Inside track

Mamata Banerjee pointed out that Apang who incidentally was responsible for persuading the CPI MP Kim Gangte to stay away from the confidence motion had assured her that he could produce three MPs from the north-east to support the government. Mahajan expressed skepticism about Apang8217;s claims.Despite the last-minute bonus, the BJP finally concluded it was a case of too little too late. With the extra numbers thealliance would have crossed the half way mark of 272, but it was a risky proposition to go back at the eleventh hour to a President perceived as unsympathetic and claim a whisker thin majority. There was also the danger that the Opposition could then have got dissidents from the Samata Party and the Akali Dal to defy the party whips and vote against the Government.

Extended limelight

If the caretaker government is unsuccessful in persuading Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill to hold early elections, one reason could be that Gill has little to thank the present dispensation for. The Vajpayee government has actually lowered the status of the CEC in the warrant of precedence. Though T.N. Seshan by his bullying had brought the post at par with that of a Supreme Court judge, the CEC now ranks in protocol equal to the Cabinet Secretary. Junior officials in the Law Ministry are also said to have needlessly annoyed Gill over his recent visit to the US asking all manner of questions before according himthe necessary sanction. Gill8217;s security, downgraded a notch to Y8217; category last year, was, mercifully, raised to Z8217; category only a month or so ago.

The media-savvy Gill is no doubt fully conscious of the fact the longer the elections are delayed, the more he would get to be seen on the small screen in countless Indian homes.

Missing message

It is customary after a successful test demonstration of our indigenous expertise in the defence field for the Prime Minister and the President to send congratulatory messages to the scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO, as in the case of the Pokharan blasts and our missile launches. Just before the successful launch of Agni-II, a draft letter of congratulations was sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan for formal approval. But to date, while the PM has offered his congratulations, the President has not, fueling speculation whether this was due to an oversight or deliberate.

Handy swipe

Indira Gandhi8217;s paranoia about theforeign hand seems to have infected many politicians. Whenever George Fernandes talks of a menacing foreign power, one doesn8217;t need to be an ace South Block mandarin to figure out which country he is referring to. Fernandes seems to have successfully conveyed his fears to his former socialist colleagues Chandra Shekhar and Mulayam Singh Yadav, who ended up refusing to support Sonia8217;s bid to head a minority government. The BJP sees a foreign hand in Harkishen Singh Surjeet8217;s role in drumming up support for Only Sonia as PM even ruling out the candidature of fellow comrade Jyoti Basu. Surprisingly, Basu himself has expressed fears that certain foreign powers were opposed to him becoming prime minister, implying that such powers had influence over Sonia since she alone obstructed the Marxist leader8217;s path to the crown in New Delhi.

Actually it was Subramanian Swamy who first set the cat among the pigeons by mixing his guest list for his tea party by including both diplomats and politicians. Though there wereseveral foreign envoys happy to have a ringside view of the Sonia-Jaya meet, it was the presence of the Chinese, Pakistani and Israeli ambassadors which was most noticed.

Sleuth8217;s time out

RAW director A.K. Dave8217;s parting gift to the external secret service is to ensure that the in-house staff clocks in and out every time they enter and depart from the headquarters at Lodhi Road. But in the sleuthing business, as in the media world, even with punch cards, it is not easy to discipline employees8217; working habits since they can always claim that they were out to meet a source. Besides, the bulky and rather clumsy punch card is a dead giveaway which will blow the cover under which the sleuths normally function.Dave was to retire at the end of the month but has been given a three-month extension.