Our column in the run-up to the polls: Tales from Raisina Hill

January 12, 2012 15:51

On rediff.com ahead of the five-state polls, our new column, Tales from Raisina Hill...

Text messages for Rahul; Uma Bharti gets cold feet; Mamata snubs Jairam; Congress find its Lokpal...

First up: Election fever is causing lots of problems for Janardhan Dwivedi, chairman of the All India Congress Committee media department. Union ministers, spokespersons, the party's self-appointed spin doctors, its crisis managers are all out in the open, issuing statements after statements.

Dwivedi's job is to defuse the crisis when two Union ministers lock horns or senior leaders from a particular election state issue statements that contradicts the party's official voice.

The list of guests visiting television studios also requires clearance. In Congress circles, Dwivedi is referred to as an in-house 'Lokpal.

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