POLITICS

To quell fights among BJP leaders, RSS steps in to Maharashtra and Jharkhand

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has now stepped in to Maharashtra and Jharkhand polls to quell the fights among the BJP leaders and focus on preserving party cohesion and electoral strength. In Jharkhand, the perceived political rivalry between Babulal Marandi and BJP’s old hand Raghubar Das has deepened, especially with new candidates such as Champai and Sita Soren. Senior RSS leaders have initiated discussions with both Marandi and Das and several other senior politicians. In Maharashtra, senior leaders such as Gopal Shetty are sidelined, fuelling tensions among BJP loyalists. The RSS is now stressing on the working of booth-level committees, holding regular meetings to keep the ground-workers motivated.

There will be no other ‘son-rise’ in Bihar, at least for now

Nishant Kumar, son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is firm on his decision, not to enter politics. The 48-year-old  Nishant enjoys spiritualism and hearing bhajans like ‘'Hare Rama Hare Krishna’. Although, a few leaders of the Janata Dal (United) had claimed that he  may carry on the political legacy of his father but he himself has denied it. With the JD(U) needing fresh blood, the buzz had restarted. Nishant is also an engineer by training. He graduated in software engineering from Ranchi's Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra. Earlier, Nishant Kumar has said, I have already embarked on the spiritual path, brushing aside claims of his entry into politics. Very little is known about the family of Nitish Kumar, who is one of the few politicians who could successfully keep their private and personal lives separated.