By IANS,
New Delhi : She may be stirring the political pot, but as far as Sunday’s dinner here for Third Front leaders was concerned, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati wanted to ensure everything was super smooth.
After sending her trusted lieutenant Satish Chandra Misra to personally extend invitations to the Third Front leaders for dinner at her new residence in New Delhi, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief flew down to inspect the arrangements personally.
Sources close to her in Lucknow said not only was a big-time caterer roped in to make everything “top class” but even the colour scheme for the big do was finalised after Mayawati’s nod. She is after all pitching to be the prime ministerial candidate of the Third Front.
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One kicks ball, another makes music
One is hoping voters will fall in step if he plays football. Another is trying to strike the right chord. Both are candidates of rival parties from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.
Sitting MP and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominee Sujan Chakraborty is kicking the ball with children as part of his mass contact exercise. Wearing a tracksuit, Chakraborty has been visiting football grounds, well aware of the Bengali’s love for the sport.
Trinamool Congress’ journalist-turned-singer Kabir Suman, who is making his electoral debut this time, is singing a different tune. He is breaking into his popular songs every now and then to attract voters.
He is also splashing colour on the walls for some vibrant election graffiti for his party.
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‘Sources’ and ‘high command’ in demand
In Indian politics, little moves without the consent of the ‘high command’ – two words that allude to a party’s top leadership.
Little surprise then that Congress, Janata Dal-Secular and Bharatiya Janata Party ticket seekers in Karnataka are after the ‘high command’ or at least those ‘close to the high command’.
They are also after ‘sources’ – mainly journalists – to know the thinking of the high command on the prospect of getting nominations for the April-May general elections. It is a different matter that journalists are also after their own sources to know who is likely to get which seat!
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Sack – and back – in 24 hours
A lot can happen in 24 hours, as Kerala Youth Congress president T. Siddique has just discovered.
He found himself in a piquant situation when he got a call from the organisation’s Delhi headquarters saying he had been removed – only to be told 24 hours later that he should continue!
“No one knows the real reason for the decision that Rahul Gandhi (in charge of the Youth Congress) took. It was like saying triple talaq over phone!” said a Youth Congress leader requesting anonymity.