Get me that seat

The owner of a multi-edition newspaper group headquartered in South India is so desperate to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha that he has hired a well-known PR-cum-lobbying firm to help him swing the nomination (four seats are filled by nomination every two years). After the recent retirement of the Delhi-based owner-editor of an English daily who was nominated by the Vajpayee Government, a number of newspaper editors and owners are in the race for Rajya Sabha membership.

But the southern editor-owner is so keen that he has been meeting Congress leaders to plead his case, while hiring the high-profile PR firm just in case it can also help.