evidence: P. Chidambaram It's a cold winter session for Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Neither a fervent plea by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nor a hectic bout of backroom diplomacy by UPA's chief strategist Pranab Mukherjee could deter the NDA decision to boycott the home minister in Parliament.A day before the session began on November 22, Mukherjee invited BJP President Nitin Gadkari for lunch at his home. On the menu was Chinese food and rosogullas. This was the first time the two were meeting for a one-on-one. Mukherjee says he had invited Gadkari to discuss the Goods and Services Tax Bill. But the talk soon veered to other key legislations such as the Pension Reforms Bill, the Lokpal Bill and the Land Acquisition Act.Gadkari responded by saying that while he welcomed such a dialogue between the Government and the Opposition, the attitude of the former had not been very positive. He cited the vindictive targeting of BJP MPs involved in the cash-for-votes scam as an example. Gadkari said he enjoyed both the rosogullas and the diplomatic gesture. "A good beginning has been made.