Lucknownama

Odd one out
Actress Nagma was the odd person out in the crowd of ministers,MPs and Congress leaders present on the stage when Rahul Gandhi flagged off the Congress yatras at Ambedkarnagar.

Before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival,Nagma also addressed the crowd. Explaining her presence on the dias,a party leader said Nagma had been working for the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Since she has acted in several Bhojpuri movies,she is a familiar face in that part of the state and chose it as her area of political work. Therefore,it was decided to give her a place on the dias and also a chance to address the gathering. In her brief speech,Nagma urged the party workers to work for attaining the Congress’s 2012 mission in Uttar Pradesh.

Diggy missing
One notable person missing at the launch of the yatras was Digvijay Singh,AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh,who was involved in planning the yatras. Singh was in US on a personal visit,reportedly occasioned by a medical exigency in the family. Nevertheless,he has found a way to connect with the event. A two-page letter from Singh has reached party workers,explaining the importance of the yatras and asking them to work whole-heartedly for their success. Party sources say this is also an attempt by Singh to set at rest the rumours that all is not well between him and the high command after his article criticising Home Minister P Chidambaram for his handling of the Naxal issue appeared in a newspaper.

If only Vastu helps BJP
After its poor show in the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections,the BJP wants to leave no stone unturned in the run-up to the next Assembly election. It is even taking the help of Vastu Shastra. Recently,the main entrance of the party headquarters,which faces the Vidhan Sabha,was reopened and the side gate,which opens towards Janpath Market and Darul Shafa,was closed. Instructions have been issued that vehicles should be parked in a manner that the main entrance is always free of any obstacles. Party sources said a Vastu expert had advised that the entrance of the office should be such that the shadow of the Vidhan Sabha building falls there. The front entrance meets this criterion.

No takers
The Ansari brothers,who have ruled over Ghazipur for the last two decades,had never faced such a situation before. The BSP has disowned them and the SP,their old party,is not interested in their home coming. As for the Congress and the BJP,neither will ever accept them. SP sources said that they were not interested even in Sibgatullah Ansari,who is actually a SP MLA from Mohammadbad. For,Sibgatullah had campaigned not for the party,but for his brother Mukhtar Ansari when the BSP had fielded him in the Lok Sabha election from Varanasi.

History repeated
What does former additional cabinet secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey’s posting as Principal Secretary at CM’s residence mean? According to the political grapevine,it is meant to send out a signal that the regime is not hounding a Brahmin officer. If true,Mayawati is repeating history. Mulayam Singh Yadav,during his first stint as CM in 1989,had appointed Nripendra Mishra as his principal secretary. Within a year,Mishra fell out of favour. But Mulayam Singh,instead of showing him the door,decided to marginalise him. Mishra had his office on the hallowed fifth floor of the secretariat annexe,but no work.

AMU probe panel’s demands
As the probe against the AMU Vice-Chancellor,P K Abdul Aziz,on a number of allegations goes on,the second committee to look into these charges,which comprises two retired judges,has been giving the HRD Ministry a difficult time.

It is learnt that the committee members demanded all the privileges of an acting judge. A reluctant ministry finally agreed to the demand,and accorded approval for all the benefits,including a red-beacon car,attendants and security guards.