Fly on the Wall
Subramanian Swamy’s dramatic and fool-proof plan to topple the UPA-II government at the Centre in the name of second-term President hopeful was carefully crafted. Gujrat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy, a Mumbai-based media baron close to the BJP, AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha along with Swamy had chalked it out. Swamy told the NDA leaders that A P J Abdul Kalam has agreed to be a Presidential candidate as Mamata-Mulayam are backing him. He even talked to Kalam in the presence of the NDA leaders to buttress his claim. A victory for Kalam would have been a foregone conclusion and it would have been impossible for the UPA government to continue. But Swamy had no clue what Sonia Gandhi's political managers were doing. He did not realise that banking on Mulayam Singh Yadav will be a blunder and political harakiri. In the nu-clear deal, it was Amar Singh. But this time, who clinched Mulayam-Sonia deal, none of the coup planner knew. He dumped Mamata Banerjee without blinking. A sheepish Swamy virtually kept quiet at the Sunday meeting of the NDA where allies revolted against Advani-Swamy alliance to play the spoil sport. L K Advani had to cut a sorry figure too in his party. Finally, Nitin Gadkari got a chance to smile.
How Mumbai Club swung the game for Pranab
It was the Mumbai club that swung the Presidential poll for Pranab Mukherjee. It is no secret that both Ambani brothers are very close to the finance minister who had long association with their father late Dhirubhai Ambani. It is also stated that Anil Ambani played a key role in moulding Mulayam who has been known for bending backward. The other industrialist houses of Bajajs, Mahindras, Birlas, Ruias, even the TATAs had wished Mukherjee well. The fact that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar threw his weight behind Pranab Mukherjee was an indication that Mumbai club is keen for it. Pawar is working over-time to evolve a consensus for Pranab Mukherjee. It was Pawar who made Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi to speak to leaders of non-UPA parties on phone as soon as Pranab Mukherjee was chosen its candidate. Sonia spoke to Nitin Gadkari while Manmohan Singh talked to Advani, Sushma and Arun Jaitley in London. The PM spoke to Nitish Kumar, Mayawati and several others. The support of every leader was sought within the next 30 minutes and only then Mukherjee’s candidature was publicly declared.
Uncomfortable Sonia
Sonia Gandhi was extremely uncomfortable when DMK’s T R Baalu made her to wear ceremonial shawl to her immediately after formal announcement of Pranab Mukherjee for president’s post was made. Baalu, desperate to get into the Union Cabinet, wanted to placate Sonia, Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee and had come prepared for the event. But the gesture didn’t earn him score any points, if sources close to Sonia Gandhi are to be believed.
Fitness freak Dimple
Dimple Rawat Yadav wife of AkhileshYadav is set to excel amongst the other six women members of the Parliament who are also slim and fit. Dimple is expected to take oath of office on the first day of Monsoon session in July. Harsimart Kaur Badal ( Akali Dal ), Priya Dutt (Congress) Bhawna Gawli (Shiv Sena) ,Supriya Sule (NCP) Satabdi Roy (Trinamool Congress) and Agatha Sangma (NCP) are among the other fitness freak women MPs. But Dimple being a daughter of a Army personnel, is very careful about what she eats and remains fit. With Dimple Yadav getting elected from Kannauj, the total number of women MPs
would go up to 60.
