NK'S POST

NK SINGH In my long career as a journalist I have met nearly two dozen chief ministers in various states of the country. But there was no one like Bhairon Singh Shekawat, the former chief minister of Rajasthan. My first meeting with Shekhawat, who later on became the vice president of India, will remain etched in my memory forever. It was early 90s. I had landed in Jaipur in connection with a story about the BJP-ruled states in the country. I sought an appointment with the chief minister. I was asked to come at 8.30 to his official residence for the interview and also join him for breakfast. On the appointed day and time I was outside the CM House in Jaipur’s Civil Lines locality. I was a little apprehensive as my taxi entered its gates.  In my experience, security personnel did not like a vehicle with commercial number plate. But the couple of lazy-looking policemen simply waved the car as I told them that I had an appointment with the CM. This was the fir...

Meeting CMs in their bedroom and washrooms NK SINGH एनके सिंह यह किस्सा भैरों बाबा के बारे में है. मतलब अपने भैरों सिंह शेखावत, जो अरसे तक राजस्थान के मुख्य मंत्री रहे और बाद में भारत के उपराष्ट्रपति बने. भाजपा के कद्दावर नेताओं में से एक.  उनके जैसे राजनेता बिरले होते हैं.  वे भले भाजपा के नेता थे, पर उनके दोस्त अपनी पार्टी में कम और दूसरी पार्टियों में ज्यादा थे. यारबाज आदमी थे. आम लोगों के लिए सर्व सुलभ. लोगों से उनका जीवंत संपर्क किसी भी जमीनी नेता के लिए रश्क का विषय हो सकता है. अख़बारनवीसी की अपनी लम्बी पारी के दौरान मैं विभिन्न राज्य के दर्ज़नों मुख्य मंत्रियों से मिल चुका हूँ. पर भैरों बाबा जैसा दूसरा कोई नहीं मिला, कभी भी. उनसे पहली मुलाक़ात हमेशा याद रहेगी.  मैं इंडिया टुडे में काम करता था और ९० के दशक की शुरुआत में भाजपा राज्यों के काम-काज को नजदीक से देखने के लिए ऐसे सारे राज्यों का दौरा कर रहा था. पहले पड़ाव में जयपुर पहुंचा और फ़ोन पर मुख्य मंत्री से मुलाक़ात का समय लिया. मेरे पास सुबह साढ़े आठ बजे सीएम हाउस पहुँचने का मैसेज आया और साथ ...

The unity moves of Congress leaders in MP, although superficial, has served to boost workers’ morale NK SINGH The change could not have been more marked.  Three months back Madhavrao Scindia, the former civil aviation minister, had publicly insulted Arjun Singh, the union human resources minister, at a Congress (I) rally in Madhya Pradesh. Both of them had gone to Rajnandgaon to address the rally.  However, Singh reached late for the meeting. Instead of waiting for him, Scindia finished his speech and left the venue as soon as Singh’s helicopter was sighted. Last week it was different story when Singh went to Gwalior to attend a party rally organised in Scindia constituency and was received at the railway station by Scindia. The Congress(I) leaders of Madhya Pradesh have now again assembled to smoke peace pipes. The warring chieftains met last week at Dabra, a small tehsil town near Gwalior in an effort to solve their disputes at Scindia’s...

Modi flies from Ahmedabad to New Delhi after 2014 election Don't expect Ramrajya from Modi An article published on 8 May 2014 नरेन्द्र कुमार सिंह भाजपा के कांग्रेसीकरण की जो प्रक्रिया काफी पहले चालू हुई थी, वह अब लगभग पूरी हो गयी है. “अबकी बार मोदी सरकार” का नारा हमें देवकांत बरुआ के उस अविस्मरणीय नारे की याद दिलाता है – “इंडिया इज इंदिरा एंड इंदिरा इस इंडिया”. कांग्रेस की तरह ही भाजपा में भी संगठन गौण हो गया है और व्यक्ति महत्वपूर्ण. मोदी अगर प्रधानमंत्री बने तो पूरी सरकार उनके इर्द गिर्द नाचेगी. बाकी सारे नेता हाशिये पर रहेंगे. मोदी गुजरात को अपने रोल मॉडल के रूप में पेश करते नहीं अघाते. वहां से मोदी (और उनके सिपहसालार अमित शाह) के अलावा और किसी भाजपा नेता का नाम आपने सुना है? संघ परिवार गुजरात को हिंदुत्व की प्रयोगशाला के रूप में पेश करने में गर्व करता था. एक ज़माने में किसी भी अन्य प्रदेश के मुकाबले गुजरात में भाजपा के अनेक कद्दावर नेता होते थे ---- शंकरसिंह वाघेला, केशुभाई पटेल, काशीराम राणा, सुरेश मेहता आदि. पर नरेन्द्र मोदी के दृश्य पर आने के बाद ...

NK SINGH Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s political career started quite early. According to his official website, he fought for farm workers of his village when he was just nine. As president of his school union in Bhopal, he learnt the ropes at 16. A year later, Government detained him under draconian MISA during Emergency. Shivraj became the youngest person to be arrested under MISA and underwent rite of passage in Bhopal jail, where he spent nine months in the company of senior RSS leaders. It is natural for a son to follow the footsteps of his father. Kartikey Singh Chouhan, the chief minister’s 23-year-old son, has also taken plunge into political arena. He entered state politics last week, addressing a rally of Kirar-Dhakad community in poll bound Kolaras. It was a remarkable political launch. Junior Chouhan was pitted against Jyotiraditya Scindia, one of the topmost leaders of MP Congress, who was addressing a parallel rally of Kirar-Dhakad co...

Those magnificent CMs in their flying machines NK SINGH Madhya Pradesh Government recently decided to hire a jet plane for a year at the rate of Rs 2.20 lakh per hour. According to a report in DB Post the Government has guaranteed a minimum use of 30 hours per month. It means the Government will have to pay Rs 66 lakh every month even if it uses the aircraft only for an hour. MP Government Rule for Hiring of Planes/ Helicopters 1999 says that the Government can hire private planes only in cases of exigencies. The rules are clear ---- if the state aircraft is out of order, or it cannot land in a particular area, or it is not available for the next 6 hours, or there is an emergency like natural calamity. The Government at present owns a fleet of one aeroplane and three helicopters, purchased at a  cost of Rs 152 crore, at current prices. One of the choppers has been put on sale. One nine-seater plane and two helicopters, which can carry six and four passengers respectiv...

नरेन्द्र कुमार सिंह कांग्रेस के राज में नेशनल हेराल्ड और उसे प्रकाशित करने वाली कंपनी एसोसिएटेड जर्नल्स लिमिटेड को हमेशा सरकारी दामाद का दर्जा हासिल रहा है. मध्य प्रदेश में तो प्रेस काम्प्लेक्स की स्थापना ही इसलिए हुई कि 1981 में तत्कालीन कांग्रेस सरकार नेशनल हेराल्ड को कौड़ियों के भाव जमीन देना चाहती थी. इस मायने में सारे अख़बार मालिकों को एसोसिएटेड जर्नल्स का शुक्रगुजार होना चाहिए कि उसे उपकृत करने की खातिर सरकार ने दूसरे अख़बारों को भी फायदा पहुँचाया. नेशनल हेराल्ड को भोपाल में 1981 में जिस नाटकीय ढंग से रातों-रात सरकारी जमीन दी गई थी, वह अपने आप में एक दिलचस्प किस्सा है. अर्जुन सिंह को मुख्यमंत्री बने कुछ महीने ही हुए थे. तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गाँधी 20 जुलाई 1981 को भोपाल आ रहीं थीं. अवसर था एसोसिएटेड जर्नल्स के भोपाल प्रोजेक्ट के शिलान्यास का. नेशनल हेराल्ड की स्थापना जवाहरलाल नेहरु ने की थी और उसे चलाने वाले एसोसिएटेड जर्नल्स की पहचान गाँधी-नेहरु खानदान की पारिवारिक कंपनी के रूप में थी. अर्जुन सिंह तब राजनीतिक रूप से काफी कमज़ोर थे. वैसे भी कांग्रेस का कोई भी मुख्यमंत्री इंदिर...

NK SINGH The Bharat Bhawan controversy has taken a political turn, with one of its life trustees, noted painter J. Swami Nathan, launching a thinly veiled attack on the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Motilal Vora. The bearded painter said in a press interview that he apprehended a conspiracy by some "politically influential persons' behind the current "smear campaign" against Bharat Bhawan in the wake of the sensational Vibha-Karanth affair. In an obvious reference to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Swaminathan said the "conspiracy" was aimed at Mr Arjun Singh, the AICC-I vice-president and Bharat Bhawan Trust chairman, and Mr Ashok Vajpeyi, the culture secretary of Madhya Pradesh and Bharat Bhawan's trustee-secretary. Mr Swaminathan, who was 'lured' to Madhya Pradesh during the regime of Mr Arjun Singh, is considered a supporter of the former chief minister. "We will quit the trust," he had earlier told newsmen when asked wha...

NK SINGH With the Vibha-Karanth affair taking a backseat over time, attention is now shifting toward Bharat Bhawan, the sprawling lakeside cultural complex that employed both principal figures in last month’s highly charged controversy, which left Miss Vibha with 80% burns. On Saturday, the Bharat Bhawan management formally announced an inquiry into the institution, to be conducted by one of its trustees, Mrs. Pupul Jayakar. However, several cultural organizations in the city strongly opposed this decision, likening it to “asking a thief to catch a thief.” A press note issued on behalf of the Bharat Bhawan Trust stated that any person or organization wishing to file complaints against Bharat Bhawan could send them “directly in a sealed cover” to Mrs. Jayakar by June 15.  Around two dozen cultural and literary organizations in the city have reacted sharply to the decision, criticizing the appointment of a trustee to investigate the trust’s affairs. These groups have been demanding a...