We are marshal, Indian-style!

No ‘marshal law’, after all
The Rajya Sabha secretariat is said to have been reprimanded of sorts by the top echelons of power over its decision to change the uniform of marshals in the house. The military-style uniform outraged veterans and parliamentarians alike. It is learnt that a trusted lieutenant of Union home minister and BJP chief Amit Shah called on top Rajya Sabha bosses to convey that the uniform controversy was an entirely needless one. That explains why now the marshals are back in their old uniforms sans the headgear.

A truce of compulsion
The two Chavans are a bit cut up in Maharashtra having missed the chance to be either deputy chief minister or Speaker of the state Assembly. Ashok and Prithviraj Chavan are both former Congress chief ministers of the state and are said to have played a big role in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance and the preparation of a common minimum programme for the Uddhav Thackeray ministry. But 'Delhi' is said to have opposed their induction in the Thackeray ministry pointing at their “ex-CM” tags. Last heard, Ashok and Prithvi, known to have crossed swords, have worked out a temporary truce of sorts to prevail upon party president Sonia Gandhi to let one of them become either a cabinet minister or Speaker. The other hopes to join Team Sonia in Delhi as an AICC general secretary. Now, that amounts to being ambitious as 10, Janpath, is known to have antipathy towards cutting private deals and lobbying.

Paswan’s dream
The Maharashtra fiasco has left many red faces in the BJP. While a section of the party seems bent on targeting Bhupendra Yadav’s “gullibility” in trusting Ajit Pawar's acumen, some NDA allies are emphasising the need for an “NDA convener” on the lines of the role that George Fernandes played during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan reportedly fancies himself in a
modern-day George Fernandes role. However, a little birdie at Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, where the BJP headquarters is, claims that the leadership has utter disdain for the convener proposal.

Scindia sidelined?
All is not well in the Madhya Pradesh Congress. Jyotiraditya Scindia was quick to deny any political message in the change of his Twitter profile where his affiliation with the Congress did not find mention but sources close to him point at his growing differences with chief minister Kamal Nath. Mr Nath is said to have instructed all police and district officials not to entertain transfer posting requests from senior Congress leaders unless they are routed through the “proper channel” (read the chief minister’s office). In other words, it means that each time a favour is sought in the Gwalior-Chambal region, Mr Scindia has to approach Mr Nath.

Incidentally, Mr Nath was present at Uddhav Thackeray’s swearing-in, accepting congratulations on how he convinced a somewhat reluctant Sonia to go ahead with an alliance with Sena. Mr Nath’s ties with Thackerays reportedly date back to Sanjay Gandhi era when Balasaheb was an ardent supporter of emergency and Sanjay's ‘nasbandi’ to curb population.

Oh, for a free ride on Tejas
Union railways minister Piyush Goyal is under pressure to extend the free travel facility to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on the country’s private railway train, Tejas. Tejas is a roaring success both in terms of commerce and comfort. But the elected representatives’ complimentary railway passes are not valid on the Tejas Express. Operated by Indian Railways subsidiary IRCTC, its tourism and catering arm, Tejas Express runs between Lucknow and New Delhi. According to a Niti Aayog report, the Narendra Modi government is in the process of forming a task force to draw a blueprint for handing over operations of 150 trains and 50 railway stations across the country to private operators in a “time-bound manner”. Clearly, the MPs are feeling left out.

The writer is a keen observer of the goings-on in backrooms of power