Delhi Confidential: Beyond Politics

Shatrughan Sinha, who earlier used to sit in the treasury benches in Lok Sabha, is now seated in the Opposition side. But joining Trinamool Congress and becoming its MP in a by-election does not appear to have changed his popularity nor the warm ties he shares with BJP MPs. Last week, when he was waiting for the car at Gate No 4, BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan spotted him and he called out “Shatrubhai”. Sinha immediately greeted him warmly and they had a brief chat. He told reporters that one should not consider Ravi Kishan just a Bhojpuri star, adding that his reach is much beyond the region. After Sinha got into his car media persons told the BJP MP that there could have been a photo of them together. The Gorakhpur MP called Sinha again, whose car had by then moved some distance. But Sinha stopped the car, and got out of it to pose for a photo with Ravi Kishan.

Raising A Point

WHAT THE Congress governments had done in the 60 years since Independence has been a matter of heated debate between the party and the BJP. During an interactive session with the new MPs of Rajya Sabha, Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has showed the way to other parties in doing good things and some not-so-good things. The practice of nominated MPs joining parties was one such not-a-good thing, which, he said, was begun by the Congress and being followed by the BJP now. Ramesh said a total of 143 MPs have been nominated to Rajya Sabha since 1952, of which 28 joined parties after they became MPs. Sixteen of them joined the Congress and 12 the BJP in the past 10 years. Ramesh said he has urged Rajya Sabha Chairman repeatedly to remove the provision which allowed nominated members to join parties.