Who’ll dine with President Obama?

The guest list for dinners hosted by prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday and the State banquet by President Pratibha Patil the next day, in honour of the Obamas, is still being finalised.

Since Singh’s dinner for US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will be a private affair at his 7 Race Course Road residence, the list is unlikely to cross 100. Apart from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and key Cabinet members, the national security adviser and the deputy chairman of the planning commission, Singh will invite top political and social personalities, academicians and celebrities.

Sources said drawing up of a list was cumbersome. “It keeps growing until the last day,” a senior official confided. But it has been confirmed that Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah will be among the select few attending the private dinner. Lyricist Javed Akhtar and his wife Shabana Azmi will also be present, as per her tweet.

A decision to invite film celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan has yet to be taken. The state banquet will have 200-plus guests, though efforts are being made to accommodate more from the Indian side.