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India welcome to join IPI gas project: Pakistan
Half of SP’s candidates in UP face criminal cases
IAS vs IPS: EC shifts Siddharth Nagar DM, SP |
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Modi keeps away from campaigning
Liquor racket unearthed in AP
Ex-CM, Bose blamed for CPM’s electoral debacle
Jantar Mantar
Local innovation repairs T-90’s night blindness
CVC for anti-graft lessons in schools
Witnesses support allegation against Setalvad: Gujarat to SC
IAF, BSF are best marching contingents on Republic Day
Women commission offers to take care of battered baby
Endangered crocodiles up by 7
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India welcome to join IPI gas project: Pakistan
New Delhi, January 29 He said Iran and Pakistan were going ahead with the project despite difficulties. It was entirely up to India to make up its mind. Apparently, due to American pressure, India has virtually called off negotiations with Iran over the IPI pipeline and started devoting its entire energy to an early fruition of the TAPI project. Frustrated with New Delhi for its ambivalence on the project, Tehran too has stopped courting India to participate in the project. Iran says while it desired India to join the project, it could not keep the door open for New Delhi indefinitely. Iran signed a bilateral deal with Pakistan in 2010 for the construction of the $ 7.6-billion project without India’s participation. The project had been planned in the 1990s and originally would have extended from Pakistan to India. The 2,775-km pipeline was proposed to start from Asalouyeh and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it was proposed to pass through the restive Baluchistan Province and Sindh. In Khuzdar in Pakistan, a branch was to extend to Karachi, while the main pipeline would continue towards Multan. From Multan, the pipeline could be expanded to Delhi. For security reasons, India had proposed an alternative offshore route from Iran to the maritime boundary between India and Pakistan off Kutch. From there, one branch to run to Pakistan while the other branch could run to Kutch. The impression here was that Pakistan was strongly supporting its ''all-weather friend'' China’ to join the IPI project as a substitute for India. China is a major energy consumer which has shown interest in the project, should India formally back out of it. Meanwhile, Pakistan has come under renewed pressure from the US for abandoning the pipeline in view of Iran's controversial nuclear programme. However, Islamabad has clarified that the pipeline project does not come under the fresh sanctions the US has imposed on Iran. Indian officials privately admit that the US was nudging New Delhi to put the pipeline project with Iran in the cold storage and concentrate on TAPI pipeline. On record, however, India says the pricing issue and the security of the pipeline, which would pass through the restive regions of Pakistan, have compelled it to reconsider the viability of the project from Iran. Strategic experts wonder why India was giving a preference to the TAPI project at the cost of the project from Iran. The pipeline from Iran would pass through only Pakistan while the one from Turkmenistan would run through not only Pakistan but Afghanistan as well, they point out. Negotiations called off
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Half of SP’s candidates in UP face criminal cases
Lucknow, January 29 The BSP and BJP stand second with 44 per cent such candidates and Congress a poor third with 28 per cent candidates with criminal records. An alarming 38 per cent candidates across political parties have declared to have criminal cases pending against them which is a 10 per cent increase from the 2007 overall average of 28 per cent. According to the Uttar Pradesh Election Watch report, based on the analysis of the affidavits filed by the 284 of the 867 candidates in the fray while 38 per cent have criminal cases, around 46 (16 pc) have declared serious criminal cases like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion etc. against them. Correspondingly, there has been a sharp, almost 30 per cent, increase in the number of crorepatis in the fray as more than half (51 per cent) now possess more than a crore. In this phase 144 candidates out of 284 analysed are crorepatis. In 2007, there were 22 pc crorepati candidates from these constituencies. Giving inkling to the money power required in these elections, just six candidates have reported to have assets worth less than a lakh. In the money department the BSP, claiming to represent the dalit (crushed) takes the lead with the average asset per candidate being Rs 3.83 crore. Its rival SP comes a poor second with it candidates on an average being worth Rs 1.74 crores. For BJP the average is Rs 1.56 crores and the Congress Rs. 1.34 crores. Even the recent entrant, Peace Party’s each candidate is worth Rs 1.01 Crores. Interestingly, despite so many rich candidates 34 per cent have declared that they have never filed income tax returns. The top three candidates with maximum assets but who have never filed IT returns are SP’s Farid Mahfuz Kidwai contesting from Kursi with total assets of Rs. 3.52 crores, followed by Gauri Sankar of the Congress from Mahadewa with assets of Rs. 2.88 crores and Ram Sajivan of BJP from Ram Nagar with Rs. 2.57 crores, respectively. The BSP candidate from Bansi in Siddharth Nagar, Vinay Shankar, son of former mafia turned politician Hari Shankar Tiwari, having total asset of Rs 52 crores is the richest candidate in the first phase. Another BSP candidate Ranjana Bajpai contesting from Sevata in Sitapur has the highest annual income at Rs. 91.51 lakhs as per their last filed Income Tax returns. While only one candidate is officially illiterate 163 out of 284 candidates analysed i.e. 57 per cent are graduates or with higher educational qualifications. Ten hold doctorate degrees, with the highest (3) belonging to the Congress.
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IAS vs IPS: EC shifts Siddharth Nagar DM, SP Lucknow: Just a few days before the first phase of elections, the states' IAS and IPS officers are gearing up for a fight for supremacy. The UP IPS association convened an emergency meeting this evening to take a decision on 12 IPS officers offering to resign in protest against the alleged misbehaviour of Basti Divisional Commissioner with the Superintendent of Police of Siddharth Nagar during an election preparation meeting two days ago. According to IPS association secretary Arun Kumar, the meeting will discuss the fallout of the incident in Basti on January 26 where Divisional Commissioner Anurag Srivastava after a heated exchange had asked Siddharth Nagar SP Mohit Gupta to leave the meeting. The other IPS officers present at the meeting had followed Gupta in solidarity turning the episode into an IAS versus IPS clash. Gupta had sent a written complaint to the IPS association in Lucknow, which in turn had reported the matter to the Election Commission. The EC transferred both the District Magistrate and SP of Siddharth Nagar. Not satisfied with the action, the 12 IPS officers have offered to resign and have even reportedly demanded the transfer of Home Secretary Kunwar Fateh Bahadur Singh, who still holds the important portfolio of Principal Secretary (Personnel). In a bid to damage control, Chief Election Officer Umesh Sinha has asked Srivastava to explain his behaviour by January 31, and Chief Secretary Anoop Mishra has summoned both the officers. Srivastava, however, has proceeded on leave. Following Gupta's complaint to the IPS association expressing his inability to function under Srivastava, the state election commission had transferred both the district magistrate and the SP.
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Modi keeps away from campaigning
Assembly elections will be held in both the states on January 30, for which campaigning ended yesterday. Modi, however, did not visit the two states during this period. Modi, dubbed by some in BJP as prime ministerial material, was expected to be one of the main campaigners in the five states where Assembly polls are due. But his absence in Punjab and Uttarakhand, the two states where BJP is in power, has raised a question mark on whether he would hit the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh, where a pitched battle is on between prominent parties. His bete noire Sanjay Joshi is one of the key leaders involved in the UP campaign. Modi was also said to be unhappy with senior leader LK Advani for kicking off his anti-corruption yatra from Bihar instead of Gujarat.
— PTI
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India Art Fair ends on a high
New Delhi, January 29 And as with any other wedding, some went home grinning from ear to ear, some were not so happy and there were a few murmurs of dissent too. But almost everybody, including the biggies of the art world like Kiran Nadar, agreed that the fair this time was even better, more professional and had more space to exhibit works. One of them said, “Each booth was like a mini exhibition hall, making viewing a more pleasurable experience.” While visitors who continued to stream in even on the final day, seemed to enjoy the experience, some gallery owners were not too happy with impudent visitors considering it their prerogative and right to take photographs of art works on display. Photography, several gallery owners felt ,should not have been allowed for there was a real danger of art works being copied. Pallavi Raghuvanshi of Nvya Gallery also felt that the business hours were too limited and should have been extended. Serious buyers, she explained, are deterred by crowds and that’s why despite names like Satish Gujral, SH Raza and Paresh Maity, the buyers’ interest was only limited to enquires. Several gallery owners, however, did brisk business. Kishore Singh of Delhi Art Gallery appeared delighted with the sales. “Certainly better than the last year, as we sold works by F N Souza, S H Raza and Jamini Roy,” he exclaimed. Exhibits at Experimenter Gallery from Kolkata were completely sold out. Priced between Rs one to eight lakhs, perhaps the price worked in their favour. So does it mean the recession is a thing of the past ? Bhavana Kakar of Latitude 28 rued that while last year she was too busy counting money, this year she hadn’t sold anything in one of her booths. Peter Nagy of Gallery Nature Morte, who sold fifty per cent of the exhibits, confided that since over the last four to five months the market had been sluggish, they had approached the fair with some degree of anxiety. But the going, he felt, was not that bad. Certainly not for signature names. Bharti Kher’s trademark bindi work titled “I Changed My Mind” sold at Hauser and Wirth Gallery. Her new signature textile work “Sisters” crafted out of sarees found such an encouraging response that Sunitha of Gallery Skye wished she had brought in more of those works. If names like Subodh Gupta, Ranbir Kaleka, Sheeba Chhachhi did well, so did artists like Mariam Suhail exhibiting for the first time at the fair. Among buyers, no specific trend could be discerned. If there was a demand for masters, installations like that of performance artist Nikhil Chopra too found a collector. Buyers were slow to respond to video works but still, Surekha’s video at Lakeeren Art Gallery was bought by a collector for two lakh Rupees. International galleries too had no reason to regret. The Hauser and Wirth gallery were not only able to sell works of Subodh and Bharti for 200,000 and 135,000 Euros respectively but also that of Martin Creed and other international artists. Interestingly the work of Creed goes to the USA. The representatives of Hauser and Wirth Gallery did admit that international collectors too were at the fair. The organisers of the fair too confirmed that collectors from several other countries came looking for art works. And that, felt Prateik of Experimenter, was the beauty of the fair as beyond sales, the fair helped one build a collector base. fair highlights
TOO COSTLY?
Were the art works at the India Art Fair exorbitantly priced? While some were indeed priced at several crores of Rupees, a few works were priced at 500,000 euros and above. But many felt that prices were actually competitive. Said Bhavna Kakar, “If you are looking at a Raza or Hussain you can’t expect a bargain.” Representatives of Volte Gallery, who sold Ranbir Kaleka’s projections for Rs 20 lakh a piece, were surprised by how accessible international art really is. Despite several works like Kishen Khanna’s bearing the price tag of one crore rupees, there was art for all.
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Liquor racket unearthed in AP
Hyderabad, January 28 During the extensive raids across the state, the ACB has stumbled upon an organised racket thriving in connivance with the local excise and police officials with scribes acting as “lobby groups to coordinate with enforcement agencies” to ensure that there were no obstacles to the illegal liquor trade. In a damning 750-page report submitted to the ACB court, the anti-corruption watchdog has not disclosed the identity of the journalists who are on the payrolls of the liquor syndicate, but exposed the modus operandi of the racket running into several crores. The illegal activities includes the sale of liquor above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), operating the retail shops beyond the stipulated hours, opening of illegal outlets called “belt shops”, loose sales at the vends, sale of non-duty paid liquor and bootlegging. The report was compiled on the basis of statewide raids on 33 premises belonging to liquor syndicate members. It was found that the liquor traders have formed syndicates to make huge profits and were regularly bribing the public servants. A significant amount of money was paid on a recurrent basis to media personnel, the report said. "Systematic entries have been made in the books of accounts mentioning designations of officials and their departments,” the ACB said. The raids were carried out at the offices and residences of liquor traders, excise officials and others suspected to be part of the liquor mafia which has come to virtually control the entire retail trade in the state. The officials seized several records and other incriminating material during the raids. There are 6,596 licensed liquor shops in Andhra Pradesh which earns annual average revenue of Rs 20,000 crore from liquor sales. In June 2010, the auction of liquor shops in 23 districts fetched Rs 7,000 crore to the government. The officials estimate that the bribes amounting to Rs 6 crore per month per area were being paid by the liquor shop owners to avoid raids and harassment from officials and to ward off negative media publicity. The ACB’s drive, which started on December 13 last year, has so far covered about 300 licensed shops across 15 districts. Another shocking fact unearthed by the agency was that some prohibition and excise officials are involved in the trade by way of giving loans to retailers at high interest rates. When the ACB sleuths launched the drive against the liquor mafia on December 13 by arresting some excise officials and recovering huge cash, the issue triggered a political storm in the state following revelations that the members of a liquor syndicate in the coastal Andhra region had links with state Congress president B Satyanarayana. Since the PCC chief has been nursing a strained relationship with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the issue acquired political overtones. Rubbishing the charges, the PCC chief, however, admitted that several of his relatives were in the liquor business in Vizianagarm and Visakhapatnam districts, but were not involved in any kind of illegal trade. Seizing the opportunity to nail the government, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alleged that several Congress leaders, including some ministers, were involved with the liquor syndicates. The TDP has also demanded of the government to disclose the identities of politicians and other bigwigs whose names allegedly figure in the documents seized by the ACB officials during the raids. booze factor
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Ex-CM, Bose blamed for CPM’s electoral debacle
Kolkata, January 29 Bhattacharjee was squarely blamed for misusing the police and power and was held responsible for the party’s debacle in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Bose was criticised for his failure to properly guide the party, which resulted in disunity and factionalism among the cadres. Among others, leaders like Nirupam Sen, Suryakanto Mishra and Gautam Dev were accused of serving vested interests and ignoring duties and responsibilities entrusted to them by the state committee. Talking to mediapersons at the Alimuddin party office, Bose admitted they had failed in many aspects during their 34-year rule that started in 1977. He asked the party leaders and workers not to get caught up in the blame game. “We should rectify our past mistakes and strengthen the party by getting closer to the people,” Bose said. He stressed on the need for getting more people, particularly young and energetic men and women, into the party fold. It was stated while in power, Bhattacharjee was more interested in building his own image, while ignoring the party interest. Some senior leaders alleged that the party which Muzzafur Ahmed (Kakababu) built and Prodome Dasgupta (PDG) and Jyoti Basu nourished had been destroyed by Bhattacharjee and others. “Bhattacharjee has ruined himself and the party,”
a senior secretariat member alleged. The Singur-Nandigram issue, the state’s land reforms policy and the policy for cleaning the party also figured in the discussions at the conference. Some leaders alleged that Bhattacharjee did not consult the leadership before deciding on forcibly acquiring farmland at Singur for Tata’s Nano car project. They felt the catastrophe at Singur and Nandigram could have been avoided if a rational approach had been taken towards land acquisition at
Singur.
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Jantar Mantar
Mukherjee, who was her personal secretary-cum-political aide-cum-driver, had moved to Kolkata shortly after she took over as Chief Minister. He was installed in the Writer’s Building and asked to handle Mamata’s political work and party affairs. However, Mukherjee soon found out that Mamata either ignored the feedback he gave her about the problems in the Trinamool district units or directed him to party MP Mukul Roy, who is clearly the flavour of the season. Mukherjee put in his papers and returned to his home in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park after telling Mamata bluntly that he worked for her and not Roy. Last heard, Mamata was still to accept his resignation and was attempting a patch-up with Mukherjee through some mediators. Time for DMK to get back Central ministries?
Ever since DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi was released on bail, the UPA ally has been keeping a low profile both in Delhi and in its home state Tamil Nadu. However, the upcoming meeting of the DMK’s general council on February 3 has generated considerable interest. The buzz is that the DMK may decide to stake a claim on the two Cabinet berths textiles and telecommunications, which were held by the party before its ministers A Raja and Murasoli Maran were forced to leave under a cloud. Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had urged Karunanidhi to propose new names for these ministries, an unhappy DMK leadership had decided against it. On its part, the Congress decided to play safe and did not name full-time ministers for these portfolios. Kapil Sibal holds the charge of both HRD and the Telecom Ministries while Anand Sharma handles Commerce and Textiles. It will be interesting to see if the DMK will insist on getting back the Telecommunications Ministry and whether the Congress will agree to it since the UPA government continues to be haunted by the 2G scam which was uncovered in this ministry. Guv’s post jinxed?
Hectic lobbying generally goes on in Delhi’s corridors of power as contenders vie with each other to grab gubernatorial postings. Of late, however, the usual enthusiasm appears to be on the wane. This could be put down to the superstition which has arisen after several Raj Bhawan occupants passed away in harness in the past few years. Devendra Nath Dwivedi died shortly after he was named Gujarat Governor while Rajasthan lost two Governors in succession - SK Singh and Prabha Rau. Last week, Kerala Governor MOH Farook passed away after a prolonged illness. Little wonder then that the Centre is yet to name a new Governor for Rajasthan although the post has been vacant for close to two years. Apparently, there are few takers for the Jaipur Raj Bhawan. Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil has been holding additional charge of Rajasthan since 2010.
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12 yrs on, fighter deal ready to be sealed New Delhi, January 29 Sources pointed out that it could just be a matter of days before the winner is announced. “It could be in the next 10 days,” said an official indicating that the process which began in 2000 is being finalised. According to the Defence Procurement Procedure, the lowest bidder will be chosen to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). However, a complex set of calculations is being done to arrive at the lowest bidder. This is to factor in the cost of the life cycle of the plane, maintenance, spares and minute details like operational cost. Two European fighters - Eurofighter Typhoon and Dasault Rafale - are in the race. The Eurofighter is owned by four partner nations Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom while the Dasault Rafale is a French company. The announcement will signify an important shift in India’s long-term strategy. The winner of the deal will develop fighter aircraft manufacturing capabilities in India. Presently, some Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI are assembled here while light combat aircraft Tejas is manufactured in India. Once the MMRCA deal is through, 18 aircraft will be delivered in fly-away condition while the rest will be made at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The size of the contract could eventually go up to 200 aircraft as there is a provision to increase the order by 50 per cent without any price hike. In April 2011, the IAF, after testing the original six international bidders on 643 parameters across varied flying conditions like the summer heat of the deserts and extreme cold of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, down selected four of them. Among those who lost out in the first round were F-18-A of Boeing, F-16 produced by Lockheed Martin, MiG 35 made by Russia's United Aircraft Corporation and Gripen manufactured by Sweden's SAAB. Earlier this month, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told reporters that he was hopeful that in another two-weeks time, one of the two bidders would be chosen. New Delhi had floated the tender for 126 MMRCAs at an estimated cost of $10.4 billion in August 2007. The IAF had first suggested the need for newer planes in 2000 after the MiG 21s started crashing on a regular basis. India ordered a new lot of Sukhoi-30 MKI, has upgraded the MiG 29 and now, signed a deal for the upgrade of the French-built Mirage. biggest single defence purchase
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Local innovation repairs T-90’s night blindness
Chandigarh, January 29 A major problem with the T-90’s imported night sight was that its visual video display (VVD) unit was not ruggedised and, hence, defect prone. This resulted in the tank becoming night-blind. This was particularly the case in the hot and dusty environs of the desert. LCD display units of the requisite size available off-the-shelf commercially have been used to replace the VVDs. According to available information, the TFT screens are available for just about Rs 3,500 as compared to a staggering Rs 25 lakh for the imported units. The biggest challenge for Army engineers undertaking the project, according to armoured corps officers, was integrating the LCD screens with the sight’s sensors and electrical systems as well as physical dimensions. The T-90 tanks are the Army’s latest acquisition and have been inducted into frontline formations. In today’s battlefield, the ability to fight at night is crucial and most of the earlier generation tanks with the Army, including the T-72, lacked this capability. The Army had bought 310 T-90 tanks, some of which were assembled locally at the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi. This was followed by two more contracts in 2006 and 2007 for assembly and licenced manufacture of 330 and 347 upgraded versions of the tank, respectively. The Army has planned to equip 21 regiments with the T-90. While the T-90 tanks have been in service for about a decade, there have been some reports of malfunctioning or non-availability of certain electronic equipment, including those required for night or adverse weather operations. The non-availability of ammunition for its 125 mm main gun was also an issue some time ago.
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CVC for anti-graft lessons in schools
New Delhi, January 29 "We have recommended the inclusion of lessons on ethics in school curriculum as has been done in several developing countries so that we inculcate values in society and reduce tolerance to corruption," a CVC official said. He said the CVC is also planning to write to school administration in this regard. The Commission has discussed the matter with officials of Ministry of Human Resources Development and reached an in-principle agreement in this regard. It will be implemented in the CBSE-affiliated school in a phased manner soon. It also plans to form integrity clubs in schools to discuss various aspects of corruption in society and the country. "The Commission is concerned over corruption and its impact on the society. The inclusion of anti-corruption lessons will bolster our fight," the official said. The CVC is responsible for checking corruption in central government departments and public sector units including banks. Besides, it investigates and recommend punishment in graft cases involving government officials. "We strongly feel the need of having anti-corruption lessons in school curriculum. After examining the results of pilot projects in CBSE schools, we will ask other boards to do so," the official said.
— PTI
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Witnesses support allegation against Setalvad: Gujarat to SC
New Delhi, January 29 Government said this in an affidavit and annexed the statements of seven witnesses who recorded their statements between July 22 and 25 last year before a senior police officer as per the direction of a court in Ahmedabad. The affidavit filed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad City, said, “I have gone through the same (witnesses’ statements) and I say that all of them have supported the contents of the complaint.” The Gujarat Government annexed the affidavits of the witnesses placed before the apex court in 2003 to buttress allegation against Setalvad as in the latest statements the witnesses have stated that some averments and facts mentioned in their earlier affidavits were those that they had objected to. The witnesses said their previous affidavits were “prepared” at the office of Setalvad’s former close aide, Rais Khan Pathan, who is also accused of fabricating evidence in the Naroda Gam case in which 11 persons were killed. According to the copies of the fresh statements annexed with the latest affidavit, some of them alleged that to their “knowledge Setalvad was sending these affidavits to Khan after preparing the same”.
— PTI
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IAF, BSF are best marching contingents on Republic Day
New Delhi, January 29 Three panels of judges were appointed for assessing the performance of various categories. The IAF has been chosen as the best marching contingent among the three armed forces. Flight Lieutenant Sneha Shekhawat created history as the first women to lead an IAF contingent. BSF has been adjudged the best contingent among all para-military forces. Of the 23 tableaux of states and various Union Ministries, tableau of Ministry of Human Resources Development has been adjudged the best, followed by presentations by Goa and Karnataka. Among cultural presentations, the best presentation award goes to Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Hastal, New Delhi, followed by the presentation by the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Allahabad. Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram, has been given consolation prize, while Central Public Works Department has been selected for special prize.
— TNS
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Women commission offers to take care of battered baby
New Delhi, January 29 DCW chairperson Barkha Singh said the commission would like to offer all sorts of help to the toddler including her bringing up and education. "We have discussed the whole issue with the Chief Minister. We have conveyed to her that DCW would like to take full care of the baby," she said. The baby, whose head was smashed and body has bite marks all over, was brought to AIIMS by a teenaged girl who claimed to be her mother but later turned out that she was not her relative. Singh said the baby could be kept at children home 'Nirmal Chhaya' or in 'Palna'.
— PTI
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Endangered crocodiles up by 7
Berhampur (Odisha), Jan 29 The population of mugger, which was counted in the 5-sq km water bodies at 41 in 2010, has gone up to 48. The two-day enumeration of the crocodile ended yesterday, in which at least 25 forest officials were engaged in the exercise held after two years. While the enumerators sighted 41 adult (above 4-ft long) muggers inside the reservoir area, seven were sighted outside the reservoir, said divisional forest officer, Berhampur, AK Jena. With a major chunk of the mugger living in the reservoir, Ghodahada can be considered as another potential habitat for the mugger, the wildlife experts said. Similipal, Satakosia, Ramtirth and Baisipalli in the states have been identified as the habitat of the muggers. The wildlife lovers however were excited when they found a number of muggers housed in Ghodahada. The reservoir is meant for the purpose of irrigation.
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Ahmedabad, January 29
THANKS to her whimsical ways, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerji is gradually losing both goodwill and friends.
Disillusionment is also setting in among members of her coterie who are feeling increasingly uneasy about Mamata’s style of functioning. So much so that Ratan Mukherjee, who has been Mamata’s virtual ‘shadow’ for as long as anyone can remember, has abandoned her.