Great survivor

Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is accustomed to red carpet treatment and being cosseted in New Delhi. But on his visit to ...

How did P.C. Alexander, a Congress favourite who has worked closely with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, end up as a protege of Bal Thackeray and L K Advani, both of whom are pushing his candidature for President? Thackeray8217;s fondness for Alexander, a Christian, is particularly surprising considering that recently the Sena chief was heard grumbling that he had wasted a Rajya Sabha seat on Pritish Nandy without being told he was a Christian. Though appointed by Narasimha Rao, Alexander as governor wooed Thackeray inviting him frequently to Raj Bhavan. The Sena boss previously treated as a persona non grata by the establishment was appreciative of Alexander8217;s gesture. The governor8217;s biggest service to the Shiv Sena was to help bury the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission which had inquired into the Mumbai communal riots of 1992-1993.

Incidentally, if K.R. Narayanan is considered too old and infirm at 82, Alexander, though slightly fitter, is about the same age and had a bypass surgery a few years ago.

Golden silence

There was a grim silence at the head table at the banquet in Parliament House to celebrate the Lok Sabha8217;s golden jubilee. None of the half-a-dozen VVIP guests 8212; Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi, Krishan Kant, P.M. Sayeed and L.K. Advani 8212; had much to say to each other. The leader of the opposition toyed with her food while the prime minister tucked away with delight at the gourmet fare which had been conceived by food columnist Jiggs Kalra, but neither contributed to the conversation. Part of the strained silence was the awkward seating arrangement which allowed the diners to converse only with their immediate neighbours and it was evident that the one time bonhomie between the prime minister and leader of the opposition has evaporated!

Naidu8217;s insecurity?

An Andhra Pradesh Government order sanctioning a monthly security allowance of Rs 15,000 for 28 MPs from the state has stirred a hornet8217;s nest. To begin with, the 32 MPs, cutting across party lines, who have been left out question the criteria for determining the threat perception. The allowance is ostensibly for the cost of hiring taxis for the MPs8217; personal security officer, but the central government already provides security to the three BJP ministers at the centre and Congress MP N Janardhan Reddy, a former chief minister. The allowances will cost the state exchequer an additional half a crore annually since the Central government is reluctant to pick up part of the tab. Already, MOS for Home Vidyasagar Rao has declined his allowance.

Red carpet removed

Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is accustomed to red carpet treatment and being cosseted in New Delhi. But on his visit to the capital last week after a five-month gap, Naidu discovered a sea change in the central government8217;s attitude. Previously, Prime Minister Vajpayee would meet the AP chief minister with just one or two officials in attendance and the bureaucrats were instructed to ensure that Naidu8217;s requests were fulfilled regardless of norms. But this time, when Naidu came armed with a long list of demands 8212; including enhancing the rice and LPG quotas for the state, special tax benefits for tobacco exports and reduction of tax on the handloom Pochampalli saris 8212; the prime minister asked nine secretaries to the GoI to attend the meeting. Whenever Naidu put forward a demand, the PM simply referred the query to the secretary concerned, who almost invariably cited rules to explain his helplessness in obliging the chief minister. Frustrated at not getting his way, Naidu kept repeating, 8216;8216;Keep the promise, sir.8217;8217;

Out of focus

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah8217;s playboy image is thanks to his weakness for golf and long vacations away from Kashmir, whereas his son Omar Abdullah is perceived as being more committed to his job. But Omar should be slightly more circumspect about how he spends his free time if he wants to avoid being dubbed a dilettante. After the attack on Parliament on December 13, when the prime minister ordered all central ministers to return to New Delhi, Omar left for London on what looked like more of a holiday than work. On the evening of May 14, the day terrorists attacked an Army camp and a bus in Jammu, Omar accompanied his wife to a fashionable store in New Delhi8217;s Khan Market to help her select a pair of designer dark glasses.

Defending George

George Fernandes8217;s image has certainly taken a beating of late. First it was the Tehelka expose and then his cynical remark in Parliament suggesting that rapes during communal riots are a routine affair, which had even L K Advani blushing. Last week Fernades hired Ramohan Rao, a former principal information officer, as his information consultant with the rank of special secretary to the GoI. Rao, who post retirement has worked as a consultant to the J038;K Government and the Prasar Bharati, had come to Fernandes8217;s aid last year during Tehelka. He had escorted Fernandes to Doordarshan where the defence minister had given an impassioned 18-minute speech in his defence before stepping down. Rao ensured that the minister8217;s statement hogged most of the time on the main news bulletins that night.