CANCELLATION OF TRIPS

Two visits of the Indian MPs' delegations to the United States and Mexico have been dropped without assigning any reason.

Having missed his trip to Rashtrapathi Bhawan, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil may shift to Maharashtra to take over as Chief Minister from Vilasrao Deshmukh. Of the proverbial nine lives, Deshmukh seems to have exhausted all.

Well, this shift falls in place because Chidambaram (or Veerappa Moily) may shift to Patil's chamber in North Block. For Chidambaram, it is only a hop, step and jump. Jairam Ramesh seems intent to spoil Chidambaram's dream run in the Finance Ministry, through Rahul Baba's intervention. Chidambaram met Rahul Baba at 12, Tughlak Lane, the other day to present his side of the case.

Meanwhile, the young Turks of the Congress like Scindia and Pilot are getting ready for Ministerial assignments.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi is leaving for China on 26th Oct. And so she will have to sit with the crestfallen PM after his return from Africa and finalise the list. The wounds inflicted on the suave economist by the ill-fated nuclear deal would have, it is hoped, healed after his sojourn abroad.

If nothing of the above takes place, a Cabinet reshuffle may be necessary at least for those like Prithviraj Chavan who has been appointed General Secretary in charge of two crucial states of Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka as also Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. And for Suresh Pachouri who is being sent to Madhya Pradesh as PCC President. It is not certain if those assigned party responsibilities will be happy to let go of the power and perks of office !!

Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, also has no particular reason to be happy. He was to lead a delegation of 15 MPs (with spouses) to the United States, but he has been told to put it off. Equally disappointed are the MPs and their spouses who were to accompany him.
But Dasmunshi has mollified them by assuring them of a trip around Christmas time !!

Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, was to have gone to Mexico with a delegation, but happily so sobs were heard after the cancellation of this trip !!