Lucknownama

vision Trouble

Rita Bahuguna Joshi is a little upset. For,Raj Babbar,the Firozabad MP,is now reportedly eyeing Lucknow. Sources said he is in touch with some local leaders and taking their feedback for contesting the next Lok Sabha election. Joshi believes she has a rightful claim on Lucknow. She had contested in 2009 and ended up as the runner-up after Lalji Tandon of the BJP,although her candidature was announced at the last minute. She may have since become an MLA from Lucknow Cantt,but she has been preparing to contest the Lok Sabha election.

Hopes dashed

Samajwadi Party has brought out a collection of the speeches of Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Lok Sabha. A stall has been put up inside the party office,with the volumes stacked there,hoping that these will sell like hot cakes. A signboard has also been erected for the benefit of visiting party workers. Unfortunately,there are few buyers. Last heard,the party was thinking of winding up the stall.

Rumour put to rest

Recently,Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav,who hails from Azamgarh,went to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon for a check-up. But the word spread in Lucknow that Yadav had suffered a heart attack. One Hindi daily even carried the ‘news’. The Raj Bhawan in Bhopal was flooded with telephone calls,mostly from Congressmen in UP. Tired of explaining to individuals,Yadav asked his friend and veteran Congress leader Ram Krishna Dwivedi for help. Dwivedi issued a statement,informing that Yadav’s visit to Medanta was for a routine check-up and that he was in his best of health.

Cut on cut-money

Remember PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav’s statement that officers can ‘steal a little’ provided they work for the welfare of the people? Now,he claims to have stopped payment of commission in development works at higher levels in his department. Speaking at a function on the foundation day of the UP State Bridge Corporation,Shivpal said,“I have stopped the commission at higher levels. But I am not aware about the lower level. A K Gupta (who is the MD of the corporation) can tell this better.” Gupta,who sat on the dais,just lowered his eyes and smiled.

Extending a hand?

Many were taken by surprise when the state’s Information Department issued a press release on a review meeting of Shakshar Bharat Mission,which was taken by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jitin Prasada in Lucknow last week. It was after a very long time that a union minister was extended this courtesy by the state government. This might have gone unnoticed by SP leaders,but has caught the eye of some Congress leaders who are trying to read the hidden political meaning.

Going Vastu-wise

The BJP headquarters here is undergoing ‘shuddhikaran’. The office of the traders cell has been vacated for performing daily rituals because it is located at the north-eastern corner of the building which,according to Vastushastra,is the most appropriate spot for carrying out the exercise. It started on April 11 with the beginning of the Navratris and will conclude with a Havan on the last day of Navratris. Sources said it is being done for good luck of the party and state president Laxmikant Bajpai who completed one year in office on April 13. A party leader explained that Bajpai was initially successful when the party did well in local body elections. Later,however,it failed to field a candidate in the Kannauj Lok Sabha by-election and fared badly in the Bhatpar Rani Assembly by-election. Shuddhikaran is expected to free the party of evil influences as it prepares for the Lok Sabha elections.

Left jobless,postless

Ram Lakhan Pasi has been spitting venom after expulsion from the BSP,which had promised to field him in the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli. He has alleged that he was expelled because he failed to fulfil the BSP’s demands for money. He has also accused Mayawati of striking a deal with Congress president Sonia Gandhi to help in her constituency. Allegations aside,Pasi has a very genuine grievance: the BSP made him leave his job of more than Rs 70,000 per month in Stamp and Registration Department more than a year before he was due to retire.