No matter what political colour is imparted to the rise of P.Chidambaram as Home Minister, but there are certain things PC is simply unable to hide. That he takes fancy to his own face and all beautiful faces is well known, so when it comes to being seen on the media, PC always wants to be seen in his best. It has always been the tradition of the Home Ministry that whenever an important announcement is to be made, the Home Secretary sits next to the Minister. But ever since PC has come, he has always kept his able Home Secretary G.K. Pillai away from the media. There should be no iota of doubt about Pillai’s capabilities. He is a very competent official. So in the NDA Government he was in-charge of the important North East. When A.K. Antony became the Chief Minister of Kerala, he made Pillai his Chief
Secretary. Thereafter Pillai worked for Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Kamal Nath and made everyone acknowledge his administrative capabilities. So the moot question is that if this meeting on Naxalite issue in Kolkata was so important, then why did the Home Minister not
take his Home Secretary along? Why had he already sent Pillai to the North East? So many such unanswered questions continue to follow PC.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is about to snap. An old political friendship is breathing its last. Most senior BJP leaders have now started finding this friendship to be a liability and the Bihar Assembly elections are round the corner. So the dilemma before BJP is that when one of its alliance partner is abusing Biharis at the top of the voice then how can it make the lotus bloom in the hearts of the people of the State. So the new president is of the view that the burden of this alliance cannot be carried on the head while going into the Bihar elections. Even otherwise the new BJP president has never been friends with the Thackeray family. There is only one supporter of
BJP’s alliance with Shiv Sena, and that is Gopinath Munde. But now even Munde has realised that advocating the cause of the Thackeray family could jeopardise his standing and future in BJP because Bal Thackeray, as has been his wont, cannot face anyone but can only issue threats through his writings in Saamna newspaper. And this time, Bala Saheb crossed the line and challenged the Sangh itself. So, albeit late, he will have to face the music now – for advice and insult.

This is the very Sant Singh Chatwal against whom Indian investigating agency CBI has filed a chargesheet. The matter pertains to a fraud of $ 9 million against State Bank of India. Perhaps in this matter Chatwal was also arrested from Mumbai once and he was let off after intensive interrogation. Once release, Chatwal left the country. In 2008, the senior officials of CBI wanted to file an appeal citing
`difference of opinion’ but the Director of Prosecution opposed this and got the case closed. And three cases had already been closed
against Chatwal earlier. So the speculation was already rife in the political circles that because of his American connections, Chatwal
could this time be honoured with India’s highest civilian honour, but the curtain only had to come off on whether this honour would be Padma Shri or Padma Bhushan. The veil had long ago been lifted off the political intentions.

Recently, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu entered the 60th year of his life and soonafter he suffered a massive heart attack. Fortunately, some well-wisher of his had left tablets of Sorbitrate in his pocket and this medicine proved to be a life-saver for Naidu.

Capable of translating his weight into political weight, the strongman politician of Bihar Pappu Yadav is busy finding his footing and identity in the Congress and as against his name and reputation if he has come into discussion this time it is for a different reason – this Yaduvanshi leader who had once started a people’s movement against corrupt officials is not concerned about the falling standard of education in Bihar. Therefore two self-service organisation launched by him recently, Yuva Shakti and Prabhat Adarsh Jan Kalyan Samiti, are trying to raise the standard of education in the backward villages of Bihar. Pappu’s wife and former MP Ranjita Ranjan has easy access to 10 Janpath but would this be enough for Pappu to fulfil his lofty political ambitions.

Another daughter-in-law of the Gandhi family, Maneka, had also long
ago laid the foundation of the “transfer of power’’ for her son,
Varun Gandhi. She had relinquished her traditional Pilibhit
parliamentary seat for her son and had herself tried her luck in the
nearby Aonla, from where she managed to win with great difficulty.
Political analysts know that in comparison to his elder cousin, Varun
is much more sincere, suave and farsighted. But his problem is that
some big leaders of his party itself have started considering him a
rival. So in the new year if Varun is to do something new then more
than his own party leaders he would have to repose much more faith in
his mentors and seniors in the Sangh. So it is being expected that
along with taking over the mantle of the BJP Yuva Morcha president in
the new team of his new party president, Varun would also focus on the
party politics in U.P. Varun is about to organise seven big political
rallies in U.P. in the new year. So you can well understand that in
his sub-conscious mind somewhere the idea of and answer to “U.P.
Mission 2012’’ of Rahul has made a house.

Union Industries Minister and former Chief Minister of
Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh is still yearning for a bungalow in Delhi
and ever since he has become a Minister he has been living in a guest
house of his ministry’s public sector undertaking BHEL. The person
whose bungalow has been allotted to him is at present vacationing in
Singapore. Probably, he would return on January 6 and then the process
of getting the bungalow vacated would start. A few days ago, a
journalist asked Deshmukh that for how long will he remain homeless.
Pat came the reply from Deshmukh – `Till the time he remains
shameless’. Clearly, Deshmukh was pointing at the politician who is
not vacating with ease the bungalow that has been allotted to
Deshmukh.

In the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament, while Congress prince Rahul Gandhi was barely seen in the House, his cousin
brother Varun Gandhi following the parliamentary tradition like an obedient student and actively participated in the functioning of
Parliament. Varun worked really well on the issues of poverty and Hindutva. So, Varun appeared most active on the issue of the sugarcane farmers and also remained in the House during the entire debate on the Liberhan Commission Report. So while Varun Gandhi on the one hand expressed his concern at the constantly rising inflation rate, he also came out in defence of Asaram Bapu on the party platform. Varun said Asaram Bapu has on numerous occasions stood by BJP on the issue of Hindutva and what is the party Government in Gujarat doing to him? At this the Gujarat BJP president Purshottam Rupala expressed his resentment that “Bapu is openly saying that he would dislodge the BJP Government in Gujarat.’’ At this Varun asked Advani who was present there – then Advaniji you decide what was more important for BJP — `Saint or Government’. There was no reply from Advani.

After this Budget session, a minor reshuffle can take place in the Congress central organisation. Dr. Manmohan Singh is most worried
because of the ministers from the DMK quota. In particular, A. Raja is giving troubles to the UPA Government. So the Prime Minister directly called up DMK chief Karunanidhi and requested him that he be allowed to drop A. Raja from the Cabinet. Manmohan Singh’s argument was that now the situation has deteriorated so much that now even the bureaucrats do not listen to the Minister and if the bureaucracy would not listen then how would the ministry run? The Prime Minister wants that instead of A. Raja either Karunanidhi should make his daughter Kanimozhi or his other MP son a minister. But the baba with dark glasses took only a second to make his authoritarian declaration that Raja would not go, if you want then you can shift him to a less important ministry. Now what option has the Prime Minister got apart from remaining silent.

India has completely tightened its noose around the Ulfa terror leaders this time. Fortunately in the Bangladesh elections this time, there was no hanky-panky because of Indian support (It should be remembered that during BJP’s rule the support to Sheikh Hasina through senior RAW officials had cost the Government of India Rs 100 crores). This time a certain amount of precaution was taken and along with Sheikh Hasina, India had also supported Khalida Zia. So in the arrest of Arvind Rajkhowa, Khalida Zia fully supported the Indian agencies and as a reward she has been conferred with the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.