Opinion Kissa Kursi Ka
Seating for the events at the Jaipur Literature Festival was strictly on a first-come-first- serve basis.
Kissa Kursi Ka
Seating for the events at the Jaipur Literature Festival was strictly on a first-come-first- serve basis. Some of the Rajput royalty who were not used to this democratic tradition sent their retainers early to reserve chairs for themselves. One person who had no inhibitions about squatting on the floor during the sessions was former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. In her case,every time she was seen sitting on the ground,someone or the other would invariably come forward and gallantly offer her a chair.
In strange company
Congresspersons were puzzled over actor Dharmendra being honoured with the Padma Bhushan,since he had earlier been a BJP MP and his wife Hema Malini is closely associated with the party. It is believed that Hema prevailed on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,who is a fan of the actress and was also her Rajya Sabha colleague for several years,that her husband deserved the honour,which would be timely in view of the Punjab Assembly polls. Unlike Hema,Dharmendra was never quite comfortable in the BJP. In fact,after his election from Bikaner,when a visitor inquired how with his secular record,he had ended up in the BJP,Dharmendra responded,I too am surprised how I am here.
Few expectations
The BJP normally believes in carpet bombing during elections,with all the partys leading lights roped in for saturation campaigning. But this time,there is a distinct apathy among several top ranking leaders,which is interpreted as an indication of their differences with BJP President Nitin Gadkari. The most conspicuous absentee is Narendra Modi who is still upset with Sanjay Joshis appointment as campaign-in-charge of UP. L K Advani has also been touring sparingly and in any case Gadkari does not seem keen to involve him. Sushma Swaraj was absent for long because of ill health and has now ventured out to a few select rallies while Varun Gandhi,Rajnath Singh and Vinay Katiyar have restricted their campaigning to specific pockets.
In contrast,Rahul Gandhi has ordered Central ministers and senior politicians to pitch in. Gadkaris supporters claim that the lack of prominent speakers on the campaign trail will not harm the BJPs prospects. In the past because of the visit of high power celebrities,poll expectations were hyped which was at variance with the reality on the ground. This time expectations are low but actually there is solid achievement on the ground,they claim wistfully.
Damp squib
To demonstrate that the Trinamool Congress is serious about contesting the Uttar Pradesh elections,a party office has been opened in Lucknow and several persons given party tickets. Sultan Ahmed,Union Minister of State for Tourism,has been put in charge of the partys poll campaigns outside West Bengal. Last week,Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi visited Dehra Dun to campaign. Ahmed promised that he would be addressing five meetings and there would a crowd of ten thousand at each rally. Though he drove around the countryside for the whole morning,Trivedi did not address a single rally. The Trinamool candidates were unable to muster a respectable crowd. Banerjees decision to fight independently in various Assembly elections was not just to spite the Congress,she also wants the Trinamool Congress to fulfill the necessary requirements to be declared a national party by 2014. Trinamool Minister Mukul Roy is responsible for coordinating with the Election Commission.
Lost without PAs
The Election Commission has forbidden ministers from travelling with their official staff when they go out campaigning. Several Central ministers on the campaign trail face a problem in the absence of their personal assistants and secretarial staff. Normally,the PAs handle the ministers sophisticated mobile phones and know exactly where all the data is stored. Without secretarial assistant,some of the ministers feel lost. In fact,in certain cases,the PAs have made out a list of important numbers on a sheet of paper for ready reference when their masters are on tour.
Workload lightens
Four months ago,TKA Nair lost his position as principal secretary to the Prime Minister to Pulok Chatterji. As special adviser to the PM,Nair still sits in the PMO but his workload has lightened dramatically. The Prime Minister summons him usually once a week for his inputs on policy decisions. Nair generally leaves the office by early afternoon. Nair is building a house in Noida which is expected to be ready by June. The buzz is that he will leave the PMOs office within a few months: either he will move into his new Noida home or into a Governors mansion.
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