Restricted entry: What doesn't make national headlines, but could, makes it here

Barring one poll by a television channel, everyone is predicting a landslide win for the Nitish Kumar-led alliance in Bihar

Delhi whispers
Barring one poll by a television channel, everyone is predicting a landslide win for the Nitish Kumar-led alliance in Bihar. But there is one group — always taken very seriously in India — that maintains Narendra Modi-led BJP is far ahead in the race. The group is made of punters from the betting world. In their recent bets, they have offered 115 seats out of 150 to BJP. On the other hand, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) got only 44 seats and its new ally, the RJD, was getting bets for only 28 seats. Interestingly, BJP’s tally is rising every day in the world of betting.

Jailed embarrassment
Pele, the world’s best known soccer face, is still in India but in West Bengal, the state that was hyper about his visit, a tinge of embarrassment has gripped the ruling TMC. The veteran superstar, it is learnt, was surprised at the absence of the West Bengal sports minister at various functions. An aide told him that Madan Mitra is in jail because of his involvement in the Saradha ponzi scandal. Pele didn’t follow. The aide further explained, “India’s Baby Blatter”.

Another prison diary
Subrata Roy, banker for the poor, has asked the superintendent of Tihar Jail, Delhi’s maximum prison, if he can be granted permission to celebrate Durga Puja in the jail premises. The jailed tycoon even cited examples of similar festivals being organised by other jails across India. Why not Tihar, Roy asked? The jailor said permission could be granted next year. Roy is in a fix. Will he stay that long to facilitate the celebrations?

Name calling goes wrong
They are calling it the Poster War — the recent resignation of a seasoned journalist at a prominent news magazine triggered by a poster. It all started when the editor put up a poster on the office notice board to
alert his colleague, and another one, about office manners. Both names were written, encircled and told to learn a bit of office decorum. The result was worse — one seasoned journalist resigned, leaving the other fuming and the editor wondering whether it would have been better not to intervene between the two warring female colleagues.

Last Word: India’s latest, totally indigenously manufactured missile has been appropriately named, Kali.

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