, or the people of India who would often see her on their TV screens strongly pitching against the then UPA government whenever there was a need, but even by the Congress-led alliance for being articulate and keeping the point of view of the majority of India.

The BJP largely banked on its two leaders – Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley – as they efficiently played the roles of Leader of Opposition in both the Houses of parliament. There were occasions when Swaraj actually proved herself a stronger leader than the most of her party colleagues, including Jaitley.

But the surge of Narendra Modi literally wiped the BJP top order, and Swaraj was no exception. The then chief minister of Gujarat suddenly shrouded the mass appeals of veterans like Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Jaswant Singh and also Swaraj to a great extent.

Nevertheless, Swaraj did find a place in the NDA government's cabinet. Though the ministry of external affairs was not considered such an important portfolio when compared to the likes of ministry of home affairs and ministry of finance, the MEA did face some big challenges given the state of affairs involving India's bully neighbours and the friendly countries turning neutral.

However, it was not really the external affairs which kept Swaraj on her toes all the time, the bigger challenge was posed by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. From the day one, Modi kept on challenging Swaraj by taking diplomacy in his own hands as he invited all the heads of SAARC nations to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his council of ministers.

A year down the line, Swaraj is being admired as a minister more than any of her colleagues. Away from the media, she always preferred to work silently. Apart from addressing media on some rare occasions, like the hostage crisis in Iraq and Syria, she preferred to stay away from the limelight.

Swaraj hogged the limelight on Sunday as she addressed a mega press conference marking the completion of the NDA government's one year in office. As usual, Pakistan stole the show yet again as the minister ruled out cricket diplomacy with the country or talks with it until the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi who was released from a jail recently, were acted against.

The minister did not restrict her address to her ministry. In fact she started elaborating Modi government's key achievements in the first year in office. She then answered the queries of journalists, without any hesitation or gaffe, unlike her ministerial colleague Rajnath Singh who had recently committed a faux pas at his press conference in the national capital. Singh had said that India had entered into an agreement with France to make nuclear weapons as part of Modi's pet "Make in India" campaign.

Apparently, her political strategy makes Swaraj different from the rest in the cabinet as she never moaned about her portfolio or even more than obvious interference by none other than Modi. Modi, who is often credited with India's bold outlook towards the West or even criticised for staying away from India for too long rather than visiting the Indian poor, always shadowed Swaraj as the external affairs minister and she let that happen.

There is no real failure on the part of her ministry. It has been rather appreciated for its efforts, including the major rescue operation in Syria wherein citizens of many other countries were also taken out of the war-torn nation along with the thousands of stranded Indians.

Call it her political strategy or her diplomatic prowess, Sushma Swaraj has time and again proved why she is the most efficient minister in the Modi government.

JDU, HJC, Shiv Sena... Is BJP going to SAD-den Badals next?

I remember a report published in a leading daily, based on an astrologer's prediction that Narendra Modi would serve as the Prime Minister of India for two terms. The prediction might have been made before the 2014 General Elections were over, but the report appeared after the results were already out. So, the genuineness of the prophecy remains to be verified and it would be known after the next Lok Sabha polls only.

But it appears right to me also because the same astrologer had also predicted that the regional players, which have been playing crucial roles in government formation irrespective of the coalition in power - United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - and often resorting to blackmailing tactics to get what they want, would gradually become irrelevant.

Again, the extent of truth in the second prediction cannot be checked immediately. But it seems to be in the process already.

Though both UPA and NDA have been witnessing entry and exit of various regional parties, the practice seems to have intensified ahead of the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Harayana.

JDU walks out of NDA

For the ruling NDA it started last year, much before the general elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party's old partner Janata Dal (United) parting ways, apparently over the ego clash between the parties' respective poster boys Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar respectively.

BJP slams door on HJC

The BJP roped in a number of new allies in the run up to Lok Sabha polls. Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) was one of those allies. But it failed to win any seat and the BJP decided to dump it before Haryana Assembly elections rather than conceding to the its "weak ally's" demand for too many seats.

Sena bids BJP adieu

The BJP's oldest ally - Shiv Sena - was the next to leave the bandwagon as its chief Uddhav Thackeray decided not to compromise with his chief ministerial aspirations after days of failed negotiations with the BJP.
Though the BJP has kept the option of post-polls alliance open (though officially denying it) by refraining from attacking the Maharashtra-based party, the latter has been unforgiving in its attack on the friend-turned-rival party. In fact, the Sena's attack on the BJP, at times, is harsher than on its two other main rivals Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), probably fearing to lose too many seats to it.
Keeping aside his ego, the Shiv Sena chief has even hinted an alliance with estranged cousin Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Ironically, the MNS was fallout of Uddhav's political aspirations as Raj was largely seen as the true successor to his uncle Balasaheb Thackeray - the founder of Shiv Sena. Moreover, the hopes of MNS joining the NDA in the run up to parliamentary elections were shattered by the original Sena, which was strongly against any tie-up with Raj.

Bad SAD

After doing it in the Lok Sabha polls, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has been repeating it in Haryana Assembly elections by choosing to campaign in favour of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidates and attacking the BJP in the process.

The Akalis happen to be the original NDA constituent along with the Sena and the JDU, which are no more parts of the coalition. Despite BJP's repeated warnings not to support the INLD, SAD has been ignorant as the Badals show their commitment towards their old friends - the corrupt Chautalas.

The BJP has now fielded Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was denied ticket for parliamentary election from Amritsar at the behest of the Badals, to neutralise the SAD challenge in Haryana.

It would not be a surprise if the BJP snaps ties with the Akali Dal as the next step on the grounds of betrayal. Accusations of being radical and corrupt might act as the catalysts to the end of BJP-SAD tie-up.

In, out, in... out?

The general elections also saw return of two of the BJP's former allies - Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and N. Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) - to the NDA.

Though Paswan had insisted that this time he would not exit the NDA, how long he stands by his words remains to be seen. Even the BJP might find it a burden when it comes to fighting the corruption taint given the unconfirmed charges against the Bihar leader. Even an opportunist Naidu's alliance with the saffron party cannot be considered very strong.

Depleting UPA

The UPA too has seen many exits, which started well before the Lok Sabha polls. Trinamool Congress and DMK walked out of the coalition foreseeing the UPA's bleak future. While the Trinamool emerged more powerful after the break-up, DMK suffered badly.

Pawar punch

As in the NDA, UPA too suffered a major blow ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls when Sharad Pawar's NCP walked out of it. The dream of becoming Maharashtra chief minister saw the NCP supremo's nephew, Ajit Pawar, ending nearly 10-year-old alliance soon after Shiv Sena and BJP ended their relationship.

Irrelevant BSP

The BJP gave Uttar Pradesh's both the strong regional parties - Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - a heavy blow in the Lok Sabha polls. While the BSP failed to open its account, the SP just managed to win its pocket-borough. The state's ruling party, however, improved its performance winning more seats than the BJP in the crucial assembly by-polls recently.

BJP versus Congress in 2019 polls?

Coming back to the prediction, the ups and downs in the UPA and the NDA gives strength to the likelihood of a two-party contest in future parliamentary elections, making the regional players more or less irrelevant in the national politics.
Though it might not sound that democratic in the world's largest democracy, but should be in the interest of the nation as the ruling party at the Centre would be saved from the arm-twisting tactics, often adopted by the regional allies. And, at least the BJP looks to be preparing itself well for it.

Is BJP wary of Delhi's floating vote bank?

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has certainly mastered the art of sting operation, which it often uses to nail its political rivals or big corporate houses.
Genuine or not is a matter of investigation, but such sting operations do keep the humble Arvind Kejriwal and his young outfit in news.

A grab from AAP sting on BJP's Sher Singh Dagar (left)

The genuineness of the latest AAP 'Stinger' - purportedly showing Delhi BJP vice-president Sher Singh Dagar offering Rs 4 crore to MLA from Sangam Vihar Dinesh Mohania to abstain from voting in the eventuality of a trust vote in the House - remains to be seen.
The BJP not standing by Dagar strongly indicates the party might ultimately distance itself from the leader. Media reports quoting sources even suggested that the veteran leader might be shown the door, signifying the allegation against him could be true.
Dagar's expulsion from the party might reduce the impact AAP would have desired from the latest operation.
Nevertheless, the BJP seems to playing to a larger game plan. Going by a series of statements from its leaders at national and state levels, the party doesn't really look keen on forming government through horse-trading, as repeatedly alleged by the AAP.
The BJP actually seems to be buying time, an opportune time when it can confidently face the electorate.
Till a few weeks ago, there was no reason for the saffron party to worry as far as its position in Delhi is concerned. It would have probably secured seats beyond its expectation had the assembly polls been conducted with the General Elections.
No doubt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team are working hard to achieve their promise of "ache din". It has even started showing in some areas.
But the key issues - corruption and inflation - remain largely unaddressed. Moreover, India's recovering economy is largely the outcome of sentiments based on NDA's promises and some steps taken by the UPA government in its last few months, coupled with the stern measures of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Having lost its government in 1998 owing to high onion prices, BJP knows that inflation, particularly of food items, might force a retreat of its floating vote bank, which helped it win all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.
The last few years' trends suggest food prices are bound to ease to some extent after the end of monsoon season. It may take a few more weeks to make food prices a non-issue for the assembly polls.
The BJP apparently wants to wait for the arrival of achhe din before going for polls in Delhi along with the other election-bound states. After all, it can't afford to lose Delhi this time!