Delhi underground

With less than a week left before the polling day, politicos are trying to visit every part of their constituency as soon as possible.

After dark confusion
With less than a week left before the polling day, politicos are trying to visit every part of their constituency as soon as possible. In an effort to squeeze in as many colonies as possible their day8217;s schedule, they end up reaching some after dark. For most residents, who do not bother to come down from their flats, it is hard to make out whether it is a BJP or a Congress candidate. They can only see flags or candidates drowned in marigold garlands walking amid deafening drumbeats.

Delay after delay
The judiciary battling a huge pendency of cases no longer makes news. But there are times when investigating agencies act in such a lackadaisical manner that the judges are 8220;shocked8221;. During a recent hearing at a special court at Karkardooma, a judge was forced to criticise the CBI and express displeasure over repeated adjournments in a case over a 8220;technical8221; impediment. An audiotape was to be played in the court and the elite investigating agency had failed to bring the cassette player for the second time despite its promise to the judge on the previous occasion.

Precious degrees
Gone are the days when they wanted brides to be beautiful, it seems. At least in the city where getting a seat in nursery in a prestigious schools is nothing short of war, post-graduate degrees of parents can get them extra points. On the blog nurseryadmissions. com, a parent pasted the picture of a model on his profile. Another asked if the gorgeous woman was his wife. He replied: 8220;My wife can get me more points for nursery admissions than that model. She is an MBA.8221;

A mere 8216;Spyder8217;
Blogosphere is full of weird names. Parents seeking admission for their children in top schools discuss donations, ideologies and why the education system must be reformed but under pseudonyms like 8220;Spyder8221; or 8220;tan998221;. 8220;We don8217;t want the principals to know who we are,8221; one such parent, said. Principals can draw comfort from the fact that parents wouldn8217;t dare to file an RTI. Very few parents want to appear on TV to talk of their problems. At least in this war for nursery seats, they want to be 8220;Spyders8221; until it8217;s all over. After a school decided not to consider the cases of parents with more than two children to assist the government in its effort to 8220;stabilise8221; the population, parents are fuming over the school8217;s attitude. 8220;Do we dump the third child in the garbage bin?8221; a parent asked. Meanwhile the Directorate of Education is just sitting over the complaint filed last week.

Out in the open
Recently, ATS Mumbai found Swami Dayanand Pandey, the alleged mastermind of the Malegaon blast used to frequently come and stay at the Sharada Hari Parbat temple in Faridabad. Police teams, including the CID Haryana team, checked the room several times. But they did not seal the room where several books, read by Pandey, are kept and could be important evidence. The room is easily accessible to temple authorities and they open the room and freely allow mediapersons to take a look.

In doubt
After BJP MLA Puran Chand Yogi was found dead at his residence in Inderpuri under mysterious circumstances, there were all kinds of rumours in political circles. Various theories were floated as to what led Yogi8217;s death. Some said Yogi had suffered a heart attack and the 8220;Congress in association with the police8221; were trying to malign the deceased leader by calling it a suicide. BJP workers, however, could not explain how he had been found hanging from the ceiling fan by the family doctor.

No room at JNU
The increase in the number of women students at Jawaharlal Nehru University this year has brought up other issues8212;the campus does not have enough hostel rooms for its students. Only 1,174 students out of a total 1,545 applicants for hostel accommodation have been allotted hostel rooms so far. Compared to 67 per cent women students, 83 per cent of male students have got accommodation. More than 200 trees were recently cut to make room for a new women8217;s hostel. The 8216;victims8217; of deforestation8212;the wild animals of the Ridge8212;are now a common sight on campus.

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Fodder for rallies
While political campaigns are going on in the Capital with a vigour seen only once in five years, the most important and 8220;sellable8221; areas for parties are the rural areas and the unauthorised colonies. 8220;While urban voters hardly turn up for the rallies and 8216;padyatras8217;, the voters from these areas are easily available to gather a good crowd,8221; a Bharatiya Janata Party worker said while campaigning for the Rohtas Nagar seat in East Delhi.