Bad Coffee Day
P. Chidambaram found himself in a bit of a soup when he louÂdly complained about the price of coffee (Rs 180 a cup) and tea (Rs 135) at Chennai airport바카라™s CafĂ© Coffee Day outlet. Trolls took him to task, saying he shoÂuld have walked out of the arriÂval lounge and had a cup of filter coffee for Rs 50 at a neaÂrby kiosk. Others wondered how a former FM could be unaware of high prices in places where rents are sky high. A few local partymen were perplexed that PC didn바카라™t know about CCD prices even though one of his kin allegedly owned franchises in Malaysia바카라”and how much a local businessman had to pay to become a franchisee.
Off-Hand Slight
Mamata Banerjee바카라™s relationship with the Gandhis goes back many decades. As a first-time MP, she was made MoS for sports and youth affairs by then PM Rajiv Gandhi, who later exhorted voters during a 1989 poll rally in Calcutta to vote for her 바카라śeven if you don바카라™t vote for the Congress바카라ť. Later she broke away to float her own Trinamool Congress. Though her relations with Sonia Gandhi remained warm, it바카라™s not the same with Rahul바카라”perhaps due to his absence at Mamata바카라™s 2011 swearing-in ceremony, a landmark moment for her. And maybe it hurt more as Rahul didn바카라™t skip Omar AbdÂullah바카라™s swearing-in in Srinagar. Rahul바카라™s absence may have been just inertia or his office failing to inform him in time, but Didi seems to remember the 바카라śslight바카라ť.
Past Forward
The ripostes come fast and furÂious these days. One such was former PM H.D. Deve Gowda바카라™s reply to Rahul Gandhi바카라™s accÂusation that his party, JD(S), was the BJP바카라™s B team. Given his party바카라™s often tactful approach to its smaller rival, the CongÂress president바카라™s barb seemed a tad out of character. But then, it followed a noisy Rajya Sabha poll last weekend, after which the Congress welcoÂmed 10 JD(S) leaders into its fold. Reminding Rahul of when Siddaramaiah바카라”then with JD(S)바카라”was deputy to a Congress CM 12 years ago, Gowda returned the serve, Âsaying: wait until the polls to see who바카라™ll be the B team.
Overheard Laloo Yadav, now in Delhi for treatment, says an anti-BJP coalition must have the Congress at its core, though the party seems more likely to play second fiddle to regional parties.
