Official's absence fuels speculation of split in major political party

Is all well in one of the major political outfits in the country? Well, the decision by a senior official to skip two crucial meetings in a row, is said to be silently raising eyebrows among insiders. The influential figure, once seen as part of the party’s inner circle, has supposedly conspicuously kept away as whispers of a fallout with powerful mandarins gather momentum. While the exact source of the disagreement remains shrouded in secrecy, moles claim tensions have been simmering behind the scenes for weeks. The absence has now fuelled speculation of purported deepening cracks within the formation at a time when unity is badly needed.

A senior politico from one of the country’s politically charged regions is reportedly a deeply disturbed man after a recent opinion poll ranked a youthful MP as the most influential leader from the area. The veteran politician, who has allegedly dominated the region’s politics for years, feels slighted by the study, arguing privately that the standing will shift attention from him in future political negotiations. Insiders now claim the agitated bigwig is said to be exploring ways of sponsoring a separate poll to counter the findings and restore his perceived political supremacy.

Still on opinion polls, a cabinet secretary heading a 'troubled' docket is said to have spent restless nights after reports emerged of an impending opinion poll. Our moles intimate that the CS, whose ministry has recently come under intense public scrutiny, immediately panicked over fears the negative spotlight could badly dent his approval ratings. The anxious official reportedly made frantic calls behind the scenes seeking to establish whether cabinet secretaries were to be featured in the rankings. This column heard that the man feared his docket’s endless controversies were finally going to catch up with him in the court of public opinion.

A senior official in an opposition outfit is said to be staring at a political dead end after the party leadership allegedly rejected his ambitious plan for a series of nationwide activities. While the official had aggressively pushed for the meetings, insiders now whisper that some within the party reportedly quietly viewed the initiative as a clever scheme to create lucrative budget lines for personal gain. Party moles say the decision has supposedly dealt a major blow to the official, who had hoped the programs would also boost his visibility ahead of the coming election.