Rahul: Insider track | Unrest in Delhi, in Munich
Rahul Gandhi: absence during the Lok Sabha debate has left party corridors humming — and not in a good way. The Congress may be spearheading the battle against the G-RAM-G Bill. Images of the German Leader of the Opposition examining BMW vehicles and motorcycles in Munich on the day of the debate heightened anxiety. As expected, the BJP capitalized on the spectacle, but the INDIA bloc itself was the target of the scathing rumors. In private, Congress officials and allies believed Rahul ought to have served as the focal point of the opposition to what they seen as the repeal of a signature statute from the UPA. One source acknowledged that the argument lacked substance, citing the Rajya Sabha as an example, when Mallikarjun Kharge spearheaded a far more forceful Opposition onslaught.
The hunter learns from the hunted.
When the Academy unexpectedly welcomed surrendered Maoist leader Pulluri Prasada Rao, also known as Chandranna, probationer IPS officers at Hyderabad’s SVPNPA were given a reality check. Chandranna, who served on the central committee until his surrender on October 28, transformed a standard Left-Wing Extremism module into a heated, unrestrained discussion. He was questioned by trainees on topics they had only seen in manuals, such as survival tactics, cadre mobility, jungle logistics, and financing networks. The Maoist organizational spine was exposed by Chandranna’s direct response. Long after the session was over, one comment persisted. He informed them that “police officers who were honest and supported the people’s cause were never targeted by Maoists.” Six weeks after Chandranna put down her weapons, a source said that the remarks “hit the minds of young officers.”
The “dahi-chura” moment of Nitin Nabin
“Bihar in BJP or BJP in Bihar” is a common joke among BJP circles. The party headquarters has had a particularly Bihari vibe ever since Nitin Nabin, a five-time Patna MLA, was appointed Working National President. Dahi-chura and makhana-kheer, which were offered liberally to both employees and the media, were the main attractions when Nabin took over. BJP beat reporters were spotted contentedly digging in, often complaining about access. A journalist joked, “At least with Nitin ji, dahi-chura se hamara bhi swagat hua.” When Amit Shah and Dharmendra Pradhan rose to greet Nabin, the symbolism reached its zenith. Employees who saw fate—and hope—at work grinned and said, “Esi ko bhag kahte hain.”
Then, Ram ji G-RAM-G now
“Ram Ji” was the BJP’s most effective rallying cry for many years. For a new acronym, “G-RAM-G,” party strategists are already pulling out that playbook. The BJP is planning a statewide outreach to promote its redesigned rural employment program as opposition protests against the purported weakening of MGNREGA get more intense. According to party insiders, the emphasis would be on clarifying changes and refuting “misinformation” propagated by Congress. “Fake messages can cause electoral disasters if they are not clarified immediately,” a senior BJP leader said. The saffron party seeks to change the narrative by claiming that G-RAM-G improves rather than degrades rural living, especially as Congress prepares large-scale demonstrations against what it claims is the “ending” of a statute named after Mahatma Gandhi. According to sources, the effort may resemble the ongoing Ram temple mobilization after January 14—development taking the place of devotion.