AAP's NEMESIS

With Binny cocking a snook at the Aam Aadmi Party, expect a lot of fireworks in the coming days.
AAP has now come of age. It has become a political party in the existing currency of the term. In the short time span from inception to coming to power, it has been there, seen all experience for the Kejriwal Inc.
The party has seen and felt mutiny, expulsion, media bashing, extreme censure, belligrency and what not.
Now, it's time to move on to another phase of political experience. Anna Hazare seems to have closed ranks with Binny. Anna the sympathizer has advised Binny to go slow on his current dharna and go all out to do an expose campaign against the wrongs and misdeeds of AAP.
India Against Corruption, has also joined ranks with Binny to protest against AAP's misdemeanour's.
This is the same organization which has supported Anna during his Lokpal agitation.
The battle lines seems to drawn more clearly now. Animosities are coming out in the open. BJP and Congress seems to like it like never before. The sniping and all the dirty job is being done in proxy.
It's a clever and comfortable game of wait and watch.

A CASE FOR COURSE CORRECTION

With AAP throwing its weight behind Law Minister Somnath Bharti one thing is clear : the party is aware of its soft spot that the minister has inadvertently laid bare. The party which swears by honesty and transparency has gone all awry.
With attacks flush on Bharti and Kejriwal, the party has chosen to play a game which till yesterday was the domain of 'other' political parties.
Behind closed doors the AAP panchayat has exonerated Bharti of all blame. This action is a questionmark on the AAP brand of politics. It also points to the path of guile and grim gumption that the party is hurtling on to.
The path which Somnath took was self-destructive. It chose to override the rule of law. By going on a dharna to support the minister Kejriwal has not actually covered himself with accolades.
Supreme Court has now placed a showcause notice to the CM and matters have come to a headon course.
Kejriwal and AAP could well take note of all this and chart out a course correction. Political opponents will have it easy to nail them if they don't. AAP's own track record is also going to take a beating.

THE RELUCTANT PRINCE

Power is Poison. That's was the prescription of Mother Sonia. Seems now that Son Rahul has taken this prescription with a pinch of salt. His antipathy towards the Dynastic Rule seems to have evaporated in stages.

 Earlier he was was clearly opposed to being the prime minister. His worldview dictated his logic : Dynastic rule has to end. Even if it means embracing bachelorhood....

The next season saw him christened as the campaign head for 2014 turnstiles. His fire and brimstone delivery seemingly won him accolades, and sniggers.

Now the reluctant prince seems to waver still from his prior stance. As a first, he has acquiesed to holding the prime minister's post, if the elected Member of Parliament choose him thus.

SPIT-POLISH MAKEOVER

It is question of life and death. Of winning and losing. Winning means a lot for Congress at this juncture. It means all the more for the Gandhi family. The Dynasty stands questioned. It's legitimacy thumbed down by a surging AAP and a resurgent BJP.
To save the Grand Old Party from decimation and humiliation, to breathe life into the Dynasty, Sonia has summoned her siblings. Rahul will lead the party and Priyanka will be the back-office boss. Two able right hands for the Madam.
Priyanka has a track record for quelling dissent, and managing discord at the ground level. In 2007 she was assigned to save the Amethi Rae Bareilly constituency. Against a strong anti-congress wave she managed to mop up seven out of 10 seats and saved the Family from ignominy.
Today, she has to save her brother. Sonia has put her weight behind her lack-lustre son. The party has few options. In a scenario where IT'S DIFFERENT  is the reigning mantra, Congress has only one novelty - Rahul.
Reports say that a 500 crore campaign has been commissioned for a spit-polish image makeover for Congress and Rahul. Both need it desperately.
Image-makeover notwithstanding, Congress can sure do a lot with some basic and different agenda. It needs to voice it's election planks with care and cleverness. How well Rahul can do it is a concern. The party has woken up quite late. The winds of change are blowing hard and strong. Ordinance tearing and party bashing won't help.What will help remains to be seen.
On the other hand, Dr. Manmohan Singh  has made an ignoble exit. Till last he remained a puppet of the Family. He was used to clear the way for Rahul's ascendency. Maybe that would give some food for thought for the so-called heavyweights of the party.
The ease with Priyanka was made to slide into the decision-making echelon of the party again comments on the pliable and subservient structure.Where's is the inter-party democracy and meritocracy which should have been the been the hallmark of the Grand Old Party.
The whole setup reeks of a last-ditch effort to salvage the situation. What happens after the defeat, if and when it happens,will be interesting to see.