Modi Learns Some PR

His landslide electoral victory may have shut up his critics for the moment but Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is not taking any chanc...

His landslide electoral victory may have shut up his critics for the moment but Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is not taking any chances. The first thing he did after it became clear that he had set a new record for the BJP8217;s archives was to try and placate all those he had annoyed in the runup to the polls. He drove to arch rival Keshubhai Patel8217;s house for his blessings. Next, he visited the RSS office in Ahmedabad to make up for snubbing the Sangh bosses over Haren Pandya8217;s nomination. Modi had done the unthinkable in parivar circles by refusing to meet RSS leader Madan Das when the latter called on him to press for a ticket for Pandya.

He wound up the day by prostrating himself before the head priest of the influential Swaminarayan sect8217;s Akshardham temple. Modi had ruffled the priest8217;s feathers soon after the terrorist attack on the temple by asking him to issue a statement blaming Pakistan for the incident. Obviously, the anti-hero of Indian politics wants an image change.

In Rajasthan, BJP Vs BJP

While there8217;s no dispute over who scripted the BJP8217;s victory in Gujarat, the same cannot be said about the party8217;s unexpected sweep of the three assembly bye-elections in Rajasthan. There are two claimants for the Rajasthan trophy8212;Minister of State for Personnel Vasundhara Raje, who was recently appointed president of the state unit, and Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan, who took unusual interest in the bye-polls as a proxy for brother-in-law Gopinath Munde who oversees Rajasthan by virtue of being the party8217;s national vice president.

Vasundhara8217;s backers are trumpeting her dexeterity in managing both her portfolios. Mahajan loyalists insist that it was his introduction of Janata Dal U president Sharad Yadav into the campaign that turned the tide by getting the Ahir vote for the BJP. The Mahajan fly in her ointment has put Vasundhara in a spot. She8217;s been holding onto her ministerial portfolio on the plea that it gives her added status in Rajasthan. But senior party leaders are now warning her that unless she calls it a day in Delhi and devotes herself full time to state politics, her thunder may be stolen.

Ministerial wannabees are waiting eagerly for Vasundhara to make up her mind. The resignations of Omar Abdullah and Raman Singh are pending with the PM. Once Vasundhara puts in her papers, Vajpayee will in all likelihood reshuffle his pack of ministers and those waiting in the wings, like Farooq Abdullah and Mamata Banerjee, may finally get Cabinet berths.

When PC Logged In

A surprise guest at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee8217;s dinner for NDA MPs and members of supporting parties was former Maharashtra Governor, now Rajya Sabha MP, P C Alexander. It was a surprise because fellow RS member Ram Jethmalani was not invited although they share similar credentials. Both were elected to the Upper House from Maharashtra as independent candidates supported by the Shiv Sena and BJP.

It8217;s not clear why different standards were adopted for the two but BJP circles are crowing about their post-Gujarat popularity. Apparently, Alexander sought an invitation and got it while Jethmalani was left out in the cold. Maneka Gandhi, who8217;s been sulking in a corner after being dropped from the Council of Ministers, also made it a point to turn up at the dinner. And BJP MP L M Singhvi, who rarely attends party events, showed up at this week8217;s parliamentary party meeting which was thrown open to the media for the first time in a flush of Gujarat-induced euphoria.

While He Was Sleeping

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Tamil Nadu MPs were not sure whether they should make an issue of Minister of State for Health A Raja8217;s slumber in the Lok Sabha the other day. The DMK representative in the Cabinet was fast asleep during Vajpayee8217;s suo moto statement on Russian President Vladimir Putin8217;s recent visit to New Delhi.

The catch for Raja8217;s fellow Tamilians is a ruling in the TN Assembly by AIADMK MP P H Pandian when he was Speaker. Pandian apparently declared that it was within the rules for a member to sleep in the House so long as he didn8217;t snore. The question is 8211; was Raja snoring? It seems, his fellow DMK travellers as well as his rival AIADMK MPs were too far away to judge. Raja, by virtue of being minister, sits in the front rows. Ordinary members are consigned to the back.

Coomi Kapoor8217;s Inside Track returns on Jan 4