The rising popularity of Rajasthan’s Vasundhara Raje is becoming a cause for worry for the Congress. Thus, the Congress government has made up its mind to make things tougher for her. Sources reveal that the CBI has managed to get adequate proof against Raje’s son Dushyant Singh in a financial scam. And since Assembly elections will be held in Rajasthan in the next few months, taking advantage of the election fever, the CBI may register a case against him just before the elections so that the Congress is Rajasthan can then play up the issue. Sources reveal that understanding the gravity of the situation, Dushyant Singh wants to settle the matter without gathering too much storm and is doing the rounds of several Congress leaders. A few days ago we visited Sachin Pilot at his home but didn’t get any solid reassurance from him and thus went to meet Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He has tried to play up the jat connection with Hooda and has asked him to help; Hooda too has assured Singh of help.

Industrialist Vijay Mallya’s troubles just don’t seem to end. It is worth remembering that Mallya owes more than Rs 7,000 crore to 18 India banks. State Bank of India has started the process of selling shares of Mallya’s companies. Mallya has property in several countries in the world and in India alone, he has 26 such properties that are in prime locations. Several banks have got processes in place so as to auction these properties. But there are two places that are extremely close to Mallya’s heart. One of them is his bungalow in Mumbai and the Kingfisher Villa in Goa. Mallya has held close to 1,000 parties for his friends in the villa in Goa. Several Indians with deep pockets who have been invited to these parties are now eyeing the properties.

Pranab da is a President who believes meeting and interacting with people is a good thing. So just like the doors to his heart, the doors of Rashtrapati Bhavan are open. When Pranab da became the President, he considered the fact that whenever a head of a foreign state comes visiting India with his entourage, his stay in five-star hotels runs up a bill of several crores. So when they come from now on, why don’t they stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan? But it doesn’t seem like this idea by the respected President is getting any takers because most heads of state like to stay in five-star hotels. And when a prominent leaders of the American government, for instance Hillary Clinton comes to India, American security agencies cite security reasons and prefer to put them up at these five-star hotels.

The Congress chaos just seems to increase in Uttarakhand. The new controversy is regarding the party president in the state. The chief minister from the state has put two names forward and wants the high command to accept one of the two. The two names he has given are Hira Singh Bist and Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi. On the other hand, the camp against the chief minister, that is Harish Rawat camp, has given the names of Pradip Tamta and Mahendra Mehra. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi takes special interest in the Congress matters in Uttarakhand. So it depends on him whether he gives preference to Bahuguna or Harish Rawat camp. But he is said to be upset about the Congress’ performance during the municipality elections, but neither is he happy with Harish Rawat’s aggressive stand. So it is just possible that the Congress’ command in the state may go in the hands of another leader. Rahul Gandhi wants a leader who can take the Congress out of its present chaos, because according to the recent public surveys, it seems the Congress may lose five of its seats.

It was worth seeing the excitement of party members at a meeting attended by BJP’s prominent ministers and position holders. The subject was how to make an anti-Congress environment in the country. All of them had their own suggestions. For instance, Capt Abhimanyu’s suggestion was that a human chain be made. While some suggested a march, others suggested a vow to silence. But BJP’s newly-appointed vice president Varun Gandhi had an idea that the party should start an all-India “Jail bharo” movement. Varun said, “I am against violence of any kind. But if a spark is born out of a people’s movement, I don’t mind.” At this, the other party vice president Amit Shah quipped, “Varun has a good experience of prisons; he has been there before.” Varun quipped back saying, “Those who were left are going to go there soon.” Shah’s face was worth seeing.

The media played up the news that Lalu Prasad who got injured in a car accident in Raghopur and that Narendra Modi called him to enquire about his health. Obviously, those who are not with Lalu were extremely happy with this news and Lalu himself was pretty upset. What had happened was actually a faux pas by Lalu’s personal assistant. When Lalu’s personal assistant answered the phone, he was told from the other side of the phone that Modi ji would like to enquire about Lalu ji’s health. The PA thought the phone was from Bihar’s vice chief minister Sushil Modi and he transferred the phone call to Lalu ji. By the time Lalu could understand the whole thing, Modi had already asked him how he was. And now Lalu didn’t want to mention the incident to anyone. But Modi had already leaked the news of the media.

Our National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon is handling the territorial tiff with China. Menon was born in Lhasa in Tibet, where his father had been appointed the counsel general there. Menon himself has been India’s ambassador to China. That is why he has an excellent command over Chinese language. The foreign ministry’s logic was that since only 22 Chinese are manning the border, they are not there to attack. Menon has confirmed information that between April 30 and May 4, Chinese forces will withdraw and, thus, the matter should be kept low-key. The media and the Opposition should not give it too much importance because at present, China is being controlled by hardliners who are quick to react. But seeing China’s current demeanour, Menon himself is shocked.

India’s problem is that China’s armed forces, which was two times more than India’s during the 1962 war between the two countries, is now five times more. The country is not only present to India’s north, but has also stretched its legs in the west and south as well. China controls the ports in Sri Lanka and the Gadar Port in the west. Sensing the danger in Baluchistan, Pakistan has little or no control over Gadar Port. China also controls one of the two ports in Iran and has made a handsome offer for the second one as well. India is also considering bidding for it. China has total control over the Maldives. The country also has significant influence in the valley of Nepal and is reaching out to the youth there through money being pumped by several NGOs on the Bihar border. The youth there wants to learn Chinese. Clearly, the communist country has surrounded India well and nice.

Mukesh Ambani is set to enter the telecom sector as a significant player. He is the biggest players in the 4G space. That makes Bharti Airtel’s Sunil Mittal his biggest competitor. Mukesh may have shaken hands with him professionally by paying Sunil Mittal a hefty sum for using the services of the optical fibre that has been laid under the ocean but there is no love lost between the both of them. Maybe that is the reason Sunil Mittal is in such a hurry to come out of the 2G imbroglio.

A state minister from the Congress is nowadays being called IPL Uncle. A romantic man by nature, he has now become a cricket lover and is works for the social good, and does a lot of work for everyone from the Mittals to the Ambanis. In recent times, he also has close relations with law, too. While the law minister has come in the eye of the storm with respected judges, this gentleman has the guardians of law happy with him. So clever is he when it comes to PR that Nira Radia will pale in comparison. Thus the game is on and the law makers get sponsored tickets for the IPL matches by 10 in the morning. Be it cricket or golf membership or a pulse on the riches and beauty, this gentleman knows all skills. And why not, when it is Shukla ji from Kanpur.