Tried once, shy now

Lok Sabha polls are unlikely to see a repeat of the move which not just ended up attracting more attention to covered statues.

Having drawn widespread criticism for its decision to get statues of BSP chief Mayawati and elephants (her party’s symbol) covered during the 2012 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission appears to have grown wiser. The Lok Sabha polls are unlikely to see a repeat of the move which not just ended up attracting more attention to the covered statues, defeating the very purpose of the exercise, but also resulted in a lot of public money going down the drain. “It was a silly idea in the first place. Nobody is even thinking about exploring it again,” an EC official said.

POSERS FOR PANEL

With Ramvilas Paswan’s LJP tying up with the BJP after having waited endlessly for the signal from the Congress on the seat-sharing formula in Bihar, some Congress leaders are questioning the delay in finalising alliances by the high command. With elections drawing close, many are wondering why the A K Antony Committee on pre-poll alliances is taking so much time in taking decisions despite the fact that it was not spoilt for choices. So much so that one of the senior general secretaries said the Antony Committee has become “antheen (endless)” committee.

POLL OUTING

Former member of Rahul Gandhi’s youth brigade and now a general secretary of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Mahua Moitra is expected to get a chance to contest the Lok Sabha election from West Bengal. While this could be the first big political exposure for the young party functionary, her outing would be a tough one as she is likely to be fielded in one of the constituencies from Murshidabad district, state PCC chief Adhir Chowdhury’s bastion. The TMC’s trade union leader Dola Sen’s and prominent theatre personality Arpita Ghosh’s names are also doing the rounds for other constituencies. While most of the sitting MPs might get tickets, former Union minister C M Jatua might opt out due to health reasons.

FULL HOUSE

The monthly meeting of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) Friday saw a 100 per cent attendance with all 11 members present, something that has not happened in a while. At the meeting, NAC’s working groups made presentations on innovative agricultural extensions and welfare of plantation labour. While the press release later stated that the next NAC meet is scheduled for the last week of March, Friday’s meeting could well have been the last meet of this body on any substantive issue with the Lok Sabha elections due to be announced anytime now.

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