Sheela Bhatt, who attended the United Progressive Alliance's fourth anniversary event on Wednesday, shares some gupshup picked up from 7, Race Course Road.
Sheela Bhatt compiles a list of things, both unknown and known, about the latest challenger to the New Delhi throne.
'The court would like to make the CBI politically neutral so that they behave as professionals and they are not influenced by somebody in power,' constitutional expert Anil Divan tells Sheela Bhatt
After a SWOT analysis of the UPA, Sheela Bhatt examines how its prime challenger squares off. 'In the public space Modi enjoys many advantages the BJP doesn't. At same time, there are many advantages to the BJP which Modi doesn't enjoy.'
Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal, in a tersely-written letter to his boss and Attorney General G E Vahanvati, accusing him of messy handling of the CBI in the coal scam investigation, and sparking speculation that the latter may recuse himself from the case. Sheela Bhatt reports.
A 125 plus verdict would have given Narendra Modi automatic advantage to move to New Delhi. But now he will maneuver his way because the third consecutive victory makes him more impatient than ever, says Sheela Bhatt.
Ahmed Patel, the most powerful man in the Congress party after the Gandhis, speaks to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt in a rare and exclusive interview.
Amit Shah, the prodigal leader of Gujarat and the man who knows Modi like no one else, shares some interesting insights with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
With her simple cotton saree and hawai chappal, Mamata was always identified with the poorest of the poor Bengali. But this sudden burst of chit fund network of seemingly cheat companies has dragged her into the cesspool. Sheela Bhatt analyses.
In the final part, Prof Shiva Visvanathan talks some more about Modi's chances of becoming PM, the professor's stay in Gujarat and how he was finally ousted from there.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has more or less finalised the plan to tweak the Union Cabinet before Parliament opens on August 8. Three ministers will be shifted to the new portfolios. Home Minister P Chidambaram, as expected, will become the finance minister. He succeeds Pranab Mukherjee who has become President of India. He is impatiently waiting for the announcement to be made within 'three to four days'. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Professor Shiv Visvanathan talks of the dangers of celebrating of reign of Narendra Modi and why the Gujarat chief minister may be as bad bet as prime minister.
For the first time since the riots of 2002, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi finds himself on uncertain territory in Saurashtra, where the intense caste politics of Patels is now intertwined with the water problems of all the farmers of the region, reports Sheela Bhatt.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar believes that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's popularity may not translate into votes to give him a clear nod to become prime minister, says Sheela Bhatt
Rahul Gandhi attended thee public speeches in Jamnagar, Amreli and Sanand on Tuesday, but his careful attitude made them bland, says Sheela Bhatt.
Congress Party may agree to form a coalition government in Gujarat, a senior leader tells Sheela Bhatt
While speaking to Sheela Bhatt about Narendra Modi and the Congress's media strategy, Jaitley deliberately and subtly downplays Modi's projection as a prime ministerial candidate and the BJP leaders' endorsements of Modi for the top job as if it is a routine affair
'The biggest damage is inflicted not during the riots, but after the riots. The curfews and inactivity brings misery to survivors of the riots. In every riot, some 3,000 Muslim families slip below the poverty line. Nobody talks about them.' Zafar Yunus Sareshwala, who speaks in Narendra Modi's favour and has initiated the dialogue between Modi and Gujarati Muslims, tells Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Mamata Banerjee changed her stand on the presidential election because the Congress and Pranab Mukheree, at different levels, worked hard to make her understand that the 'Vote for Pranab' is a win-win situation, reports Sheela Bhatt
The Congress has done a disservice to its party leaders and workers by fielding a non-entity like Shweta Bhatt to take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, feels Sheela Bhatt.
The Congress has done a disservice to its party leaders and workers by fielding a non-entity like Shweta Bhatt to take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, feels Sheela Bhatt.
'Corruption eats the vitals of our bureaucracy, our army, our government. It is a bigger threat than terrorism. The terrorists are four steps ahead of us.'
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samjawadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party will have to change, modify or amend their stand on Foreign Direct Investment in retail to break the deadlock in Parliament, says Sheela Bhatt
Pravin Gordhan, the finance minister of South Africa, says that in spite of several crucial issues still under debate, the BRICS bank was born today.
Italian marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone have got a deal similar to that of the gangster Abu Salem, which ensures that they won't get the death penalty. Sheela Bhatt reports on how a diplomatic stand-off was averted.
If the DMK sticks to its position and withdraws from the UPA, one thing is certain: this government will be crisis-ridden and crisis-driven till the next election. The Congress party will run a paralytic government at the dictates of the parties supporting it from outside, says Sheela Bhatt.
"One has to follow one's self-conscious. I resigned because Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari had appointed me in the party's national executive. It was the favour done by him to me. I am not satisfied with his actions now, so I resigned." says advocate Mahesh Jethamalani while talking exclusively to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Three IT professionals from Tamil Nadu are camping in New Delhi, trying to knock on the corridors of power to impress upon the government to stop playing second fiddle on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and vote in favour of the US-sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council resolution. Sheela Bhatt reports
Activist Arvind Kejriwal, in the second part of his interview with Sheela Bhatt, discusses how democracy has been replaced by oligarchy, the commonality of interests between the Congress and BJP, and how his political party will be different.
By all accounts Digvijaya Singh is serving Rahul Gandhi's purpose of pushing himself into orbit over Narendra Modi, but he is also pushing his own case by his brazen tweets and bold assertions in the social media and in public acrimonies. But there is a limit to all games, writes Sheela Bhatt.
"The law and order issue all over UP needs national attention," says a senior journalist from a Hindi daily published from Lucknow, and he is right. Under Akhilesh Singh Yadav, communal violence returns with a vengeance to the state, reports Sheela Bhatt
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi meeting their party's stalwart of many decades -- President Pranab Mukherjee -- is not unusual, but the timing of their visits is, notes Sheela Bhatt
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday steeply increased the price of gas, hitting the aam-aadmi, also gave a meagre hike to the minimum support price of food-grains, adversely affecting farmers, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Petitioner in disproportionate assets case against Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family blames the CBI for it double standards. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Six IPS officers have been shortlisted for the post of the CBI director once incumbent A P Singh retires in November. Sheela Bhatt reports
'Anyone of them could have been the girl. So in a way it had what I call the 'rakhi effect'. Everyone felt the rape victim could have been my sister and everyone felt that could have been myself.' Professor Shiv Visvanathan speaks to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt on the recent demonstrations by India's youth, and on current political and social trends.
Sheela Bhatt says Sonia Gandhi's speech in Rajkot did not do anything to galvanise the Congress cadre in Gujarat.
None of Dr Manmohan Singh's arguments to make us understand his government's decisions were new. Sheela Bhatt examines the prime minister's address to the nation
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