| Poll
Talk BUZZ ABOUT
RAHUL
Did it let the cat out of the bag or did it merely put the cat among
the pigeons? Either way, newspaper reports this past week that suggested Rahul Gandhi had
quit his job with a London-based financial services firm had political circles agog. Was
he entering politics? Was he going to stand from Sultanpur or Rae Bareli, Amethi's
neighbouring constituencies and part of the family terrain? Was this final proof that
mother Sonia had anointed the son as the heir apparent overlooking daughter Priyanka?
 While
Delhi's professional rumour mongers went wild, reality was far less dramatic. Rahul, it
transpired, had only taken leave from his job to assist his mother during the poll
campaign. He'll be accompanying Sonia on all her tours, playing co-passenger on the
helicopter -- no more, no less. "It's important for Sonia to have one of her children
with her constantly," says a senior Congress leader. "This time Rahul will play
the role." A shy, quiet sort with few known interests outside sport -- sports quota
entrant to St Stephen's College; spectator at the recent cricket World Cup -- Rahul is
apparently keen on a political education. In recent times, he has had frequent phone chats
with family and friends -- and at least one top Congress businessman-politician, who began
as an acolyte of uncle Sanjay -- on contemporary issues.
Where does all this leave Priyanka? The younger and more
publicly visible of the Gandhi siblings is likened to a brahmastra (ultimate weapon) by
gushing partymen. They want her to take on Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow and pin down --
if not defeat -- the prime minister. In fact the Lucknow Congress unit has already passed
a resolution requesting Sonia to nominate Priyanka for the constituency. The
mother-daughter duo doesn't appear to be budging. They are not keen on heroics and would
rather that Priyanka manage the Amethi constituency while Sonia and Rahul are left free to
hop across the country. Whatever happens, the curtains are rising for the Gandhi-Nehru
dynasty, generation next.
-Javed
M. Ansari
TRIVIAL PURSUIT
When 100 per cent polling was reported from Chako in Arunachal
Pradesh in '96, the EC ordered a repoll. Then it discovered the entire electorate at the
station consisted of a family of three; and five officials went in a helicopter to man it.
QUICK GUN MURUGAN
For Rs 750, Bangaore's Murugan Arst guarantees a 16-ft cut-out
of anybody in three hours, two if you want express delivery. Owner Murugan has 35 artists
working for him. All of them flew to Delhi for the recent AICC session. This year the
Congress is the best customer. So far.
NAIDU WOOS THE LADIES
It's not for nothing that N. Chandrababu Naidu is known as
"gimmick garu". Now he's announced that his party, the TDP, will field at least
50 female candidates for the state and parliamentary polls.
It seems a good idea as women outnumber men by one lakh in
the state electorate. Since only nine of the TDP's 220 outgoing MLAs are women, cyber
Naidu is head-hunting with a vengeance. Kothagudem college lecturer K. Nagavani caught
Naidu's eye thanks to an impassioned speech on a welfare scheme.
Next on the list was Swarnakumari, a civil servant who
played a key role in organising thrift societies among rural women in Khammam. Naidu
summoned her for an interview and gave her 48 hours to decide. She said yes before the
deadline.
-Amarnath
K. Menon
CIVIL LIST
Is the Trinamool Congress a civil services alumni association?
Tarun Roy, former customs chief, is its candidate from Darjeeling. Nitish Sengupta, former
revenue secretary, has moved from Midnapore -- he lost in 1998 -- to Contai. Mustaq
Murshed, the maverick who ended up in the Cabinet Secretariat, is contesting from
Jangipur. The odd one out is Bikram Sarkar, who retired as member, revenue board, was MP
from Howrah in 1998. He's refused to stand from Mathurapur. Incidentally, Sengupta,
Murshed and Sarkar have the same grouse against Jyoti Basu: they were passed over for the
chief secretary's job.
-Sumit
Mitra
MARTYR'S MEMORY
She's got a doctorate in chemistry and has just been selected
as the bjp's candidate from Haryana's Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency. Yet sudha yadav
is not smiling. Her husband, bsf Deputy Commandant Sukhbir Singh Yadav, was killed in the
recent Kargil operations. Now the war widow readies for another battle. Her husband, she
says, would have approved.
SYMBOLIC
Humble farmer H.D. Deve gowda is happy about the
"secular" suffix to his JD faction but not with the "tractor and
farmer" symbol the EC's given it. He preferred the bullock cart or the irrigation
pumpset. The first was a favourite as, in the words of a follower, "it best
symbolises Gowda". Critics agreed: "It's also as slow as him."
MAPPING IT
Number Crunch: In 1998, there were 24 constituencies where the
voter turnout exceeded 80 per cent. Of these seats, an overwhelming 22 were in West Bengal
and one each in Tripura and Lakshadweep (not in map). Of these 24 seats, the Left Front
won 20 -- cpi(m) 14, cpi 3, rsp 2, Forward Bloc 1 -- Congress 2, bjp 1 and Trinamool
Congress 1.
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
If polls are a beauty contest, the BSP has a headstart. Naina
Ahmed, who as Naina Balsaver was crowned Miss India in 1976, is the party's candidate from
Nainital. Husband Akbar Ahmed "Dumpy" -- of Sanjay Gandhi fame -- was the
catalyst. "I was keen on it," Naina confessed. "Akbar provided the
impetus." So from being former model, dutiful wife, doting mother -- the Ahmeds have
two kids -- overseer of the family's hotel near the Corbett National Park and socialite
Delhiite, Naina is now set to take on the formidable N.D. Tiwari (Congress), K.C. Pant
(BJP) and filmmaker Muzaffar Ali (SP). According to hubby though it is the rivals
"who should be worried".
 The lady's
equally unfazed: "I've been involved with my husband's political work all along. I
know the ropes." She hopes to swing the Muslim and Dalit votes her way, as well as
win over the Sikhs -- especially since she's sympathetic to the Udhamsinghnagar issue.
Dumpy, a rough and ready political animal, is defending Azamgarh, the eastern Uttar
Pradesh seat he won after a tough battle in 1998. Azamgarh, like always, will be much
watched this time. So will Nainital; and for more than one reason.
-Javed
M. Ansari
LOST AND FOUND
When Ambareesh finally joined the Congress, one of the most
engaging tussles in Karnataka's political history ended. The film star and former JD MP
from Mandya was wooed by both the H.D. Deve Gowda and J.H. Patel factions. Gowda even
visited "fellow Vokkaliga" Ambareesh. Finally state Congress chief S.M.
Krishna's trip did the trick. Soon Ambareesh -- who'd been in the midst of a convoluted
drama to split the JD after the aiadmk withdrew support to the Vajpayee government -- was
waving the hand.
-Stephen
David
CIVIL WAR: MUKA VS VAIKO
Dravida Squabble
These days in Tamil Nadu you can see posters of Vaiko as Arjun and M. Karunanidhi
as Krishna. Not long ago they were cursing each other. Seeing Vaiko -- known as V.
Gopalaswamy in his pre-name change days -- as a challenger to his son, M.K. Stalin,
Karunanidhi (aka Muka) expelled him from the DMK in 1993. Vaiko was accused of secretly
visiting Jaffna and helping the LTTE. The rebel formed the MDMK and spent five years in
the wilderness before joining the Jayalalitha-BJP alliance in 1998 and winning three Lok
Sabha seats. Now Muka and Vaiko are back together, calling each other "father"
and "son" in public and bickering over seats in private. Muka gave Vaiko five;
he wanted more. Finally the Dravidian superheroes, both now partners of a Hindutva party,
smoked the peace pipe.
-K.M.
Thomas |
