The political circle in the capital is abuzz with apprehensions of next year’s MCD elections not being held at all, after the Delhi government constituted a political committee on restructuring of the civic body. The Delhi government has three instances of the MCD being kept without political leadership, after it was administered directly by the municipal commissioner for over 12 years since 1975 in the absence of elections.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s move to constitute a political committee on restructuring of the MCD appears to have split the state unit of the BJP in two camps, with the party leadership making efforts to save face after hurriedly announcing Opposition to the formation of the committee.

The city legislators are looking ahead to a Valentine Day gift as the Delhi Cabinet is expected to take up a proposal to effect a three-fold hike in salary and perks for MLAs and ministers in a meeting on February 14. As per the Cabinet proposal, the hike in salary and perks is based on the grounds of “price rise and hike in salaries of MPs and government employees following 6th Pay Commission recommendations”.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is all set to give a big push to the party’s preparations for next year’s UP Assembly elections by kickstarting membership drive of the youth wing of the party next month in three regions of the state.

A survey commissioned by the Delhi government has pegged the number of shelterless people in the city at 46,788 after an actual headcount.

In a move to showcase governance in next year’s Assembly elections in UP, BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati is working overtime to bring in the state version of “Public Service Guarantee Act” to give statutory provisions for delivery of services to the people in time.

Q: You will be completing three years in power this month. How do you assess your government’s performance vis-à-vis the previous establishments?

The NDA on Wednesday launched an all-out attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and even sought his resignation on moral grounds if he failed to constitute a JPC in the 2G scam.

Awestruck by the exquisite work of Indian artisans, US First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday went on a shopping spree in the capital at the Crafts Museum, so much so that she almost ran out of cash.

In a race to win the dalit legacy, UP chief minister Mayawati has beaten BJP’s poster boy and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Both of them were competing to have their respective tableaux during Republic Day parade on the same theme. But the panel of experts, which has been assigned to screen the states’ proposals, decided that Mayawati’s Uttar Pradesh has better claim over Modi’s Gujrat in showcasing Gautam Buddha and his legacy.