Dressed for success? Sinha gears up

He was unflappable in the movies. But actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha doesn't seem as nonchalant about the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha on March 27. Reason: the BJP candidate shot his mouth off too often through his play Pati, Patni aur Woh and through the press against the re-induction of Samata Party leader George Fernandes as defence minister. Now, he needs Samata's support to get elected-the BJP, the main opposition in the Bihar Assembly, has 35 MLAs while Samata has 29. For a clear first preference victory, Sinha needs 41 votes. Fortunately for "Shotgun", BSP leader Mahabali Singh says his five MLAs might not support the RJD this time. And the CPI(ML)'s five MLAs have decided to abstain from voting. Besides, Samata may be pressured to give its second preference votes to Sinha to keep the BJP at the Centre happy.

Samata isn't sitting pretty itself. Its leader Nitish Kumar may not be able to count on the JD-U's 12 MLAs to support his candidate Bashisht Narain Singh. To top that, Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan has backed Ranjan Yadav, RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav's friend-turned-foe.

Ranjan isn't Laloo's only worry-dissidents within the RJD, led by former finance minister Shankar Prasad Tekriwal, might resort to cross-voting. His declaration that the official candidates (the RJD has three) would win is seen as a hint that the RJD and its allies will transfer their surplus votes to Sinha and Bashisht to ensure that Ranjan loses. All in all, a pretty kettle of fish.

-Farzand Ahmed

GOLDEN PUMPKIN

DRIVING INTO A SCANDAL: Kumar

Ananth Kumar's term in the Union Cabinet can easily be described as travels from one controversy to another. As culture minister, he was accused of packing undeserving favourites into institutions like the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. In tourism, the buzz was about the number of cars requisitioned from state-run hotels by the minister's staff. His penchant for unsigned files is legendary.

Now, as urban development minister, Kumar has walked into another mini-scandal. His personal assistant has run up taxi bills for Rs 11 lakh for the period between October 2001 and January 2002. The money was owed to the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Kumar's office leaned on the Housing and Urban and Development Corporation (HUDCO) and "requested" it to foot the bill.

This had Left MPs complaining to the Prime Minister's Office, no less. An investigation has been ordered into what must rank as one of the most audacious conveyance bills in Indian history. Mr Kumar's office on wheels may just come to a grinding halt.

SIGNPOSTS

ISSUED: An arrest warrant against Union minister Sharad Yadav, for absenting himself from the hearings of a 1993 Jabalpur bandh case.

DIED: Dayanand Sahaya, 70, Rajya Sabha MP, in a road accident at Makhdumpur, Bihar.

DIED: S.S. Hussain Ali Khan, 70, Sufi saint and publisher, in Ajmer.

WON: The Royal Challenge Indian Open golf tournament, by Vijay Kumar, in Delhi.

APPOINTED: BJP MP Balbir Punj, as chairman of the National Commission for Youth.
He is 52.

CHOSEN: Shooter Abhinav Bindra and chess player Koneru Humpy, for the K.K. Birla Foundation Award for Sports for 2000-1.

FINED: Span Motel, owned by Congress MP Kamal Nath's family, Rs 10 lakh, by the Supreme Court, for altering the course of the Beas.