Lucknownama: Durbar intrigues

The SP government wanted to accord the status of state guest to Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali al Ghamidi,the imam from Kaba,who is now visiting Lucknow. But after the officials pointed out that a foreigner could not be declared a state guest without clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs,the idea was dropped. However,the government did not leave any chance to make the imam feel special. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav personally received him at the airport and hosted a dinner,the cleric was given VIP security,a minister was in attendance at all his public programmes,and roads were laid afresh where the Imam’s caravan passed — the courtesies which only a few visitors get.

Blessing in disguise

The Supreme Court judgement quashing reservation in promotion has come as a blessing for the SP government. Though the party was sympathetic to non-SC employees’ viewpoint that the policy was discriminatory,it did not want to do anything which would give BSP president Mayawati a handle to paint it as anti-Dalit. The Supreme Court decision gave it the justification to scrap the promotion policy. A draft ordinance was passed by the cabinet through circulation and sent to the Governor for his assent. “Now if Mayawati wants a change,let her argue with the UPA government to amend the Constitution. We have only implemented the Supreme Court’s decision,” said a senior SP leader.

Uma Bharti may have been the BJP’s candidate for chief ministership in UP,and she has been in the party now for almost one year,but there is still no place for her in the organisation,either in Delhi or in Lucknow. Recently,former state president Surya Pratap Shahi and vice-president Kalraj Mishra were inducted in the national executive,but not Uma Bharti. Nor has she been inducted into the state executive,although people like Pankaj Singh and Parshuram Kushwaha were included. Asked about her absence at a meeting of the party’s core committee last week,state president Laxmikant Bajpai gave a cryptic reply,“Members of the core committee were present’’. Obviously,Uma Bharti is not a member of the core committee. On her part,Uma Bharti has not visited the party headquarters after the elections,although she still has an office there.

Shifting allegiance!

Two months after his victory from Rasra in Ballia,BSP MLA Umashankar Singh is still waiting to get possession of the house which the Estate Department had allotted him. The house in Vidhayak Niwas is still occupied by Ghura Ram,former BSP MLA from Rasra,who was denied ticket by the party and therefor contested against Singh as a rebel. Sources said the revolt brought Ghura Ram closer to the ruling Samajwadi Party. So the government,which acted promptly to vacate the government bungalows of former cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh and former principal secretary (home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur,is in no hurry to evict Ghura Ram.