| Published on 09-07-2008 In General |
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Written by
Insider |
Caste no Bar
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Rahul Gandhi's simplicity and plain-speaking is a reminder of Rajiv Gandhi era. The young AICC general secretary seems determined to change the work-culture and way of thinking in the grand old party. Vikram Chowdhury, a youth Congress leader from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh realized it at his own cost.
It happened when Rahul was interviewing aspirants for Madhya Pradesh youth Congress president's post and Chowdhury got an audience with Amethi MP. In the stipulated 30-second introduction time, Chowdhury emphasized upon his caste status pointing that in MPCC, the weaker sections were under-represented. Rahul told him to cut down caste consideration asserting that in the Congress, caste considerations were not a determining factor. Chowdhury has since then been seeking refreshers course in polity.
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Welcome Politician Manmohan
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For the first time in his four-plus years, the UPA and the Congress is seeing emergence of politician Manmohan. The prime minister caught virtually everyone off guard by secretly working on Samajawadi party. Manmohan was reportedly working on Amar Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav for last three months. Though he kept Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her political secretary in the loop, the rest of the party men were kept in the dark. Indications are that Manmohan has more cards up his sleeve than his party men can imagine.
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"Secretive" Deals
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National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan met Amar Singh at an Intelligence Bureau 'Guest house' at Pandit Pant Marg, closer to Central secretariat and residence of key government trouble shooter Pranab Mukherjee. There is no plausible explanation from Samajawadi party or the government on why the briefing on a matter of national importance took place in such a clandestine manner?
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Indiscreet Renuka
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Union Minister for Women and Child development Renuka Chowdhury is in a bit of a spot following arrest of a person whom she was lobbying for appointment as a member of national commission for protection of child rights. Ministry officials are whispering how the minister could be so indiscreet.
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Kalam, actor in Amar's script
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Samajawadi Party general secretary Amar Singh's proximity with Bollywood is well known and now he is proving to be an excellent script writer. Barely minutes after the UNPA decided to consult 'experts' on n-deal, Amar had an appointment ready with former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Kalam readily gave his green signal to the deal. UNPA leaders known for their antipathy towards Congress allege that appointment with Kalam was fixed even before the third front took a view.
The other contours of Amar's script will unfold over the passage of time, they said rather grudgingly.
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Shaky Deora
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Union petroleum minister Murli Deora is suddenly in trouble and can not figure out how and why. Barely a fortnight ago, Deora was seen in the company of Priyanka and Robert Vadra breaking bread, in full public glare. The ease with which they were dining showed that Deora has excellent rapport with country's unofficial number one family. But when he was in Spain recently, rumours began over the possibility of his exit from the ministry in the wake of political realignment. Deora rushed back to Delhi. While he was relieved to find that his chair in Shastri Bhawan was intact, the concern over lack of a categorical reassurance continues. In spare time, Deora is busy playing cards at Gymkhana. Should not he be spending time in the intriguing game of chess, we suggest
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Banatwala haunts his party
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The row over n-deal has vertically divided the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) which is a staunch ally of the Congress and has representation in the union cabinet in E.Ahmad, minister of state in external affairs ministry. The IUML leadership in Kerala has a press release that was prepared by its leader G.M. Banatwala who died recently. In the release, Banatwalla had made a strong case against the n-deal. With emotions running high after Banatwala's death, the League is reluctant to quickly consign the departed leader's last wish to the dustbin.
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UP "experts" back in business
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The fast pace of political developments have rattled a section of the Congress. Senior AICC functionaries and some ministers were busy briefing media 'off-the-record' on how the good doctor was going ahead with the n-deal rather recklessly and that early poll were round the corner. The anti-Samajawadi party elements in the Congress (there is no dearth of them) were quickly made to eat their words. Suddenly UP became important and everyone began consulting 'UP wallahs' on the likely impact of the Congress-SP ties on both short and long term basis. From Salman Khurshid to Devendranath Dwivedi, the UP experts are in great demand.
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Early Birds---!
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The BJP is planning to name most of its Lok Sabha election nominees by August end, but its political opponent particularly the Congress is unfazed. The rationale is simple and based on experience. If a nominee is named well in advance, chances are that his opponents within the party will get more time to ensure his defeat, goes the logic. The BJP is however going ahead with its spree of naming Lok Sabha candidate. Kalraj Mishra and Murli Manohar Joshi are likely to be named from Lucknow and Varanasi Lok Sabha seats respectively. |
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