It is believed that during investigation by the income tax department, as many as 17 people have confessed that they have accounts in Swiss banks. An alleged list of the names of these people is with the Central government and contains the names of 690 Indians. The young BJP leader Varun Gandhi has already filed an RTI about this. It is believed that among the people who has confessed of having these accounts, most are people who are close to the Congress. So it is possible that the government and the finance minister give them another chance to file a revised return so that they can come clean. In the revised returns procedure, the person has to pay the tax on the sum in the bank to India, after which they can have the safe passage way out.

Several important Bills will be placed in the Winter Session of the Parliament, which is set to start November 21. The Land Acquisition Bill is sure to be passed and the Food Security Bill will also be presented, but there is still no clarity about the Lokpal Bill and while one will be placed. Will it be the Janlokpal Bill which is being supported by Anna, or the government-supported one?

After a recent report by USA’s Nasa and Department of Energy, which says the electronic voting machine (EVM) can be hacked, the BJP may again start its record on the EVM issue. Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra may well have been a flop, but several of his ideas and questions have been a hit. Advani has also been constantly raising the question of reliability of EVMs. That’s because the BJP is still looking at Chidambaram’s win with suspicion. And because Chidambaram’s win at the last moment is still pending in the court, so the party is also not sure about the recounting of EVMs. The BJP leaders have always been saying in hushed tones that the EVMs had a big role to play in the Congress win in 2009 elections with 206 seats. Several other big and small parties have been talking about the EVM’s reliability. So the politics of EVMs may heat up in the days to come.

The Central Cabinet may get more members before the winter session in the Parliament starts. This may find more place for those from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra. Politicians such as Ajit Singh and Chiranjeevi may get lucky. The Congress is trying to concentrate on the states where it feels there is a scope for new possibilities.

It seems Sudheendra Kulkarni has accepted his life in jail. He eats whatever he gets in jail and never wanders around the canteen. Since his family lives in Mumbai, there is no question of getting home cooked food either. Kulkarni is most upset with Advani. He feels that in order to protect one of his protégés, he is not even mentioning the “case for vote” in his awareness yatra.

There is speculation in the political corridors that the winter session of the Parliament, which is set to start from November 21, may see a lot of changes in UPA-2. Several prominent leaders in the Cabinet may be relieved of their duties during this reshuffle and keeping in mind the Vidhan Sabha elections in five states, several heavy-weight ministers may be brought into the fold. Chief ministers of the three Congress-ruled states of Haryana, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh already have the sword of the high command looming over their heads but a search for their alternatives hasn’t been completed yet. Thus, two chief minister may be let off with a warning but there may be a change of guard in Rajasthan.

Pulak Chatterjee’s appointment as chief secretary is being seen as a preparation for crowing Rahul Gandhi as the leader. Rahul wants to wait till the results from UP elections are out but the party is in a hurry. The party and Sonia believe that the results from UP elections might lead to a loss of morale for the party and the time may not be right to crown Rahul baba. As far as Pulak is concerned, he is the prime minister’s chief secretary for sure, but he doesn’t have the status of a central state minister because according to seniority, the present Cabinet secretary is senior to Pulak. When he retires in April 2012, it will make Pulak the senior-most. Which means that period might be a golden one for Pulak.

The organizers of the rath yatra set down a guidelines for the same. According to this, when there are people on the dias, the first row will be occupied by Pratibha, Anant Kumar and Deepak Chopra. The other senior party members will sit in the second row. It also says that only Advani, Pratibha and Chopra will wave to the government as a form of greeting and none of the other members will do the same.

This is the start of the Anna effect for the Congress, and Hissar by elections are becoming the eye witness for the same. Congress has tried all it can to ensure its man Jaiprakash wins the elections, so much so that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda has made the Hissar by elections a matter of honour. But the Congress stands of shaky ground here. The Congress contestant now stands third. Kuldip Bishnoi is ahead in the fray after being in the seat left vacant by the death of his father. But he will have a face-off with Om Prakash Chautala’s son Ajay Chautala.

Sonia is worried with the BJP’s increasing graph growth in Haryana. The Hissar by-elections may well be an obituary of Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s political innings – serious complaints about corruption are dogging the chief minister. There is also news from the inner circles to tell him to leave the post. As of now, Shailaja is said to be ahead in the race for the state’s top post – she is young, is a Dalit, is educated. What is standing in the way of giving Hooda the marching orders is the strong friendship Hooda’s son Deependra Hooda shares with Robert Vadera. It is said that jointly, the both of them are running several successful real estate businesses. The Opposition parties have brought the issue to light several times before. But Sonia feels there is a limit to everything and so priority should be given to the party rather than individual profits. So the Congress may take some big decision about Haryana in the days to come.