Delhi Confidential: Kochi Connect

AS THE three-member Election Commission reached Kochi on Thursday ahead of its meeting to review Kerala Assembly election preparations, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar held a 45-minute interaction over tea with a familiar group of officials. Kumar, a retired Kerala-cadre IAS officer, was posted in Ernakulam as District Collector from 2001-2004. The CEC spoke to the group in Malayalam, reminiscing the experience of working with them, it is learnt. The group, which met the CEC at a hotel in Kochi, included officials as well as the personal security officer and the driver assigned to him during his tenure as DC.

Colours & Chaos

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited the AICC office on Akbar Road to play Holi with party leaders and workers. On his arrival, excited party workers jostled with each other to play colours with Gandhi, making it difficult for the organisers to manage the crowd. As a result, Gandhi, who was supposed to stay at the office for around 45 minutes, left the premises in just 15 minutes, said sources. The incident upset many party leaders who blamed the organisers for the lack of planning and crowd management during the senior leader’s visit.

Musical Holi

North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari was a busy man on Holi. The BJP leader participated in almost half-a-dozen Holi Milan programmes, including one he hosted at his official residence in the Capital, on Wednesday. The highlight of the events remained the Bhojpuri singer-actor’s song touching upon current issues such as India’s resilience in the face of the ongoing war in West Asia, the state of politics in the country and questions around the capability of non-BJP leaders including LoP Rahul Gandhi. Later in the day, Tiwari flew back to Bihar and drove down a newly constructed highway to reach his village, Attarwalia in Kaimur district. He concluded his Holi celebrations with a musical performance amid extended family members, friends and neighbours he grew up with before joining film and politics.