Delhi confidential: Opposing tie-up

While Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party’s chief Bhim Singh is keen to have an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is said to be opposing the tie-up. Azad apparently has still not forgiven Bhim Singh for contesting against him from Udhampur in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. At that time, Azad is said to have made repeated overtures to Bhim Singh not to contest. The seat was eventually won by Jitender Singh, now a minister in Narendra Modi cabinet. Congress leaders say if Azad relents, there can be a beneficial tie up with the Panthers Party which had nearly 4 per cent vote share in the last state elections.

CONNECTIVITY ISSUES
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, during his visit to Monaco to attend the Interpol conference, was facing connectivity problems. Singh’s office was unable to exchange e-mails and photographs of the conference being held in Monaco on a real time basis due to Internet connectivity problems in the small European country. Sometimes his staff had to wait for hours to send any communication to his Delhi office. Giving him company in Monaco was CBI director Ranjit Sinha.

DAMAGE CONTROL
After cancelling the India-Africa Forum summit over fears of Ebola, South Block is now engaged in a damage-control exercise. The message sent out to the African leaders is that they are most welcome to visit India at their own sweet will. And to begin with, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday met with leaders from South Africa and Coté d’Ivoire. While she met PM Daniel Kalian Duncan of Cote d’Ivoire, she also held talks with South Africa’s Minister for Human Settlements Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu. New Delhi had faced flak over cancellation of the marquee event, which was scheduled for December this year.

MIDNIGHT TRANSFERS
Senior bureaucrats are these days keeping a midnight vigil on the DoPT website to know their fates. Largescale bureaucratic reshuffle are these days announced late at night. On Monday night, the government issued orders for transfer of 26 senior officials close to 11 pm. On each of three earlier occasions as well when mass transfers were made, the announcement was made very late at night.