Lucknownama

State BSP president Swami Prasad Maurya has been particularly unlucky. First,he lost the assembly election in 2007 and then the Lok Sabha election.

Unlucky Maurya
State BSP president Swami Prasad Maurya has been particularly unlucky. First,he lost the assembly election in 2007 and then the Lok Sabha election. Since Mayawati did not renominate him to the Legislative Council,he had to resign as co-operative minister. In the party,he doesnt seem to have much to do. In fact,there is talk that he may be replaced by a younger man,now that even Mulayam Singh Yadav has passed on the baton to his son. Some in the BSP have started eyeing his bungalow on Kalidas Marg close to the chief ministers residence. But there are those who believe that Maurya still has a chance: he may be named as BSP candidate for the Padrauna assembly by-poll. It is a different matter that winning a seat vacated by newly elected Congress parliamentarian R P N Singh who has become a minister at the Centre will be a tall order. But then the date for by-poll has not yet been fixed,and a few months is a long time in politics.

Winning candidate
Before its victory in the Lok Sabha elections,the Congress used to have difficulty finding good candidates in certain constituencies. Now as many as 43 claimants want the Congress ticket for the Lucknow West assembly seat,vacated by BJPs Lalji Tandon after his election to the Lok Sabha. That is not the only change. A party leader said,In the past,we used to select a candidate who had the capability to get more votes than the other claimants. This time,we are looking for a candidate who can win. The claimants are also more confident this time. Unlike in the past,when candidates would base their claims only on relative merits vis-à-vis others,this time each is backing his claim with arguments on how he has the best chance of winning.

Gone in hiding
The current scrutiny of various departments,which began after the BSPs unimpressive show in the elections,is aimed at improving their functioning. But it is also having an undesirable effect. Officials known for coming up with good ideas have been lying low,just to avoid getting into the line of fire. Dont ask about anything new,we all trying to save our necks. The scene is very bad and there is no point putting oneself in the limelight at the wrong time, said an official in the Health department. Right now,our focus is to ensure clean hospitals,presence of doctors and proper implementation of Janani Suraksha Yojana, he added. An official of the Education department said: Arre,roj dhuan-dhar pard rahi hai. Hari to BSP hai par halat hum logon ki kharab ki ja rahi hai. The general consensus dont act smart,keep quiet and wait for the storm to pass.

Boards: age no bar
Not all candidates of the UP Board High School examination were young boys and girls. There were parents and grandparents as well. Raju Kannaujia appeared for the Class X exam with her son Ashish at Hanumant Dutt Inter College in Phaphamau. While 44-year-old Raju got 281 out of 500 marks,Ashish (17) scored 330. Raju,who got her husbands job after his death,needed to pass the exam to get a departmental promotion. Sixty-seven-year-old cobbler Jabbar Hussain tried and failed for the 44th time. I am weak in English and science and cannot afford coaching,but I will keep trying till I die. I am preparing for the 2010 exams, said a determined Hussain,who enrolled as a private student. He has preserved all the marksheets,but failed to keep his marriage that broke because of his strange obsession.

All for chanawala
Mannu Dada Chanewala Memorial Under-14 Cricket Tournament is going on at the Preksha Grah Grounds in Chowk these days. Who was Munnu dada chan-ewale? As the name suggests,he was Chana jor garam seller at the Chowk stadium and nearby grounds for almost 50 years until he died about two years ago. He was popular among the players due to his affable nature and could often be seen cracking jokes,gossiping with them. Organising secretary Arshi Raza said,Munnu dada was a great sports lover and we will hold tourneys in his name in the coming years as well. This is the second consecutive year that the Lucknow Cricket Academy has organised their summer tournament in his name.

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