Naatak, nautanki, and an empty chair

Politics is all about power. Well, and a bit of statutory good life, but mainly about power. And what's power without naatak and nautanki? In the last two days, two politicians have left the citizenry scratching their heads like they just lost a game of charades. First up, we had NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, who, after what looked like a Bollywood-level fallout, is now reportedly spending 'quality time' at home with his estranged-turned-unestranged nephew Ajit Pawar. Yes, the one leading the 'rival party'.

But the real showstopper has been Delhi CM Atishi Marlena, who left a 'symbolic' brown leather chair empty beside her own smaller creamish one, claiming, 'This seat belongs to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.' Yes, kissa toh kursi ka hi hota hai. Got that. Atishi then went all Ramlila on us, declaring she felt the same 'pain' as Bharat when Ram was exiled for 14 years. In her rendition of viksit Bharat, she vowed to govern Delhi for, no, not the next 14 years - modern electoral cycles, never mind inner-party selections, don't allow that kind of humble luxury - but the next 'four months' as proxy for Lord AKji. She also mentioned something about Ram's khadaun (wooden slippers). But this being an age more suitable for Crocs, most people missed that bit. Behind her, the portraits of B R Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh looked on nonplussed.