Lucknownama

Her obvious calculation was that her partymen all over would undertake maximum mobilisation to make an impression,just in case she decided to visit their area. For the officials,it meant keeping the helipads ready and making other arrangements for the Chief Minister. Some officers inquired from Lucknow about her programme,but got no help. Mayawati got onto a helicopter,did an aerial survey of some places and returned to Lucknow without landing anywhere. So long as she was airborne,DMs and SPs all over the state,and also the BSP men,were on the tenterhooks. BSP’s next programme of statewide demonstrations against the Women’s Reservation Bill is scheduled for April 14. Mayawati has again told her partymen that she could make surprise visits. Adding that the CM’s helicopter may make a landing this time instead of remaining airborne right through,an officer said: “If she does not (make the visit),such announcements will not have much effect in the future.”

‘Son’rise in Bundelkhand
It is now the turn of Rajnath Singh’s son,Pankaj Singh,to focus on Bundelkhand. Soon,he is going to undertake an extensive tour of the region to mobilise the youth and get first hand knowledge of the problems faced by the people there. “There are important issues in the region,which were addressed with different schemes during my father’s tenure as chief minister. But today,those schemes are practically dead. I will try to bring the youth together in the area to look at the issues more closely and work at finding solutions,” said Pankaj Singh. Sounds impressive! But a party leader said there was more to it. Rajnath Singh has for long been trying to find a suitable platform for his son. He hopes that Pankaj’s Bundelkhand foray will help him in the task. The field is wide open because the party has no MLA or MP in the region.

SP’s ringtone alert
Samajwadi Party now has a ringtone — “Yeh Samajwadi jhanda,itihas liye balidano ka,Isme dikhta hai sapna Lohia,Gandhi ke armano ka,” goes the lyrics of the song,which has been sung by Sonu Nigam. As of now,you can hear it on select phones. Party sources said it was the idea of state president,Akhilesh Yadav,who noticed that the Congress ring tone of “Jai ho”,launched at the time of the Lok Sabha elections last year,had become popular with the youth. Akhilesh reportedly first discussed the idea with his father,Mulayam Singh,and his former teacher,Uday Pratap Singh,who seemed impressed with the idea and chose to pen the lyrics. Soon,every SP leader will be expected to have the ringtone on his phone.