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Patna Diary |
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Boss, go for toss
The NDA leaders appear to be weary over the battle between Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal and chief minister Nitish Kumar on the location of the Central University of Bihar.
hree senior BJP MPs from Bihar recently had a detailed discussion on the tug-of-war between Sibal and Nitish. “I have told Nitishji to go to Sibal's office and decide the issue through toss. But he is adamant on his stand,” said one of the MPs. The NDA leaders are tired of the prolonged battle and believe Sibal has succeeded in not only creating a rift between the people of Motihari and Gaya but also between the NDA leaders on the issue. The NDA leaders in Gaya recently assured social workers that their government would not do anything to relocate the university if the Centre decides to set it up in Gaya. “All of us have our voters to think about,” said a BJP leader.
All in name
When yoga practitioner Ramdev was delivering a lecture on corruption at a posh hotel in Patna, the lights went off for five minutes the moment he mentioned the name of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. After the power was restored, he continued with his speech. But when he mentioned the name of the Congress, the public address system failed briefly and it took time to restore it. “Just mentioning the names of these two make things happen,” Ramdev said with a smile. While the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre decided to lathicharge on his gathering at Ramlila ground in Delhi, Lalu turned into his harsh critic from an ardent admirer. “It is only natural that Ramdev will dub the Congress and Lalu as inauspicious as they have dubbed him as an agent of the Sangh parivar,” said an RJD leader.
Brazen ticket seekers
Chief minister Nitish Kumar had put up a no vacancy board for the six council seats the JD(U) would field its candidates at least a week in advance. He made it clear that he himself was a candidate and so were two other ministers. Despite his warning, ticket seekers came to his janata darbar demanding a seat in Bihar Legislative Council. Even deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi was hounded by ticket seekers and had to declare that everybody cannot be made an MLA or MLC. "The ticket seekers are usually thick-skinned and do not get the message that their candidature is not even being considered," said a senior BJP leader.
Park pangs
A minister living in a VVIP locality on Strand Road found himself “house arrested” recently. His aides pointed out that the much-flaunted Eco Park on the same road was becoming a menace for him and the other VVIPS having their bungalows there. “The crowd at Eco Park on Saturdays and Sundays is so huge that the visitors park their cars right in front of the gates of the bungalows. It is so crowded that we cannot even find the vehicle owners to remove them and our repeated requests to not to park cars in front of the gates hardly gets any response,” said a security personnel of a VVIP living on the same road. Some of the VVIPs remain outside their homes till late evening to avoid the rush.
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