Hectic lobbying has begun in the national capital for gubernatorial appointments. The governor of Uttarakhand, Mrs Margaret Alva, is reportedly lobbying hard to secure a place in the AICC during the forthcoming reshuffle of the organisation. Failing this, she would like to take up the job of Kerala governor, which would bring her close to her home state of Karnataka.

While it appears the Central government plans to give the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir something special as a gift on Id-ul-Fitr, differences cropped up among leaders at the meeting of the Congress core group on Friday where the issue of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was also discussed.

Bihar Assembly elections will witness the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD taking on the state chief minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), while the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP would be pitted mostly against the state deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi-led BJP. The RJD-LJP seat-adjustments appear to have been made in such a way that the LJP would largely contest the urban areas against the BJP, while the RJD would be slugging it out against the JD(U) in most of the rural areas of Bihar.

Intensifying war of words with the ruling CPI(M) in poll-bound West Bengal, the Congress on Friday came whole hog in support of young leader Rahul Gandhi’s comment relating to “two Bengals”, as it said, the situation in rural Bengal was “pathetic” and could easily be verified by travelling in the country side of the state.

Young Congress MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi has become member of the parliamentary standing committee on human resource development, which is headed senior party leader Oscar Fernandes.

Differences have surfaced in the BJP over Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government. While the top leadership, ranging from L.K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, is expected to skip the swearing-in ceremony, former party chief, Rajnath Singh would be present for the occasion. It may be recalled, Mr Singh has always been regarded to be in the rival faction. Even party chief Nitin Gadkari is unlikely to attend the swearing-in ceremony taking place on Saturday.

Asian Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday launched the Grameen Swasthya Pariyojana, a “Good Health” initiative to benefit the rural population.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr N.K. Pandey, chairman and MD, AIMS, said the programme has been conceptualised to “ensure that the best available healthcare services reach the rural and underprivileged sections.”

A youth was allegedly stabbed by a gardner in Rashtrapati Bhavan, the police said on Friday. The victim, Kishan, 19, was stabbed by Gopal, a gardener on contract in Rashtra-pati Bhavan, on September 1 when they were consuming liquor near Gate No. 17.

The body of a man was found in a check dam in the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Friday. A group of students, who had gone to the area at around 7.30 am, saw the body in the reservoir and informed the police.

With the Commonwealth Games now dangerously close and several event-related works still incomplete, the MCD has decided to get into the “wrap up” mode in the road improvement and street-scaping work.