Delhi Confidential: On song

Ahead of the second phase of polling in Bihar on November 11, BJP MP and star campaigner Manoj Tiwari has released another song for the NDA — ‘Ee Bihar Ba’ — highlighting the key infrastructural projects which materialised under the Nitish Kumar government as well as the intra-alliance camaraderie in the state, party insiders said. The Bhojpuri singer-actor who had released his song ‘Haan hum Bihari hain ji’ soon after being named one of the BJP’s star campaigners, is said to have composed the lyrics of the second song based on his experience during campaigning which he began in late October.

Stand-alone

A month after his nomination to the Upper House by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab industrialist Rajinder Gupta on Thursday took the oath of office in Punjabi. Interestingly, while BJP’s newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma took the oath in the presence of party leaders and Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, Gupta didn’t have anyone from his party rooting for him in the Parliament House. The Trident Group chairman is also a Padma Shri awardee. His candidature came amid speculation regarding the possibility of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal entering Parliament through the Rajya Sabha.

COP for it

After skipping last year’s United Nations global climate talks, also known as Conference of the Parties (COP), in Baku, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav will be in Belem, Brazil, later this month leading India’s contingent in the second half of the conference. The world leaders’ summit has already begun Thursday and India is being represented by its envoy to Brazil. Yadav, who had earlier this year skipped the crucial UN Plastics Treaty talks, is all set to helm the Indian delegation at the Brazil conference being held in a region known as the gateway to the Amazon.