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The buzz in the Congress these days is about a telephonic conversation that Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari had with Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Amethi last week.

Who spoke to Boss?
The buzz in the Congress these days is about a telephonic conversation that Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari had with Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Amethi last week. Since Tiwari and state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi do not get along well,the telephonic talk has come handy to the anti-Joshi camp. One of the leaders said Rahul spoke to Tiwari,but refused to meet Joshi. Another said Rahul spoke to Tiwari for half-an-hour and they discussed important political issues. But the fact is: Tiwari is the one who made the call and not Rahul. WhileTiwari did most of the talking,Rahul listened and the conversation lasted for less than 15 minutes. Nobody knows what the two discussed,said a leader,but if Tiwaris idea was to fuel the rumour mill,then he has succeeded. The party headquarters is in no mood to intervene in the petty fights in the state, said the leader.

Mastering the trade
DGP Karamvir Singh seems to be doing well in learning the art of dealing with the babus. In the last few months,there have been no large-scale transfers of IPS officers. A list was sent to the CMO about two months ago,but nothing has happened as yet. As it stands,21 PPS officers have been inducted as IPS,15 IPS officers of 1994 batch have been promoted from the SSP rank to DIG and IPS officers of 2006 batch have got the SP rank. All of them are keen on getting their new posting. Some are desperate and have godfathers who can pull the strings. But the DGP is against piecemeal transfers. He wants that changes should be made at one go after the promotions from DIG to IG rank is cleared,which is expected shortly.

Close watch on rivals
The ruling BSP is keeping a close watch on the developments in the rival camp Samajwadi Party. The BSP boss has alerted organisational leaders at the grassroots level to pull up their socks as the SP,after severing ties with Amar Singh,is desperate to regain its lost ground. BSP strategists believe that SP may become a formidable force by 2012. The Congress,which had done well in the Lok Sabha elections,has also been trying to spread its influence. Behanji has called a meeting of party legislators and leaders after the budget session to talk about the future agenda of the party. The MLAs will be asked to concentrate on their constituencies and ensure that the benefits of the government schemes,launched on the last two birthdays of Mayawati,actually reach the people. A minor reshuffle of the Cabinet is also on the cards. The fifth floor of the secretariat annexe has been directed to pay greater attention to the petitions and recommendation sent by ruling party MLAs.

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Mulayam introspecting?
The defeat of Dimple Yadav in the Firozabad Lok Sabha by-election continues to haunt the Samajwadi Party. Amar Singh had blamed it on the overconfidence of party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and Dimples husband Akhilesh Yadav. Now Mulayam Singh has come out with his own explanation. Last week,when some people from Firozabad and Agra visited the SP office,Mulayam Singh reportedly told them: I know why you were angry. Akhilesh should have taken your consent before resigning the Firozabad seat. Akhilesh was elected from Firozabad and Kannauj in May last year,and it was his resignation from Firozabad which caused the by-election. Mulayam Singh told the visitors that,in 2004,when he was elected from Badaun and Mainpuri,he had addressed several public meetings in Mainpuri to explain his decision to resign that seat. What Mulayam Singh has said is at variance with Akhilesh Yadavs explanation: he had blamed the relatives for his wifes defeat. So what has actually happened? Let father and son resolve the issue.

Amar back home,signs film
Amid the political battle he is fighting against his colleagues in Samajwadi Party,Amar Singh has signed a Malayalam film in which he will play the role of a music director. In a post,Mr Khan My Name is Amar Singh,on his blog Amar Singh has revealed that his heartthrob of Bobby days Dimple Kapadia has agreed to play the role of his wife.

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