Front row trivia

On Wednesday, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien (pictured), the quizmaster among Members of Parliament, quizzed his colleagues and journalists who cover Parliament. “Who were you to find seated in one of the front rows of the Rajya Sabha if the name on the seat said A Anil Chandra?” he asked. It was a trick question since the complete name on the seat is a bit different, but most failed the test. The answer: Amit Anil Chandra Shah, the full name of the Bharatiya Janata Party chief. This is Shah’s debut Parliament session, after he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in August. Currently, of the 20 front row seats in the Rajya Sabha there isn’t a single woman member after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati quit the House in July.