| Published on 27-02-2008 In National |
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| Corridor Whispers - Feb 27 Part - 1 |
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Written by
Insider |
Arjun Singh's last-ditch bid to stay put
Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh is in trouble. Indications are that the aging and ailing Thakur from Rewa is set for post-retirement perk as Governor of Maharashtra. However, the process of his likely exit from Delhi durbar is interesting.
Arjun is less than keen to leave Delhi but informed Congress circles say Rahul Gandhi wants a younger face in the human resource ministry. Arjun's quota policy, opposition to opening of foreign universities, differences with knowledge commission and other "education reforms" said to have prompted the young Gandhi to suggest an honourable exit at par with Arjun's seniority and "services" to the party.
However, the Congress leadership was faced with "who will bell the cat" dilemma. There was virtually no one (AICC general secretaries) willing to offer governor's assignment to the senior leader. Last heard, Arjun got wind of Delhi durbar's plans to pack him off to a Raj Bhawan so the HRD minister asked his wife Saroj to call on Sonia Gandhi.
Mrs. Arjun Singh is said to have conveyed her husband's sentiments and now it is up to Sonia to decide on Arjun's fate. Congressmen including the Prime Minister are keeping their fingers crossed till madam decides.
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Marathas throng Tripura!
Recently concluded Tripura assembly elections saw huge Marathi flavour but nobody complained. From the Congress' side, the Marathi speaking crowd managed the entire election. The election managers had come from Karad district of Maharashtra, hometown of AICC general secretary Prithviraj Chavan in charge of Tripura. Chavan had to get work force from Karad when he landed in Agartala and realized the State Congress unit existed only on paper.
Chavan's detractors quietly point out that in 2004 general elections, these managers had failed to get their leader elected forcing him to enter parliament via Rajya Sabha route.
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Patil's Pursuits
The state of internal security may not be most satisfactory for most citizens of the country, but Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has plenty of time to follow trivial pursuit. The home minister's dress sense, thrust on yoga, are legend of sorts in the North Block. Patil is author of over a dozen books and now the minister is turning poetic. Yes, a volume of Patil's inner thoughts will soon become public. One wonders if it will include the painful period of almost getting the presidential candidature and then the dream going up in smoke.
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Personal, not party matter!
The legal eagles in the Congress are known to act in haste. So when the Election Commission served the notice to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi seeking explanation on receiving a Belgian government civilian award, AICC spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi quickly prepared a draft for and on behalf of Indian Congress party. However EC refused to take note of Singhvi's hard work pointing out that the notice was served to Sonia as an individual MP in which the Congress was not even a party. A fresh letter from Sonia's lawyers has now been sent to Nirvachan Bhawan.
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Where are the women?
BJP national president Rajnath Singh has a problem on hand. The BJP having announced 33 per cent reservation for women at all levels of hierarchy in the party is finding it difficult to get suitable numbers. Initially Rajnath thought of drawing the talent from various north-Indian, Hindi speaking belt to fill the vacancies at the national level but now the state units are crying foul. The state bodies in UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh are unable to get suitable number of women for state level office-bearers and executive body. |
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