Will Patnaik Hurt AAP?

On January 13, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi signed an important undertaking with the Union health ministry to fully implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme which will run parallel with a state programme. The decision has important lessons for political parties and leaders who fear that implementing Central schemes will create a favourable impression about the ruling party at the Centre. It was such reasoning that prevented former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from adopting the Ayushman Bharat programme. But the tactics don’t work in the long run. A consistent complaint voiced by voters against BJD during the Assembly election last year was the lack of medical services. Either hospitals were not available or medical staff were inadequate in number. AAP’s government in Delhi has trod a similar path, arguing that its own schemes were more than adequate. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal claims the Central scheme is a scam and the Delhi government provides free treatment up to `1 crore. But reports about the functioning of mohalla clinics run by the Delhi government are far from flattering. The clinics, which are also pharmacies, suffer from shortages of medicines and in some cases absent staff. The lure of ‘free’ medicines runs deep with residents of slums and unauthorised colonies but Ayushman Bharat, with its share of Central funding, would have improved access to medical care in the capital. Will the short-sightedness of AAP leaders hurt the party? The question will be settled soon.

BJP’S Stars On The Stump

A star cast of BJP leaders is set to descend on Delhi as campaigning for the Assembly polls picks up pace. There are top draws like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. But leaders from the South are also sought after. Some South Indian communities are a significant part of the population in certain clusters. Although less discussed than Poorvanchalis and Uttarakhandis, they can make a difference in close contests. BJP is drawing on its MLAs in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to connect with the Telugu community. There are new entrants to BJP’s stellar cast with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis having made a mark with BJP registering handsome victories in state elections last year.

Kite Master

Videos of Union Home Minister Amit Shah enthusiastically reeling in a kite during Uttarayan celebrations in Ahmedabad on social media show the leader deftly managing the task which is not easy. Shah’s enjoyment is evident. The clips gave rise to comments about Shah’s ability to manage politics and cut down rival ‘kites’ as BJP did in recent assembly elections. Opponents who have come off worse for the encounter will testify that Shah can be patient and also seize the moment, just as kite flying requires providing slack to avoid being cut down and then dragging the manjha (thread) in to cut down a rival. It was a lesson Maharashtra politicians Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray learned the hard way after BJP settled
long running scores with both of them.

Misreading Trump

Speculation over who will be invited to the oath-taking of Donald Trump is over with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar set to represent India. Columns are now brimming with dire predictions about Trump’s contempt for multilateral institutions and his likely tariff policies. Much of the analysis presumes India will also be at the receiving end. The commentary mostly regurgitates American analysts critical of Trump without additional insight. There is a less heard view that Trump may bring much-needed pragmatism to ending conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The US policy of pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine’s defence has provided little bang for the buck. for all his apparent bluster, Trump can be much more result-driven and, as reports of 100 executive orders being planned for his first day in office indicate, he may not be as distracted as in his first term.

Omar’s Smart Move

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is giving I.N.D.I.A. bloc members, including ally Congress, a lot to think about. He made it a point to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ongoing initiatives in the Union territory and reminded him of his “word” to restore the region’s statehood. Moreover, he used the inauguration of the new Sonamarg tunnel to emphasise that elections in J&K had been fair and free from manipulation. Congress has repeatedly taken recourse to pointing fingers at EVMs and even the Election Commission in the wake of defeats. Now, Omar cannot be accused of ignoring the sensitive statehood issue while he may prove more adept at working with the Centre and ensuring he gets his way on programmes that are his priority.

Gambhir in the Saddle

The embarrassing loss in the Test series in Australia spawned speculation about the careers of coach Gautam Gambhir and top cricketing stars. But Gambhir’s tenure is not likely to be in jeopardy though BCCI is bound to hold consultations on what went wrong. The former BJP MP will very much be part of the course-corrections and the Indian team will do well to pay close attention to what he says. Already, his view that Indian players must be part of the domestic Ranji season has been accepted and players were advised to make themselves available for the red-ball tournament. The fates of heavyweights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli hang in the balance. Rohit is overweight and his form has been abysmal. Virat may get a longer rope but he will need to hit his straps soon.

Amit ShahArvind KejriwalAssembly Elections 2025Donald TrumpGautam GambhirIndian politicsNaveen Patnaik