B-school professor is now CMs Man Friday When Abhishek Mishra,former professor of IIM Ahmedabad,was appointed Minister of State for Protocol in the Akhilesh Yadav government,many wondered what his role would be. Now he is emerging a key aide of the Chief Minister. Mishra was an integral part of the meetings that the chief minister held recently to review the work of various departments. He arrived for the meetings with his homework done,sat by the chief ministers side and took down notes. Sources said Mishra is becoming Akhilesh Yadavs point-man for interaction with the Centre on important matters. Recently,he was sent to Delhi to attend a meeting of the National Capital Region Development Board. Governors stint Governor B L Joshis term ends on April 11 but he is likely to stay on in Raj Bhavan. Joshi was appointed Meghalaya governor in April 2007 before being transferred to Uttarakhand and then UP. Although governors are appointed for five years,they are often allowed to continue until a successor is appointed. Sources said Joshi does not look like somebody preparing to lay down office,nor is the Centre in a hurry to appoint a successor. During his tenure,Joshi has maintained a low profile and remained away from controversy. In less than a month,he has developed a good rapport with the new SP government. The Congress,it is being said,does not want to disturb him until at least the presidential election. What Uma cant get Uma Bharti,now an MLA in UP,has been allotted a three-room flat on the 14th floor,but she would rather have a bungalow. She has written to the Estate Department that the flat is unsuitable for her security requirements,and because of her status as a former Union minister and former chief minister. The Estate Department has conveyed to her that she has got what she was entitled to as an MLA and if she is not satisfied,she may speak to the chief minister. Also,official sources said,as a UP MLA she will no longer be treated as a state guest,a courtesy she received in the past because she was a former chief minister from another state. Since the election results,Uma Bharti has stayed away from the state except for two days in Charkhari. Before the polls,BJP president Nitin Gadkari had propped her as the CM candidate. Maya in a hurry The Assembly polls lost,former chief minister Mayawati has told the BSP to start preparing for the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014. She has even announced some candidates: Mukul Upadhayay,who is the brother of former minister Ramvir Upadhyay,for Ghaziabad; Brij Lal Khabri for Jalaun,Suresh Pasi for Kaushambi,and former PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiquis relative Afzal Siddiqui for Fatehpur. Many BSP leaders wonder how this would help without a proper analysis of the BSPs defeat and corrective action. They wonder if Mayawati is talking of Lok Sabha elections to pre-empt questions about the debacle. Incidentally,she had announced candidates for the Assembly elections too long in advance,and then kept making changes.
