Dilli is worrying now that there's bound to be an unexpected fallout from the Mumbai blasts
Dilli is worrying now that there's bound to be an unexpected fallout from the Mumbai blasts. It seems to have provided the space for the Congress to revive its cold war with coalition ally and Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's Nationalistu00a0Congress Party (NCP).
Never an easy relationship at the best of times, Dilli is keenly following this latest attempt to take on the Maratha strongman. So, if it's Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan complaining publicly about the failings of his own Cabinet colleague (from the NCP) in Mumbai or Bhujbal striking back, the evidence is gathering on this trend and, now in Dilli Congress minister KV Thomas has taken on Sharad Pawar rather blatantly, in a move which seems to have some support from the higher echelons of the party.
Thomas, who earlier wrested the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution from Pawar has urged Manmohan Singh to also create a separate ministry for dairy and fisheries. Pawar has not responded so far, at least publicly, to Thomas' challenge, which has only given rise to more speculation.
Figure it outIt may not be evident to Mumbaikars, but the business of living in Dilli, we always knew and now learn authoritatively, is a lot more expensive than in Maximum City - trailing by at least ten spots behind the capital, according to a recent international survey. But what does come as a surprise to many is the finding that despite ranking a lowly 85th (Dilli) and 95th (Mumbai) in the list, India's political and financial powerhouses are still more expensive than San Francisco and Washington DC!
Just statistics, right? After all even if the underlying economics does not lie, for the average Dilliwala and Mumbaikar, the sword of inflation seems to be cutting equally deep such surverys can provide little comfort.u00a0
