The dharma of political alliances is unknown but they do have a karma. One of it’s special functions is to get tickets for your people from the other party’s quota. Congress leaders, who have always been victims of such a practice in UP and Bihar, have now mastered the game. It’s not officially decided which Congress leader will talk to which leader of the other party since the party leadership is busy with Karnataka elections. But the private practice of Congress politicians is going on. Congress members are lobbying for their tickets by using the party with which Congress is going to form an alliance with. The party president’s office is also getting calls from there.
Score of scorns
The use of objectionable words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the opposition, especially the Congress, during elections is not a new thing. But recently there has been a problem with the count of those words. How many times so far? The BJP is said to have details of the 81 objectionable words used by the Congress against the PM so far. But during his speech in Karnataka, the PM said it’s 91 instead. After the speech, BJP’s IT cell found out that some objectionable words have been repeatedly used by the opposition and 91 is the combined number.
Also read: In Karnataka, it’s a battle of Congress’s perception management versus BJP’s micro-management
SMS vs SMS
Referring to the ‘SMS’, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who reached Karnataka, dropped a jumla. He told the voters of the state to stay away from the ‘SMS’—Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun (Kharge) and Shivakumar (DK). After a few hours, the Congress came up with another ‘SMS’— Shivraj, Modi, Scindia. It’s SMS vs SMS going on right now.
Karnataka calling
Many BJP workers have been assigned duties in Karnataka and those who haven’t been are obviously disappointed. They call up their acquaintances to ask about their well-being. They assume their friend is in Karnataka when a phone call is not picked up or it gets disconnected and an intercept message goes off in a South Indian language. When a politician’s friend disconnected his call, he also thought the same. But the friend called back later and said that he was in Kerala, not Karnataka, for the inauguration of Vande Bharat train. So, the caller innocently replied that since the elections are in Karnataka, all languages ring like Kannada in his ears.
Karnataka’s Kerala crisis
The upcoming OTT film titled Kerala Story will be available for viewing from 5 April. The opposition has a problem with its timing. Why release it so close to Karnataka elections? Even though the film is based on the events in Kerala, the worry is that it may set the election agenda in Karnataka as well. However, the most troubled by the film right now are the Communists, who are not in the fray in Karnataka.
Kerala special Vande Bharat
PM Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat train in Kerala on 25 April. What is so special about this Vande Bharat? A railway official describes it as special in three ways. First, it is the only Vande Bharat which will run within Kerala. The second specialty is that the picture of the cheetah of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park is on the engine. And third, passengers have different opinions on the construction material of Kerala Vande Bharat. The railway officials also have their views on this issue.
Also read: Rahul promises ‘free public bus travel’ to Karnataka women, ‘already in budget’ says CM Bommai
Map of confusion
BJP workers, who are on election duty in Karnataka for the first time, are in great confusion. The state’s map is difficult to understand for them. When they asked their party for a ticket to coastal Karnataka, they got tickets to Goa instead. After enquiry, it was found out that coastal Karnataka is just one hour away from Goa. When they reached Goa, they were told that they have go to Karnataka in a few days via Hyderabad. What is it going to be, a flight journey or a car one?
Karnataka’s shares its borders with Goa, Mumbai and Hyderabad. But all of them are quiet far from Bengaluru.
No lion in the jail
One Sanjay Prakash Rai ‘Sherpuria’ is serving time in Lucknow jail on charges of fraud. He is not getting enough attention there. He tried to build his strong-arm reputation but the jail officers are being very careful. Meetings are restricted and the jail’s its infamous reputation has all but faded. All gangsters are made to live like common criminals—there’s no lion in the jail. Meetings are also taking place like they would for any prisoner and Sherpuria is upset about it. If nobody filed a complaint against him then how did he end up in jail? Even the FIR did not reveal anything. It just says that high officials’ complaint took the case forward. Meanwhile, all the secrets of Sherpuria are now coming out. His difficulties are going to increase now.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar, edited by Ratan Priya.
Source: The Print
