By: Express News Service Updated: June 24, 2025 04:50 IST 2 min readAkhilesh YadavAs Samajwadi Party (SP) senior leaders, including MPs and MLAs, reached the party headquarters in Lucknow for a meeting with party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday, there was a special attraction waiting for them — a live performance by stand-up comedian and actor Rajeev Nigam. Nigam entertained the leaders for nearly an hour before Akhilesh chaired the meeting to discuss contemporary political issues and preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh polls.Speaker’s SmileDuring a conference on the functioning of the Estimates Committee of Parliament and assemblies in Maharashtra Assembly in Mumbai on Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s quintessential smile came up in a rather quaint reference. In her address to the gathering, Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe said she had always admired Birla’s smile and how it made even the agitating members sit quietly in Lok Sabha. “People make sense of the smile and take their seats. I have been trying to emulate this but our members go on speaking. It shows the respect you command,” Gorhe said.Calls For A CauseAfter learning through social media that Poorvanchali singer and Bhojpuri actor Bijli Rani is hospitalised in Lucknow for a kidney ailment and her family was facing financial constraints, Bihar Legislative Council member and BJP national media co-incharge Sanjay Mayukh swung into action to get help. Mayukh made calls to the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Samrat Choudhary and Brajesh Pathak, respectively, who also have charge of the Health portfolio in their states. He was assured of all possible help to the veteran singer-actor, it is learnt.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Delhi Confidential