Bigwigs Disturbed

Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi is all set to fly abroad once again following her health-related problems. With an eye to avoiding the melodrama, like the way it was staged in her previous absence, it is said that Rahul Gandhi is likely to be appointed acting president of the congress. It is evidently seen that this is going to bring storm in many tea cups. This leaves many heavyweight Congress leaders in a nail-biting situation. It is said that many Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states like Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan, Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra and Shiela Dikshit, Delhi feel themselves to be misfit in the youth brigade of Rahul. Similarly, Ahmed Patel, political advisor to Sonia Gandhi, feels confronting an insecure future. He too is not in the core team of Rahul and may face demotion of his present position.

UP: Slippery Ground

Mission UP of Rahul Gandhi seemed jinxed. When he started it with his sudden visits, his mission was interrupted by Anna’s anti-corruption movement. When the hangover of the movement tapered off, he started to visit UP again but the situation was more or less the same. This time, his visit was dwarfed by the saffron leaders. Rahul constructed a healthy scene in Western UP but BJP leader Uma Bharti washed all his hope in one go and Rahul’s charisma fell flat. Now spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on a rampage is going great guns firing indiscriminately and demolishing the image architected by Baba Rahul. This is worrying the Congress party. What would happen to the party tomorrow when its ace campaigner fails to spell magic over the show? Worrisome!

Beyond Constitutional Protocol?

Recently, an advertisement appeared in almost all the leading newspapers stating that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi would lay the foundation stone of a new rail line connecting Rishikesh with Karanprayag in Uttarakhand. But Sonia Gandhi failed to attend the programme, as she reportedly caught a fever. Actually, BC Khanduri, Chief Minister of the state, had written a letter to both the President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister’s office asking the Constitutional position of Sonia Gandhi and raising the question of protocol. It is said that it was the letter of Khanduri that caused the absence of Sonia, not the fever. Later, it was so also revealed that Congress was so overjoyed at the prospect of first public meeting of Sonia Gandhi after her recovery that it forgot to invite the CM of the state BC Khanduri to the programme.

Tailpiece

The alliance between Congress and Lok Dal is due to the growing demands of Ajit Singh. It is said that Ajit singh is demanding more number of seats in coming assembly elections in UP and longing for some important ministerial birth. Sources claimed that he is also eying for some monetary benefits. However, Congress is not in a mood to give him more privileges. Ajit Singh has made an alliance with almost all the parties in UP, including the BJP, SP and BSP. Congress may use it as his biggest demerit.