Power trap

• Bhograi MLA and former government chief whip Ananta Das's induction into the ministry has raised questions about whether it was a promotion or demotion for him. While his tenure as the government chief whip meant that he enjoyed the rank of a cabinet minister, he is now a minister of state. However, as supporters of this former Odisha Administrative Service officer point out, the difference lies in the powers and privileges that he now enjoys as a minister. "Now, he really enjoys the trappings of power," quipped one of his supporters.

Chief whip talk

• The talk in the political circles is that Badachana MLA Amar Satpathy has got the job of government chief whip on the rebound. It was first offered to Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain aka Raja, who turned it down. Raja, who was considered the front-runner for the post that fell vacant following the induction of Bhograi MLA Ananta Das as minister, "showed little interest" in it. Raja had earlier served as a minister under Naveen Patnaik and would have been happy playing that role again. But he finds running around and co-ordinating with MLAs in the House not to his taste.

Family business

• Younger members of many BJD leaders' families are taking their first steps in politics. At least four of them have become office-bearers of the BJD's student wing. While Debi Ranjan Tripathy, son of Banki MLA Pravat, has become the working president, Choudwar-Cuttack MLA Pravat Biswal's son Souvik has been made its vice-president. Similarly, Kanishka Jena, nephew of health minister Pratap Jena, has been made the vice-president and Amarendra Pratap Swain, nephew of Ranendra Pratap Swain, is the secretary.<> Politics is increasingly becoming a family business

Women brigade

• Women leaders of state BJP have been taking up crucial issues and hitting the streets at the drop of a hat against the BJD government. The most popular female faces include the state women's wing chief Pravati Parida, state unit secretary Lekhashri Samantsinghar and actress-turned-politician Pinki Pradhan. While Parida and Pradhan are good organisers, Samantsingar, it seems, has turned into the party's intellectual face, regularly taking part in TV debates where she stoutly defends the BJP and articulates its stand on crucial issues in no uncertain terms. Within a short time, she has garnered quite a fan following.

FOOTNOTE

Sullen leaders

• For Congress leaders campaigning for the removal of state unit chief Prasad Harichandan, it seems to be a case of so near yet so far. Following their meeting with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the man supposed to take the final call on the issue, they were hopeful of their demand being met. But then came the news that Harichandan's sympathisers had managed to convince Rahul that with the process of organisational elections having begun, it would be unwise to take a decision in a hurry.

Though no one is sure if the incumbent state chief has won a reprieve, his detractors certainly look sullen.