Uma helps brother before Delhi drama

Bharati’s brother Swami Lodhi was appointed head of the Civil Supplies Corporation, and the chief of the State Electricity Department was replaced. Enough evidence for even Sangh loyalists to cynically remark that perhaps she was never serious about her threat. Uma also authorised Cabinet minister Babulal Gaur to act on her behalf for the week she is going to be away.

On record, senior RSS men, including Kaptan Singh Solanki, organising general secretary of the state unit, and her advisor Anil Dave, said if Sonia refuses to be the PM, then there would be no question of Uma sticking to her resignation. Privately, many in the state organisation expressed reservations about the list, that apart from Swami Lodhi, includes several new appointments to state corporations. Among them are several other Uma loyalists such as Nitish Bhardwaj.

Bharti has also apparently authorised fresh transfers — nearly 40 senior IAS officials were reshuffled today. Her transfer policy has already created an administrative uncertainty in the state.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow — hyped as the first ever meeting of the Cabinet in a village — was called off, while uncertainty surrounds the one-month-old Gram Sampark government programme. And senior bureaucrats continue to warn of the negative effect on state finances as a result of the battle she has waged against the Centre. So even if the drama approaches a climax in Delhi, in MP it is only the end of Act 1.