Friday, 22 November 2024 | Gajendra Singh Negi
Babus besieged
After Berojgar Sangh leader Bobby Panwar, the journalist and entrepreneur turned politician and independent MLA from Khanpur Umesh Kumar has now trained his guns on the powerful Babudom of the Himalayan State. After writing an open letter to the Dehradun District Magistrate on social media in which he literally threatened the young IAS officer for trying to prepare a list of his properties, Kumar has now targeted senior IAS officer Harish Chandra Semwal. Though the controversial MLA deleted his post on the Dehradun DM, he posted two open letters for Semwal on the social media in which he has termed the IAS officer as an expert of liquor distribution system in the State. Kumar has also attacked the influential officer who heads the lucrative Excise department for patronizing the liquor overrating cartel in the liquor shops of the State. Interestingly, the all mighty IAS association which had reacted strongly on the secretariat incident involving Bobby Panwar and one of the senior IAS officers of the State by submitting complaints to the chief minister and chief secretary is yet to respond to the blitzkrieg of Umesh Kumar.
Congress campaign
After the end of voting in the crucial Kedarnath bypoll, the verdict of the people is sealed in the EVMs to be disclosed on Saturday. However irrespective of the poll outcome the Congress party surprised everyone by the enthusiastic participation of its leaders and workers in the election campaign and the micro management the grand old party set in place in the constituency. All the senior leaders of the party shed their differences and spent many days crisscrossing the tough terrain of the constituency. It is learnt that the successful model of booth management of Badrinath bypoll was implemented in Kedarnath as well in which the middle level leaders, MLAs, former MLAs and the senior office bearers of the party where assigned responsibility of a group of six to ten polling booths. Apart from engaging in extensive election campaign, the senior leaders kept an eye on booth management as well which was in stark contrast to the campaign of BJP centered on the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and massive mobilization of the resources. It would be interesting to note whether the strategy adopted by the Congress party succeeds in fetching votes to its candidate or not.
Minister’s mistake
Cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj put himself in an embarrassing situation recently when during the election campaign in Kedarnath Assembly by-election he mistakenly entered the election office of Congress candidate Manoj Rawat to take a short break from the grueling campaign trail. Initially taken aback on seeing the minister entering their office, the Congress workers quickly gathered their wits and garlands to welcome him. Maharaj realised his mistake when the son of the Congress candidate introduced himself before garlanding the minister and seeking his blessings. A red faced minister then quickly left the office of his erstwhile party but by then the entire event was captured in the mobile phone of some Congress workers.
