1. Will any patch up between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot work? Can an uneasy truce before Rahul Gandhi easily transform their bad blood? The Congress high command is, however, optimistic about Rajasthan Chief Minister and his former deputy Sachin Pilot agreeing to fight the high-stakes state Assembly polls unitedly, but state Congress leaders are unsure about it. So all eyes are on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Gehlot to make some “announcements” — perhaps even return of Pilot as state Congress chief. The Congress faces a test of sorts as Sachin Pilot’s demand for action against the Vasundhara Raje government, compensation for students for exam paper leaks, etc, have a May 31 deadline. Would CM Gehlot make some concession to placate his arch-rival? Given Gehlot’s past record and rather personalised criticism of Pilot, prospects of the CM accepting Pilot’s demands are slim. The fact is the much-touted talks among Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, and Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa were reportedly high on optics but lacked substance. However, insiders say if Rahul and Kharge are on the same page on this issue, Gehlot would have no choice to either accept Pilot as Rajasthan PCC chief and as Deputy CM or quit as chief minister of Rajasthan. Would this happen before June 11, the day that marks the death anniversary of Sachin’s father Sachin Pilot?
2. How is Amit Shah going to tackle Manipur? Is it a big challenge for PM Modi too? At least four elements are at work: the local dynamics, including the spate of ethnic violence between the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribes on one side and the Meitei community on the other; the origin of the tension; narco-politics; and lastly, India’s strategic cross-border interests. With over 100 dead, as of now, over 45,000 people belonging to both ethnic groups have been shifted to relief centres and homes in both the valley and hill districts of Manipur. Many survivors of the violence were evacuated by security forces under tremendous difficulty. Reports coming in from Mizoram say that 6,500 people have arrived in the state from Manipur. there is a connection between ethnic violence, narco-economy, national security and international military strategy. The state government had been pursuing its “war” against the illegal drug trade by constantly arresting several alleged players. Even village chiefs, under whose jurisdiction poppy is cultivated on a large scale in the hills, have been arrested. But most of the time, suspected kingpins and drug lords have been able to escape the state’s pursuit. The major opium and heroin-producing areas in Myanmar are located in regions occupied by various ethnic armed groups, and China reportedly could exert its influence in these areas.
3. Will June 12 meet of Opposition leaders be a damp squib?
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