The grapevine in Delhi is slowly returning to normal. Immediately after the hijack crisis, the rumour mills were working overtime, speculating on the differences between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister Lal Kishen Advani. No one has any doubt that both differed on how the crisis should have been handled. But it is the possible fallout of the matter that is now exciting talk in both official circles and social gatherings. If experienced officials and others are to be believed, heads will roll. Within the next couple of months, in fact, "there will be some bombshells," says one highly reliable official. Among the men who could fall from grace is a very powerful face of the PMO, other reliable sources affirm. But it is not just old friend Advani who is troubling Vajpayee these days. According to sources close to the PM, he has also been suffering from ill-health of late. The last time The Asian Age went to town quoting political maverick Subramaniam Swamy on Vajpayee's health, all hell broke lose. The daily almost had to retract its report. At that time, not many reporters had any inkling about Vajpayee's health. Today, almost every journalist covering the PMO is talking about Vajpayee's health. Even RSS functionaries and BJP leaders are debating the issue. But no one seems interested in reporting about it. Advani and his own health are only two of the problems confronting Vajpayee. As the CBI continues with its investigations into the misdeeds of master conman Ashok Aggarwal, former deputy director of Enforcement Directorate, allegations are flying thick and fast. And sources in the agency say that there is tremendous political pressure to close the case and let Aggarwal off without forcing him to spill the beans. It is already known that Aggarwal's partner in crime, the rich and flamboyant Abhishek Verma, has named Sonia Gandhi's private secretary, Vincent George, among those who received their favour. What is not so well-known, but is discussed in the power corridors, is the fact that Aggarwal was very close to the relative of a key member of the present cabinet. And that there is definite confirmation from a senior honest CBI official that some persons close to a key member of the cabinet are among those who are putting pressure on the agency! Will this case ever reach its fair and judicial end when both the ruling and opposition groups are putting barriers in its path? The fate of hawala scandal, in which politicians from almost every party were involved, is well-known. Justice M Shamim of the Delhi high court, who ruled that a diary is not admissible evidence, is now all set to take over as the National Minorities Commission chairman. If Advani, his health and Ashok Aggarwal are set to haunt Vajpayee, can the RSS be far behind? It seems not, when the Sangh parivar recently rallied around the PM, extending him unconditional support and claiming that the hijack crisis was well-handled politically. But the stinger came when they added that it also exposed Hindu cowardice. And, as reliable RSS insiders indicate, the Sangh has certain ideas about Vajpayee. According to their plans, the BJP would have created a favourable police and administrative set up in several states by November. A snap poll is possible then. After which, the Sangh will explore the possibility of hoisting its favourite in the PM's chair since they are not happy with either Vajpayee or his two main troubleshooters, Jaswant Singh and Brajesh Mishra. While on the PM, here is the latest from one of the most reliable political astrologers of the country. Raman, a Karnataka-based astrologer who has established a lot of credibility for himself by predicting the BJP's ascent to power among other things, has predicted some rather uncomfortable times ahead for the Vajpayee-led government. A publication recently quoted him saying that the government may fall by June. He has added that, healthwise, it is not going to be not a good time for Vajpayee. He has also predicted a change of leadership in the BJP among other things. Though this diary sounds like a series of doomsday predictions for the Vajpayee government, we'd like to end it with a positive observation from a seasoned bureaucrat. He says there are four departments which are actually doing some work: the human resources development ministry, the culture ministry and the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat state governments. When he says this, though, he is talking in context of the implementation of the Hindutva agenda. After Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the Sangh wants the Hindutva agenda to be implemented at the Centre with more vigour. The only impediment is a man called Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Josy Joseph always has an ear to the ground
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