Third Eye: BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil's foot in the mouth moment, poll confusion in Assam & India's next envoy to US

Ahmednagar's BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil had a foot in the mouth moment when he challenged his rival Nilesh Lanke of NCP (Sharad Pawar) to speak as well as him in English and Hindi within a month. Patil declared that if Lanke could do that, he would withdraw his candidature in Lanke's favour. Lanke responded to Patil by posting a message on social media in English: "Hard work beats money and muscle." Needless to say, the BJP MP is being slammed from all quarters for being snobbish.

Parties in Political Families of Assam
Confusion over alliances in family seems to be the watchword in Assam. Former Assam PCC chief, the late Anjan Dutta was aCongressman and his daughter Angkita Dutta was a former youth Congress leader. But Angkita has now joined BJP. Former Congress leader Akon Bora’s son, Manas Bora, who was till the other day campaigning for Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat was suddenly seen seeking votes for BJP. The same dilemma is faced by Congress leader and former deputy Speaker Bhima Nanda Tanti, who is busy garnering support for Congress, while his son is campaigning for BJP.

Next Envoy to United States?
Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra is headed to the US to hold discussions with various stakeholders on a range of issues amid recent challenges over the Kejriwal arrest issue and the Pannun probe case. Interestingly, he will also engage with Indian consul generals in the US, which is not a normal practice for any visiting foreign secretary. Grapevine has it that Kwatra may be appointed India’s next envoy to the US later this year