The buzz: Keeping tabs on the political grapevine

A deal seems to have been struck between the BJP and the former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa to facilitate his re-entry into the saffron party.

The wheels within deals in Karnataka
A deal seems to have been struck between the BJP and the former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa to facilitate his re-entry into the saffron party. According to political circles in Bangalore, Yeddyurappa’s close aides Lehar Singh and Vijay Sankeshwar recently met BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s political adviser Sudhanshu Trivedi and son Pankaj Singh at a Delhi hotel to work out the modalities. Party sources denied that any financial transaction was involved. Coming to the aid of the party.

Turning a new leaf in Tamil Nadu
Last week, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa unveiled an eco-friendly minibus scheme to serve as the last-mile connectivity for people living in Chennai’s suburbs. But the green leaves painted on the sides of the buses have irked the DMK as ‘two leaves’ is the ruling AIADMK’s election symbol. As the matter reached the high court, DMK leader MK Stalin alleged that it was a gross misuse of official machinery and wanted them erased. But Jayalalithaa asked her advocate general to argue that the leaves did not represent her party’s symbol but the green revolution. The DMK could be green with envy.

Not getting away with murder
Controversial BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, who is an accused in the murder of his maid along with his wife, was tipped to be the BJP nominee from the Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat in 2014 if political gossip is to be believed. However, the maid’s death has led the BJP to rethink this. Incidentally, the MP who is considered close to BJP president Rajnath Singh had visited his Ashoka Road residence just before Diwali to greet him. The BJP president, who had praised him on the occasion, has now been quick to distance himself from him. Not a good bet anymore.