Spoiling Modi’s party

Joshi used to be the BJP’s organisation secretary in Gujarat till Modi had him removed.

In fact, anticipating interference, Modi had made Joshi’s ouster a prestige issue when he was appointed CM. After lying low in Delhi for several months, Joshi recently surfaced as the party high command for Gujarat in Krishnamurthy’s quirky reshuffle of portfolios. It’s a recipe for trouble. BJP circles are wondering whether there’s a design in it.

RSVP regrets only

Laloo was hugely disappointed when Sonia Gandhi regretted the invitation to his daughter’s wedding in Patna. The official excuse was that the date clashed with the AICC session, although Laloo apparently pleaded with his friends in the Congress to end the meet in time for Sonia to fly to Patna.

But there’s more to Sonia’s ‘‘no’’ than meets the eye. It was a political decision, taken after an intensive discussion within the party. It was felt that Sonia’s presence would send all the wrong signals as it would imply embarrassing Congress complicity in the controversies surrounding the ceremonies like the ostentatious expenditure and the forcible acquisition of new cars from company showrooms.

As a matter of form — after all Laloo is a Congress ally — the party sent representatives in Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and general secretary in charge of Bihar Oscar Fernandes. But with the AICC political resolution hinting that the present Congress-RJD tieup may just be a temporary arrangement, Sonia’s absence on Laloo’s big day could be the first signs of a chill in the relationship.

Natwar on a roll

The surprise star of last week’s AICC session was Natwar Singh whose sparkling speech at the end of the day proved that he has a sense of humour behind the stern expression he’s known to carry. He certainly woke up the crowd with a series of witty barbs directed at the Vajpayee Government’s foreign policy and successfully turned a subject which otherwise lends itself to pomposity into a lively discussion the audience enjoyed.

But what really brought the house down was his call to all those over 70, including himself, to retire and make way for the next generation. While many on the dais must have squirmed, the crowd loved it and responded with wild applause. Even Sonia Gandhi smiled appreciatively.

Fuelling a row

A recent meeting of the parliamentary standing committee of the Petroleum Ministry was marred by a sharp attack from Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and former Gujarat Chief Minister and Congress MP Shankar Sinh Vaghela on the allotment of petrol pumps and gas agencies.

They apparently accused the Ministry of openly favouring BJP members and supporters and questioned the interview procedure adopted by the oil selection boards which are supposed to recommend the allottees.

Their remarks were well-timed because the Ministry had just issued advertisements for the interviews. It seems the interviews have since been cancelled and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik now wants to put the allotment procedure in the hands of the oil companies to escape flak. But he seems to have bitten off more than he can chew because a section of his own party is up in arms against his proposal.