How Pranab-da solved the Mamata riddle!

The bonhomie between Mamata Banerjee and India's 13th President...
Why is Sharad Pawar so angry?
Will Sheila Dixit lose her job?
Revealed! The asli face of sycophantic Congresswallahs...
All this and more in this week's Dilli Gupshup.

The Bengalis are celebrating -- one of their own is now President, and India's first bhadralok President at that.

If there was a fly in the ointment, it was the clash between the two towering Bengalis -- Pranab Mukherjee and Mamata Banerjee.

Even that was sorted out just before voting for the Presidential polls.

The Trinamool chief's support has strengthened the raksha bandhan between the two Bengalis who dominate India's political firmament.

Once the olive branch was extended, Mamata is said to have asked Pranab-da why he did not pick up the telephone to seek her support directly.

In response, India's then-to-be President said he was not prepared to hear a 'no' from the person he admired so much.

The bonhomie has increased to such an extent that the West Bengal chief minister attended the President's swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday morning -- at Pranab-da's personal request.

Score one for the new Rashtrapati!

Will Delhi have a new chief minister?

In which case, what will happen to Sheila Dixit, who has been steering the capital's government for the last 14 years?

Congress President Sonia Gandhi is said to be toying with the idea of requisitioning Delhi Chief Minister Dixit's services for the Union Cabinet.

If things go according to plan, Dixit may take charge of the home ministry, leaving incumbent P Chidambaram free to return to his favourite portfolio, finance.

Dixit, we hear, is not averse to her new role.

Soniaji is looking to infuse the Delhi sarkar with young blood -- Union Minister for Sports Ajay Maken is apparently all set to take the chief minister's mantle.

Even as India struggles with the horrifying spectres of a poor monsoon and an impending drought, the agriculture minister is missing from Krishi Bhavan.

Sharad Pawar is apparently miffed at the ruling UPA's style of functioning -- namely the lack of a decision-making process, the absence of a UPA convener and the Congress's 'big brother' approach.

Congresswallahs at 24, Akbar Road, cannot help but wonder why Pawar is raking up these issues now, considering they have been the norm for the past eight years?

We discovered that it is Rahul Gandhi's likely induction into the Union Cabinet that has rattled the Maratha strongman.

Pawar apparently does not relish the prospect of saying 'Yes, boss' to the late Indira Gandhi's grandson, especially since he nursed the dream of becoming prime minister after Rajiv Gandhi's untimely death.

Congress General Secretary B K Hari Prasad got a taste of the asli (real) Congress culture' when he was given charge of Uttar Pradesh.

Suitably armed with bouquets and sweets, Congress MPs from the state thronged his office to make their courtesy calls and congratulate him.

The moment they realised Hari Prasad was looking after UP 'temporarily' -- he's holding fort for Digivijay Singh -- some MPs cancelled their appointments while others were seen hurriedly leaving the ante room without even bothering to meet him.

Wah, bhai, wah! True Congress culture indeed!

Many sadhus lobbying for a 'clean Ganga' met in New Delhi recently.