OLD GUARD UNITED

After stepping out of the extended Congress working committee meeting for a photo shoot at Gujarat's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum on April 8, two veteran ex-chief ministers, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bhupendra Hooda of Haryana, were spotted sharing a rare moment of bonhomie.

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As the cameras zoomed in, Gehlot casually raised his elbow, rested it on Hooda's shoulder, and gleefully whispered something. Hooda modestly acquiesced with silence. At a time when there is speculation on whether the Congress is easing out the old guard to infuse young blood, tongues are wagging on whether this was the soft launch of the post-retirement reunion tour.

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

Having already put Madhya Pradesh on the wheat map, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is now branching out-literally. The man once known for bumper grain yields in his state is now betting on fruits that don't quite scream rural India: avocado and dragon fruit. Of course these exotic, and Instagram-able, imports come at a price. In a move that's equal parts agricultural policy and lifestyle statement, Chouhan has planted both fruits at his farmhouse. The message? If you can't beat imports, grow them. And coming from a leader who's actively engaging with protesting farmers, his fruity pitch might just find fertile ground. But he's not stopping at farming. Chouhan is now headed east to Bihar, ready to help the NDA sow the seeds of electoral victory. From crop cycles to campaign trails, he seems to have a green thumb for everything.

THE BJP'S DYNAST ALLY