By Nora Chopra
Congress leaders at AICC office in two minds over loyalties
The tussle between the Sonia Gandhi loyalists and Rahul Gandhi has already begun. Rahul Gandhi is said to have rejected the appointments of the 18 PROs by the AICC general secretary in charge of organization Janardhan Diwedi. Whereas the counter claim being made by Diwedi’s supporters is that the majority of these eighteen PROs have themselves backed out and are not keen to take up the job. Even if the counter claim is true that most PROs are reluctant to take up the assignment, it is the evidence of the fact that Congress leaders are faced with a dilemma over which way to go. There is no clarity. Till date most of these leaders were loyal to Sonia and her men but now with Rahul set to take over as president, the scenario is likely to change. It will be a case of changing loyalties. Though Congress leaders are usually used to changing loyalties to whoever is in power, this time it is different. They do not know whether switching over to Rahul would work or not, whether Rahul will now accept them or not. More than Rahul, these leaders are more concerned over his coterie and his advisers. The majority of the Congress want that whatever has to be done, should be done as fast as possible.
JOINT SECRETARY MEENA CARES LITTLE FOR PM’S NEW COMMISSION
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s minister for social justice Thavar Chand Gehlot’s joint secretary Babulal Meena is a daring man. He can even challenge the orders of a prime minister like Narendra Modi. Modi recently constituted a new commission for the nomadic tribes called National Commission for nomadic and semi nomadic castes and has appointed Dadabhikaji Hidate, one of his most trusted man as its chairman . This commission that has been made on the likes of the SC, ST & OBC commission would be working to identify the nomadic tribes and castes of the country. But the commission is finding it difficult to denotify those who do not belong to the nomadic castes but to avail the benefit, have enrolled themselves as a nomadic caste category. Poor Hidate who was picked up by Modi and made chairman in January with the status of a minister of state, is yet to get his staff or even a car. He goes to his office in Jeevan Prakash building on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in hired taxi. He does not even have a peon in his office who can open the door for his visitors. Despite hundreds of reminders to Meena and even to the concerned minister, nothing has been done. . Though the commission has a an annual budget of two and a half crores but the chairman cannot withdraw a single penny in the absence of a (DDO) drawing and disbursement officer. Whose signatures are mandatory to draw money? But even after six months, the commission is yet to get a DDO. Babulal Meena is creating problems in the appointment of DDO as well as other staff members. Despite several complaints to the minister who dances only to the tunes of Meena, no action has been taken so far and the commission remains without the staff and DDO. Now Hidate is toying the idea of complaining to the Prime Minister against Meena.
NIRMALA SITHARAMAN KEEPS INDRA NOOYI WAITING AT VISITORS ROOM
When the global CEO of Pepsi Indira Nooyi called on the industry and commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman, she was asked to wait in the visitors room in Sitharaman’s office. She was kept waiting for more than one hour. After an hour, the minister got a call from Arun Jaitley who gave Sitharaman a piece of his mind. It was after she was admonished by Jaitley that Sitharaman came out and went to the visitor’s room and profusely apologised to Nooyi for keeping her waiting.
CONGRESSMEN BUSY FOR ANOTHER ROYAL WEDDING IN DIGVIJAY’S FAMILY
The next big social event for the Congress is the wedding reception of Digvijay Singh’s youngest son Jayawardhane Singh with Srijamaya Shahi on May 22. Needless to say it is another royal wedding. The Shahis belong to the royal family of Dumaria in Gaya district of Bihar. The wedding was on May 19 and the reception in Delhi is on May 22.The young bride is a CA. Her father Shatru Mardan Shahi is said to have played a crucial role in making B P Mandal the chief minister of Bihar. All Congress leaders who have gone back to their respective constituencies will be coming back for raja’s son’s wedding reception. JV as the groom is called is the youngest MLA of Madhya Pradesh. (IPA)