Revenge at any cost?

The former Karnataka chief minister, Mr B S Yeddyurappa, is trying hard to get even with his party. Some of his supporter-MLAs are now planning to submit their resignations on his birthday on February 27. But their number has apparently halved to 20. If they do, the BJP government will be forced out of office as it doesn't have the required majority.

Political inflation

The higher voter turnout has convinced the four major parties in UP that there will be a hung assembly. So the wheeling-dealing with the smaller parties has begun in earnest, who have raised the ante from around Rs 20-30 crore to Rs 100 crore, says a senior politician, as also demands for key political appointments for their kith and kin.

‘Madhya' Andhra Pradesh

Chandrababu Naidu claimed he would turn the state into Swarna Andhra Pradesh; YSR had promised Haritha Andhra Pradesh (Green, alluding to agriculture). But it looks as if it will be Madhya Andhra Pradesh ( Madhyam in Telugu means liquor). The liquor scandal is the latest in the growing list of troubles that are dragging the state down.

No local talent?

After its recent electoral debacles, the Congress Party in Mumbai is looking for a local leader with deep roots to pump in some fresh energy in the cadres. But that isn't easy. A veteran leader says that finding the right ‘son of soil' Congress leader is more difficult than finding water in the Sahara. With the years, all the local leaders have left the party for greener pastures.

Tit for tat

Guess who is playing opposition in West Bengal? None other than the ruling TMC's ally, the Congress, whose cadres staged public demonstrations last week, against a much-publicised rape incident, which was initially rubbished by the Chief Minister as an attempt to malign her government. And the State Congress chief publicly criticised the government's recent move to prevent government employees participating in the February 28 strike call by central trade unions.

Pay up, lads

The Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation has created ripples by asking Members of the State Assembly to pay professional tax. MLAs have been asked to pay up with retrospective effect from January 2008, with a penal interest of 1 per cent. A notice was served on Legislative Secretary by the Corporation Secretary. The MLAs have protested, saying that the bulk of the money they get is in allowances, which don't amount to wages. Corporation Mayor Ms K. Chandrika said the notice was served based on an audit remark. It had reportedly rapped the Corporation for not collecting the tax from MLAs. The matter remains to be settled.

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