Gossips and rumours around 303 of BJP

Free Thinker *

Perhaps this 303 is going to impact the politics of our state . A rumour is hovering around inkling a political change just after the formation of the union government. This triggers a speculation for a renewed NDA/NEDA government by a churning process of MLAs belonging to different parties including the Congress. This rumour has become extremely popular in the political circle as all the political leaders of the state are hobnobbing with the Dilli leaders at the moment.

BJP has won 303 out of 543 (minus 1 because of money matters). It is a very good score and it is above 55%; this is perhaps the best score since 1984. One numerologist says that 303 is a very lucky number and it is called the angel number. And this number carries clarity and spirituality.

Guardian Angels are always encouraging to take the right path. It is also a number of spontaneity, travel and adventure. 303 is a message from the angels to take positive steps, changes, projects and undertakings. Angels will always remain the guiding force. What a number!

One lawyer opines that 303 is a very scary number as it is linked with IPC section 303 which is a punishment for murder by life-convict. The section says that whoever being under sentence of life imprisonment commits murder shall be punished with death. In other words this section makes capital punishment mandatory when a murder is committed by a person who is undergoing a sentence of life imprisonment.

A police officer maintains that 303 is a very significant number for the armed forces because it identifies with 303 Enfield Rifles which are as old as the British Raj. Though old guns are being replaced with modern weaponry, our armed forces still have a huge number of 303 rifles.

In fact these rifles are known for their aim and sturdiness. 303 was/is a very powerful gun. These rifles are now being replaced by SLR and now by INSAS rifles which are much lighter. We also heard that these rifles are being modified to fire rubber bullets to disperse crowds.

One constitutionalist talks about the significance of article 303 of the constitution on India. Article 303 of the constitution contemplates freedom of trade and commerce. It recognises the significance of trade and commerce. The same article restricts on the legislative powers of the Union and of the States with regard to trade and commerce.

Neither parliament nor the State legislature shall have the power to make any law giving preference to one state over another and at the same time to indulge in discrimination between one state and another.

In a local hotels/dhabas, people have started murmuring about a cabinet reshuffle of the state government because of this 303. One gentleman asked a very daring question whether the reshuffling includes the chief himself. Another old man talks about the irrelevance of NDA partners because 303 represents a very stable number to erect a stable government. One young man in the group raises a very pertinent question , do you believe that BJP does not require alliance partners in the state?

Just before the declaration of the parliamentary election results, one BJP cum RSS leader said that BJP alone with cross the 300 mark. He was uttering it with full confidence. In fact I didn’t take his prediction seriously because I was under the impression that BJP will get lesser number of seats. However we both agreed that there would be continuance of NDA government at the centre.

There a strong rumour in Uttar Pradesh that BJP was helped by the Congress to create this magical 303 by contesting in almost all the seats in UP. Congress launching candidates in almost all the constituencies of the state was really a blessing for BJP. One prominent Muslim political leader of UP sarcastically said that two national parties have come together to defeat the Maha Gath Bandhan. But the ponderable question is - why Congress was not given a free hand in Amethi.

Perhaps it was a friendly contest. The two main contestants of Amethi are of the same age group and they enjoy everything including competitive politics.

One gossip which penetrates my heart is the spread of socialism and communism within the National Parties like the BJP and Congress. At the ground level the communist parties have withered away from almost everywhere. Except in the state of kerela and in some few pockets of the country, communists have vanished.

However, the socialist/communist ideologies have intruded in major policies of ruling parties in the country. The so called welfare programmes like healthcare for the poor, crop- insurance, farm -loan- waivers, employment- guarantee, fertiliser -subsidy, power -subsidy, interest -free- loans, allowances for the farmers, old age pensions etc; and finally sabka saath sabka vikas is a propaganda propagating economic equality.

Again a preaching like NYAY is another approach towards egalitarianism. But this 303 may inflate the ego of crony capitalism.

A tattle is spreading like wildfire -- Rahul Gandhi is going to resign from the Presidentship of the Party; he will submit his resignation to the party chief. If the party chief accepts then a new president will be elected. But the dichotomy is that the President is the Chief and the Chief is the President. Finally CWC which is constituted by the President will reject the resignation.

Another Rumour is that Priyanka Gandhi is likely to take over the reign of the Party. Sources say that she is smarter, she is more spontaneous, she is more dramatic, she is very identical with Indira. I don’t understand one thing that how can Rahul be similar to Indira. These are the repercussions of 303.

Another rumour blab is that the Prime Minister is not going to hold any portfolio this time- a portfolioless Prime Minister. Mind you 303 is a very spiritual number!