RANCHI | Sunday, February 27, 2011 | Email | Print | | Back


Sporty politicians on turf to defeat each other

VIJAY DEO JHA | RANCHI

Jharkhand Olympic Association chairman, RK Anand and Union Tourism Minister and co-chairman, IOA Steering Committee, Subodh Kant Sahai, are locked in an intense battle to claim credit and success of the spectacular sports event.

During the concluding day of the Games on Saturday evening, Anand — unwillingly, though — mentioned the name of Sahai among the dignitaries present there; Sahai was quite loath to make even a passing reference Anand’s role in organising the Games.

They chose politically opposite place to watch each other—Anand with Shibu Soren, the chief of his former party JMM and, Sahai with jinxed IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, the man who badly needs a friend in this hour of crisis. The State Congress maintained a safe distance from the verbal spat of two of its leaders. But Sahai’s minions have taken up cudgels on his behalf in the past fortnight by roundly snubbing and hooting Anand.

Some days back exasperated local Congress workers in Ranchi held him up in the hotel lift for 15 minutes to pay him back for the disrespect he heaped on Sahai and the local party workers in the organisation of the National Games. The protesters let him go after a few manhandeled him and broke his costly spectacle.

Soon after the incident Anand dropped missive to the state government expressing apprehension over his life from some people. “Congress is an established national party…I don’t know who gave entry to such rogue elements in the party who assaulted me,” Anand told at a hurried Press conference.

Officially, the Congress maintained distance from this unruly show: Unofficially, they were Sahai’s men. Sources in the Congress attributed that their differences might have become public during the National Games but, the casus belli dates back when Sahai reportedly stalled Anand from getting Congress’ ticket for Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand, twice.

“Anand is known for clinging to the power. He joined JMM to get Rajya Sabha seat and he won. He jumped to the Congress with this intension. But Sahaiji stalled his nomination. Now he is trying to settle scores against him…this is basically a very personal sort of battle between the two,” a state Congress leader said.

This game had yet to come with some interesting turning points to cheer Anand and a chance to show Sahai his size. Three days back, Sahai was delegated the honour to distribute gold medal to the winner of a sport event in his capacity as Co-chairman of IOA Steering Committee. The last moment script was changed and Sahai was asked to distribute silver medal.

“Fearing the consequences of the corruption cases in the national games Anand is fawning BJP to save his skin. He is desperate to his loyalty by insulting Congress,” a close Sahay man said. On the evening of the grand opening of the national games on February 12 their differences too had a shady opening. Sahay was expecting to get boom-mike moment to claim credit for the national games which he was denied. Thankfully, Sahai got the chance to display his lung power this evening

Despite horror show of mismanagement during the game Anand will cart some of the trophies to his home. By the time the game will be over the catalogue of their differences will thicken.