Sidharth Mishra
Congress has chance for redemption
Last week West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made an interesting revelation that it was she who had suggested the name of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for the post of the President to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
capital khabar
Team Parrikar
The recent transfers of the AGMU (erstwhile UT) cadre officers out of Delhi, enforced by Ministry of Home Affairs, has left Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit embittered.
Missing heat and dust of Indian summer
The onset of summer has been delayed.
Capital khabar
Forward march
Those who attended the marriage of the fourth daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and his former Bihar Chief Minister wife Rabri Devi were not amused with the boisterous presence of their supporters at the marriage venue. Those who follow politics dotted with caste-contours were, however, surprised at the alliance which the marriage was going to forge. People did not talk about political alliance as there is already one existing between the Congress and the RJD at the Centre; the groom is son of Congress leader and Haryana Minister Ajay Singh Yadav. It’s the social alliance which left people inquisitive. The Yadavs of Haryana are seldom known to enter into a marriage alliance with Yadavs of UP and Bihar. The Mandal report, too, categorises Haryana Yadavs as forward community whereas the Yadavs of UP and Bihar are in the OBC category. Somebody rightly said the Mandal votary has finally taken a forward step.
Tipsy worries
The committee appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi under the stewardship of Defence Minister AK Antony to examine the reasons for party’s failure to perform admirably in the just concluded Assembly polls has received some very amusing inputs. Many of these inputs relates to party general secretary Chowdhary Birender Singh, who was in charge for the party in Uttarakhand and also in Delhi for the MCD polls. The former Excise Minister from Haryana made some unprecedented promises to garner votes. The most interesting being the promise to set up a separate distillery for ex-servicemen so that their quota of liquor could be enhanced. Now this has put Chief Minister of the State Vijay Bahuguna in quite a quandary as he has to face electorate to enter the Vidhan Sabha and such promises are difficult to keep. Bahuguna’s worries are genuine as ex-servicemen comprise a large section of electorates in the hill State.
Central disconnect led to loss in local poll
The results of the polls to the Municipal Corporations of Delhi are out. It has taken many by surprise. However, going by my exposure to the politics of the national Capital for the past two decades, there was one person who all along was not very confident of her party doing well. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit drew a lot of
Alternatives yes — but not necessarily BJP!
The BJP has retained Delhi’s municipal mandate, but the victory should serve as a wake-up call. The surprising victory of a large number of independents and “others” suggests people are looking beyond parties for the right candidates
Capitalkhabar
In the dock
Chandni Chowk MP and Union Minister Kapil Sibal, ever since he won the Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 2004, never has had such a bad experience as suffered during the just concluded MCD polls.
Culture which holds us together
Late ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh enlivened his live performances by cracking some very down to earth jokes especially at the cost of his home State Punjab and his Punjabi brethren.
Capital khabar | Covering flanks
Political observers in the national Capital were amused to see a daily carry a peculiar news item on Rahul Gandhi’s evaluation of the performance of Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. The news item just stopped short of blaming Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for Congress no-show. The item said several public meetings by Dikshit yielded little result for the party. A sharp politician that she is, Dikshit quickly realised that party managers inimical to her stature were out to
unsettle her especially as she has been made part of a Sonia Gandhi appointed committee under AK Antony to examine the causes for debacle. The very next day Dikshit was heard saying that the civic polls in the national Capital could not be referendum on the performance of her Government, covering her flanks in advance, lest an adverse result revive dissidence.
Quiet campaign
In matters of former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar publicity and controversy go hand-in-hand. Whenever some poll is around, the cases related to 1984 anti-Sikh riots pending against Kumar gain sudden momentum bringing him into news for all the wrong reasons. However, it’s to Kumar’s credit that he has managed to wield several political storms to stay not only politically relevant and strong. While he is not been found anywhere in the newspapers and the television, Kumar is quietly working out strategies for his party in South Delhi, which is controlled by his family. His brother Ramesh represents the seat in Lok Sabha and son Jai Prakash heads the district Congress Committee. “In case of a good show, we may have Mayor of South Delhi from his camp,” quipped a Congress worker.
Witless leadership falling prey to cynicism
The 24-hour news channels have done a great disservice to this nation especially its politicians, bureaucracy, judiciary and military brass.
