Babu’s boast and people’s feet
Hoping that the upcoming election would not throw a decisive mandate, a former Babu who held the reins of the Babudom in his competent hands during his heyday is determined to plunge into the hurly burly of electoral politics. He is so determined that he is ready to contest as an independent if Congress and BJP refuse to favour him with nomination. The seasoned politicians are, however, laughing at him, saying that one who was a top Babu could hardly stoop himself to touch the feet of the people who decide things in elections. But the former Babu is undaunted. He says that none could perform the feat better than him as he had turned his hair grey while taking the dust off the feet of the politicians who call the shots. Many close to him say that he is eyeing the most coveted chair of the state. His calculations are based on the hypothesis that if the election throws a hung Assembly the independents to be elected would be the king makers. And it would be easy for him to buy them to ascend to the chair everybody in politics dreams to go up to.
Hurdle of postal ballots
Uttarakhand chapter election of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) has taken an interesting turn. Earlier, one of the candidates lodged a complaint against the election officer, charging him with misuse of power. It was alleged that the candidates manipulated with the postal ballots received through the postmen. Taking note of it, the election officer has written to the post master general of Uttarakhand, appealing to him not to deliver the postal ballots through the postmen. He would send his own men giving him proper authorization to collect them, he said. What happened in the last CCIM election is that doubtful of the election officer’s impartiality, a candidate sought details of the postal ballots received from the post office. Meanwhile, the high court issued a stay order on the process of counting. The next date fixed for hearing of the case is November 29. In case things are delayed in the court the complainant is likely to contest CCIM election either from Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan. This is because of his membership about to lapse here. He is thus facing the brunt of the things he himself has unleashed.