HEAR-SAY

July 14, 2011

NEW DELHI POLITICAL GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

for publication on Sunday July 17, 2011

Thanks

R Rajagopalan

New Delhi

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Mumbai Crisis Management- went out of gear for first one hour as

top babus faced immense upheaval task.Most unfortunate

aspect was that the the new Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth never handled such - 

as he was neither in South or North Blocks or Krishi,Sastri or Udyog

Bhavans to head a Union Ministry. Similarly A K SIngh Union Home Secretary

Both had not even settled down, sudden Bomb blasts in Mumbai.

Both thanked the God, informally a senior Secretary confided that

but for P Chidambaram ability to coordinate a crisis-that left 

a breathing space for us to recover from shock. As P Chidambaram

is two in one. Cabinet Secretary as well as Union Home Secretary.

commented another senior Babu

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Narendra Bhai Modi the Chief Minister during his visits to New Delhi invariably dine with Arun Jaitley. But on the day of Mumbai blasts Modi was giving instructions to Chief Secretary and DGP for strict vigil in Gujarat. Interestingly no third person was invited. Epicentre of their discussion obviously 2014-"New path  to PMO"

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A senior BJP leader was angry on the son of a Union Minister. Reason, the son tapped the shoulders of the BJP leader, called the first name of the BJP leader. "You have inherited arrogance from your father" better behave , cannot tap me or take my name."  Others would have certainly

heard this angry remark.

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Election Commission quietly fanned out the expenditure observers to five states where polls were held in May. These officers who had familiarised themselves with the expenditure pattern had found major anomalies. Whether the defaulter got elected or defeated, the new rule attracts the

disqualification clause. WIll EC take a middle path or extreme - has to be watched.

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2012 will witness Presidential Elections-and five assemblies polls.

Interestingly S Y Quarishi will conduct the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab

and other three states, before April 2012, as his tenure end.

While V S Sampath will wear two hats. That he is sure to become

Chief Election Commissioner and the other is he will be also install

new President of India,his signature will be affixed to declare 

the results. Sampath has a new status now. He is now a grandfather.

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ends