Last ditch stall

BJP President Rajnath Singh is fighting a rearguard battle to stall L.K. Advani’s total takeover of the party. With key office-bearers of the RSS making it clear that they are not taking sides in the BJP’s succession struggle, almost all those who matter in the party have switched to the Advani camp. The only two still with Rajnath are Suresh Soni and Bal Apte. Vajpayee’s letter to the national executive indicating that he should not be ruled out of the reckoning came as a bolt from the blue for the Advani camp, since Vajpayee had offered verbal assurance that he was not in the running for the prime minister’s post because of his failing health. Most attribute Vajpayee’s letter to a close confidant of the former PM who fears he will have no role to play if Advani is in the driver’s seat.

Fount of inspiration

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was dazzled by all things Chinese; from the country’s SEZs to its power plants, metros, and skyscrapers, during his visit this month to the World Economic Forum at Dalian. Modi was particularly impressed when the Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai, a former mayor of Dalian, pushed a remote control switch. The curtain in front of the guests opened and a musical fountain started playing. Don’t be surprised if you see a musical fountain operated by remote control being constructed soon in Ahmedabad.

Joint publicity

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and actor Dev Anand share their birthday. Last year, the Centre for Media Studies pointed out that on television channels, a total of three minutes was devoted to the prime minister’s birthday compared to 35 minutes for Dev Anand. This year, the prime minister’s media advisers saw a smart way to ensure that he was not overshadowed by the evergreen star, now 85. Singh, 75, basked in the publicity generated by his release of Anand’s autobiography.

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