Opinion Bowled out,not over

In a stern voice,she repeatedly posed the question to the distinguished audience,“What is your problem? Will you invest?’’ As she reeled off names of various industries in the state,from textiles to infrastructure,a few businessmen put up their hands gingerly to signify that they were satisfied and would be investing. Banerjee put the same query to diplomatic representatives from various countries,including the US,UK,Japan and Germany. Understandably,no one dared make any dissenting noise. No representative from Bangladesh was present when she asked about that country’s interest in investing in West Bengal. Annoyed,she ticked off her officials publicly in Bengali,asking,“Why was Bangladesh not invited?’’

Scuttling rumours

It is uncharacteristic of the Congress to announce its chief ministerial candidate in advance but an exception was made in the case of Captain Amarinder Singh. Rahul Gandhi announced Singh’s name because rumours refused to die down that the Captain’s wife Preneet Kaur might be appointed chief minister instead of her husband. The rumour has gained currency,despite Kaur’s denials,because of Aroosa Alam,Singh’s long-time companion. Alam,who has only a transit visa through Punjab although she is entitled to stay in Chandigarh as it is a Union Territory,is now keeping a low profile.

Cast(e)ing a shadowWhile a section of the Congress led by Digvijay Singh is pinning its hopes on Samajwadi Party rebel Beni Prasad Verma to revive the party’s fortunes in UP,many old timers are sceptical. They point out that nearly 70 former SP members have been given party tickets and they apprehend that in a crunch,the new recruits could desert the Congress and return to Mulayam Singh Yadav. There is a clear divide in the party over the caste composition of the candidates. The number of Yadavs fielded by the Congress has gone up from 10 in the 2007 elections to around 30. On the other hand,the number of Brahmin candidates has almost halved from 80 to around 45. The SP on the other hand,has reduced the number of Yadav candidates and increased the number of Muslim candidates from 60 to 85. The BSP has fielded a similar number of

minority candidates.

Out of his hair

One person who is delighted with Uma Bharti getting a party ticket to fight the Assembly elections from UP is Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He is so relieved to have Bharti out of his hair he has even offered to campaign for her.

Indisciplined flock

BJP President Nitin Gadkari finds it hard to crack the whip on his rebellious flock. As part of his grand plan for the UP poll,Gadkari,on the advice of his pet psephologist,had hoped to field four prominent non-Yadav OBC leaders. The four chosen to build up a wave in favour of the party among Kurmis and other most backward castes were,Santosh Gangwar,Vinay Katiyar,Babu Singh Kushwaha and Uma Bharti. However,Katiyar and

Gangwar refused to fall in line and contest the Assembly elections. Katiyar did not want to lose his Rajya Sabha seat and is unsure of the BJP’s popularity in the state. Gangawar,a former minister of state at the Centre who has represented Bareilly several times in the past,also declined. For Gadkari,the unkindest cut was that Uma Bharti was one of the first to protest the admission of Babu Singh Kushwaha into the party. When Gadkari reminded Bharati that it was only thanks to him that she had been allowed back into the BJP fold,the stormy petrel apologised and backtracked.

Electing to speak out

Four former Election Commissioners are contemplating writing to the Prime Minister to suggest that the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner should in future be decided by a collegiate as is the case with the CVC. They are apprehensive that under the present dispensation in the Election Commission,discipline has slackened and officers against whom there are serious charges are let off lightly and no entry is made in their Annual Confidential Record (ACR). There is a curious situation in UP where a Deputy Election Commissioner has been avoiding attending office,and even answering his telephone,for nearly three months,since there is an arrest warrant against him in Rajasthan.