A two child norm for govt jobs is likely to be the next initiative of BJP

Smoke without fire

Is Margaret Alva joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? It does demand suspension of belief but newspaper reports have come out saying that she, along with her second son Nivedit, is proposing to dump the Congress party and join the BJP. However,  denials followed almost instantly, so this might be a case of smoke without fire. 

Alva, who has been a union cabinet minister and governor in various Congress regimes, has never had any charges of corruption against her, has been an adoring follower of Indira Gandhi and a colleague of Rajiv Gandhi. Her other son Nikhil, is one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest advisors and obviously this information has been floated with Nikhil Alva as the target, not Mrs Alva, who, from all accounts, is leading a quiet retired life. However, she has hit back with aplomb. “I have had no ‘negotiations’ or intention of leaving the party, least of all joining the BJP to which many politicians have migrated to protect themselves. Each party has its identity and ideology. I cannot under any circumstances exchange mine for that of the BJP,” she tweeted, earlier this week.

No more than two

A two child norm is likely to be the next initiative of the BJP, making it statutory for all candidates who want to hold government jobs, including public office at any level, to have a maximum of two children. The idea has already been rolled out by the Assam government led by the BJP for applicants for government jobs after 2021. Assam is also the progenitor of the National Register of Citizens idea.