Dilli Gupshup: Sonia takes on the 'China problem'

Why is Lalu Prasad Yadav sulking?

Who is the Congress's go-to man when there's a crisis?

Is Kapil Sibal quitting politics?

All this and more in this week's Dilli Gupshup.

It's one of the trickiest diplomatic ties facing India today and Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has decided the United Progressive Alliance needs expert guidance.

She has advised External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to meet ex-Congressman K Natwar Singh, who is an acknowledged hand at diplomacy.

Singh served as external affairs minister under Manmohan Singh before the Volcker Report resulted in his unceremonious exit, both from the Cabinet and the Congress.

The former leader recently met the Congress president, whom he was known to be very close to at one time.

And Sonia, clearly, is in the mood to forgive and forget.

Please click on NEXT to find out who is the latest leader to be disillusioned with the Congress.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is getting increasingly disillusioned with the Congress.

His latest grouse is the UPA government's decision to grant a hefty package to the Nitish Kumar regime.

When a loyalist asked Lalu why the Congress was turning its back on a loyal ally, the former Bihari strongman replied that Rahul Gandhi did not fancy the RJD.

He added that a senior AICC functionary, whom he described him as a 'dear friend', was also influencing the course of events since he had a lot of clout within the Congress.

Please click on NEXT to find out who is emerging as the Congress's newest crisis manager.

Union Parliamentary Affair Minister Kamal Nath is turning out to be the UPA's key crisis manager in the ongoing parliamentary session.

When Pranab Mukherjee was the leader of the Lok Sabha, the role of then parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal was restricted to routine chores such as ensuring attendance, roster duties, etc.

Nath, however, deals with key issues such as interactions with the leaders of the main opposition parties, floor strategy, passage of bills, keeping Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the loop and other crucial matters.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde restricts himself to the running of his ministry and attending parliamentary meetings where his presence as the leader of the house is required.

Please click on NEXT to find out what occupying Kapil Sibal these days.

Is Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal losing interest in politics?

One can't help but wonder, considering the amount of time he is devoting to poetry these days.

For those of you who didn't know, Sibal's collection of poems is out in two volumes.

And the minister now plans to focus on lyrics. 

While vocalist Zila Khan has been reading his English poems, Sibal has lately been seen in several mushairas reading Urdu poetry.

Is Javed Akhtar beginning to look worried?

Please click on NEXT to find out why the HRD ministry is interested in central school admissions.

Union Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju is very concerned about wastage and has turned his attention to the member of Parliament quota for central school admissions.

Though every MP is entitled to suggest six admissions in central schools, many seats go unutilised.

Raju is planning to make July 30 the deadline for using this quota after which the leftover seats will become part of the discretionary quota for his ministry.

Earlier, the human resource minister used to have a quota of 1,200 seats until it was scrapped by Kapil Sibal.

Raju wants to revive that practice too.