Rahul’s Kiren!
The continuous logjam in the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament has left the Treasury benches in a quandary. The BJP-led ruling NDA is trying every bit to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses in the last week of the scheduled session, when Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to introduce Bills and perhaps make a statement on the subject, which has led to the deadlock manoeuvred by the Congress-led opposition. The back channel engagement has started between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Both share a decent rapport and have spoken over the phone in this regard a few times. Rijiju even met Rahul in person seeking cooperation. Grapevine has it that they often meet and discuss fitness, games and martial arts.
No guest accommodation?
After the reports of orders for Gymkhana Club, Jaipur Polo Grounds and similar properties to be vacated, a new similar one in the offing is likely to spoil the mood of former Parliamentarians. Conventions have it that both the serving MPs and ex-MPs were entitled to guest accommodation, which was in addition to the official bungalow or flats they were allotted. These guest accommodations were in prime North Avenues, South Avenues, Meena Bagh and adjoining areas in Lutyens Zone. Official sources said that the maximum of this accommodation was allegedly used by former MPs or their near and dear ones as permanent accommodation, and some of them have retained flats for more than three decades.
Trouble for Himachal CM
A new trouble is brewing up in the Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh as a high-level internal rift is allegedly reported between the Government and the Bureaucracy. Recently, HP Minister Vikramaditya Singh targeted officers on the issue of non-domicile IAS and IPS officers holding crucial postings, leading to confrontation between some of the Ministers of the State and the Chief M Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, as the postings of top level goes through the CM’s lens only. A few Ministers have accused non-HP officers of prioritising personal agendas over state welfare and hence urged the CM to take firm action. Nonetheless, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri has gone to the extent of warning of bureaucratic conspiracies. Grapevine has it that the matter is likely to reach the party High Command this week for a resolution on this impending crisis since it’s tacit that bureaucracy plays an important role for an incumbent government to be back in power.