File picture: BJP leader Sushma Swaraj | Photo Credit: IANS

Rahul Gandhi’s Blues

After his shock defeat in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi was rather depressed. Adding to his woes was the sharp criticism that came in the Congress Working Committee that the Congress rout was on account of the close advisers of RG who were all non-politicians and did not understand the matrix of political faceoffs. All this while Rahul Gandhi remained locked in his home virtually all day for three days, not even willing to reconsider his resignation decision with his mother or sister, let alone political paratroopers who wanted to take a shot at convincing him. However, what surprised everyone was by evening he would brighten up and almost on the rebound drop his cloak of sulk to hang out with his friends. One day he was spotted at a trendy joint in Chanakyapuri with friends Kanishka Singh and Capt Satish Sharma’s son and on another day he was found having dinner at a coffee shop of a premium five-star hotel where the rich and the famous are often seen - just to be seen. His friends included a lady designer who’s been on and off in his friends circle. The Congress Old Guard is still wondering whether the sulk is real or the hanging out is for real.

Nitish Kumar Tantrums

The decision of Nitish Kumar not to participate in the government has made the BJP dub him a habitual backstabber. Nitish’s condition for participating in the cabinet was not restricted to increase the JDU strength from 1 to 2. It was far more ambitious than that. Nitish wanted a minister-to-minister matching between the BJP and the JDU. Which means since BJP had a total strength of 6 ministers from Bihar, Nitish wanted 6 from JDU too or as a compromise, the BJP should have reduced their Bihar strength also to 2. After trying all routes to try and convince Nitish, when the Bihar CM refused to budge, the BJP virtually asked him to take a walk. Afterall at 303 MPs of the BJP alone in the 17th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister was in no mood for the 'Nitish tantrum series 2'.

Dynastic Patriarchy

When the BJP sought to find out who would the Shiromani Akali Dal propose as their nominee for the ministerial berth in the Modi Cabinet, The Patriarch Parkash Singh Badal suggested “Kakaji” -- meaning his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. When he was urged to let daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal continue, he remained adamant that it had to be his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. After much persuasion, Badal sahab said that the BJP should check up with “Kakaji”. Thankfully when the BJP dialled Sukhbir Badal and gave him the logic that Harsimrat Badal should be in the Modi Cabinet whereas Sukhbir would then be free to take on Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab, Sukhbir graciously agreed and the BJP was able to get a woman her place in the Cabinet.

Arun Jaitley: Man of Principles

On the day of the swearing-in ceremony for Modi Sarkar 2.0, a last-ditch attempt was made by Prime Minister Modi to convince his longtime friend, adviser and former Cabinet colleague Arun Jaitley to take the oath and join the Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio. Legal advice was also sought on the fact is Arun Jaitley could take oath on a video conference. But all efforts came to nought as Jaitley refused to reconsider his decision till his course of medication was over and he put his foot down that he would not join the Cabinet only for the post of a Minister to maintain his gaadi (car), bangla (house), and a retinue of staff on government expenditure. In fact, Jaitley is even moving out of his govt bungalow to his private home till he is fit enough to be back full time.

Why was Sushma Swaraj Dropped?

There’s an interesting story that is doing the rounds in the BJP about the reason behind Sushma Swaraj’s exit from the Modi Cabinet. People in the know say that the reason No 1 was that she unilaterally announced her decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls without consulting the seniors in the party. Reason No 2: through the heat and dust of the campaign trail which lasted over 75 days, Ms Swaraj only held 2 closed-door meetings in air-conditioned environs in the name of campaigning. But the final straw came when on a particular issue, the party wanted a senior minister to address a press conference in the BJP headquarters, and none was available in town, frantic calls were made to Ms Swaraj to do the honours. Only, she didn’t respond to those calls for nearly 72 hours on grounds of not being in great shape healthwise. Which is why the final call was taken that is her health was so frail then it wasn’t very advisable to burden her with a heavy ministerial portfolio.

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