Making every vote count

The outcome of the vice-presidential election was never in doubt but the NDA still wanted to ensure that every single vote that could go in favour of its candidate,Jaswant Singh,was cast.

The outcome of the vice-presidential election was never in doubt but the NDA still wanted to ensure that every single vote that could go in favour of its candidate,Jaswant Singh,was cast. Four BJP leaders,including Shatrughan Sinha and Dileep Singh Judeo,had already informed the party that they would not be able to participate in the vote because of personal reasons. On voting day,it appeared that the partys MP from Gwalior,Yashodhara Raje,may also miss the vote. She was returning from abroad and her flight landed late in the afternoon. Party managers ensured that she drove straight from the airport to the polling booth,just in time to cast her vote for Jaswant Singh.

Agathas loss,Anwars gain

NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Minister of State Agatha Sangma in the next Cabinet reshuffle,which is expected to take place after the Monsoon Session of Parliament next month. The NCP leadership had taken a grim view of Agatha canvassing for her father P A Sangma in the recent presidential election. It is,however,to be seen whether Anwar,a six-term MP,will be inducted as a Minister of State or with Cabinet rank. With nine MPs in the Lok Sabha,the NCP already has two Cabinet berths and one MoS,and the party will find it difficult to persuade the UPA leadership to give another Cabinet post for Anwar,who is one of the partys founder members.

Media as India-China CBM

CHINA has long accused the Indian media of playing a negative role when it comes to bilateral relations. The common complaint has been against the hawkish nature of the Indian media. In this context,one of the confidence building measures discussed during the last bilateral military talks was to involve the national media from both sides in the border meetings that are held on the national days of the two countries. The aim was to portray the bonhomie between the two sides. The proposal has now been accepted and the first such meeting,with the national media from the two sides in attendance,is slated to take place at the Nathu La border post on August 15.

The rise of Shinde

HOME Minister Sushilkumar Shinde may have had a bad start in Parliament,but he has no reason to feel unhappy since his upward shift to North Block has brought with it membership of key committees and panels,besides,of course,proximity to Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister has been made a member of the UPA coordination committee,which held its first meeting on Wednesday. The upward move will be complete if he gets an invitation to the core group,the highest political body headed by Sonia,which is set to meet on Friday. Top echelons of the party contend that the the decision is entirely Sonias.

Drawing on the wall

POSTERS of Ramdevs jailed aide Balakrishna alongside freedom fighters led to some drama at Ramlila Maidan before the posters were finally taken off. But what seemed to have escaped everybodys notice is that in a gallery of martyrs like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose,there was a photograph of one living man former president A P J Abdul Kalam.