Lucknownama

Calling it a day?MunnaBhai Chale Videsh. No,this is not the title of a new Sanjay Dutt starrer. After his brief stint in politics,the actor is leaving for an almost eight-month tour of US and Europe for completing the shooting of the films he had signed before joining the Samajwadi Party. The court has granted him […]

Calling it a day?
MunnaBhai Chale Videsh. No,this is not the title of a new Sanjay Dutt starrer. After his brief stint in politics,the actor is leaving for an almost eight-month tour of US and Europe for completing the shooting of the films he had signed before joining the Samajwadi Party. The court has granted him the permission for the same. But the SP and his mentor Amar Singh are reportedly not pleased with the actors decision to leave India in the middle of an election campaign. Sources close to the actor,however,say that he has had enough of politics and now wants to concentrate on his work. Several FIRs had been lodged against him for making speeches offering pappi and jhappi to Chief Minister Mayawati. And it does seem to be better to be out of harms way until the dust settles after the elections.

Turning off the taps
BSPs Lucknow candidate Akhilesh Das is proud of his social work bonfires in winter and drinking water kiosks in summer. Last summer,his drinking water kiosks had come up all over the city,embellished with photos of Das and his party president. This time,however,the water kiosks are nowhere to be seen although the day temperature has crossed 40 degrees Celsius. Does it have something to do with the code of conduct. Or,does Das see no use for charity now when the votes have been cast and sealed in EVMs?

For forms sake
The Opposition parties have been critical of the deployment of Provincial Armed Constabulary for the safety of EVMs. From their statements,it appears that they suspect that the PAC is susceptible to the state governments influence and could,probably,become a tool for mischief. But their action does not bear out their stance. In Lucknow,Congress,BJP and even the BSP had obtained permission from the District Electoral Officer to post their agents outside the Central Warehousing Corporation building in Rajajipuram and the Government Polytechnic at Faizabad Road,where the EVMs are stored. But no agent of any party can actually be seen there. It does seem that they do not really believe what they say.

In anticipation
The Amar Singh-Azam Khan spat has revived hopes of some Muslim leaders who could never get close to Mulayam Singh Yadav so long as the Pathan of Rampur occupied the Muslim slot in the top echelons of the Samajwadi Party. These leaders now hope that the fate of Azam Khan is sealed and his exit from the party a certainty. Prominent among them is a leader associated with the Babri Masjid movement who was a claimant to a Rajya Sabha seat,but Azam Khan had blocked his way. Frustrated,he shifted his loyalty to the BSP. Last year,he had played an important role in putting together a delegation of Muslim clerics that called on Chief Minister Mayawati and praised her for opposing the India-US nuclear deal. Now,he is keen to grab the opportunity,but the Samajwadi Party is in no hurry because the elections are almost over.

Not cricket
With the onset of school vacation,cricket academies have started their summer camps. Some of them have come up with a new way to capitalise on the craze for cricket,organising international tours for budding cricketers. Former Ranji player and office-bearer of the Avadh Sky Sports Academy,Obaid Kamal,though,sounds a note of caution. Parents and players should check out whether an academy is selecting its teams on basis of merit or money. International exposure in such a trip is helpful only to genuine players. Moreover,I do not get the idea behind sending your child for tourneys or festival matches which are not recognised by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and the BCCI, he says.

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