Meanwhile

There is another obstacle. Singh is obstinately refusing to shift to the Centre. The Prime Minister is believed to have reserved the agriculture portfolio for Singh. To make it more attractive, he has agreed to throw in food processing as additional charge. But Singh has not bitten the bait yet. According to BJP sources, he has told his mentor, Home Minister L.K. Advani, he wants to stay on in UP as an “ordinary MLA”.

The thought is sending shivers down the collective spine of the central leadership. With the Vajpayee-Advani-Thakre triumvirate mulling over the question, a decision has been put off till afterDiwali. And Singh lives to fight another day.

Sword hangs over 3 Cong CMs
The Congress is dealing with a similar problem. Should its four Chief Ministers be punished for the party’s disastrous performance in their States? Congress circles are abuzz with speculation about a change of guard in at least three Rajasthan, Orissa and Delhi. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh may escape on the strength of the solitary extra seat the Congress bagged in his fiefdom.

If the party grapevine is to be believed, Ambika Soni has been shortlisted to take over from Sheila Dikshit in Delhi. And in Orissa, the party may turn again to J.B. Patnaik or his nominee. With Assembly elections round the corner in the cyclone-hit State, a desperate Congress sees the wily old man as its saviour.

A search is on for a suitable replacement for Ashok Ghelot in Rajasthan. And Digvijay may be given a jolt with the appointment of a new PCC chief from a rival faction.

But like the BJP, the Congress too is fearful ofwielding the axe. Now the High Command has decided to wait till the Antony Committee on the electoral debacle submits its report. This gives the Chief Ministers a reprieve till next month.

In-house excuses from ex-MPs
With the 13th Lok Sabha in place, the merry-go-round for housing has started. As many as 217 ex-MPs have written in to the Speaker asking they be allowed to stay on at their government accommodations. The bulk of them are losers from the last Lok Sabha and most commonly plead medical grounds or their children’s education as reasons for staying put.

Given that all the MPs had six months this time to look for alternative accommodation, the excuses seem rather thin. They were served notices to vacate as soon as the House was dissolved in April. Most of them refused, confident they would be re-elected. When the results were announced, the losers were again asked to quit. Now, they’re asking for more time and the Housing Committee is helpless.

Consider the Committee’s plight. The LokSabha pool has 556 houses. Only 268 MPs from the 12th Lok Sabha are back in Parliament, 275 new MPs are crying for accommodation and 217 ex-MPs are blocking their way. Housing is the biggest casualty of frequent elections.

Where should Lok Sabha meet?
The first Lok Sabha of the new millennium, whenever it is formed, may not meet in the historic circular building where India kept her tryst with destiny . The elegant green-carpeted hall now in use is too small for the vast number of MPs who will be elected after the delimitation exercise is undertaken in 2001.

An estimate of the House size puts it at 700 MPs. Even for 543 MPs, the hall is a tight squeeze. One solution offered by the Parliament Secretariat is to shift the Lok Sabha to the new annexe being built. This apparently has a conference hall large enough to fit 1,000 people. The Rajya Sabha, however, will stay where it is. The question is: What happens to Central Hall where the real debates and parliamentary management take place and whereattendance is almost always more than inside the House?

If the LS is divorced from this nerve centre, the House will probably be even emptier than it is now.