MUSICAL DEBUT

Salman Khurshid is preparing to make his debut as a lyricist later this week.

MUSICAL DEBUT

Salman Khurshid is preparing to make his debut as a lyricist later this week. Release of the musical album Braveheart,according to the invites sent out,is a tribute to Damini and the girl child,which,incidentally,comes out a year after the ghastly gangrape incident in Delhi. The album features poetry by the External Affairs Minister that is composed and sung by Ustad Maa Zila Khan. The musical work will be released by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

ALL ABOUT TIMING

In an apparent attempt to duck the inauspicious month in Hindu calendar starting this week,the BJP chief ministers took oath of office in a quick succession Raman Singh December 12,Vasundhara Raje December 13 and Shivraj Singh Chouhan December 14. The inauspicious period that ends on January 14 may not have any bearing on the Cabinet expansion exercise though. Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh met top party leaders in Delhi Monday in this connection. BJP leaders explain that since the captains CMs have already taken oath,the inauspicious period will not have any bearing on their respective Cabinets.

MEET OFFTRACK

The DG-level talk between BSF and Pakistan Rangers has been postponed by hosts Pakistan due to some administrative reasons. The meeting,which was scheduled from December 16 onwards at Lahore has now been postponed by a week. The meeting assumes significance as this would be the first time that the heads of the border guarding forces of the two countries would be meeting after the ceasefire violations in October this year.

MPs STUMPED

Despite having two legendary cricketers on their side,a team of Members of Parliament lost to a team of senior journalists in a cricket match played on Saturday for a humanitarian cause. Kirti Azad and Mohammad Azharuddin,both former test cricketers,scored well,but the team lost by 18 runs in the 15-over match. While Sachin Tendulkar could not make it to the match,his namesake Sachin Pilot scored a duck and was hardly economical with the ball.

THE LATECOMERS

Two parties arrived inordinately late for the all-party meeting on Monday. These were arch rivals,the CPM and the Trinamool Congress. Both were upset because they claimed that the notice for the meeting had reached them late. Although they are usually poles apart on any issue during all-party meetings,those present witnessed with some amusement when the two parties got together to lodge their complaint at least for the first few minutes after their arrival at the meeting.