Photographs: Press Information Bureau
Chidambaram caught napping...
The tug of war for Pranab's seat in Lok Sabha...
Why Kapil Sibal is very afraid these days...
All this, and more, in this edition of Dilli Gupshup...
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has a way with words and misses no opportunity in articulating his views.
However, at an informal Congress Working Committee meet that was convened to bid farewell to United Progressive Alliance's presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee, Chidambaram was found napping.
It happened when senior leaders were showering lavish praise on Mukherjee. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was chairing the meet, turned to Chidambaram asking if he wished to speak about Mukherjee.
For a split second, the lawyer was at loss of words. He quickly regained composure to suggest SC Jamir's name who was sitting next to him. Jamir rose, highlighting Mukherjee's contribution in championing the cause of tribals.
But since then, Congress circles are agog with whispers on why Chidambaram did not speak about Mukherjee.
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In hot pursuit of Pranab da's seat
Photographs: Press Information Bureau
Who will become the Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha following Pranab Mukherjee's exit from the Congress?
Minister for Corporate Affairs Veerapa Moily is lobbying hard for the post.
Chhindwara MP and Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has 32 years experience in the Lok Sabha.
Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Oil Minister Jaipal Reddy and Home Minister P Chidambaram -- all are angling for it.
Click on NEXT to read about the President's new secretary...
The President's new secretary
Photographs: Press Information Bureau
Paul, who served as finance minister's advisor is likely to follow her boss to Rashtrapati Bhawan once Pranab Mukherjee assumes the nation's highest constitutional office.
Wife of former Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul, Omita, since the 1980s, has been in almost all ministries headed by Mukherjee.
She resigned from the finance ministry on June 26, the day Mukherjee puts in his papers. It remains to be seen how a powerful lobby of IAS officials would react to a non-IAS bagging the coveted post of secretary to the President.
Click on NEXT to read why Kapil Sibal is feeling edgy...
Kapil Sibal is very afraid these days
Photographs: Press Information Bureau
With the talk of a massive cabinet reshuffle, most ministers and aspirants are in an upbeat mood -- except for Kapil Sibal.
The human resource development and telecom minister is said to be edgy, fearing the loss of one of the two high-profile portfolios he is holding.
The lawyer is himself unable to make up his mind whether it is prudent to give up telecom or part with human resource development.
Sibal is counting on his proximity to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to emerge stronger from the next cabinet reshuffle.
Click on NEXT to read why Keshubhai returned empty-handed from Delhi...
BJP refuses to entertain Modi-bashers
A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Gujarat left New Delhi rather empty-handed.
Led by Narendra Modi-baiter Keshubhai Patel, the disgruntled lot had called on senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj, LK Advani and Arun Jaitley.
But when senior party leaders asked them to spell out specific details of the Gujarat chief minister's alleged wrong-doings, Keshubhai and others kept pointing at Modi's style of functioning.
Since there was no substance in their allegation, the BJP senior leadership advised them to return to Gandhinagar and work as a united face of the party in the election-bound state.
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