Sonia ready,steady

The meeting is being seen as a signal that she is ready to resume her full responsibilities. Insiders say she looked totally fit and agile when she came to meet the President.

Sonia ready,steady

After a brief recovery period,Congress chief Sonia Gandhi seems all set to take full charge of the party affairs. While she had begun meeting individual party leaders at her residence sometime back,she called on President Pratibha Patil last week for a courtesy visit. The meeting is being seen as a signal that she is ready to resume her full responsibilities. Insiders say she looked totally fit and agile when she came to meet the President.

No No whisky just chocolates

Faced with a deepening financial crisis,national carrier Air India has been trying to cut its expenses as much as possible. The media entourage accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to New York for the United Nations General Assembly experienced first hand how the cash-strapped airlines has been trying to cut its losses when they were given just a box of chocolates instead of the hamper containing a bottle of scotch and other goodies that is routinely handed on such occasions.

Putting house in order

Acting on astrological advice,Madhya Pradesh BJP president Prabhat Jha has got the existing entrance to his residence at Bhopal shut,and ordered construction of a new gate. A new passage has been laid to link the gate with the road in front. Considering that Jhas stars have been on the ascendant for quite some time he has made it to the Rajya Sabha and become the state BJP president,no mean achievements the question is,what has prompted the need for this astrological intervention? Is it an apprehension of bad times or does this mean trouble may be in store for Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan?

Vyas gets room of choice

Recently appointed Editor of Congress Sandesh Girija Vyas has finally got her way in securing a room of her choice at the party headquarters. Congress treasurer Motilal Vora had earlier allotted her a room in a building that houses the office of the All Indian Mahila Congress. It was the same room that Vyas had occupied as chief of the Mahila Congress about two decades back. But she refused,arguing that it did not match her current status in the party. Vora finally allotted her another room,which had earlier been allotted to AICC secretary Avinash Pandey. Its Pandey who now finds himself in a tiny room in the Mahila Congress office.

Post-Anna,govt anodyne

HAVING faced the brunt of popular protest during the Anna Hazare-led agitation,government managers are now trying to be proactive in engaging with similar campaigns. Gandhian P V Rajgopal,who had organised a march of 25,000 people from Gwalior to Delhi in 2007 to demand land reforms,is planning another such show in October. This time he plans to launch his programme from Kanyakumari and hopes to bring 100,000 people to Delhi early next year. Realising the possible political ramifications,the government is learnt to have asked one of its Cabinet ministers to flag off the march at Kanyakumari to ensure that the event is not hijacked by the Opposition.