Alliances are always fraught with potential game of one-upmanship. Even in a ruling combine, not only the cadres but also the leaders get frustrated beyond a point.

In what could be described as the first of its kind, the MPs of Darvida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) met for the first time on Wednesday morning over breakfast to discuss their participation in the proceedings of Parliament. The highlight of the meet was the presidentship of Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers M.K. Azhagiri at his residence in Kamaraj Marg.

The demand for the Indian National Congress has never been so high, ever since it lost power in Tamil Nadu in the 60s.

Finally the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch can heave a sigh of relief. In an act that could excite him, Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers M.K. Alagiri landed at the Delhi airport to receive deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu and his sibling M.K. Stalin, who arrived in the capital to participate in the National Development Council (NDC) meeting. This is the first time that Mr Alagiri has gone out of his way to give an impression that all is well between the two brothers.

Rahul Gandhi whose game plan is to strengthen the Congress in the four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu seems to have got into the act.

The Karnataka BJP government is caught between the devil and the deep sea when it comes to handling the Karnataka crisis.
The BJP leadership is of the view that the government should last its full term, even if it had to let go off the Reddy brothers, with its image intact. But that’s too much for an asking.

Upping the ante against the “mining mafia” in the state, Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj sought the appointment of the Chief Justice to the state on a priority basis as the incumbent P.D. Dinakaran is all set to be moved to another place. The issue was raised by him when he called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P. Chidambaram.

The presence of CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury on the dais with DMK supremo M. Karuananidhi at the World Tamil Classical Conference in Coimbatore has sent a clear signal of the growing proximity between the Mar-xists and the DMK, which is part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.

The much-anticipated meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the late Y.S.R. Reddy’s son Jaganmohan finally took place here in the capital on Tuesday. Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, who came along with his family — mother, wife and sister — refused to interact with the media after the meeting. He made a quiet exit through the second gate without anyone noticing it.