Delhi Confidential: Rahul Gandhi off to Vietnam on short break; Cabinet reshuffle buzz grows after Murugan’s exit

Welcome to Delhi Confidential, your inside track to the power corridors of the capital. Today: From Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi heading to Vietnam during a festive pause in protests to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav witnessing firsthand the impact of climate change in Pacific island nations.

1. 01

   Pause & Break

   With the protest programme of the INDIA bloc put on pause due to the festive week, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is said to have left the country on a short break. Rahul, who took part in the Goy Rakhon Yatra of the party in Assembly election-bound Goa on Sunday, is learnt to have left for Vietnam. According to party leaders, he will be away for four days. Rahul had led the INDIA bloc’s street protests in Delhi in the last two weeks, energising the opposition camp and enthusing the Congress rank and file, and was detained by the police a couple of times.

2. 02

   Pacific Parleys

   A recent visit of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and ministry officials to Fiji and Tuvalu, small island nations in the Pacific, was sobering for the delegation, it is learnt. Both low-lying nations, especially Tuvalu, are facing the threat of rising sea levels, and Yadav-led team got to witness the impact of climate change firsthand. The visit was in relation to meetings in the run-up to the annual UN climate conference. The delegation was also treated to the warm hospitality of the islanders.

3. 03

   Crucial Week

   With L Murugan’s resignation triggering another bout of speculation over a Union Cabinet reshuffle, corridors of power are abuzz with the possible dates. BJP leaders insist that the first week of November is going to be crucial for the party and the government. As the Congress-led INDIA bloc is gearing up for a major rally on November 1, BJP leaders say the top leadership is working hard to give the final touches to the plan for mustering the requisite numbers for the passage of the Delimitation Bill. They said the week could also be a window for the long-pending Cabinet reshuffle. Both or either of these could take the wind out of the Opposition’s sails, too, they say.

4. 04

   Navratri Feast

   Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has earned the sobriquet of ‘Mama’, hosts a ‘kanyabhoj’ at his Bhopal residence during Navratri every year. This year, however, the occasion also became an opportunity for him to explain the tradition to the kids. When a girl asked him why ‘kanyabhoj’ was organised, Chouhan narrated stories from Hindu scriptures, to explain its significance.