Well begun is half done The adage - well begun is half done - stands true for Gurnam Kaur,widow of former BJP MLA Hari Narain Saini,as she gets ready to take over the political legacy of her husband. After she filed the nomination papers for Nalagarh bypoll,slated for November 30,Kaur displayed her oratory skills at the maiden poll rally. The goodwill created by her husband could be gauged by the turn out at the rally. A 'gentleman,Saini took over where government failed and spent money from his personal accounts to build bridges,schools buildings and get handpumps and tubewells installed. Gurnam Kaur is not banking on sympathy vote alone, says Ramesh Dhawala,a BJP minister and Sainis friend. The legacy left behind by Saini will see her halfway through. Out of favour,out of mind Some bureaucrats have remained out of favour of the BJP government for so long that they also have remained out of mind. They cant expect mainstream postings even as some of then near retirement. Last week,the state government posted IAS officer Subash Ahulwalia,the private secretary to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as secretary,printing and stationery - considered an insignificant job in the babudom. Ahulwalia retires next month. Earlier,BS Nainta also retired from the same post. Another officer who got the job in the printing and stationery department,AJV Prasad,remained deprived of the secretary-level posting for a long time and finally opted for central deputation as a principal secretary late in his career. And then there are some privileged ones who get to select the next rank and posting. Dhumals 'Hanuman The Independent MLA from Nurpur,Rakesh Pathania - a BJP rebel- cant hide his loyalty to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Ever since MP Rajan Sushant,ministers Kishan Kapoor and Ramesh Dhawala and other Kangra MLAs and BJP leaders,started targeting him and Dhumal,Pathania,who contested the last assembly elections as an Independent after being denied the party ticket,has chosen to launch a counter offensive. He claims that there are some BJP leaders dont want Dhumal to romp home in the next elections. If BJP doesnt give me a ticket in 2012 too,I will again contest as an Independent under Dhumals leadership,he declared at Nahan while addressing a BJP meeting ahead of Renuka bypoll. Survival stints As the infighting continues in BJP,at least one person - Transport Minister Mohinder Singh Thakur - seems to have benefited the most as he is now inched closer the Chief Minister,Prem Kumar Dhumal. An estranged lieutenant of former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram,Thakur,a five-time MLA,has distinction of winning all his elections on different party tickets and symbols. His last election,in 2007,was on the BJP ticket. Till just a few months back,questions were being asked whether the BJP will give him ticket in the coming elections,but now he is more confident about his future than two other Dhumal loyalists - ministers Rajeev Bindal and Ravinder Ravi. Both have lost their constituencies after the delimitation.
