Nitish’s aide on spiritual getawayThese days, Ashok Choudhary, a close aide to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is on a spiritual getaway at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. He’s deep into a special puja with his family, and of course, his colleagues—both past and present—are having a field day, calling it a move to secure the chief ministerial post amidst the political storm brewing in Bihar.Choudhary’s connection to the temple goes way back to 2010, when his former Congress colleague Anil Sharma consulted an astrologer in Tirupati, and lo and behold, his career took off after that. In 2010, Sharma became the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president, hitting the peak of his political journey—until things started going south. At the time, Choudhary was reportedly along for the ride, and decided to consult the same astrologer. The prediction? A high-ranking position in Congress and—wait for it—possibly even the chief minister’s chair, if he were to switch parties. Fast forward to 2017, Choudhary gets the top job at BPCC, only to leave it behind after the RJD-JD(U)-Congress alliance fell apart. He jumped ship to JD(U) and quickly became Nitish Kumar’s trusted ally. Last year, rumors swirled that Choudhary chartered a special helicopter to visit all four major Hindu pilgrimage sites—just after his daughter won a seat as an MP from the LJP (Ramvilas) quota. Looks like Choudhary’s making his moves, with a little help from the stars! ‘What’s next for party in five yrs?’Amid the cheers and celebrations following their overwhelming victory in the recent assembly elections in the national capital, a certain group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers in Delhi find themselves facing an unexpected dilemma. While the excitement of the win is still fresh, some are asking, “What’s next for the party over the next five years?” For the past 15 years, the BJP in Delhi has been in constant opposition mode, organizing protests and demonstrations almost daily against the ruling government. After losing power to Congress in 1998, the party had remained in a state of protest, focusing its attacks on the Sheila Dikshit-led government. When Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged, their attention shifted to Arvind Kejriwal and his team. Now, with a significant political shift on the horizon, these jubilant leaders are left wondering how to transition from opposition to governance—and figuring out their next move in this new political landscape.Civilian award for ‘CA in uniform’Deepak Kumar Kedia, an officer of the 1999-batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS), affectionately known as ‘CA in uniform,’ recently received a prestigious award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Currently serving as the Inspector General (IG) of Headquarters at the National Security Guard (NSG), Kedia is a trained Chartered Accountant (CA). He was honoured with the ‘CA in Public Service’ award at the World Forum of Accountants Meet held in New Delhi in early February this year. The award recognizes Kedia’s exceptional contributions to public service, especially in law enforcement and national security. His unique expertise bridges the worlds of finance and policing, making significant strides in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly in combating terror financing.
Source link
