As N Chandrababu Naidu settles in the saddle for a 4th time, Andhra political circles are abuzz with why the ex-UF convenor didn’t switch sides. It seems Congress had opened backchannel talks. When Naidu didn’t answer the calls of the Gandhi family directly, Congress brass involved a construction magnate and a BJP MP considered close to Naidu to woo him.
Ready for new experience
Upcoming Parliament session will have a new feature and that is causing some apprehensions. While oath-taking by recently elected Lok Sabha MPs is set to create the expected buzz, the complex will now have a new security set-up under CISF. Watch and Ward staff has been shifted to MHA. Parliament staff had members who had served for decades and knew how to deal with officials, MPs and journalists. Familiarity with rules and officials made life smooth for everybody. With CISF personnel taking charge, initial hiccups and tiffs are expected.
All Eyes, ears on Gopi Gyan
BJP’s Kerala MP Suresh Gopi may be in New Delhi’s mostly neglected crowd of ministers of state. But this actor-politician has become a kind of amusement for the city’s political circles for the speed with which he makes remarks and retracts – be it about his reported reluctance to assume office or calling Congress star and the late PM Indira Gandhi ‘mother of India’ or later issuing an amended version by hailing Indira Gandhi as ‘the real architect of post-Independence India till her demise’. Some unamused BJP supporters in Kerala aired their anger with Gopi by posting posters of ‘Bharat Mata’ on their social media accounts. But, Congress circles, both in New Delhi and Kerala, are now routinely checking for the latest pearl of wisdom from Gopi.
