Delhi:Grand Gift

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has always been fond of the good things in life. Known for golfing in London and the motorcycle rides with Shabana Azmi to promote tourism during his earlier tenure, Farooq continues to fly high even now. He has got a state plane to zip around in and the aircraft came in handy recently when he landed in Delhi to talk about his one year in office. On the day before he was to hold the press conference, news came in from Mumbai that he was about to become a grandfather. The jet-setting chief minister promptly took off for Mumbai, blessed his grandson and was back in Delhi in the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps it was the best piece of news Farooq received on completing one year in office.

Delhi: Hero Abroad

During his stint as prime minister, H.D. Deve Gowda doled out grants to farmers across the country in the belief that it would establish him as a kisan leader. But that the farmer-friendly schemes have paid no dividends was evident recently during his mass contact programme in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In the farmers' stronghold of western Uttar Pradesh hardly 3,000 people turned up to hear him. However, Deve Gowda can draw some consolation from the fact that his contributions are being recognised abroad. Last week, a Dutch organisation invited him to deliver a lecture on "Concern of Farmers in Developing Countries". Not only that, Deve Gowda later addressed nris in America where he also received the Pride of India Award from the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce. Now supporters in the Janata Dal are planning a grand reception for the "humble farmer" when he touches down in Delhi.

Delhi: Party Army

Remember Uma Bharati, the fire-brand campaigner of the Ayodhya temple agitation? Well, she is a much mellowed lady now and talks about the Ram mandir only when asked. Bharati, who has been president of the BJP's youth wing for the past four years, has come up with a not-so-novel idea: a youth army, called Bharat Punarnirman Sena, which aims to mobilise 10 lakh youths in the task of "national reconstruction". Under the scheme, youngsters between the ages of 16 and 30 would devote one year of their lives "in the service of Bharat Mata". Given the BJP's obsession with India's security and the armies of rss, Bajrang Dal and vhp volunteers at its disposal, another brigade shouldn't come as a surprise.

Bhopal: Dogged Rivals

Asked what he did in his spare time, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, who was put this poser by youths on a radio programme, promptly replied: "I keep thinking how I should retain my chair." The repartee may have evoked peals of laughter from the youngsters but there could be an element of truth in Digvijay's light-hearted remark. After all, Arjun Singh and Madhavrao Scindia haven't taken kindly to Digvijay's dog-on-a-pilgrimage anecdote at Indore recently where he asked party chief Sitaram Kesri to save him from those snapping at his heels. The Congress leaders' anger was evident when they boycotted a tea party hosted by Digvijay during the Indore conference. And now, there are reports that at least some of them have ganged up to turn the screws on the cocky chief minister. Surely, Digvijay has a lot of thinking to do in the days to come.

Bhopal: Shrewd Crusader

Trust Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Subhash Yadav not to remain away from the limelight for too long. The ambitious Congress leader, who last year tried to make prohibition his political plank, has again given officialdom in the state a rude jolt by sacking 76 engineers of the Water Resources Department. His action follows his much-publicised suspension of 324 engineers last year for their involvement in the muster- roll scam.

The mass termination of services is in consonance with a little-known government order issued in January this year to weed out "corrupt" officials who have attained 55 years of age or have put in more than 25 years of service. While other ministers in Digvijay Singh's Cabinet haven't taken the order seriously, Yadav has shown surprising speed in implementing it. "It's time this government showed the people it is serious about checking corruption," he says. Many, however, see the move as a bid by Yadav to sharpen his profile within the Congress as a crusader against corruption and put his bete- noire, Digvijay, in a spot.

Bangalore: Patel Pujas

A socialist in the Lohia mould, Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel was, till recently, known for his staunch atheism. But of late, his religious inclinations -- especially his penchant for offering pujas -- has been intriguing. Two months ago, he offered puja at the source of the Cauvery river in Kodagu district. This was to ensure the state got adequate water this year. And during the Dussehra celebrations, he was seen at the majestic palace of the erstwhile rulers of Mysore, the Wodeyars. There, Patel performed a special puja for Goddess Chamundeshwari, the Wodeyars' presiding deity. The fact that this puja was performed a day after sandalwood smuggler Veerappan took six people hostage from the Bandipur National Park, 60 km from Mysore, was seen as Patel's attempt to find solutions through religious involvements. But some say that Patel is also mastering the art of politics through these religious engagements. After all, he belongs to the majority community, the Lingayats, and cannot afford to antagonise them with his atheistic stance for long. When it comes to the art of survival, Patel knows better. Even if it means invoking God's name for purely political reasons.

Bangalore: Rebel Again

The scores are no longer in his favour and the badminton-playing former Karnataka chief minister, S. Bangarappa, knows this. And he is lashing out at those responsible for his plight. "Sitaram Kesri and Ghulam Nabi Azad said they will make me the head (of the state Congress) but both have cheated me," thundered the former president of the Karnataka Congress Party (KCP) at a recent public meeting. Bangarappa had merged the KCP with the Congress to make it the main opposition party with 46 legislators a few months ago. While he was eyeing the presidentship of the state Congress party but the incumbent Dharam Singh has his party chief Sitaram Kesri's blessings to stay on the job.

Bangarappa has since attacked the leadership and hinted at the rise of regional parties, giving credence to rumours that he may lend a hand to Ramakrishna Hegde's floundering Lok Shakti party. Meanwhile, Singh has given some KCP legislators plum posts in the pcc hoping to cause a rift in the KCP's ranks. Clearly, it's advantage BJP now. The party has 39 seats and is hoping for a KCP-Congress split to become the principal opposition party.

Chandigarh: Media Calling

Ever since he took over the reins of Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been quite inaccessible to the press. But no longer, it seems. Apparently worried about negative coverage of his first eight months, Badal is now assiduously wooing the media. For a start, he has been hosting sumptuous breakfasts for small groups of journalists, where he discreetly leaks out bits of news that most pen-pushers savour more than the dahi-paranthas. During one such meeting, Badal, in response to complaints of his being inaccessible, came up with the idea of a CM-media hotline. And a special telephone was promptly installed at his residence. But his biggest pr exercise was when he personally invited editors in Chandigarh and Delhi as "special guests" for the October 17 rally at Jalandhar to felicitate Prime Minister I.K. Gujral. Badal's aides ascribe his pro-active dealings with the media to his renewed confidence after the initial hiccups. Whether he can maintain this new imm\age remains to be seen, but Badal'ss "hotline" has already warmed up even his most bitter critics in the media.

Calcutta: Bonus Bandhs

West Bengal's annual holiday list is one of the longest in the country. A typical calendar printed in the state has numerous blue dots for "public holidays" and red dots for "charter holidays". Added to that are the off-days gifted by politicians in the form of at least three "Bangla bandhs" a year. This year, the people are due for a bonus: the Congress has called a bandh on December 15 to highlight the personal ledger scam and the CPI(M) has announced one on December 16 to coincide with the nationwide trade union strike. Nobody's complaining though. An extended weekend on hand, people have already started planning pre-Christmas breaks.

Gandhinagar: Friends in Need

With his government facing a crisis, friends are deserting Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela by the dozens. But one section that is standing by him comprises factory owners affected by pollution control laws. Thanks to timely steps taken by Vaghela and Industries Minister Dilip Parikh, about 700 units, mainly in Ahmedabad, no longer face closure. In 1995, the Gujarat High Court, following a public-interest petition, had threa- tened them with closure if they did not set up treatment plants immediately.

On coming to power early last year, the Vaghela Government assured the court that it would bear part of the expenses to be incurred by the units for setting up treatment plants. The result: the 700 units are operating freely. The Vaghela Government's action is in sharp contrast to that of the previous BJP government which treated the entire issue as one between the industry and the court. "Vaghela and Parikh deserve kudos for the boldness they showed in tackling the issue," says Nareshbhai Shah, chairman of the Gujarat State Powerlooms Association. It remains to be seen whether the beleaguered chief minister is able to translate this support into votes.

Lucknow: Fallen Idols

With the departure of Mayawati as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister last month, the Ambedkarisation of the state has come to a standstill. Not only has the new Kalyan Singh government stopped fresh orders for the installation of Dalit icons, but orders already placed are also not being followed up.

On October 10, a 7-ft-high statue of Ambedkar was to be installed in the grounds of Jethwan Higher Secondary School in Shravasti district. When Shravan Prajapati -- the sculptor who made crores of rupees from government orders for statues of Dalit leaders during the Maya- wati administration -- reached the site with an Ambedkar statue, he had to face the wrath of local Thakurs. Prajapati abandoned the statue in the school campus and rushed back to Lucknow. "Thousands of locals gheraoed us. We somehow managed to sneak out of the school," says Prajapati, who admits that his business has declined after the change of power last month. Khadi and Gramudyog minister Swami Prasad Maurya of the BSP was to unveil the statue, but he stayed away.

By halting the administration's drive, the Kalyan Singh Government seems to be setting an agenda of its own. "We cannot afford to appease only one section of the society," says one of the chief minister's secretaries. Having already transferred bureaucrats and police officers considered close to Mayawati, the new dispensation's policy seems to be to set right the "wrongs" committed by the previous administration.

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