Debating the outcome of the PM's trips abroad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return from his tour of China, South Korea and Mongolia on May 20. His return will see an avid discussion on the outcome of his trips and will be analysed at length in several foreign capitals. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already set the ball rolling by voicing the hope that the issue of stapled visas for residents of Jammu and Kashmir (a sign that China continues to view the region as disputed) will be resolved during the talks between Modi and Xi Jinping.

New appointments on the cards?

Narendra Modi's return will be eagerly awaited for another reason: Several new bureaucrats are to be appointed. A new cabinet secretary is traditionally named a month before the incumbent. The current one, Ajit Seth, retires on June 30. His successor should be named any time after Wednesday. Interviews for the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India have been held and vigilance checks are on. That, too, could be announced any time after the PM's return.

Jaya back this week?

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa is expected to return as Chief Minister after she was exonerated by the Karnataka High Court in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. She has called for a meeting of her MLAs on Friday. Following the meeting, there could be a change in leadership in Tamil Nadu - and maybe even some indication if fresh elections will be held, as the CM needs to become a member of the Assembly within six months.This week will bring clarity to investors and the bureaucracy in Tamil Nadu, alike which is waiting to find who the CM is finally going to be. A reshuffle in the party and government is likely if Jayalalithaa resumes charge. Some of those who targeted her friend and advisor Sasikala (who has also been acquitted) could find themselves out in the cold.

Kerala on BJP's radar

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah will travel to Kerala on Tuesday to address party workers who are laying siege to the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. The party held a meeting of its office-bearers in Thrissur on May 13 and drew up a blueprint strategy for the coming local bodies elections.

Affairs of the BJP in Kerala have been delegated to Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy. In a highly polarised electorate here, the BJP has never really managed to make significant electoral inroads. Now, with a divided Left Front and incumbency weighing heavy on the ruling Congress government, the BJP feels it could leverage Narendra Modi's popularity and fortify itself. A beginning could be the local body elections, due in September.