Though the ruling BSP and SP are arch rivals in UP, the two parties are in a similar position being cornered by the BJP for their support to the UPA coalition partners in PAC on the 2G draft report. Senior leaders of the two parties concede that they might have to pay a political price for their key role in the PAC but officially the two parties are making attempts to wriggle out of the issue.

The Samajwadi Party and BSP swung the number game in favour of the ruling coalition in the PAC meeting on Thursday on the back of a top Congress leader clinching their support in his parleys with the leadership of the two parties late evening on Wednesday.

As the social activist Anna Hazare sets out on nationwide campaign against corruption from Varanasi this Friday, the ruling BSP and Samajwadi Party in UP are already getting jittery. Though the BSP and SP are arch-rivals, the two parties apprehend that Mr Hazare’s campaign can polarise voters especially the youth against them in the run up to the next year’s Assembly election.

Unnerved over realignment of political forces opposed to her, BSP supremo and UP chief minister Mayawati is reportedly mulling over advancing the state Assembly election to as early as November this year or latest by February next year.

After the Cabinet decision to divide the MCD into five units came quickly, the city government is facing a roadblock with the Delhi unit of the Congress being unimpressed with the move. A Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting which was held at the residence of chief minister Sheila Dikshit remained inconclusive in taking forward the Cabinet decision with the Central government.

Registration of properties has come to a grinding halt in the capital. The Delhi government’s order for special certificates on safety and building by-laws has dried the property transaction business in the capital, resulting in a daily loss of about `7 crores everyday for the exchequer apart from leaving people high and dry.

Strong anti-politician sentiment among the social activists marked the second day of the fast-unto-death of Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar, who has been demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill to be drafted with the participation of the civil society to be passed by the Parliament.

In a subtle political move, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday clipped the wings of political heavyweight and her emerging rival, A. K. Walia, divesting him of the high-profile finance and urban development departments. The lone minister to lose his job turned out to be Mangat Ram Singhal in whose place journalist-turned-politician Ramakant Goswami was sworn in as a minister by lieutenant-governor Tejendra Khanna on Wednesday.

After two years of coming into power for third consecutive time, chief minister Sheila Dikshit is all set to reshuffle her Cabinet on Wednesday. The chief minister reportedly took resignation letters from all the six ministers on Tuesday evening in the presence of Mr Ahmed Patel, political secretary of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. There are

BSP supremo and UP chief minister Mayawati has planned an aggressive media blitz in the run-up to next year’s state Assembly elections, with a budget of `40 crores having been earmarked this year for ad films to propagate achievements of her government.