Netas vacationing to beat poll stress

While you believe your votes are being put to good use, the newly elected netas are busy vacationing in exotic locales to fight 'post-campaigning stress'. Amit Kumar tells you who's chilling out whereu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

What do you think is the government's top agenda: the Women's Bill, swine flu or Indo-Pak peace? None of the above. It's summer holidaying. If you thought you deserved a pat on the back for casting your vote, take a cue from how the freshly empowered ones are rewarding themselves less than a month after the General Elections.

Jet-setting

Both young and senior ministers from the newly-appointed Cabinet are having the time of their lives amid far-off sands and seas, in times when the average Indian is busy fighting the slump and swine flu. No shores spared, no skies untouched not progress-wise, but holiday-wise, of course.

While Arun Yadav, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, is on a visit to China, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, is on a long trip to the UK and will be back only on June 30, a day before the Budget session of Parliament begins.

Scindia is not alone on his escapade. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasad, has accompanied him. Another European enthusiast is Anand Sharma, who has been promoted to the post of Union Minister of Commerce and Industry. He will be back on June 23. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal will return from his weeklong Malaysian tour today.

Stress-busters

What's with all the mass getaways? Sanjeev Singh, spokesperson of Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress, explains. "If they live in Delhi or their respective constituencies, they'd hardly get any time to relax after the gruelling campaigning sessions. They'd be surrounded by hundreds of people and problems; and everyone needs their time off."

Lately, it has become a trend among politicians to take-off to foreign lands to holiday. This time around, heir apparent Rahul Gandhi set the trend by flying off for a vacation. Son of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender, followed suit. Both of them have now returned, but man of steel Navin Jindal has set out in their place.

Cricket on the go

It wasn't just the end of the election fracas that led to the 'united movement', but also the IPL and T20 World Cup. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, son of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, took off to South Africa to have some fun.

No Opposition here

Even MPs of the Opposition aren't behind. Arun Jaitley is enjoying a Roman holiday.
But their extravagant vacations will last only till the Budget session of Parliament. What if the country's hung on a shoestring!

Where've the netas gone?
Arun Yadav, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises China
Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry Britain
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Britain
Jitin Prasad, Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas Britain
Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development Malaysia
Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Bahrain
Arun Jaitley Europe