Dramatic reversals

UPA ally Mamata Banerjee seems to know how to hit the Congress where it hurts the most.

Dramatic reversals

This refers to the editorial Do or dare IE,June 15. UPA ally Mamata Banerjee seems to know how to hit the Congress where it hurts the most. In spite of the TMCs claims to the contrary,Banerjee did not hesitate to breach Sonia Gandhis trust by publicly disclosing the Congresss choice of presidential candidates. But this might have been an act of hubris. Banerjee seems to have bitten more than she could chew. All her plans of upstaging the Congress will come to nought if she fails to get the other parties to support her chosen candidate,A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. But her brinkmanship may bring about early Lok Sabha polls,for which even her new-found,Mulayam Singh Yadav,may not be ready.

Tarsem Singh

New Delhi

The crisis surrounding the presidential polls could have resulted in the undoing of the Congress. The party still has not shed the arrogance that goes back to the days of single-party rule. Its partners and allies are in the habit of drawing their pound of flesh whenever it faces any crisis. But the BJP,as the chief opposition,also seems to have clamped down on discussions within the party and with its allies. The country is facing crises on all fronts. A mature,non-political person is needed as president.

N. Ramamurthy

Chennai

Peoples choice

THE president is likely to have a crucial role in forming the new government after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congresss allies should decide whether they want a pro-Congress president or an impartial one before declaring their choice of candidate. If the president were to be elected directly by the people,Kalam would be a sure winner.

M.C. Joshi

Lucknow

Mamata mocks

THIS refers to Raisina Downhill IE,June 15. The way the Congress has handled the whole process of nominating a presidential candidate has not done its image any good. It has allowed Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav to prove that coalition politics is simply the politics of convenience. This has made a mockery of the office of the president of India.

Bal Govind

Noida

Capturing crime

IN Need CCTV cameras at all junctions IE,June 10,Delhi Police Commissioner B.K Gupta speaks abput his achievements. Delhi is often called Indias crime capital. Scores of police personnel are deployed to guard VIPs. That reduces the availability of guards for maintaining law and order. The value of human life must be understood. Better CCTV cameras are needed,as the recent attack on the Israeli diplomat showed. Footage from the ones installed at present did not help much in that case.

Sharda Bhargav

Jalandhar