Rahul8217;s Balancing Act

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has kept a calibrated strategy on party affairs during mother Sonia Gandhis illness.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has kept a calibrated strategy on party affairs during mother Sonia Gandhis illness. He had influenced matters with some effect,like on the question of politically engaging the Anna Hazare group,but withdrew almost immediately by choosing to speak during zero hour rather than participate in the Lokpal debate. Recently,the Congress old guard invited him to participate in the Congress core group meetings,at least until Sonia Gandhi resumes her duties. However,Rahul is learnt to have politely declined,leaving the entire responsibility to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who now chairs these meetings. Sources point out that Rahul has been consistent in ensuring that nothing what he does be seen as eroding the PMs political authority. As a result,no one from the Gandhi family attended the last core group meeting.

PLAYING TRUANT

THE absence of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy from the National Integration Council NIC meeting on Saturday took the Congress High Command by surprise. He was the only Congress CM to have skipped the meeting. The other five CMs from non-Congress parties who did not turn up were reported to have done so to lodge their protest against Centres policies,including the Communal Violence Bill. Upon enquiry,Chandy explained that he could not come because of Onam festival. Congress leaders in Kerala,however,said that the CM is bogged down with the palm oil import case and the national scene was not exactly on his mind right now.

SOURED RELATIONSHIP

THE Cabinet Committee on Security was deeply saddened and disappointed at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees decision to pull out from PMs visit to Bangladesh that is how one of the senior leaders described the mood in the CCS on the eve of Manmohan Singhs departure for Dhaka. A last ditch effort had been made then but the Trinamool leader was adamant. Once all her objections had been reasoned out,sources say,all she told the PM was it would be politically difficult for her to come back and face protests. She was advised that as CM she cannot always be populist because governments do take unpopular decisions in larger interest. Even that plea failed to move her. Her decision to absent herself from the NIC meeting on Saturday has further soured the relationship.

ACCOMMODATING THE MEDIA

DESPITE the feeling that the media has not been fair to it in recent months,the government seems all set to offer a huge sop to the fraternity. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is learnt to be proposing not just to increase the number of government houses that is allotted to journalists but also increase the pay-band in which mediapersons become eligible for government accommodation in the capital. The proposal is likely to increase availability of the houses under the press pool to about 100 from the present 65. Additionally,journalists drawing a salary of up to Rs 30,000 per month would be eligible for housing instead of the present limit of Rs 20,000. Being done on the demands of various journalists organisations,it will be interesting to see if the proposal gets the support from the rest of the cabinet.

MEETING OF MINDS

INDIVIDUAL officers of the Delhi Police and the National Investigation Agency have met many times during the course of the probe into the High Court blasts but it was felt that a structured and official meeting was needed for the two organisations to know each other better. With the bosses of the two agencies Delhi Police commissioner B K Gupta and NIA director general S C Sinha being batchmates,there was little difficulty in arranging a formal meeting at the Delhi Police headquarters. Senior officers who attended the meeting said they are now in a better position to appreciate each others strengths and constraints.