Lucknow Nama: Car-ried away

The Samajwadi Kranti Rath,in which Akhilesh Yadav criss-crossed the state,may roll out once again. Hundreds of photographs and videos were shot during the rath’s five-month journey,which began in September 2011,and many of these found a place in the party’s website,but the story is incomplete. Now things are being readied for the final Kodak moment. The plan is to take the rath on a journey from Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence on Vikramaditya Marg to 5,Kalidas Marg,the official residence of the CM. There,a picture will be clicked,with Akhilesh and his close group on the vehicle,and the CM bungalow’s in the backdrop,to complete the story.

Suitable addresses

As in the past,bungalow number 3 on Vikramaditya Marg and bungalow number 6 on Kalidas Marg will remain two important power centres of the government. In the previous regime,Naseemuddin Siddiqui,who was the most powerful minister of the Mayawati government,occupied 3,Vikramaditya Marg,while Babu Singh Kushwaha stayed in 6,Kalidas Marg. Now,Azam Khan has been allotted the first and Shivpal Yadav the second bungalow. Khan was keen on 3,Vikramaditya Marg because this will make him a neighbour of Mulayam Singh,who stays at 5,Vikramaditya Marg. Shivpal,on the other hand,becomes a neighbour of the Chief Minister. Incidentally,Siddiqui had requested the government to allot him 11 Mall Avenue in his capacity as Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. He chose this bungalow,apparently because 12,Mall Avenue is the BSP headquarters while 13,Mall Avenue is Mayawati’s residence. But the government turned down his request.

Chamber No. 67

Chamber number 67,which cabinet minister Raja Anand Singh has been allotted in the Secretariat,has a dubious history. Old-timers say that those allotted this chamber rarely complete their tenure. The last occupant was Babu Singh Kushwaha,whom Mayawati asked to resign in April last year after the murder of CMOs. Earlier,Munna Singh Chauhan,Merajuddin,Ram Pyare Singh and Brahma Dutt Dviwedi were allotted chamber 67,but all had to quit before completing their term.

Powerless & confused

The Congress does not know where to start a review of its dismal performance in the elections. The campaign was managed by the Congress office in Delhi,observers appointed by Rahul Gandhi personally supervised it. Rahul Gandhi led the campaign from the front,but party candidates in Amethi,or for that matter in his mother Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli,did badly. Even Priyanka Gandhi failed to pull votes. To be fair and meaningful,a review must dissect all this. But when was the last time that the party subjected scions of the Nehru-Gandhi family to a critical examination?

Divided loyality

Selection of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s old loyalists for the CM’s Secretariat seems to have created a divide in the pro-SP lobby in the bureaucracy. Soon after the SP got a majority,there were enough indications that 1990 batch IAS officer Anita Singh,who had served as secretary to Mulayam Singh Yadav in the previous SP regime,would have a key place in Akhilesh Yadav’s government. Many officers harboured the belief that new,fresh faces would be included in the CM’s Secretariat under Anita Singh. But they were soon disappointed. Sources said that in order to create a balance,the other group has been promised changes in the CM secretariat after a few months.

Linking park

With the change of guard,maintaining the Lohia Park has become top priority of the Lucknow Development Authority. In the BSP regime,a staff of 40 was allocated for the park and their job was to maintain the greenery. Now,the number has been doubled to ensure regular repair and maintenance of the lights,walking tracks and Lohia’s statue. On March 15,thinking that Akhilesh Yadav may visit the park after taking oath,LDA bosses deployed a large number of workers to ensure that everything was in perfect condition. Manpower was even diverted from Ambedkar Memorial,which was unthinkable before.

Reaping rewards

The conduct of peaceful Assembly elections,with the highest-ever turn-out of voters in the country’s most-populated state,has brought a reward for Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha. He has been included in a four-member Election Commission delegation that is participating in a conference on electoral reforms in Jordan; the other three are all from the Election Commission,with Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi in the lead. Officials said that Sinha had been selected to share his experience and help in electoral reforms in Jordan.