DISSENTING VOICE

Congress Working Committee member Anil Shastri has hit out at the move on Twitter saying any change at this time is not desirable.

While the Congress officially remained tight-lipped about the discussions on leadership change in three states, senior leader and Congress Working Committee member Anil Shastri has hit out at the move on Twitter saying any change at this time is not desirable. Not just that. He feels the A K Antony panel — which is looking into the reasons for the rout in the Lok Sabha election and the way ahead — must also move out of Delhi to introspect. “Changing CMs a few months before assembly elections will not serve any purpose. It should’ve been done at least a year ago,” Shastri tweeted. “Will a new CM make a difference when people have by and large made up their mind who to vote for?” another tweet said. He said the Congress panel taking feedback from leaders in Delhi will not suffice. “It should move out to districts & meet Congress workers.”

SWEATING IT OUT

Unlike in the previous regime when ministers would leave Delhi heat in search of cooler climes, NDA ministers are staying put in the Capital doing the 9 to 6 grind, although Health Minister Harsh Vardhan is headed to the US for an official trip. Amid speculation about the fate of three Congress chief ministers, party president Sonia Gandhi Monday left for a four-day summer break at Kaushani in Uttarakhand. Her departure came after vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s return from abroad. Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjee has cancelled his summer retreat to Shimla. No specific reason has been given for the cancellation though.

MINISTER FIRST

With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj headed to her first visit to Bangladesh this week, the visit of Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami to hold secretary-level talks has been shelved. Goswami was scheduled to visit Bangladesh this week to discuss land boundary agreement and terror mechanism. However, with Swaraj going to meet her counterpart in Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs asked the Home Ministry to reschedule the visit at a later date. The last minute change in itinerary caught the Home Ministry officials unawares as they had finalised the agenda note for Goswami and his entourage.

TAKING CHARGE

Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation and Panchayati Raj Nitin Gadkari cleared the appointment of Ajit Balaji Joshi from the Haryana cadre as his PS on June 20 with “immediate effect”. Joshi, a 2003 batch IAS officer, is currently posted as Deputy Commissioner, Panipat, and was seen in the Rural Development Ministry on Monday.

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