Inside Track: Rulers Rule Club Class
The Capital’s drawing rooms are heatedly discussing the government’s eviction threat to the hallowed Delhi Gymkhana Club. Some members, who apprehend that they could be robbed of their lifelong watering hole, now trace the origins of the dispute to the arrogant and rigid attitude of the earlier managing committees to admitting the all-powerful members of the ruling political class.
The Capital’s drawing rooms are heatedly discussing the government’s eviction threat to the hallowed Delhi Gymkhana Club. Some members, who apprehend that they could be robbed of their lifelong watering hole, now trace the origins of the dispute to the arrogant and rigid attitude of the earlier managing committees to admitting the all-powerful members of the ruling political class. For instance, Natwar Singh as club president in the mid 1970s recommended that R K Dhawan, then Indira Gandhi’s personal assistant, jump the long membership waiting list, but was overruled. L K Advani was rather grudgingly admitted. And the managing committee quibbled about granting a five-year extension to former Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda, an accomplished tennis player who has even played against Boris Becker. The club’s admission policy in its eminent person’s category is unabashedly transactional, limited to a person’s tenure in office! In contrast, the Delhi Golf Club liberally enrolled members recommended by the Urban Development Ministry, which periodically extends the lease terms for its 180 acres. Kamal Nath, who was minister in charge when the lease last came up for renewal, in fact, demanded unofficial, out-of-turn membership quota for his nominees for the next 20 years. During Modi’s regime, several of these memberships were cancelled and BJP nominees, including a former RSS pracharak, were enrolled in their place!
Mumbai’s Western India Turf Club, the Willingdon Club and the Bombay Gymkhana have all opened their doors to officialdom, through a compromise of give and take.
Prime Minister Modi’s mood and body language at the 4.5-hour-long Cabinet meeting at Seva Teerth this month was stern and somber, reflecting the gloomy economic outlook and looming global instability. It was not the ministers alone who were tense but also secretaries to the GoI, since the performance ratings of a dozen ministries was publicly appraised. Besides, ranking of ministries in terms of the top five and bottom five were announced for several criteria, including speed of clearance of files, redressal of public grievances and extent of execution of government policy. Many apprehend that the meeting was a prelude to a Cabinet reorganisation. The buzz is that the PM is waiting for the inauspicious month of Purushottam Maas (which extends from May 17 to June 15 in the Hindu calendar) to pass. But the delay has heightened public restiveness over issues, from examination fiascoes and fuel shortages to a falling rupee and breakdown of essential services in cities in this summer’s record-breaking heat.
The party leadership is reportedly unhappy with some BJP CMs from heartland states. The blame, however, cannot be attributed to the CMs alone — they were catapulted to top positions without having the necessary political heft or administrative experience. The fact that a senior Cabinet minister has recently delegated some of his important duties to his minister of state has added grist to the rumour mill.
Yogi Adityanath, a seasoned CM who faces an election next year, is, however, almost certain to continue. Adityanath has successfully guarded his turf from outside interference. An example of his ability to neutralise attempts to rein him in is the posting in Lucknow in 2022 of a well-regarded IAS officer who previously worked in the Capital in many key positions, including the PMO for two decades. The surmise was that the bureaucrat, who sought voluntary retirement before entering politics and joining Yogi’s cabinet, would take over a prestigious portfolio, such as Home. But the CM assigned him instead to Energy and Urban Development. With the heat wave, power shortages have spiked with complaints even from BJP MLAs.
Veteran Maharashtra politician and the man for all seasons, Sharad Pawar, recently surprised his INDIA allies by chiding Opposition leaders for criticising PM Modi’s frequent foreign trips. Pawar felt that whatever their political differences, these views should not be aired while Modi was out of the country as it detracted from the Prime Minister’s efforts to project India’s image abroad. Around the same time, weathercock pollster Prashant Kishor called on Pawar. Some spot a link between Pawar’s remarks defending Modi and the fact that earlier this year, his granddaughter Revati, daughter of NCP MP Supriya Sule, was engaged to Sarang Lakhani, son of businessman Arun Lakhani, Managing Director of the Vishvaraj Group, a company specialising in infrastructure and environmental solutions. The Nagpur-based businessman is close to the RSS and it is said that the BJP’s Nagpur politicians, Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis, played a role as matchmakers.
