Lucknownama

The Samajwadi Party has drawn some lessons from the drubbing it got from the electorate in the by-elections.

SP learning mode
The Samajwadi Party has drawn some lessons from the drubbing it got from the electorate in the by-elections. It will now curb the myriad power centres that have sprung up around the brothers,son and nephew of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and general secretary Amar Singh. Instead,the party will try to develop a unified command and control structure. The wings of the coterie around the SP chief in the Yadav belt,particularly in Etawah,will be clipped. Netaji will now be more accessible to party leaders and a process for maintaining regular consultation with the rank and file is being worked out. Ram Naresh Yadav,MLC and known as mini-CM in Etawah,is blamed for the ignominy of the crushing defeat of the party in Etawah. Mahendra Singh Rajput,who was elected on SP ticket from Etawah twice and was a confidant of Mulayam,had to leave the party after he was assaulted by Ram Naresh Yadav over a land deal. Some district presidents close to leader of Opposition Shivpal Singh Yadav,who are involved in running battles with party MLAs and MPs,are also under the scanner. But reforming a party that runs like a family concern is not easy. How far the SP succeeds will be evident when the candidates for the forthcoming election to the Legislative Council from the local bodies’ constituency are announced.

Going,going…
The defeat of BSP candidate Abhinav Mishra in Lucknow West has shocked the Satish Chandra Mishra camp. He was the only candidate that Mishra had recommended,said a source in the BSP. The camp is worried that this would further reduce Mishra’s clout. Already,Mayawati has taken away all political work from Mishra. The State Advisory Council,which Mishra still heads,is virtually defunct. Those close to Mishra are blaming Urban Development Minister Nakul Dubey. They say that Mishra made the recommendation on the basis of feedback from Dubey,who is from Lucknow.

Like father,like son
The BSP MP from Jaunpur,Dhananjay Singh,is feeling elated since his father Rajdeo Singh won the Assembly by-election from Rari. The day Rajdeo Singh took the oath of membership,Dhananjay compared his father and himself with Congress veteran Kamlapati Tripathi and his son Lokpati. He said that after the Tripathis,they were the only father-son duo to be elected to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly at the same time. Some senior politicians present around found it amusing. For while Kamlapati Tripathi was known for his erudition,his son was a different breed of politician from the crop of criminals-turned-politicians that has come up under the partronage of Mulayam Singh and Mayawati. Dhananjay is a history-sheeter in Jaunpur,and Rajdeo Singh does not come anywhere close to Kamlapati Tripathi.

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Celebrating in office
Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma and municipal corporation authorities are celebrating the completion of three years of their term from November 14 to 17. As part of the celebrations,sanitation and cleanliness drives have been launched and cultural programmes are being organised. At a press conference,the Mayor highlighted the achievements of LMC under his stewardship. Among these were development of Kanha Upwan and Nandi Shala for stray animals,the LMC opening its own engineering and management colleges in Lucknow,and exemption given to private nursing homes and the schools from house tax. But the fact is that Kanha Upwan and Nandi Shala,though announced in 2007,are still far from completion. Work has not even started on the proposed engineering and management colleges. The proposal for house tax exemption for nursing homes and schools was approved two years ago,but is yet to be implemented.

The sorry state
An event like the Asian Table Tennis Championship,which is beginning on Monday,should be a matter of pride for everyone associated with it. For some,however,it is chalta hai,doesn’t matter if it spoils the good work. On Sunday,foreign players and coaches complained about mosquito menace and the absence of air-conditioning in the practice hall that has been set up adjacent to the main hall. Coach of Uzbekistan team,Tsoy Georgi,said: We are happy with other arrangements,but there are mosquitoes in the practice area. Besides,it is quite hot here but there are no ACs. Around 6 pm,fogging was done,bringing the practice session to a halt midway. Remarked an official: Had Delhi not been busy with the Commonwealth Games preparations,they would never have got this event. Obviously,some people do not know how to make use of an opportunity to project the city as a sports centre.

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