Grooming Rahul

Rahul Gandhi may want to bury himself in the back rows of the Treasury benches and adopt a low profile, but Congress netas refuse to leave h...

Rahul Gandhi may want to bury himself in the back rows of the Treasury benches and adopt a low profile, but Congress netas refuse to leave him in peace. A string of lofty speeches on the importance of Lok Sabha were made by veteran leaders on Friday after the Speaker8217;s election, but young Rahul is unlikely to have heard a word. Mani Shankar Aiyar sat glued to him throughout and talked incessantly. When Aiyar stepped out, G. Venkatsamy took on the role and he was replaced by Subodh Kant Sahay. The netas did all the talking and Rahul was seen nodding from time to time, but hardly ever said a word.

Sportsman Somnath

Somnath Chatterjee8217;s girth may belie it, but he is actually a great sports enthusiast 8212; or so Sharad Pawar insists. In his congratulatory speech, Pawar focussed on Chatterjee8217;s interest in sports and informed the House that the new Speaker was involved in his home state8217;s cricket, table tennis, and athletics associations. That led P.R. Dasmunsi to add that Chatterjee was also a patron of the Mohun Bagan football club. And Santosh Mohan Deb cried out from the back: 8216;8216;Wrestling association ka bhi president hai.8217;8217; That last qualification is sure to come useful when he gets down to managing the LS 8212; the ultimate akhara of Indian politics.

Didi mum, Sangma sings

Is the Nationalist Trinamool Congress about to split? Bengal watchers were convinced that Mamata Banerjee8217;s next target is fellow MP P.A. Sangma because of the former Speaker8217;s fulsome praise for the new Speaker. Banerjee, who is so anti-CPIM that she reportedly delayed her oath-taking because she did not want Chatterjee to administer it, was the only major leader who did not say a word after the Speaker8217;s election. But Sangma made up for it by declaring that Chatterjee was always his 8216;8216;guru8217;8217; and today 8216;8216;you have become the mahaguru of all of us here8217;8217;. Banerjee was not amused.

Akalis soften

Akali Dal MPs, who staged the 14th Lok Sabha8217;s first walkout on Thursday, paid a handsome compliment to Somnath Chatterjee 8212; not because of his long innings in Parliament, but because of the party to which he belonged. Akali leader S.S. Dhindsa recalled that when Sikhs were under attack throughout the country in 1984, the Left Front government in West Bengal 8216;8216;ek patta bhi hilne nahin diya8217;8217; did not allow a single incident to take place. For that, the Sikhs would be ever grateful, he said, while congratulating Chatterjee on his new post.

K-word for mehbooba

Mehbooba Mufti made her maiden speech today and keeping her promise to raise issues pertaining to J-K, she even managed to turn her felicitation to the new Speaker into an impassioned plea for more discussions on Kashmir. Praising Chatterjee8217;s ability to speak dispassionately about issues close to his heart, she said: 8216;8216;I cannot do this8217;8217;. She went on to elaborate how innocents had died 8216;8216;to send us here8217;8217; and faced bullets, but still exercised their franchise. She echoed the view expressed by several small parties that their voices should be heard in the new House even if they did not have the numbers.