TEMPLE RUN
Trinamool Congress is a big party, both in the Lok Sabha as well as Vidhan Sabha. This also means that it is entitled to a minimum 2000 sq metres Central Office in Delhi. It is in fact Didi’s dream that a huge office complex is inaugurated soon. She also wanted to showcase her influence in the form of a mega inauguration ceremony. However, the ceremony kept getting postponed every time it appeared to be finalised. As many as three time in the past, the land request was rejected because of its location or its size. But things appeared to have turned for good this month. Two high-ranking officers from Ministry for Urban Development accompanied two Party functionaries for office hunting. But when the group reached the designated plot, situated strategically between New Delhi Railway Station and Connaught Place, they found a sprawling temple campus already built on that plot. The locals asked the group to leave, and leave they did. Last heard, Didi was sulking big time.
SHAH-SANK REDEMPTION
BJP President Amit Shah has been awarded a new nomenclature. He is now called “Ring-Master” both inside and outside the Party. It is said that when his command comes from the Party office, no matter how big a minister might be, the Shah line has to be toed and his wishes accommodated. Take for example the Independence Day celebrations. A circular was sent to all the ministers, MPs and MLAs that they have to take out “Tiranga Yatras” (flag processions) on the eve of the celebration and that too on two-wheelers. The younger leaders like Anurag Thakur, PiyushGoyal and Rajwardhan Singh Rathore looked comfortable with the arrangement, and rushed to fulfil the directive. However, they landed in a soup when their pictures on two-wheelers without helmets got splashed all over the very next day. The Central Office gave a stern warning on this faux pass. But who’ll tell the Party Chief that had they worn the helmets, he wouldn’t have even managed to recognise them at the very first place? Then again, does he at all?
UN-MANN -AGEABLE
Chief Minister Kejriwal seems to have struck the rocky road lately. He was all set to hand over all the important portfolios in Delhi to Manish Sisodia and march on to Punjab, but the resignation of Navjot Singh Sidhu and tantrums of Bhagwant Singh Mann have created new pitfalls for him. Sidhu had staked his claim over as many as 25 Assembly Seats, and had also asked the Lok Sabha seat for himself (which is currently represented by Mann). Mann on the other hand is eyeing the CM’s post as he thinks he has a hold on the backward class vote. The only way he could have vacated the seat for Sidhu was if he were to have been made the CM candidate. Well, with Sidhu dumping AAP, will AAP now dump Mann?
FIR’ST IMPRESSIONS
The fiasco concerning the FIR by the wife of Minister of State for External Affairs, General V K Singh, against Pradeep Chauhan has the potential to damage Singh’s reputation. It has also provided arsenal to the General’s detractors. It is being said that the affidavit presented by General Suhag in the court has also increased his problems. His allegation that Singh conspired to deny him the top post has sent the government in a tizzy. It has constituted a committee under a retired general to look into the matter. If anything is found amiss, the government might end up dropping Singh unceremoniously.
