Scam-reflected glory

With the coal scam at the centre of public and political debate in the country now, beleaguered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari thinks he has some reason to smile — even though his party-run government in Chhattisgarh is also under the scanner. The Chhattisgarh government has been accused of allotting a coal mine to Gadkari’s alleged aide and BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti’s firm at a throwaway price. Where most political commentators see this indictment as an embarrassment, Gadkari proudly thinks it reflects his power in the party before his elevation to national party president. The fact remains that the coal mine was allotted in 2007 and most senior BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh admit that they avoided taking Gadkari’s calls at that time, let alone allotting a mine on his recommendation.