Diplomatic StrokesModi-Putin to talk Ukraine, Rupee-Rouble dealPrime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Russia on July 8-9. He is likely to travel onwards to Austria on July 9 before returning to India. Sources said in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister is likely to discuss Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine and the ways of reaching an agreement to bring peace between the two countries. The PM recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Italy. Russia has taken a strong stand against vacating the land it has occupied during the war.A recent meeting in Switzerland to explore the possibility of peace between Ukraine and Russia ended without any result due to the Russian stand on occupied territory. Besides playing peacemaker between the two warring nations, the PM will take up a large number of business proposals. Eight Union ministries have been asked to send proposals for discussion during the PM’s meeting with Putin. The two leaders are likely to discuss the long-standing payment issue that has cropped up due to US sanctions against Russia. Among the key proposals on the table is the Rupee-Rouble deal. Top officials of the Russian central bank visited New Delhi in the middle of June to prepare the ground to resolve this payment issue. Russian investment proposals in India will also be discussed. Sources said the Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, which had earlier concluded a mega deal to buy Essar Oil, plans to make big investments in India. Russian rolling stock major Metrowagonmash has already bagged the contract for manufacturing 120 Vande Bharat trains. The company is likely to participate in upcoming metro train tenders in India. The Modi-Putin meet is set to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.Poll PreparationSparks fly in Cong meetings; heads may rollThe Congress party has been holding meetings at its headquarters in Delhi to prepare for the state Assembly elections due in three states in October-November this year. These three states are Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. Elections are also likely to be held for the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly along with the three state elections. Party teams are also visiting states to review its performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections. At a recent meeting in Delhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were shocked when newly-elected Lok Sabha member from Sirsa in Haryana Kumari Selja attacked Deepak Babaria, the AICC general secretary in charge of her state. She accused him of being partisan and said he is not able to see beyond one group and one leader in the state. She was referring to Babaria’s perceived proximity to Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Babaria countered her by accusing her of being inaccessible. State president Udaibhan, considered close to Hooda, jumped in to say Selja and others are not allowing him to announce the new team of state office-bearers. Rahul Gandhi played the peacemaker and asked all leaders to work together. Sources, however, said Babaria may be removed from Haryana. Similar scenes were witnessed in Chhattisgarh when a central team met state party workers to review its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress workers blamed domination of Bhupesh Baghel group and the performance of the government led by him for the rout. Based on the feedback by the visiting team, the central leadership may remove state party president Deepak Baij, considered close to Baghel.Shahid FaridiThe writer is Resident EditorTNIE, New Delhi.Follow him on X @Shahid_Faridi_
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