Uplifting the PM

Another proposal was to build a new lift, except that the space available is rather cramped. A third idea was to requisition Indian Airlines8217;s aero ambulance elevator for the occasion. The last brainwave was shot down since the SPG insists that the PM should not be visible from the road while ascending and the bulky airline elevator would arouse unnecessary comment.

A bureaucrat suggested that instead of the IA elevator, the army, which controls this part of the Red Fort, should purchase two smaller aero ambulance lifts. He added shrewdly that if only one was bought the nosy media might question the need for the purchase. Despite the lengthy discussions, no decision was arrived at and another meeting is planned.

Rival dynasties

Jyotiraditya Scindia enjoys considerable goodwill among politicians and journalists because of their respect for his late father and grandmother.

For his maiden address in Parliament, a large number of senior MPs, cutting across party lines, stayed on in the Lok Sabha to applaud him, although normally the House is deserted by the afternoon. But at the recent AICC meet at Talkatora Gardens, when some Madhya Pradesh MPs proposed that Scindia be included in the list of speakers as a gesture to the youth in the party, Congress President Sonia Gandhi flatly turned down the suggestion.

She made clear that Scindia should not be singled out for special treatment. As the shrewd matriarch of a political dynasty Sonia would hardly want her own offspring, Priyanka and Rahul, to be overshadowed on the threshold of their formal entry into politics.

Horse sense

A Mongolian mayor was in Delhi recently and a party was thrown in his honour by Delhi Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor at art patron O P Jain8217;s farmhouse. The lt governor was returning the hospitality which he had enjoyed during a trip to Mongolia earlier. There is an amusing footnote to Kapoor8217;s visit.

In keeping with Mongolian tradition, Kapoor was offered the country8217;s special delicacy of horse8217;s milk as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. But the lt governor, obviously squeamish about tasting an unfamiliar beverage, got around his duty as chief guest by ordering his secretary, Narayan Swamy, to drink the milk on his behalf!

Kant keep him down

With the BJP8217;s first choice of P C Alexander and the Congress8217;s first choice of President K R Narayanan likely to cancel each other out, Vice President Krishan Kant has emerged as the front runner in the presidential sweepstakes.

Kant was the dark horse whose name was mooted at the eleventh hour thanks to the backing of his friend and then prime minister, I K Gujral. Kant8217;s claim to fame rests largely on the fact that he was one of Chandrashekhar8217;s band of young turks in the Congress who were thrown out of the party by Indira Gandhi in 1975.

Despite his uninspiring credentials, Kant gets ahead because he does not inspire strong negative reactions and is content to play second fiddle to whosoever is in authority.

DD in battle gear

Taking a cue from our armed forces, Doordarshan News has also got into battle gear. Within two days of the Kaluchak attack, all leave in DD News was cancelled. Even those on medical leave were asked to report back. Correspondents throughout India were called to Delhi and several have already been re-deployed in forward areas.

The DSNG has been put on the highest alert, with the director News, on permanent night shift since the newsroom now functions round the clock. The only snag in this picture of war preparedness was that for a while after the order was issued, the DG News Prasar Bharati, Harish Awasthi, remained on leave, the I038;B Minister Sushma Swaraj was on an extended visit to Cannes and the prime minister was on a working holiday in Manali.

Hobson8217;s choice

Shaken at being beaten by Mayawati in UP and with the Congress continuing to cold shoulder him, Mulayam Singh Yadav now wants to mend fences with OBC leader Kalyan Singh. Mulayam had earlier rebuffed the former BJP chief minister8217;s overtures for fear of offending his Muslim vote bank.

Now Kalyan8217;s son, Rajiv, better known as Rajju bhaiya, is standing in the Dibai by-election. With one lakh Lodh voters in the constituency he doesn8217;t really need the SP8217;s support, but Mulayam is backing him nonetheless. By trying to prevent a split in OBC votes in future, Mulayam has, however, blunted his campaign against communalism.

After all, Kalyan is the first accused in the Babri mosque demolition case.