Please please me

More often than not, cabinet reshuffles are exercises meant to set right equations within the ruling party and with its allies. But the last reshuffle of the Union cabinet appears not to have done the job well. The air inside 24, Akbar Road is thick with discontent. Heading the ruffled-feathers list is Ambika Soni, who declined the offer of a cabinet berth in 2004 because the post was of a minister of state (independent charge). But she hoped to be in the cabinet this time round. Not only has her dream been dashed, there are also rumours that her archrival, Ahmad Patel, is emerging as the new power centre. While Soni sulks, three others are trying to call the shots at the party HQ. First among them is Digvijay Singh, the smooth operator, eyeing the post of the chairman of the party?s media department. Then there is Margaret Alva, who loves to hate Soni and hopes that the end of Soni?s days in the sun will mark the beginning of hers. And finally, Oscar Fernandes, who has been dealing with a lot of organizational matters of late. He is known to love dancing Bharatnatyam as a pastime. Is that why he was not burdened with a portfolio when awarded a cabinet berth?

Too many men

Soli Sorabjee, eminent jurist and president of the India International Centre, had an unusual visitor the other day ? a smartly-dressed cop. In no mood to entertain the unexpected caller, Sorabjee asked him the reason for his visit. The officer revealed that he was posted in the police station within whose jurisdiction the IIC was located. And then, the obvious question. Would Sorabjee be kind enough to ensure that his membership application was passed by the IIC board? Sorabjee refrained from parting with his kindness, but must have shuddered at the thought that there were still more than 7,000 applications to be considered for inducting only 100 new members.

Out of the wilderness

Remember Sudheendra Kulkarni? The journalist-turned-aide of the former BJP president, L.K. Advani, was in the eye of the storm following the Jinnah controversy during Advani?s visit to Pakistan. The man known to have prepared Advani?s speeches was unceremoniously shown the door soon after. But Kulkarni?s political exile may soon be over. The reason: he has found a new mentor in George Fernandes. Having lost none of his animosity towards the Nehru-Gandhi family, Fernandes is known to have asked his new aide to get at the root of the Quattorocchi connection.

Money on the mind

The distribution of the Centre?s bounties has caused a rift between the finance minister, P Chidambaram, and the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Strange but true, the Plan-man is advocating more allocation for infrastructure in the upcoming budget, but the FM fails to see the point. In one meeting, Chidambaram is known to have been so agitated that he reminded Ahluwalia how he would veto all such proposals when he was finance secretary. But men must change with their changing roles, didn?t you know Mr FM?

Happy to be of help

We are happy to inform you that the terrible crisis over the allotment of rooms to the ministers of commerce and industry has been resolved, thanks to the commerce secretary, SN Menon. Menon graciously offered his room to his minister, Jairam Ramesh. But industries minister Ashwini Kumar is not happy to see the issue die so soon. So he is now accusing Ramesh of planting stories in the media against him. People in the know have spotted Kamal Nath?s long arm behind Kumar.

Not his master?s voice

If one secretary pleases, another is sure to rub his minister up the wrong way. As did Hariharan, secretary in the ministry of water resources, recently put in charge of Saifuddin Soz. The buzz in Shram Shakti Bhavan is that the two are not getting along well. Hariharan went missing when Soz invited the media over for a chat after resuming charge. In fact, the secretary was not there to receive Soz on his first day in office. Perhaps Hariharan had other pressing matters to attend to. But Soz is not convinced.

First to the post

The hunt is on to find a successor to Trilochan Singh as the head of the National Minorities Commission. Former chief justice AM Ahmadi is a frontrunner. Like Sonia Gandhi?s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, Ahmadi too hails from Gujarat.

Blame it on Rio

With so many disgruntled men and women around, it is a refreshing change to see Anand Sharma. The minister of state for external affairs makes no attempt to hide his happiness. And why not? He?s just back from Rio de Janeiro, and his newly-acquired tan is proof of it. In his mirth, Sharma even admitted that his journalist friends helped him get a ministry by floating his name each time a cabinet expansion was in the offing. Surely Rio?s sun and sand could not inspire such mirth? No, there was also a chance meeting with Rahul Gandhi, who was in Rio to attend a UNAID meeting. The young Gandhi even called him up in the Brazilian retreat. This was, finally, the recognition that Congresswallahs like Sharma could give their right arm for ? a tale that will now be shared with generations to come. One Rao Inderjit Singh, however, cannot share Sharma?s joy. The minister of state in the defence ministry was scheduled to be on the Rio-bound plane. Before the PM did his little shuffling trick, that is.