By IANS,
New Delhi : Though senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V.K. Malhotra has agreed to fight as its chief ministerial candidate from Delhi, he seems to be already missing his time in parliament.
When party veteran leader L.K. Advani launched Malhotra’s website Friday many reporters were quick to point out the picture of the parliament house in the background on the top page.
He is the deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
No one except him knows whether the picture is meant to remind voters of the experience of the five-time parliamentarian or it shows that he still nurses the ambition of returning to parliament some time.
Whatever the case may be, it gave rise to lot of speculation. Who knows he may return to parliament after hopefully leading the BJP to power in Delhi and hand over the chief minister’s post to someone else?
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Empty party offices
Just a fortnight ago the offices of the Delhi units of BJP and the Congress were buzzing with activity with ticket-seekers along with their supporters trying to convince senior leaders to select them to fight the assembly elections that are the “semi-finals” before next year’s general elections.
They were not the only ones thronging the party offices from morning to night. There were khadi sellers, tea stall owners, and food stall owners, who incidentally did roaring business.
But now, as the candidate lists have been announced and campaigning is in full swing, the party offices have once again become deserted. Even the food and tea stall owners could be found sitting idle.
Said Kishore, who sells food items: “I will have to move to another place. But I am happy that I made enough money… though it didn’t last long.”
The crowd is now expected to return only when victory celebrations start. But it would be either in the BJP office or the Congress one.
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Makwana’s two-page charge sheet against Congress
Congress rebel Yogendra Makwana, a former union minister, announced the name of his new party — National Bahujan Congress (NBC) Party – that sounds to be a mix of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress.
Makwana, who had been with the Congress party since 1969, was removed Thursday for anti-party activity.
But the news about him launchign a party had already been reproted by a newspaper – in a Lucknow-based newspaper called “Rahat Times”.
After announcing the name of the party, Makwana distributed copies of the newspaper to reporters.
Curious scribes turned the pages and found why he was giving them the paper. It had two full pages of charges Makwana made against the Congress Party.
But one glance at the charges made many of them close the paper swiftly without giving it another glance. The charges were in such fine print that reading them made people’s eye water.