Why Mamata will decide Pranab's fate

Why Krishna is miffed.

The Congress's power politics.

The BJP's politics over Modi.

All this, and more, in Dilli Gupshup....

Jockeying for Raisina Hill is on in full swing and Pranab Mukherjee's future hinges upon the whims of Mamata Banerjee.

Acting deftly, both Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh communicated to an eager Pranab Mukherjee camp that they have no problems in sparing the services of the finance minister if all the allies, including the Trinamool Congress, arrive at a consensus. The onus is now on the West Bengal chief minister to give a no-objection certificate.

Meanwhile, 10, Janpath is also toying with the idea of approaching the Nobel Laureate, Professor Amartya Sen, to show that it sought the "best and the brightest".

Meanwhile, in political circles, where events are moving fast, Vice President Hamid Ansari is emerging as the 'second choice' of many who matter.

Click on NEXT to read why SM Krishna is miffed...

Supporters of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna are dismayed that despite his seniority, his name has not been floated among the presidential aspirants.

Krishna, who enjoys the confidence of both Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh, has been a Fulbright Scholar, Union minister, governor and chief minister of Karnataka. He was part of John F Kennedy's presidential campaign in the United States when he was studying there.

The Krishna camp wonders why his credentials are not being considered for the Rashtrapati Bhavan, while names of lesser mortals like Motilal Vora, Meira Kumar, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and Kishore Chandra Deb were doing the rounds.

Click on NEXT to read of the power struggle within the Congress...

Behind the iron curtain, the Congress is witnessing an intense power struggle. There is a big fight going on among Sonia Gandhi's loyal soldiers -- Ahmed Patel, Digvijaya Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, Janardhan Dwivedi and Jairam Ramesh.

Ahmed, Sonia's trusted political secretary, is now facing a stiff challenge on account of the looming assembly polls in Gujarat. A section of the Congress wants to make him accountable for the fight against Bharatiya Janata Party strongman Narendra Modi.

Congress veterans opposed to Ahmed are planning to prop up Vincent George, a close Sonia aide who used to be Rajiv Gandhi's eyes and ears.

The grapevine at 24, Akbar Road -- the Congress party hq -- has it that Janardhan Dwivedi, Congress general secretary and head of the AICC media department, has worked out a strategic alliance with George to check Patel. Digvijaya is busy coordinating with Ambika and Azad while Ramesh is teaming up with Salman Khurshid to act as a power bloc.

Click on NEXT to read about the BJP's mouthpiece politics...

Who wrote the edit in the BJP journal Kamal Sandesh which launched a veiled criticism of top leaders like Narendra Modi and BS Yeddyurappa?

While author Prabhat Jha is taking credit for it, BJP insiders insist that Jha, currently heading the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP, would not dare to so take on the top BJP leadership.

There is a needle of suspicion that a high and mighty leader in the RSS, whose writ runs in all affiliated organisations, wrote the piece and used Jha's name.

Moreover, the alacrity with which the article was emailed to all scribes covering the BJP was sent shows that it was a 'command performance'.

Click on NEXT to read why Sushma and Advani are sulking...

The ongoing disquiet in the BJP was reportedly triggered off at a wedding reception in Bengaluru.

The occasion was the wedding of BS Yeddyurappa's grand-daughter where Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and the rest of the senior leaders were present.

Apparently, both LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj, who were not present at the Bengaluru reception, felt slighted that Yeddyurappa, who missed no opportunity in targeting them, was shown such warmth and affection.

Click on NEXT to read why the UP Congress has no takers...

Two Union ministers of state, RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada, are said to have turned down the offer to head the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. The ministers, who are considered close to Rahul Gandhi, reportedly wanted to stay on in the Manmohan Singh government and look after UP in their spare time, but the Congress leadership is searching for a 'full-timer'.

Now all eyes are on senior leader Rasheed Masood, who was till recently in the Samajwadi Party.

Masood, who has been made a member of the Congress Working Committee, has some influence in western Uttar Pradesh.

Masood's name has also gained currency following the Congress's likely move to sack its Bihar unit chief Mahboob Ali Kauser.

Click NEXT to read why officials at the Planning Commission are busy with paperwork...

Officials in Yojna Bhavan are busy updating the data relating to their visits aboard.

The move comes after Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia decided to furnish details of his travels abroad.

Members of and senior officials in Yojna Bhavan want to follow in Ahluwalia's footsteps. One method to reduce the number of visits is to divide them between 'personal visits' and 'official engagements.'

Paperwork is being completed to set everything in order.