Generation Next
The 2014 Lok Sabha election could see another Yadav making his debut. The Samajwadi Party is rife with talks of Prateek Yadav, the younger son of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who could contest from Azamgarh. Or Mulayam could contest from both Azamgarh and Mainpuri, to vacate it later for Prateek. Sources say the second option may be preferred, as it would marginalise the BJP MP from Azamgarh, Ramakant Yadav, a former chela of Mulayam’s. It would also make it easier to launch Prateek in politics. Considering the mood in Uttar Pradesh, one could be forgiven to think if it’s not two too many seats for the senior Yadav.
Wedding Week
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav is tying the knot with Briton Elizabeth Colebourn, a former classmate of his in the US . The chief minister has planned a grand reception with over 10,000 invited to the Saru Sajai Stadium in Guwahati on 29 October. Gaurav’s wedding is being seen as a major development, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls where he might be the Congress candidate from the Koliabor Lok Sabha seat. Party cadres eagerly await the ‘Sonia Gandhi’ of Assam.
All The CM’s Men
Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara’s supporters have alleged that CM Siddaramaiah is discriminating against them. They see Siddaramaiah and his hand-picked ministers as outsiders, who came to the Congress from the Janata Dal. Recently, Parameshwara’s men were left red-faced when no one from the central leadership turned up for a meeting. Even the state in-charge, Digvijaya Singh, was away in Madhya Pradesh, canvassing support for his son Jaivardhan, who is making his political debut.
Minority Retort
Shoaib Iqbal, an independent mla from old Delhi, wants to join the Congress. In return, he has apparently demanded a Rajya Sabha seat and an MLA ticket for his son. But Haroon Yusuf, a minister in the Delhi government, is vehemently opposed to the move. Iqbal has influence in four Assembly seats. The final call now rests on the general secretary in-charge of Delhi, Shakeel Ahmed, who incidentally is also a Muslim.
Loser Loyalist
Once powerful within the Congress and valued by the Gandhi family, Janardhana Poojary from Karnataka is trying hard to claw his way back. Among his wrong moves is one when he asked for the Bharat Ratna to be given to a dubious religious leader, earning himself the moniker ‘Bharat Ratna Poojary’. The eclipse of his sun coincided with the rise of arch-rival Veerappa Moily.
