Deep Throat

Babus And Politics

It’s not only bureaucrats who are uncomfortable due to the lateral entry of professionals into their closely-guarded system. Career politicians are also facing a threat from an increasing number of retired and serving babus seeking to join politics. Though this is not new, the trend seems to be spiking in the run-up to assembly elections in some states and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Recently, two retired officers joined the Congress and a young collector quit his job for the BJP, all in Chhattisgarh. This interest in the Congress has surprised the party itself. Sources say a large number of civil servants are also seeking tickets in Rajasthan, an indication that the Congress is on a strong wicket in the state.

Partner Trouble

The two national parties—BJP and Congress—seem to have hit a few rough edges in their relations with Tamil Nadu’s two Dravidian majors. Senior Congress leader Karate R. Thiagarajan openly upbraided his electoral partner DMK for not taking the Congress’s agitation against rising fuel prices seriously. “While senior Congress leaders participate in protests by the DMK, it sends junior functionaries to Congress agitations. It is time the Congress got the importance due to a national party,” he said. Meanwhile, piqued by the recent CBI raids on its health minister and state DGP, the AIADMK’s official daily Namadhu Amma lambasted the Centre for failing to control the runaway petrol prices. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai also described the CBI raids as a deliberate ploy by the BJP to tarnish the reputation of the AIADMK government.

Ghar Wapsi In Kashmir

Of five PDP leaders who had rebelled against Mehbooba Mufti, two have returned to the party. The rebels had informally joined the People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone, hoping they would have a big role in case the BJP forms  a government with Lone as the chief minister. But the BJP has been showing no interest in government formation till now. With the return of the renegades, Mehbooba’s stock has risen in her party, if not in Kashmir. She got another shot in the arm recently when governor Satya Pal Malik said he will not encourage a patched-up jod tod ki sarkar, and there is no prospect of a stable government in the militancy-hit restive state at present. For the time being, it is advantage Mehbooba.