Jolly good show

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah put Vijay Chauthaiwale, a US-trained molecular biologist, in charge of the party's foreign policy cell and Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) on Monday. OFBJP is the party's outreach to the Indian diaspora. Chauthaiwale quit his job as vice-president (discovery research) at Ahmedabad's Torrent Pharmaceuticals to take over the Overseas Friends. He replaced former Delhi MLA Vijay Jolly, whose recent record as prabhari (or in-charge) of OFBJP was seen to have been more an effort to build his image among Delhi's diplomatic circles than either the party or Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. But Jolly, better known for his act of vandalism in 2013 outside the home of a Tehelka journalist, indicated that he wasn't about to give up his turf that easily. He shot off emails to journalists on how as "chairman, UN Day Celebrations" of Lions Club he would be honouring 30 diplomats at an event. BJP sources said the always convivial Jolly should forget about his chances of a return to BJP's scheme of things if he continues with his antics.