RAJNATH’S RAISINA ROUTE?
The race for Rashtrapati Bhavan may still be some time away, but Delhi’s rumour mills are already buzzing. Since 2014, the BJP has paired presidential choices with crafty political messaging: Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind in 2017 and tribal leader Droupadi Murmu in 2022. With the next election due in 2027, speculation has shifted to a senior upper-caste face. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is among the names doing the rounds. As he nears the BJP’s informal retirement age of 75, Raisina Hill could prove to be the party’s most elegant farewell gift.
WAIT, PM IS SPEAKING
The government may have many ministries, but apparently only one microphone. A Prime Minister’s Office Standard Operating Procedure bars ministries from holding press conferences whenever the PM addresses a public event. And every media briefing requires PMO’s prior approval. Journalists got a practical demonstration recently when two ministry press conferences were separated by more than two hours—not by bureaucratic delay, but by the PM’s speech. As Delhi roasted outside, reporters wisely stayed inside the air-conditioned hall. In the capital’s pecking order, even government announcements must stand in line behind the PM.
RAJNATH’S RAISINA ROUTE?
The race for Rashtrapati Bhavan may still be some time away, but Delhi’s rumour mills are already buzzing. Since 2014, the BJP has paired presidential choices with crafty political messaging: Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind in 2017 and tribal leader Droupadi Murmu in 2022. With the next election due in 2027, speculation has shifted to a senior upper-caste face. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is among the names doing the rounds. As he nears the BJP’s informal retirement age of 75, Raisina Hill could prove to be the party’s most elegant farewell gift.
SID’S EXIT BOMBSHELL
One announcement, and Karnataka Congress is back to square one. Siddaramaiah’s decision to quit electoral politics has reportedly stalled Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s Cabinet expansion, with Rahul Gandhi wanting the veteran consulted first. The buzz is that Shivakumar is in no hurry to accommodate Siddaramaiah loyalists. In Congress politics, even a farewell speech can start the next power struggle.
CEO FOR LORD RAM?
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has opened applications for the post of Chief Executive Officer of the Ram Temple, and the vacancy has become a talking point. Advertised on the Trust’s X handle, the post reportedly drew lakhs of views, with many hopefuls applying. The salary? Negotiable. The eligibility? That’s where the debate begins. Besides being a practising Hindu, applicants must be “Ram Bhakt Vaishnav”. The wording has left many scratching their heads. If you’re devoted to Lord Ram but follow the Shaivite tradition, does that put you out of the running?
THE BRAHMIN RUSH
The 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election may still be distant, but the scramble for Brahmin votes has already begun. Amid whispers of a possible Congress–BSP understanding, Mayawati has reiterated that the BSP will contest alone while promising a more socially inclusive party by reaching out beyond its Dalit base. Not to be outdone, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is also pitching an all-inclusive platform. The BJP, too, is keen to keep the BSP away from the Congress. With sections of Brahmins reportedly unhappy over the perception of “Thakurvaad”, every party suddenly wants them on its side.
FRONT ROW POLITICS
In Delhi, even seating arrangements can spark political gossip. At the NDA’s weekly parliamentary meeting, “Mangal Milan”, leaders of the breakaway Trinamool Congress faction, now with the NCP(I), were invited. What grabbed attention, however, was MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar occupying a front-row seat alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and other BJP heavyweights. The optics immediately fuelled speculation of a possible BJP entry. West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya, however, cooled the buzz with a cryptic reminder that Delhi and Kolkata are 1,500 kilometres apart. Or was the distance really between the front row and his own seat?
