Clipped, but clout stays

Kalyan 'jinx' for BJP

In the Bharatiya Janata Party, where superstitions hold sway, many are wondering whether Kalyan Singh's return will really be lucky for the party. They say that Singh did not turn out lucky for Nitin Gadkari who was the chief guest at his home-coming rally. That day, a second term as the party's national president looked certain for Gadkari and Singh congratulated him, saying, "The formal announcement of Gadkariji's second term will be made after a couple of days but I am congratulating him in advance." The very next day, Gadkari had to withdraw, making way for Rajnath Singh.

Pink popularity

At a Congress meeting on Sunday, Gulabi Gang leader and defeated party candidate from Manikpur Sampat Pal was the centre of much attraction. Partymen surrounded her as she animatedly spoke on subjects as diverse as Anna Hazare, her days inside the Big Boss house and Jantar Mantar protests against the Delhi gangrape. Some quickly dialled their relatives and requested her to talk to them, and she happily obliged. Pal also showed a Norwegian magazine which had her on the cover, while an aide told the gathering about the international documentaries being made on her. With pride, she narrated an anecdote about her interaction with the media after she was evicted from the Big Boss house: "They asked me how I felt after being with Salman Khan, I said, why don't you ask Salman how he felt being with me?"

Sworn rivals

Minorities Welfare Minister Azam Khan's dislike for former minister Haji Yaqoob Qureshi of Meerut is no secret. On Thursday, Khan visited Meerut to distribute cheques of Hamari Beti, Uska Kal scheme. Later, while meeting party leaders in the circuit house, Khan jokingly asked SP's city president Israr Saifi, "How is your friend these days?" MLC Sarojini Agarwal tried to help a clueless Saifi: "Haji Yaqoob Qureshi". At this, Azam Khan lost his cool, "Don't call him Haji, he does not deserve this title. At most, he can be Namazi (one who offers prayer)". Incidentally, ever since Azam Khan returned from the Haj pilgrimage, his name is now usually prefixed with the title of Haji.

Give some, take some

Delhi's Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmad Bukhari succeeded in getting his aide Wasim Ahmed appointed as chairman of the UP Pollution Control Board. But Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has clipped his wings. As a result, clearance to as many as 38 slaughter houses for no-objection certificates has been stalled, while Waseem is sitting idle. Bukhari tried to break the ice, but failed.

The Last laugh

The Samajwadi Party's efforts to capture the post of zila panchayat chairman from the BSP in Chitrakoot have backfired. SP-backed candidate Mamata Patel, who is wife of local MLA Veer Singh, not only got defeated by party rebel S L Yadav in the election, but a case of kidnapping of a zila panchayat member was also lodged against her husband. The BSP may have lost the post, but it had the last laugh. At Yadav's swearing-in on Friday, former BSP minister Daddu Prasad was seated on the stage.

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