Re: All Politics is Local: Sid Harth
bademiyansubhanallah
Govt plans quick response teams across Guj
STAFF WRITER 16:52 HRS IST
Ahmedabad, Sep 18 (PTI)In a new strategy to combat terrorism, the
Narendra Modi government is planning to deploy 111 Quick Response
Teams (QRTs) comprising trained commandos armed to the teeth across
Gujarat and they will even move in armoured carriers.
The QRTs with state-of-the-art weapons, sub-machine guns and hi-tech
equipment would be stationed near sensitive areas and will be
available on call 24x7.
"We are planning to set up nearly 111 QRTs which will be deployed at
all districts of the state and will be working in three shifts,"
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, Sudhir
Sinha told PTI.
"Each team will consist of six highly trained commandos who will be
equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and modern equipments," he said
According to police officials, each fighter operator will have a semi-
automatic pistol as a personal side arm.
...and I am Sid Harth
bademiyansubhanallah
Congress gave supari to divide Marathi votes: Uddhav
STAFF WRITER 14:17 HRS IST
Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Shiv Sena has launched a veiled attack on Raj
Thackeray suggesting his MNS party was working at the behest of
Congress to divide Marathi votes in the next month's assembly
election.
"Some people had taken contract on behalf of Congress to divide
Marathi people. Newly-formed parties for cause of Marathi and some
former Sena people are helping Congress to divide Marathi people,"
Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said in an interview to the
party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
Without naming MNS, which ate into Shiv Sena's Marathi votebank in
Mumbai in the Lok Sabha elections, Uddhav said "they have taken
'supari' (contract) from Congress for breaking Maharashtrian
solidarity and people are now talking about it openly."
"You will see the situation of these people later. Use and throw
policy (of Congress) is known to all.
bademiyansubhanallah
History of JK to be incorporated in school syllabus
STAFF WRITER 13:24 HRS IST
Srinagar, Sep 18 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to
incorporate history of the state in the school curriculum.
"Jammu and Kashmir history will be incorporated in the syllabus of
schools in a time-bound manner," School Education Minister Peerzada
Mohammad Sayed said while chairing a meeting of Education Board
officials to take stock of delivery mechanism as well as conduct of
examinations in the state here today.
The officials apprised the Minister about workshops being organised to
make people aware about the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
Peerzada directed the Board authorities to incorporate the state's
history in the syllabus at the earliest.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/288641_High-alert--in-Jammu--entry-exit--points-sealed
High alert in Jammu, entry-exit points sealed
STAFF WRITER 12:17 HRS IST
Jammu, Sept 18 (PTI) Apprehending that some militants might have
sneaked into the Indian side during the cross-border firing in Nikowal
Pargwal area last night, Jammu and Kashmir police has sounded a high
alert in the district.
All entry and exit points have been sealed, vehicles are being checked
and people frisked. Security in the city and adjoining routes have
been intensified to check for any suspected person, police said.
A major check point has been set up on Jammu-Akhnoor road to check all
passengers coming via buses, trucks and other two and three wheelers,
they said.
Additional security has been also deployed at Jammu bus stand, Railway
station and other vital points.
The security has also been tightened in view of the Navratras, the
nine days festivity of Goddess Durga, starting tomorrow.
bademiyansubhanallah
Hizb divisional commander's wife among 4 arrested
STAFF WRITER 11:52 HRS IST
Jammu, Sep 18 (PTI) A self-style Hizbul Mujahideen divisional
commander's wife and her body guard were among four militant
supporters arrested in Udhampur and Doda districts of Jammu and
Kashmir, police officials said here.
Shameema Begum, wife of the HM commander Javed Qureshi alias Ghulam
Nabi, and her body guard Shameem Ahmed were arrested by the police
when the duo were on their way to Marmat area of Doda district from
Udhampur's Sudhmahadev area last night, they said.
Shameema was allegedly involved in extorting money, channelling hawala
money, sim cards and mobile sets to militants operating in
Sudhmahadev, Marmat and Kishtwar belts, they said.
Police also arrested two militant supporters Dawood Khan and Nazir
Ahmed from Sungli area of Bhaderwah tehsil in Doda district early
today and recovered sim cards and cash from them.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/288604_Fresh-firing-by-Pak-forces-from-across-J-K-border
Fresh firing by Pak forces from across J&K border
STAFF WRITER 11:55 HRS IST
Pargwal border (Jammu), Sep 18 (PTI) Indian forward posts came under
fresh fire from across the border here Friday morning leading the
Border Security Force (BSF) to retaliate, the second such incident in
less than ten hours
Thursday night, two BSF jawans were injured in firing from Pakistani
side when they were trying to foil an infiltration bid from across the
border
During the checking of border fencing around 0630 hours IST Friday
morning, there was firing from Illyas post from Pakistani side on
Nikowal forward belt along International Border (IB) and BSF troops
retaliated resulting in exchanges for some time, Inspector General,
BSF frontier Jammu, A K Sarolia told PTI
Sarolia, who is supervising search, combing and sanitisation operation
along the IB in Pargwal forward area in Akhnoor tehsil of the
district, said there was no casualty in the exchanges Friday morning
Referring to reports of infiltration of four militants during the
heavy exchange of fire Thursday night, the IG said, "There was no
cutting in the fencing.
bademiyansubhanallah
Most Pakistanis for democracy: survey
STAFF WRITER 18:41 HRS IST
Islamabad, Sep 18 (PTI) Even after living under dictatorial regime for
decades, most Pakistanis still want their country to be democratically
ruled, a survey has suggested.
A study sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union suggested that
about 62 per cent of Pakistanis felt it?s "very important" to live in
a democratic country.
Some 26 per cent of those polled said it?s "somewhat important" while
seven per cent felt it was "not very important", according to the
study ?World Public Opinion on Political Tolerance?.
The study released on Tuesday to mark the International Democracy Day,
33 per cent of Pakistanis felt that there was an opportunity of free
expression in Pakistan while 35 per cent said it was "somewhat free".
Approximately 50 per cent felt that the opposition parties get a fair
chance to express their views and try to influence government policies
"Most of the time", the Dawn newspaper reported.
The WorldPublicOpinion.
bademiyansubhanallah
25 killed, 65 injured in Pak suicide attack
STAFF WRITER 16:11 HRS IST
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Sep 18 (PTI) At least 25 people were killed and 65 others
injured today when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden
vehicle in a crowded market in northwest Pakistan.
? ? The bomber targeted the Kachcha-Pucca market of Kohat district in
North West Frontier Province at a time when a large number of people
had gathered to board coaches to travel to their hometowns for the Eid-
ul-Fitr holidays.
? ? ?District police chief Dilawar Bangash said the suicide attacker
drove his jeep into the crowd and detonated the explosives.
At least 25 people were killed and 65 others injured in the blast,
officials were quoted as saying by the media.
? ? ?No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
? ? ?Police cordoned off the site of the blast and started a search
for accomplices of the suicide attacker.
chhotemianinshallah
BJP increases its tally in MP assembly
By: PTI Date: 2009-09-14 Place: Bhopal
The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Monday increased its tally in the
230-member state assembly to 144, after its nominee Bhaiyya Ram Patel
won the Tendukheda assembly constituency in Narsinghpur district by a
margin of over 13,000 votes.
BJP's victory assumes significance as the Congress candidate, Rao Uday
Pratap Singh had won from Tendukheda by a margin of around 21,000
votes in the November 2008 assembly elections.
The party which improved its number in the House by one, has now not
only covered the loss of 21,000 votes but also gathered 13,000 more
votes on it own.
The Congress managed to retain the Gohad assembly seat in the Bhind
district with its nominee, Ranveer Jatav winning by a margin of over
22,000 votes.
Ranveer's father, Makhanlal Jatav was killed during campaigning for
the Lok Sabha elections in Bhind this year and his death necessitated
the by-election in Gohad.
While Bhaiyya Ram (BJP) defeated Vishwanath Singh Patel (Congress) in
Tendukheda, Ranveer Jatav (Congress) emerged victorious over Master
Sobran Jatav (BJP) in Gohad. By-polls in both the seats were held on
September 10.
chhotemianinshallah
NDA jolted in Bihar; Cong loses in Delhi Assembly bypolls
Published on September 18, 2009 by admin
News4u-News Desk-adil/sunil/Manjeet-In a jolt to NDA in Bihar, JD-U
and BJP have won six assembly seats while opposition RJD, LJP and
Congress bagged ten seats in the by-elections in 18 constituencies.
The two other seats went to BSP and an independent.
JD-U, which heads the ruling coalition in the state, retained Munger,
Triveniganj, Dhuraiya and Bagha, while its ally BJP pocketed Begusarai
and Chainpur.
RJD emerged victorious in Kalyanpur, Bochaha, Fulwari, Ramgarh and
Aurai and ally LJP won from Bodh Gaya, Warisnagar and Araria. Congress
wrested Simri Bakhtiarpur and Chenari seats from JD(U), which yielded
Nautan seat to BSP.
An independent was declared elected from Ghosi seat.
Expressing happiness over the poll outcome, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said
“We are not finished. We finish others. The result is a warning bell
for (chief minister) Nitish Kumar”.
Delhi: Cong loses out Dwarka, Okhla seats to BJP, RJD
Dwarka and Okhla Assembly seats in Delhi, both traditional seats of
Congress, were won by BJP and Rashtriya Janata Dal respectively on
Thursday.
BJP’s Praduman Rajput won the Dwarka seat by 11,362 votes defeating
his nearest rival Tilotama Chaudhary of Congress. Praduman polled
35,888 votes while Tilotama polled 24,526 votes.
The election to the Dwarka seat was necessitated after former MLA
Mahabal Misra was elected to the Lok Sabha from West Delhi. Thirteen
candidates were in the fray for the election.
In the Okhla Assembly constituency RJD’s Asif Mohammed Khan won the
seat by a margin of 5,007 votes, defeating his nearest rival BSP’s
Brahm Singh. Khan polled 23,394 votes while Brahm Singh polled 18,387
votes.
Eleven candidates were in the fray for the Okhla seat, bypoll for
which was necessitated after MLA Parvez Hashmi was elected to the
Rajya Sabha.
With Thursday’s results BJP’s numbers in Delhi Assembly have gone up
to 24, RJD has won one seat, besides 41 of Congress, two of BSP and
one each of LJP and INLD.
Polling for the Dwarka and Okhla Assembly constituencies was held on
September 10 and 15 respectively.
chhotemianinshallah
Raj ready to support Cong-NCP or Sena-BJP after polls
STAFF WRITER 21:44 HRS IST
Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj
Thackeray today said he would support a winning party or alliance
after Maharashtra assembly polls be it Congress-NCP or Shiv Sena-BJP.
"MNS would support either alliance on my terms and conditions but
would not participate in the government," Raj told reporters here.
Asked if he would be supporting Congress-NCP or Shiv Sena-BJP
alliance, he said "all parties are the same... it may be either
Congress-NCP or Sena-BJP."
Raj rubbished cousin Uddhav Thackeray's insinuations that MNS is
dividing Marathi votes. "These allegations are ridiculous. The Sena
lost in 2004 when the MNS did not exist.
How can one say that my party divided votes?" he said.
chhotemianinshallah
Sena-BJP alliance to be announced tomorrow
STAFF WRITER 21:16 HRS IST
Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance for the October 13
Maharashtra Assembly polls is likely to be announced here tomorrow.
Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, state BJP president Nitin
Gadkari and BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde would jointly
announce the alliance, Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe told PTI.
Gadkari and Munde met Sena supremo Bal Thackeray at his residence
Matoshtree in suburban Bandra today, apparently to discuss the
deadlock over Guhagar seat in coastal Konkan.
"The Sena chief blessed Munde and Gadkari and the alliance is likely
to be formally announced tomorrow," Gorhe said.
The Sena wants the seat currently held by Vinay Natu of BJP. Over 140
BJP functionaries in Konkan have offered to quit the party, opposing
any move to hand over the Guhagar seat to Sena.
Sid Harth
Poll setbacks, tax may make BJP go slow on forming municipal corp
The ruling party’s vote share has been declining in Lok Sabha polls;
Gandhinagar District Panchayat is controlled by Congress
By Dilip Patel
Posted On Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 02:58:16 AM
Setback in the last two Lok Sabha elections has made the Bharatiya
Janata Party government edgy on quickly forming a municipal
corporation in the state capital Gandhinagar.
Gujarat High Court’s Thursday ruling has made it obligatory on the
state government to set up a civic body within six months and
officials say a decision will be taken at an appropriate time, but
sources say the ruling party is not confident of its showing in the
civic polls if the corporation is formed soon.
“We have spoken to our advocate. We will take a decision after
receiving a copy of the High Court judgment,” Deputy Secretary NG
Hareja said.
Sources in the department, however, said that the state government
wanted to go slow on the issue as it wants to buy some time before
holding an election.
BJP uncertain of win if civic polls are held soon
“If the government wants, a notification could be brought out within a
week as it need not go to the Assembly or the governor for the same.
All that notification requires is a signature of the chief minister.
But the ruling party is not certain of its show if civic polls are
held soon,” the official said.
Bharatiya Janata Party has suffered a setback in parliamentary
elections as its candidate LK Advani’s vote share in Gandhinagar has
been falling over the last two polls. Besides, Gandhinagar District
Panchayat is controlled by the Congress.
Another issue that is making the government so slow the fact that it
will end paying a huge amount as property tax to the civic body when
constituted. The capital is spread over 56.73 square km and nearly
half the property belongs to the state government.
Govt officials will have to pay huge taxes
Also, the capital city houses a large number of government officials
and they too will have to pay more taxes. The population of the city
is 195,985 residents, according to Census 2001.
State Deputy Election Commissioner VH Shah said that the commissioner
would wait for the government’s decision. “Once it is clear that
election is to be held, we will go ahead with forming wards. The
process is likely to take three to four months,” he said.
Gujarat High Court on Thursday had asked the state government to form
a municipal corporation in Gandhinagar within six months in accordance
with the constitutional requirement of Article 243Q.
The order came following a public interest litigation by a member of
non-government organisation Gandhinagar Saher Jagrut Nagrik Parishad
in November 2007.
The court had virtually admonished the state government for its
reluctance to form a municipal corporation and said that it could not
shirk its constitutional obligation.
The civic affairs of the capital city looked after by Gandhinagar
Notified Authority since the 1970s.
Sid Harth
Merge now, CM challenges NCP
In an exclusive interview with Mumbai Mirror, Chief Minister Ashok
Chavan questions separate identity of coalition partner, says Sonia
foreign origin issue, that spurred birth of NCP, no longer exists
By Ravikiran Deshmukh
Posted On Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 06:31:48 PM
Chavan feels administration of the state will be easier if the Home
Department is handled by the CM
There were murmurs in political circles that it was time for the
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to join forces with the Congress. On
Friday, during an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Chief
Minister Ashok Chavan put all speculation to rest and challenged his
coalition partner to a merger.
“Since the very issue that prompted the NCP’s birth - the foreign
origin of Congress president Sonia Gandhi - no longer exists, I feel
they should join us,” said Chavan at his official residence ‘Varsha’.
“I would welcome them into the Congress.”
This may come as a shock for NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, with the fate
of his party’s alliance with the Congress hanging in balance over the
seat-sharing deadlock ahead of the October 13 Assembly elections.
Chavan has one more argument for a merger that might unnerve the NCP -
that administration will be easier if the Home department is handled
by the CM. “There is a disconnect over the Home department not being
handled by the CM,” Chavan said. “I am not targeting the NCP, but
considering that the present law and order situation is not the same
as before, there are many more issues related to internal security,
Naxalite problems and the police. All these need handling by the CM.”
Chavan conceded that Home minister Jayant Patil is doing well, but
pointed out that the CM has become more answerable for issues handled
by the department.
Chavan joins the league of AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and
Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who have earlier questioned the
separate identity of Pawar’s party. “I endorse Digvijay Singh’s view
that the NCP should merge with the Congress,” said Chavan. However, to
soothe his coalition partner, he added that the NCP could face
internal problems on the merger issue.
Here are excerpts from the interview with Chavan, who has been heading
the Democratic Front government since December, 2008 after his
predecessor Deshmukh was asked to step down in the backdrop of 26/11.
Your decision to postpone three ambitious projects - Mantralaya
makeover, finalisation of toll collection tenders for five entry
points to Mumbai and redevelopment of Bandra Government Colony - has
upset NCP, particularly Dy CM Chhagan Bhujbal.
I wanted to remove doubts about reported high-handedness in the
process. The projects were to be carried out through privatisation,
and I didn’t want the public to get a wrong impression about the
process of awarding work to private developers, with elections round
the corner. Even Bhujbal was in favour of my decision. Now, the
projects will be scrutinised by the newly elected government and it
will bring more clarity on the issue.
How do you take Union Energy Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s rather
unexpected appointment as chief of the state campaign committee for
the Assembly polls?
Shinde, a senior leader, can be of great help to the party. He, along
with Vilasrao Deshmukh, will be useful hands for the elections.
What would you put forth as ‘achievements’ in your nine-month tenure
before the electorate?
The Rs 6,000 crore loan waiver for farmers who were not part of the
UPA government’s Rs 71,000 crore package. Another achievement is the
loan waiver package for weaker sections of society who have taken
loans from various state-run corporations. Also, our government
announced the construction of 10 lakh housing units for the poor.
Mumbai infrastructure projects, worth Rs 50,000 crore, too are under
way.
In the last few years, power shortage has become the most worrying
factor for the state. What has the DF government done on this front?
The issue has been top-priority for us, and we have successfully
reduced load-shedding by 1500 MW. The Indian Electricity Exchange
Authority decision to allow a week’s forward trading in the power
sector will reduce current power rates by at least 5 per cent.
You are among the younger generation of Congress leaders - if given a
second chance, what would be your top priority for the state after the
elections?
I want to do something for the younger generation. They should make
their parents proud with their achievements. They should become self-
reliant. For that, we want to offer them better education and
healthcare. I would also give priority to eradication of poverty by
trying to increase the per capita income of citizens. People from the
state should reap the benefits of development that is going on at high
speed now.
Ex-MLA Anil Gote has made a sensational allegation against you - he
has filed an affidavit stating that you were paid Rs 10 lakh to clear
a file pertaining to stamp-paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi.
I don’t know why he has made such allegations on the eve of the
Assembly elections. The issue is not new, but he only chose to accuse
me when the investigation was complete and the charge sheet filed.
There must be some political motive.
Sid Harth
Bypolls: Message for Modi
Unless his dynamic development model delivers at the grass roots, the
chief minister will not be able to reap rewards of his development
initiatives in Assembly poll of 2012
By Pravin Sheth
Posted On Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 03:14:16 AM
The political development that eclipsed Narendra Modi since the Lok
Sabha poll- 2009 is cleared by the results of the assembly by-election
in Gujarat. Modi was conspicuous by his low profile during the entire
bypoll process. By-elections were held amid controversy around Ishrat
Jahan “encounter” and set-back he received when the High Court lifted
the ban on Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah.
BJP workers celebrating party’s bypoll victory in Gujarat
Nothing stuck on him. “People support Modi when he is under siege, as
he fights for the interests of Gujarat,” an insider told me.
BJP captured Congress stronghold of Jasdan and Chotila, while
conceding Kodinar. But Kodinar was already sliding towards Congress
which won this coastal seat in the Lok Sabha Poll. Has BJP started to
regain the lost traditional region of Saurashtra?
The region has strong presence of Leuva Patels and OBCs like Kolis/
Thakors which seemed to have switched loyalty from BJP to Congress
early this year. OBCs and tribals have helped BJP win in Sami, Danta
and Dehgam with decent margins. As in Junagadh civic poll, significant
presence of Muslims, besides Patels, in Dhoraji helped Congress to
retain that seat. If Modi wanted to placate the estranged Leuva Patels
by his surprise ban on Singh’s book for reference to Sardar Patel’s
role in the partition of India, his calculation seems to have
partially worked. Congress suffered because of “Junagadhesue” euphoria
and the choice of imported candidates (Sami, Jasdan) while Modi de-
learned that after the Lok Sabha experience!
More significant are the points like Modi-people reconnect, respite
from being forced on the backfoot at national level and a demoralising
Gujarat BJP regaining its will to fight back. Still more important
question is how Gujarat CM interprets and draws proper lessons from
the party’s lacklustre performance in the Lok Sabha elections, and
draws up future strategy.
For example, this time, Modi put emphasis on local factors and
depended on second rung campaigners to convince people of his
development work instead of playing like a big ship that carries small
boats with it in the rough seas as in the polls in 2002 and 2007.
Cynics questioned if he was playing down his high profile, “an
indication of his sagging confidence to prevent further loss of face”.
Again, how much will the emphasis on hi-tech development projects and
high profile Vibrant Gujarat impress the farmers and the rural
marginalised folks who feel a sense of relative deprivation thanks to
SEZ-driven prosperity of corporates? Unless his dynamic development
model delivers at the grass roots, Modi will not be able to reap
rewards of his development initiatives in Assembly poll of 2012.
He will have to rework for a judicious blending of dominant
development model and inclusive development that empowers the
marginalised mass of voters.
Two points should worry us at this stage. Modi has glided quite far
from his original “Hindutva” position, even estranging Sangh Parivar
by his bold policies. He is in the welcome process of transformation
in terms of increasing focus on development and generating a new wave
of confidence in the state and India about Gujarat with his policies
and projects like DMIC and child welfare. But recent setbacks pushed
him to emphasise on traditional issues and caste factors instead of
larger inclusive “Hinduness” (not “Hindutva”) and “Gujaratipanu” in
terms of cultural ethos and pluralism. So also, Congress has played
the politics of caste, “vote-bank secularism” and local factors
instead of larger development issues.
If macro-level development and inclusive policy issues are relegated
to micro/caste/constituency level play, then Gujarat will slide back
to narrow, parochial patterns of politics. While SEZ-type development
may be de-emphasised, corpo-realtors’ dominance must be reigned in.
The common man has to be kept in studied focus and political leaders
of all hues need to push the state forward to politics of “roti-kapda-
makan” (1980s) that evolved into “bijli-sadak-pani” (1990s) to now,
decent education and health care for all through infrastructure
development under Public-private-partnership framework.
For such a great “project of development-Gujarat 2015”, Modi needs to
get co-operation of performing sections of NGOs, a-cynical/well-
meaning elements of its civil society and visionaries of a “knowledge
society”.
One of the city’s most eminent political analysts, Pravin Sheth
dissects the twists and turns of policy in Gujarat
bademiyansubhanallah
BSP, SP join hands for upcoming assembly electionsIndia's Samajwadi
Party entered into an electoral alliance with a breakaway faction of
Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday. SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told
reporters in New Delhi that his party and BSP would jointly face the
October polls in Haryana.Meanwhile, Yadav also accused the Uttar
Pradesh government of wasting public money on constructing monuments
of the state's ruling BSP leaders.
ANI September 18, 2009
bademiyansubhanallah
Shiv Sena-BJP finalise seat-sharing deal for Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, September 19, 2009
First Published: 11:57 IST(19/9/2009)
Last Updated: 11:58 IST(19/9/2009)
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday arrived
at a seat-sharing understanding for the Oct 13 elections to the
Maharashtra assembly, it was announced in Mumbai.
As per the agreed formula, Shiv Sena will contest 169 of the 288
assembly seats and BJP the other 119, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde
told reporters.
In the 2004 elections, the Sena had contested 171 and the BJP 117. The
alliance had jointly bagged 119 seats, compared to the Congress-
Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) tally of 139.
The BJP has reluctantly parted with the Guhagar seat in Ratnagiri
district of the coastal Konkan region to the Sena, which has announced
that Leader of Opposition Ramdas Kadam would be contesting the seat.
The seat had become a bone of contention between the two alliance
partners, reportedly prompting intervention by Sena chief Bal
Thackeray. However, Munde claimed that there was no dispute over the
seat nor was it bargained against the Ghatkopar seat in northeast
Mumbai.
He added that contrary to speculation, the nomination of Poonam
Mahajan, widow of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, has not been
finalised from Ghatkopar so far.
Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who was present at the
press conference, said that his father Bal Thackeray would not
campaign for the saffron combine during the elections.
"However, his blessings are with us and after our victory, he will
join a victory rally," Udhav said.
Replying to a query, state BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said the Sena-BJP
alliance would raise major issues like shortage of power in the state,
the farmer suicides, growing state debts and inflation that has hit
the common man severely.
"The parties would have a common election manifesto and carry out the
campaign jointly," Gadkari said.
The BJP's first list of candidates would be announced in New Delhi
later on Saturday, he added.
The Sena-BJP seat-sharing understanding comes a week after the Third
Front announced its plan to contest 200 seats.
Though the Congress-NCP have agreed in principle to fight the
elections jointly, their seat-sharing formula has not yet been
finalised.
bademiyansubhanallah
SAD to dump BJP, likely to forge alliance with INLD in Haryana
Punjab Newsline Network
Saturday, 19 September 2009
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) is expected to contest from few
seats in the Haryana assembly election in alliance with INLD led by Om
Parkash Chautala.
SAD which is alliance aprtner of BJP in Punjab and at national level
would dump the BJP in Haryana to support the INLD. While SAD may
contest on Sikh dominated seats on its symbol, it may support INLD on
rest of the seats. In fact SAD was in dilemma over support to any one
of INLD and BJP.
The sources said that senior party leaders are putting pressure on SAD
president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to
forge alliance with INLD and contest the election.The State Assembly
poll in Haryana is scheduled for October 13. A delegation of Haryana
unit of SAD comprising of senior leaders called on him to press their
demand.
The leaders met Badal on Friday and sought his go-ahead on the issue.
They voiced their concerns over Haryana Congress’ stand on the issue a
separate body for Sikhs by constituting a Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara
Prabandhak Committee and claimed that if SAD formed an alliance with
INLD for the upcoming polls they could deal a significant blow to
Congress in terms of votes and maybe even seats.
Representation of Sikhs in the 90-member Haryana Assembly was also an
issue on the minds of Haryana SAD leaders who told Badal in clear
terms that with only one Sikh in the Assembly, they could not expect
to be a major influence in the State in such a scenario in terms of
political representation.
It is learnt that although Badal expressed interest in the idea of
contesting elections in Haryana as it would help the party gain a
foothold in the State, sources add that he may not be open to the idea
of siding with INLD as his own party in Punjab is allied with BJP. BJP
recently broke off their electoral arrangements with INLD citing INLD
supremo Om Parkash Chautala’s dictatorial style of functioning as the
main reason behind the break-up.
SAD had also contested four seats in assembly election in Delhi on its
symbol and had supported BJP candidates on some of seats. No SAD
candidate could win but the party had go good response.
chhotemianinshallah
Top BJP leaders, Bollywood stars to campaign in Haryana
STAFF WRITER 19:35 HRS IST
Chandigarh, Sep 20 (PTI) Top BJP leaders and tinsel town stalwarts
will canvass for the party in Haryana ahead of the next month's
assembly polls.
BJP state spokesperson Jagdish Chopra said here today that party's
national leaders, including L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley
and Sushma Swaraj, will campaign for the party. Polls to 90-member
state assembly will be held on October 13.
Bollywood stars and leaders of the party like Hema Malini, Vinod
Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Smriti Irani and cricketer-turned-politician
Navjot Sidhu will also actively participate in the campaigning
process, he said.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/292178_Organisational-polls-in-AP-BJP-after-membership-drive
Organisational polls in AP BJP after membership drive
STAFF WRITER 19:0 HRS IST
Hyderabad, Sep 20 (PTI) Organisational elections will be conducted in
the Andhra Pradesh BJP after the completion of its membership drive
and the unit will elect by November-end a new chief, its president
Bandaru Dattatreya said here today.
After completion of membership drive on September 25, the party would
conduct organisational elections in the state unit and state party
chief would be elected by November-end, Dattatreya told reporters.
He said village, mandal and municipal committees would be constituted
by the end of October and party's district presidents would be elected
from November 1 to 15, he said.
To complete the party elections in the state, Raghunath Babu has been
appointed state election officer, Dattatreya said.
He also claimed that the membership drive launched by the state unit
has received tremendous response and over five lakh people have
enrolled as members.
chhotemianinshallah
Bhajan Lal never met Advani: HJC
STAFF WRITER 20:41 HRS IST
Chandigarh, Sep 20 (PTI) The Haryana Janhit Congress today dismissed
reports that it was cosying up to the BJP ahead of the upcoming
Haryana assembly poll and said it would contest the election on its
own.
There was no possibility of the HJC forging an alliance with any other
party, a party spokesman said releasing a list of 32 candidates for
the October 13 election.
He described as "totally false" the reports that HJC chief patron and
former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal had met BJP leader L K Advani in New
Delhi to forge an alliance for the assembly election.
Releasing the second list of 32 party nominees for the assembly poll,
the spokesman said HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi would contest from
Adampur seat in Hisar district.
He ruled out the possibility of the party giving ticket to former
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister and legislator Chander Mohan.
chhotemianinshallah
SP hints at continuing support to UPA govt
STAFF WRITER 19:23 HRS IST
New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Samajwadi Party, which earlier termed Congress
as a "silent enemy", today indicated that it will continue to support
the ruling party.
"I had never said that we will withdraw support from Congress. I said
we will analyse our relationship with the party," SP general secretary
Amar Singh told reporters here after his return from Singapore.
During the national conference of the Samajwadi Party last month,
Singh said Congress is a "silent enemy".
He also accused it of adopting a "use and throw" policy with allies.
Singh, however criticised Congress for the inclusion of BJP leader L K
Advani's close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni into a Railway ministry
committee, saying "the person, who was incharge of Advani's Operation
Prime Minister and who was held guilty by the Parliamentary Committee
which probed cash for vote scandal, has reached the Union ministry".
chhotemianinshallah
Thane BJP upset over sharing pact
Nitin Yeshwantrao, TNN 20 September 2009, 05:08am IST
THANE: The BJP has been bulldozed in Thane, left with a measly share
of seven assembly seats, while 17 seats of the total 24 assembly
constituencies in the district have been wrested by the Shiv Sena.
The "uneven arrangement'' has triggered resentment in the Thane BJP
rank and file, which is upset with the Sena and also its state-level
leadership for "succumbing to pressure tactics''.
The common sentiment is that the party leadership, including Gopinath
Munde, Nitin Gadkari and Vinod Tawde, have let them down as Thane is
the second RSS bastion suffering humiliation from the Sena, which has
also taken the Guhagar seat from the BJP.
In the 1999 and the 2004 assembly polls, when the total assembly seats
in Thane was only 13, the BJP had contested from five constituencies
with the remaining eight going to the Sena. Post-delimitation, Thane
district has turned into a goldmine of opportunities for political
parties as the number of assembly constituencies swelled to 24, a rise
by 11 seats.
"However, we have been given just seven seats, which is only two seats
more than that in '99 and '04. On the other hand, the Sena
representation in the district has more than doubled, having got a
total of 17 seats to contest. "The BJP members are unhappy as not a
single seat has been given in Thane and Bhiwandi municipal corporation
areas. Thane city has been our traditional stronghold and we have a
committed cadre there but still, we have been denied our share,'' a
senior BJP leader complained.
chhotemianinshallah
Sena MLA supporters protest outside Joshi's house
PTI 20 September 2009, 05:33pm IST
MUMBAI: Supporters of a Shiv Sena MLA on Sunday protested outside the
house of senior party leader Manohar Joshi at Shivaji Park here,
police said.
Supporters of Sada Sarvankar shouted slogans in front of the house of
the former Lok Sabha Speaker over speculation that Shiv Sena was
planning to field Milind Vaidya from Dadar instead of Sarvankar,
sources close to the MLA said.
Vaidya, a former Mayor of Mumbai, is a close associate of Joshi.
Police have dispersed the nearly 100 Shiv Sainiks who had come in
three buses and were camping outside Joshi's house in Dadar.
chhotemianinshallah
SP, JD(S), LJP, Left come together to contest Maharashtra assembly
polls
PTI 20 September 2009, 03:13pm IST
NEW DELHI: Forced to lie low after the Lok Sabha elections, parties
like Samajwadi Party, JD(S), Lok Janshakti Party and the Left have
come together
in Maharashtra to contest the assembly elections there.
Having formed the Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF) in the
state, these parties claim the alliance is only for the Assembly
elections in Maharashtra which are scheduled for October 13.
However, insiders say that if the results are favourable for the RLDF
then there are chances that the alliance could spread to other states
too.
The 18 party alliance has seen all the five warring factions of the
RPI, including the ones led by Ramdas Athawale and Rajendra Gavai,
come together, while some other smaller parties in the state like
Peasants and Workers Party and Shetkari Sangathana are also part of
it.
Chief whip of Samajwadi Party Shailendra Kumar told PTI that his
party's understanding with other constituents of the front was only
for the Maharashtra polls.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav had authorised Maharashtra SP head Abu Asim Azmi
to hold meetings with other parties of the alliance. The understanding
is only for Maharashtra polls. The future of the alliance will depend
on the outcome of the polls," Kumar said.
JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda also played safe on the alliance.
chhotemianinshallah
BJP declares first list of 66 candidates
TNN 20 September 2009, 07:00am IST
NAGPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared its first list of 66
candidates on Saturday evening out of which 19 are from Vidarbha. The
second list comprising 53 candidates is expected to be declared in a
day or two. BJP's ally Shiv Sena is also expected to declare its
candidates soon.
On expected lines Poonam, daughter of former BJP stalwart late Pramod
Mahajan, was given the party ticket from Ghatkopar West. Former BJP
finance minister Eknath Khadse will contest from Muktainagar in
Jalgaon district.
In Vidarbha former Congress MLA who had joined BJP in July, Nana
Patole, has been given nomination from Sakoli. Expectedly, former
joint commissioner of police of Nagpur Babasaheb Kangale has got the
ticket from Ralegaon. In a surprise move BJP has given the Umred seat
to Sudhir Parwe instead of Sandip Gavai.
The candidates from Vidarbha include: Devendra Fadnavis (Nagpur South-
West), Krishna Khopde (Nagpur East), Chandrashekhar Bawankule
(Kamptee), Sudhir Parwe (Umred), Nana Patole (Sakoli), Sudhir
Mungantiwar (Ballarpur), Babasaheb Kangale (Ralegaon), Ashok Nete
(Gadchiroli), Atul Deshkar (Bramhapuri), Ramesh Taram (Amgaon),
Rajkumar Badole (Arjuni), Raju Nazardhane (Umarkhed), Dadarao Keche
(Arvi), Govardhan Sharma (Akola West), Arun Adsad (Dhamangaon),
Rajkumar Patel (Melghat), Chainsukh Sancheti (Malkapur), Sanjay Khute
(Jalgaon-Jamod) and Vijay Jadhav (Risod).
chhotemianinshallah
Kalavati enters poll fray
Shishir Arya, TNN 20 September 2009, 07:16am IST
NAGPUR: Kalavati Bandurkar, whom Congress scion Rahul Gandhi mentioned
to explain the need for a nuclear pact with the US last year and who
is now the favourite poster woman for all activists, announced her
plans to contest the forthcoming state elections. "It’s, however, only
symbolic," she told TOI from her village Jalka in Yavatmal district,
which hit the headlines for being the epicentre of farmer suicides.
Widow of farmer Parshuram Bandurkar, who ended his life due to the
agrarian crisis in December 2005, Kalavati shot into fame when Rahul
visited her home and later spoke about her during the no-confidence
motion against the UPA. She again hit the headlines when Bindeshwar
Pathak of Sulabh International announced a massive aid of Rs 33 lakh
for the Bandurkar family. It has, in all probability, made Kalavati
the richest in the village.
Subsequently, international NGO Greenpeace projected her as an
ambassador for alternate energy like solar power and Yuva, another
NGO, took her to Delhi by plane to release a souvenir. Kalavati is
planning to contest from the Wani constituency on a Swatantra Bharat
Party (SBP) ticket. The Sharad Joshi-led SBP which has joined hands
with Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, headed by farmer leader Kishore
Tiwari, will contest from 60 seats for the assembly polls. Kalavati
will contest from Wani in Yavatmal district. "She would be filing her
nomination on September 24," said Tiwari.
He broached the idea with Kalavati who readily agreed. "I don’t expect
to win," Kalavati said. "But it gives me an opportunity to speak on
behalf of several other crisis-ridden farmers and widows. I don’t want
to become an MLA. But after getting all help, I think I must do
something for my fellow farmers," she said, not worried that she would
be contesting in a BJP-Shiv Sena bastion. The sitting MLA is Vishwas
Nandekar of Shiv Sena and the MP is Hansraj Ahir of BJP.
chhotemianinshallah
Subsidies haunt BJP leaders
Manvinder Singh, TNN 20 September 2009, 09:43pm IST
LUDHIANA: The ghost of subsidies given to rural sector by state
government is now haunting BJP leadership as after its recent debacle
in Lok Sabha elections, it seems to have realized that their base in
urban areas is eroding, due to which, leaders are now openly airing
their views against it.
Deputy speaker of Punjab legislative assembly Satpal Gosain, in the
general house meeting of municipal corporation (MC) held on Thursday,
openly trained his guns against state government on the issue of
giving subsidies. “Nothing should be given free, whether it is power
or water. It is not justified to give subsidies to one sector and
ignore the other,” he said in his speech.
Though discontent has been simmering among BJP leaders against this
alleged pick-and-choose policy of state government for long, the worst-
ever performance in Lok Sabha in which BJP trailed in assembly
segments of a majority of the 19 sitting MLAs seems to have given them
a wake-up call. Another thing that has given a severe jolt to BJP
leadership is that the party’s performance in the cities has been the
worst. On expected lines, BJP leaders are now up in arms against the
policy of appeasing rural sector adopted by state government.
Commenting on it, Gurdeep Singh Neetu, leader of the BJP councillors’
group, asserted that pick-and-choose policy to give subsidies is wrong
and must be checked. For bridging the gap between urban and rural
sectors, state government should either give subsidies to both or
should withdraw them from rural sector as well, he added.
Talking on similar lines, senior deputy mayor Praveen Bansal said
subsidies for sectors like power and water should be avoided, adding
that it must be given in sectors like health and education. If the
subsidy for political motives is given to one sector and its burden is
felt by another, it is not justifiable, he added.
‘No freebies’
deputy speaker of Punjab legislative assembly Satpal Gosain, in the
general house meeting of municipal corporation (MC) held on Thursday,
openly trained his guns against state government on the issue of
giving subsidies. “Nothing should be given free, whether it is power
or water. It is not justified to give subsidies to one sector and
ignore the others,” he said in his speech.
Sid Harth
Patna, September 21, 2009
Paswan welcomes Congress alliance
Shoumojit Banerjee
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan said on Sunday that
the JD(U)-BJP alliance would not have gained even a single seat had
the Congress contested the by-elections to the 18 Assembly seats along
with the RJD-LJP combine.
Of the five seats where it fielded its candidates, the LJP won three
while the RJD-LJP combine bagged nine seats.
“Earlier, the JD(U)-BJP held 13 seats while the RJD-LJP held five,”
said Mr. Paswan.
“The facts speak for themselves. Arithmetic shows that not a single
seat could have been gained by the NDA government had the three
parties fought jointly,” he said while specially mentioning the Bagha
seat, where the Congress came second with 43,000 votes.
“It just goes to show that the people of Bihar have lost faith in
Nitish Kumar’s government,” he said.
“We would like them [the Congress] to join us in Jharkhand. We have no
problems either if the JMM [Jharkhand Mukti Morcha] wishes that the
Congress will join us in our endeavour to form a secular government,”
Mr. Paswan said .
“We have had no quibbles with the Congress in the past, and we have
always held out our hand to them even before the by-polls.”
However, Mr. Paswan said that as of now, no talks were held with the
Congress.
He stressed that foodgrains had not been distributed under the red and
yellow cards to villagers who were especially hard-pressed owing to
the drought-like conditions in the State.
Mr. Paswan further said Mr. Kumar’s ‘arrogance’ cost the ruling party
several seats and his [Nitish’s] vote division policies between the
Paswan and Ravidas communities did not do him any good either. He hit
out at the fact that the “Nitish Kumar government was awarding a
paltry three decimals of land to Below Poverty Line families, whereas
according to the norms stipulated, at least nine decimals should be
awarded.”
He said that for the “Assembly elections, the party would only
concentrate on those areas where it had the potential to win. To
underestimate the LJP would mean committing a grave error.”
Sid Harth
Patna, September 21, 2009
I will never abandon Sonia, says Lalu
PTI
The Hindu Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad. File photo: S.
Subramanium
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, who met Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, said on Sunday that the two parties had
strong bonds and that like-minded secular forces should come together
to keep the National Democratic Alliance at bay.
“I have a strong bond with Sonia Gandhiji... come what may I will
never abandon her,” he said, whose meeting with Ms. Gandhi in New
Delhi fuelled speculation that it was related to Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee’s reported plan to seek a CBI inquiry into the alleged
job scam in that Ministry during his tenure.
The RJD leader said a secular alliance in Bihar and Jharkhand was the
need of the hour to keep the communal forces out. “I discussed the
matter [with her] and we are waiting for a positive response,” he
said.
The meeting came close on the heels of a recent visit by members of an
AICC committee to Jharkhand to assess the ground situation there and
find out with whom the party could align. In the Lok Sabha polls in
Jharkhand, the Congress had entered into an alliance with the JMM,
dumping the RJD.
Sid Harth
Now, BJP toes MNS, Sena Marathi line
Express News Service
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 0120 hrs IST
Pune The Bharatiya Janata Party, following in the footsteps of its
ally Shiv Sena and their rival Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has
decided to whip up the issue of mandatory use of Marathi language in
government and private sectors. The party feels this will keep Marathi
alive and open up employment opportunities for Maharashtrians.
In its vision document, the BJP categorically mentions that the
dependence of Maratha people on Marathi language has seen a drastic
reduction and if concerted efforts are not made to reverse the trend,
at government as well as private levels, then it will be difficult for
the language to retain the importance.
“There is a desperate need for taking steps for maintaining the
position of Marathi language which is getting lost in the current
scenario,” BJP state chief Nitin Gadkari said after the release of the
document.
Expressing the need for some revolutionary steps to propel Marathi
language forward, the document calls for uploading of Marathi
literature on the internet to make its presence felt in the cyber
world.
The state government should launch specialised courses that can enable
use of Marathi language in the computer world and help local
vernacular papers to launch their websites, states the document.
Popular television programmes should be telecast on Marathi channels
to re-establish the “broken connection cord” with Marathi. It further
says that a Cabinet minister’s post for Marathi language and culture,
as created by some southern states, should be started in Maharashtra,
too.
Recommending the use of Marathi in public places, the document says
measures should be adopted for conducting court proceedings in Marathi
language.
It also suggests making mandatory the use of the Marathi in shops and
restaurants and public transport systems.
Announcements at airports, for instance, should be in Marathi and
distribution of Marathi newspapers on airlines and trains should be
mandatory, the document says.
Another suggestion is that people coming from other states of the
nation should be told to complete courses on functional Marathi before
they apply for driving licence.
The BJP has plans to maintain the folk art and culture of the state by
making a place available for them at important places in cities such
as malls and theatres on the lines of “Delhi Haat.”
There is dire need for the government to take a policy decision that
would promote the spread and use of Marathi language, it said.
The Shiv Sena has been for years harping on the theme of prominence to
“Marathi manoos and language” throughout the state.
After Raj Thackeray formed the MNS, his party has been in the
forefront of espousing the cause of “Marathi manoos.”
chhotemianinshallah
Sena-BJP aims to repeat LS poll success in Cong's lost citadel
Prafulla Marpakwar, TNN 21 September 2009, 03:07am IST
MUMBAI: For over four decades, North Maharashtra, comprising Nashik,
Nandurbar, Dhule, Ahmednagar and Jalgaon-the last being where
President
Pratibha Patil hails from-was considered a Congress citadel. But after
the 1995 assembly polls and subsequent Lok Sabha elections, it was
seen that the Congress's control had waned in the region and the
saffron combine had risen in a big way.
In the 2009 LS polls, in which the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the
saffron combine experienced debacles, the crisis-ridden BJP won five
seats, while the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP won a seat each in the
region. The NCP's lone seat was won in Nashik by the powerful NCP
leader and deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, while veteran
Congress MP Manikrao Gavit retained the Nandurbar seat owing to his
personal relations with the electorate. A seven-term MP, Gavit has
never lost an LS poll since entering the fray.
Now the question is: will the Sena-BJP repeat its LS poll performance
in the region? High-profile BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who was elected
from Edlabad, a constituency that Pratibha Patil represented for over
18 years, claimed that anti-incumbency will help the saffron combine
repeat its LS poll performance. "We will give a decisive lead to the
saffron combine in North Maharashtra. We are sure we will improve on
our 2004 assembly poll performance,'' Khadse said. In 2004, the
Congress-NCP won 27 seats, while the Sena-BJP won 20.
Khadse said that, by and large, discontent is brewing against the
Democratic Front (DF) due to its failure to halt the spiralling prices
of essential commodities, load-shedding of 18 to 24 hours aday, an
acute water shortage and a lack of seriousness to tackle drought.
However, Bhujbal, who is seeking re-election from Yeola, said that due
to massive development in North Maharashtra-like the Mumbai-Nashik
highway and the Rs 6,500 crore special package-the DF will improve its
performance in the assembly polls. "No doubt our performance in the LS
polls in the region was bad, but now the electorate will realise its
mistake. We are sure we'll retain power and North Maharashtra will
help us in our goal,'' Bhujbal said.
The communal riots in Dhule district and rebellion in parties should
also dominate the polls.
All districts in the region are politically sensitive. The emergence
of the MNS and the entry of Ramdas Athavale's Dalit front should make
the polls more lively. The region will witness many triangular
contests.
Another highlight is that two senior ministers-Babanrao Pachpute, of
Srigonda in Ahmednagar, and Satish Patil, of Parola in Jalgaon-have
been rendered homeless by delimitation. "They will be given options
and not left in the lurch,'' a senior NCP leader said.
Nashik: The district is considered a stronghold of Raj Thackeray and
most constituenies should witness multi-cornered contests. Besides
Bhujbal, his son Pankaj is likely to contest.
Nandurbar: In tribal Nandurbar, there is no saffron presence. The Sena-
BJP may be unable to open its account this time too.
Jalgaon: The BJP won five seats in Jalgaon in 2004, the Sena four, NCP
three and Congress one. This time, the saffron combine may improve its
performance due to the entry of senior NCP leader Sureshdada Jain into
the Sena and the impressive Sena-BJP performance in the LS polls.
Ahmednagar: In 2004, the NCP won four, Congress four, Sena 3 and BJP 2
seats in Ahmednagar. But between the last assembly polls and the
recent LS polls, political equations have changed completely. Veteran
Dalit leader Ramdas Athavale's unexpected defeat in the LS polls from
the reserved Shirdi constituency will impact the state polls. Athavale
has blamed veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Vikhe Patil for his
defeat. Now, Vikhe Patil's son will be in the fray from Ahmednagar,
while NCP leader Shivaji Kardile has quit the party to join the BJP
and get a nomination.
Dhule: Another tribal district, Dhule has been traditionally with the
Congress. In 2004, the Congress won three of five seats here.
chhotemianinshallah
Marathi language should be used in courts in Maharashtra: BJP
Ani September 20th, 2009 PUNE - Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashtra
State unit President Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said ‘Marathi’ language
should be used in State’s judiciary.
Talking to reporters after releasing their party manifesto in Pune
city, Gadkari said Marathi being a mother tongue here should be used
in the judiciary as well as in Internet services of the State.
“‘Marathi’ language should be used in works being performed in our
courts. Also, we would encourage the language to be used in Internet
and other places. We would encourage if somebody submits a document in
Marathi on the Internet. We want to encourage it because it is our
mother tongue,” said Gadkari.
Talking about the electricity crisis in the State Gadkari, said that
if their party was voted to power, they would solve the problem within
two years.
“In two years, the problem of load shedding would be eradicated and in
three years, there would be surplus in Maharashtra. I can’t say if the
electricity prices would reduce but there will be surplus,” Gadkari
said,
The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has struck a seat sharing formula for the
forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Shiv Sena will contest
169 of the 288 Assembly seats, while the BJP will contest from the
other 119.
In the 2004 elections, Shiv Sena had contested for 171 seats while BJP
had contested for 117 and jointly they had bagged 119 seats in the
legislative house of 289 members. (ANI)
chhotemianinshallah
Seat war: In Bhosari, BJP sounds a threat; in Pimpri, Sena fumes
MANOJ MORE
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 at 0118 hrs IST
Mumbai The Shiv Sena-BJP seat-sharing plan announced on Saturday has
led to protests from BJP leaders in Bhosari — which has gone to the
Shiv Sena— and angered Shiv Sainiks in Pimpri constituency that the
BJP has decided to contest.
Several BJP office-bearers in Bhosari have threatened to resign unless
the party high command reverses the decision to allow the Sena to
contest Bhosari.
Sena leaders in Pimpri, though subdued in their protests apparently
because of strict orders from the party higher-ups not to air
grievances in public, are visibly upset over the seat going to the BJP
because Shiv Sainiks had done a lot of groundwork in the constituency
immediately after the Lok Sabha poll.
Of the three seats in Pimpri-Chinchwad over which there was a lot of
disagreement, Chinchwad and Bhosari constituencies went in favour of
the Sena and the reserved constituency of Pimpri to the BJP. Leaders
of both the parties feel Pimpri seat should have gone to the Sena and
Bhosari to the BJP in the seat share.
“Yes, there is resentment among the party cadres. A few leaders want
to resign in protest against the seat distribution,” said Bhagwan
Mansukh, president of Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of BJP.
Mansukh, however, said this disagreement is but natural, as each party
feels certain seats should have gone to it. “The seat distribution
came after hectic parleys between the two parties. There were several
rounds of discussion before the decision was arrived at. There were
disagreements over Guhagar seat and even some seats in Nashik.
Finally, there was a consensus,” he said.
Mansukh said though Bhosari was a BJP stronghold, the Sena said it had
been contesting the seat for long now and hence wanted it. BJP general
secretary Eknath Pawar, who was one of the claimants for the Bhosari
ticket, said the decision has come as blow.
“So far I have not decided anything about contesting as a rebel. I
will bide my time before taking the final call.”
Some local Sena leader— the party has asked its leaders to clam up or
face action — said that in Pimpri, the Sena has a better presence than
BJP as several of its campaigns have taken off from the suburb.
“Our visibility and work in Pimpri is more than that of the BJP,” a
Sena corporator said. “The BJP has as many as seven corporators in
Bhosari. And there is a wave of sympathy for the BJP in Bhosari
especially since one of its tallest leaders, Anukash Landge, was
killed three years back. Over 300 families belonging to the Landes and
Landges stay in Bhosari,” she said.
Sena Pimpri-Chinchwad president Bhagwan Walhekar said he has heard of
some BJP leaders threatening to resign. “But since the high commands
of both parties have taken the final decision, we will abide by it,”
he said. His view was shared by Mansukh.
Sena state spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said, “The seat distribution was
a joint decision of both parties. In the Shiv Sena, once a decision is
taken by the high command, it is final. Those who protest should think
about their political future with the party. Whatever is being said in
public, in print or TVchannels is being recorded. Everybody is under
the scanner. The party will take appropriate action.”
chhotemianinshallah
Posted: Sun, Sep 20 2009. 11:11 PM IST
Economy and Politics
BJP, Shiv Sena tension could help Congress
The BJP is seeking to rebuild its electoral support and overcome
divisions in the party leadership
Santosh K. Joy
New Delhi: The seat-sharing arrangement that the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) has reached with the Shiv Sena for elections in
Maharashtra is almost the same as last time, but the country’s main
opposition party has been forced to concede more than mere
constituencies.
Joint front: Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray (left) and
BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde in Mumbai on Saturday. PTI
For a start, the BJP has been forced to fall in with the Shiv Sena’s
unilateral declaration of Uddhav Thackeray as the chief ministerial
candidate for the combine in the 13 October elections.
“Ever since the death of Pramod Mahajan, the Shiv Sena has clearly
overtaken the BJP and fresh infighting and groupism (in the state unit
of the BJP) has added to their troubles,” said B. Venkatesh Kumar,
professor of political science at Mumbai university. “The recent
announcement of Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister candidate is
just one among them.”
The BJP will contest 119 of the total 288 seats in the state
legislature, two more than last time. Among the candidates for the 66
seats announced by the party is Poonam Mahajan, daughter of the late
Pramod Mahajan, from Ghatkopar (West). As many as 27 sitting
legislators have been given tickets in the first list.
The elections will be a test for both sides, with price increases and
an erratic monsoon putting the Congress-led coalition, ruling at the
Centre and in the state, under pressure months after a comfortable
victory in the April-May general election that saw the party gain an
edge in the key western state as well.
The BJP is seeking to rebuild its electoral support and overcome
divisions in the leadership that have plagued it since the general
election. That has encouraged the Shiv Sena to dig in its heels on the
choice of the chief ministerial candidate.
The tension between the BJP and the Shiv Sena should improve the
prospects of the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
alliance returning to power for a third consecutive term, analysts
say.
However, the BJP says it is optimistic. “Everything will be sorted
out,” said party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar, the key negotiator
between the alliance partners.
His party colleague Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is in charge of the
Maharashtra assembly elections, said the party had not fully conceded
on the issue. “It’s a set formula. Whoever has the largest number of
seats would have its chief minister. If the Shiv Sena wins, it can
have its leader Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister,” Naqvi said.
The opposition’s prospects haven’t been improved by the presence of
the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a breakaway group of the Shiv
Sena. The votes cast for the MNS helped the Congress and the NCP
overcome the anti-incumbency factor in the Lok Sabha elections. While
the Congress and the NCP won 17 and eight seats, respectively, the BJP
won nine and the Shiv Sena got 11 out of the total 48 parliamentary
tally. In the 2004 assembly elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena got a 32.64 %
vote share, 7% less than the winners, giving it 118 seats and the
ruling coalition 140 seats.
Although the seat-sharing formula remains roughly the same as in the
last elections, the party has been forced to concede some key assembly
constituencies, according to party insiders. The constituencies
include Goregaon, Thane and Guhagar in the Konkan and Khadakvasla in
Pune.
“Conceding seats to an ally is not a big issue—we get another seat in
lieu for it. Our worry is the poaching of our men by the ruling
alliance. It gives an impression among the voters that we are losing
the game, which is not true,” said a senior BJP leader, on condition
of anonymity.
Both the BJP and the Shiv Sena have already lost some of their sitting
legislators. While three Shiv Sena members joined the Congress on 7
September, three BJP legislators joined the NCP last week.
The Congress is yet to come to an understanding with its ally, the
NCP. The Congress has sought to face down any hint of assertiveness by
the NCP by suggesting that the ruling party would be happy to go it
alone if needed. The NCP is unlikely to abandon ship given that party
leader Sharad Pawar has a senior Union cabinet position and a key
portfolio such as agriculture, thanks to being a Congress ally
chhotemianinshallah
Read the writing on the wall
Pankaj Vohra, Hindustan Times
September 20, 2009
First Published: 23:28 IST(20/9/2009)
Last Updated: 23:35 IST(20/9/2009)
The poor show by the Congress in the two recent Delhi Assembly by-
elections should serve as an eye-opener for the party high command.
What is significant about these polls is that they go contrary to the
party’s overwhelming good showing in the Lok Sabha elections held
barely four months ago. They have also reversed the trend of the
December 2008 Assembly polls, which brought Sheila Dikshit to power
for a third consecutive term.
The Congress lead in the Okhla assembly segment during the 2009 Lok
Sabha polls when the Chief Minister’s son, Sandeep Dikshit, contested
was nearly 50,000. Now with both mother and son vigorously campaigning
there for the by-election, the party lost by about 6,500 votes to the
ultimate winner, Asif who was a nominee of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD.
The Congress candidate was third with the BSP bagging the second slot.
Congress dissident Ramvir Singh Bidhuri was surprisingly relegated to
fourth position, 100 votes less than the Congress.
Though some channels wrongly termed it Lalu’s victory, it should have
been more aptly described as Sheila’s defeat. Asif won because of his
individual popularity. Being the RJD candidate was just incidental.
Had the selection procedure been conducted properly, he could have
been the Congress candidate. Okhla was earlier represented by Pervez
Hashmi who was elevated to the Rajya Sabha.
The same story was repeated in Dwarka where the BJP trounced the
Congress by a huge margin. The seat was held by Mahabal Mishra, a
migrant from Bihar who was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha. Like
Pervez, Mahabal was once in the Janata Dal and their entry into the
Congress was never welcomed by the original partymen, even though they
won three or four assembly elections.
There are many ways of looking at the Delhi elections which represent
a trend started by the Congress’s showing in the municipal by-
elections — where the party lost four out of five seats — the DUSU
elections and, finally, the teachers’ elections. Is Sheila losing her
magic? If so, the party should apply its mind to this development
seriously. Second, the huge victory in the parliamentary polls in 2009
should be rightly attributed to both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
The latest results have exposed the true colours of the party’s local
leadership.
Third, the huge rise in power tariff on the eve of the polls, wrong
billing, the poor condition of roads, sewage and water supply also
made Delhi voters reject the Congress.
Fourth, the wrong interpretation of the victory of the 2008 Assembly
polls when there was huge resentment against the Congress but got
overturned because of the 26/11 incident, a few days prior to polling,
is a factor which partymen refused to accept. The trend was anti-
Congress but minorities of all shades turned to the Congress, the
oldest political party, to provide them security in the post-26/11
scenario in 2008.
In addition, the CM has recently blamed migrants from UP and Bihar for
many problems in the city. This may be true but was a politically
incorrect statement. The voters have responded by turning their backs
on Lok Sabha representatives who originally hail from UP and Bihar.
The Congress must see the writing on the wall and re-assess its state
leaderships. In Andhra, trouble continues to brew beneath the surface,
in Maharashtra there is no clear projection of the future leadership.
In Punjab, Amarinder Singh who was to be named as PCC president waits
in the wings even as Rahul Gandhi was told by partymen at Ludhiana
recently that he alone could lead the Congress to victory in 2012. In
Haryana, there are attempts to cut Bhupinder Singh Hooda to size
despite his good showing.
The Delhi polls are a wake-up call. Sheila Dikshit must realise this
and review her methods of governance. Between us.
bademiyansubhanallah
Shiv Sena-BJP rebellion spreads to Pune
UNI
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 AT 1:09 PM
PUNE: The banner of revolt over seat allocation by the BJP and Shiv
Sena for the October 13 Maharashtra Assembly elections has spread to
Pune also and is likely to impact the prospects of the combine at the
hustings.
Former district chief of Shiv Sena Rajabhau Rayakar, upset over the
party's choice for Khadakwasala, has decided to quit the party along
with a large number of followers and go it alone. Mr Raykar told UNI
that he along with 1,000 party workers have decided to quit the party,
adding, ''BJP national general secretary Gopinath Munde has some
vested interest in this seat and if we lose this seat to BJP now, we
will lose it forever.'' Another Shiv Sena leader and former chairman
of standing committee in Pune Municipal Corporation Shyam Deshpande
from Kothrud has shown signs of rebellion as the party nominated
former deputy mayor Chandrakant Mokhate for the seat. Mr Deshpande had
drifted to the Shiv Sena from the BJP.
Sena is contesting 13 seats in the district. The party has fielded
Kalpana Adhalrao Patil, wife of Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil
from Ambegaon constituency. She is likely to face Dilip Walse Patil of
NCP as an opponent. Former deputy mayor Mahadev Babar, the party
candidate from Hadpsar, will face hard times as party worker and
corporator Nana Bhangire, who played an important role in Adhalrao
Patil's recent Lok Sabha victory, is in mood to fight alone against
the party candidate.
chhotemianinshallah
BJP replaces Julana candidate, releases 12 more names
STAFF WRITER 17:33 HRS IST
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) BJP today announced 12 more candidates for the
Haryana assembly elections, replacing its nominee for Julana
constituency.
With the latest list, the party has announced candidates for 87 out of
the 90 seats for the October 13 elections.
BJP replaced Shamsher Singh with Jawahar Saini in the Julana seat but
gave no reasons for the decision.
After the break-up with Om Prakash Chautala's INLD, BJP had tried to
form an alliance with Bhajan Lal's HJC, which failed.
BJP will release its manifesto on Saturday and also bring out a White
Paper on Bhupinder Singh Hooda government's "failures" in the last
five years.
Poor power supply, lack of water, rising prices and unfulfilled
promise of allotting land to Dalits and backward communities are some
of the issues on which BJP will take on the Congress government.
bademiyansubhanallah
Sena-BJP manifesto for jobs, edu quotas for poor
STAFF WRITER 13:42 HRS IST
Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) A separate ministry for welfare of nomadic
tribes, 15 per cent quota in jobs and educational institutions for
economically backward classes and stabilising prices have been
promised in the manifesto of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance for the October 13
Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The manifesto or 'vachan nama' was released by Shiv Sena Executive
President Uddhav Thackeray in the presence of senior BJP leaders
Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari at Shiv Sena Bhavan in central Mumbai
here today.
"The Shiv Sena-BJP if voted to power will provide a people-centric
government and involve people in decision-making," Thackeray told
reporters.
'Shiv Sampark Cell' with state-of-the-art technology will be
established to keep abreast of the people's problems and a separate
ministry will be created to co-ordinate between the government and the
people, he said.
bademiyansubhanallah
Magazine | Oct 05, 2009
Sunil Deshmukh with his supporters
Maharashtra: Polls
Mutineers INC
Flames of rebellion rage across party lines
Smruti Koppikar
As the Congress declared its first list of candidates for the
Maharashtra assembly polls on September 23 at the AICC headquarters in
New Delhi, part of the mise-en-scene was unfolding in faraway
Amravati. Sunil Deshmukh, two-time party MLA and minister in the
outgoing cabinet, hopped on to his vehicle and, followed by thousands
of supporters, wended his way to the local returning office and filed
his nomination as an independent. He takes on Rajendra Raosaheb
Shekhawat, a relative greenhorn and son of President Pratibha Patil.
Deshmukh, a party loyalist, has unwittingly become the face of the
Congress rebellion.
“Injustice has been done to me,” he says, “Why should I step aside for
anyone, even if he’s the son of the president of India?” Shekhawat’s
candidature means one seat less for the party, smirk Congress workers
in Amravati. Pratibha Patil’s husband, Devisinh Shekhawat, had lost
the seat by over 53,000 votes in the 1995 assembly polls. In 1999,
Deshmukh wrested the seat from the Sena with a margin of 10,000-plus
votes and retained it last election by over 33,000 votes. He now sees
no option but to rebel.
Pratibha Patil and son Rajendra
With Deshmukh are over half a dozen MLAs or prominent local Congress
leaders who were overlooked as the party high command chose candidates
with dynastic and financial clout, or even rank outsiders. “We always
had rebels, some of them won as independents, but this time it’s a
large wave,” admitted a top Congress leader. The rebel theme repeats
itself in other parties too—the NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP.
No one could have been more shocked than Shiv Sena chief Bal
Thackeray, as two enraged groups of Sainiks marched to his bungalow
this week, demanding to know why deserving local leaders had been
overlooked. One of these groups then ransacked the Dadar house of
veteran Sena leader Manohar Joshi, to express anguish over the choice
of candidates. The young Sena CEO Uddhav Thackeray spent the better
part of the week trying to stop the rebels from filing nomination as
independents; he wasn’t entirely successful. Rebellion and show of
strength by second- and third-rung leaders is new to the Sena.
“Injustice has been done to me. Why should I step aside for anyone
even if he is the son of the president of India?”
Equally affected by rebellion is the BJP. As state chief Nitin Gadkari
traded the party’s stronger and winnable seats to ally Shiv Sena, and
national general secretary Gopinath Munde secured three nominations
for his family—daughter Pankaja, niece Poonam Mahajan and nephew
Dhananjay—party workers resigned en masse. Over 120 resignations
poured in from across the state, with veteran MLA Vinay Natu heading
the list. Natu’s constituency Guhaghar in Konkan was exchanged with
the Sena for Ghatkopar West in Mumbai for Poonam Mahajan. But Natu
points to a larger phenomenon at work—the BJP conceded to the Sena
many urban and sureshot seats. Meanwhile, former BJP MP Anna Joshi has
quit the party to contest from Pune on an NCP ticket.
The NCP faces rebellion too. In Kolhapur, former minister Digvijay
Khanvilkar will contest as an independent to protest the “giving away”
of his seat to the Congress. Another former minister Dilip Sopal has
filed nomination as an independent in Barshi, Solapur. Balasaheb Patil
from Karad followed suit.
What could be better substantiation of this principle than Raj
Thackeray, political and family rebel, aspiring to support either the
Congress-NCP coalition or the Sena-BJP alliance to form the next
government? Rebellion sure has its rewards. Should Deshmukh trounce
Shekhawat, he is assured of a cabinet berth if his party assumes
power, never mind the “independent” tag
bademiyansubhanallah
Governor should intervene to resolve crisis in AP: BJP
STAFF WRITER 15:38 HRS IST
Hyderabad, Sept 30 (PTI) The BJP in Andhra Pradesh today sought
Governor N D Tiwari's intervention in resolving the political crisis
in the state over the continuance of K Rosaiah as Chief Minister.
"The Governor should convene an assembly session immediately and
direct Rosaiah to prove his majority on the floor of the House as
there is a total chaos on the issue," BJP senior leader and former
union minister Vidyasagar Rao told reporters here.
After the demise of Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash, there is
a political crisis in the state which is now leading to a
constitutional crisis, he said.
The Governor should take initiative to resolve the crisis when the
Congress high command is silent on calling its legislative party
meeting in the state, the BJP leader said.
chhotemianinshallah
People want change from DF govt, says Gadkari
Ramu Bhagwat, TNN 30 September 2009, 06:08am IST
NAGPUR: On Wednesday, when Bharatiya Janata Party's state unit chief
along with party's election in-charge Gopinath Munde pay obeisance to
Tulja
Bhavani, they would surely praying that the anti-incumbency factor
against the Congress-led Democratic Front government, not perceptible
yet, turns the tide of the state vote to the saffron alliance's
favour. After seeking the divine blessings, they will launch a
rigorous campaign aimed at attaining power in the October 13 state
elections.
Gadkari is scheduled to address 119 election meetings in 12 days
across the state using an airplane and a helicopter that will be at
his disposal. "People are totally unhappy with the corrupt,
ineffective and insensitive governance. We are hoping to cash in on
this and our election campaign will be designed to channelize people
growing discontent," Gadkari told TOI on Tuesday. Excerpts of the
interview:
Q: What do you think will go in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance
in the elections?
A: People in the state are disillusioned with the Congress-NCP
dispensation that has been ruling the state for the last ten years.
They want a change. So, actually that has made our task easy. We need
not try very hard as people will vote against the government to elect
the Sena-BJP as a better alternative.
Q: In the recent Lok Sabha elections, neither the BJP nor the Shiv
Sena fared particularly well...
A: The state elections are different from those for Parliament. In the
state polls, issues like power, water, roads, development remain in
sharper focus and individual candidate's performance and behaviour are
under the scanner. So the two elections are not comparable. We have
closed our ranks since and are better prepared now.
Q: Your big brother ally Sena continues to be troubled by Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena...
A: After the Lok Sabha setback, there is growing sense among Marathi
people against splitting of the vote. The Sena will overcome the
hurdle this time and win back its traditional support.
Q: What makes you think that the third front will help the Sena-BJP?
A: Dalits are angry that the Congress and NCP used and threw them all
these years. That was the very reason prominent RPI factions divorced
themselves from the two parties and this led to the formation of the
third front along with the Left and Socialist parties. It is
essentially an anti-Congress-NCP formation. The Sena-BJP will
definitely gain if the Dalits who have sizeable numbers in Vidarbha
and some parts of the state shun from voting for the Congress.
Q: For the first time, there was open rebellion in the BJP from
prospective candidates who failed to get party nomination. Are you
worried by this new trend?
A: Rebels have hit every party. It's relatively new for the BJP and
indeed a worry. Every local leader aspires to be a MLA. But we are
tackling this sensitively. I know, those left out in the ticket race
have targeted their anger against me. But they should know that I
alone don't take the decision on who gets the ticket. There are whole
lot of others involved. It's the electoral merit that counts in the
end and not how long one has served the party. Sacrifice is called for
in the interest of the party.
chhotemianinshallah
Delhi BJP demands convening of special assembly session
STAFF WRITER 18:22 HRS IST
New Delhi, Sept 30 (PTI) Accusing the Delhi Government of failing to
keep its promises, state BJP today demanded convening of a special
assembly session to discuss a plethora of issues faced by the people
in the capital.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly V K Malhotra said the
government has failed on various fronts, including completion of
Commonwealth Games projects, withdrawal of subsidy on water and
electricity and law and order problem.
"These need to be discussed threadbare in the House.
Besides, all the development works in the unauthorised colonies have
been stopped and the residents are forced to live in hell-like
condition by not regularising the colonies and restoring civic
amenities," he said in a statement.
Malhotra has already written a letter to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
as well as Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri to convene the
special session without any further delay.
chhotemianinshallah
Troubles for the BJP far from over in Lucknow (west)
STAFF WRITER 17:1 HRS IST
Lucknow, Sep 30 (PTI) Troubles for the BJP in the Lucknow (west)
assembly constituency, where a by-poll is slated in the near future,
are far from over with a major group in the party continuing its
opposition to the official party nominee Amit Puri.
After raising the banner of revolt against the candidature of Puri,
the faction considered close to party MP Lalji Tandon, who had vacated
the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha, opted out of the
crucial meeting convened by the party yesterday for formulating a poll
strategy in favour of Puri.
Tandon was among those who were absent from the meeting though party
leaders maintained that he was no longer angry with the decision of
fielding Puri.
chhotemianinshallah
Saffron front faces fury of a Thackeray spurned
1 Oct 2009, 0610 hrs IST, C L Manoj, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: AS the ruling Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra bids for
a third consecutive term, the stage is set for a pitched battle
between the
ruling Democratic Front and Shiv Sena-BJP.
Assembly-wise analysis of the last Lok Sabha polls indicate a photo-
finish in the offing this time but political sub-plots by smaller
players, especially Raj Thackeray’s MNS, is likely to tilt the balance
in favour of the Democratic Front (DF).
In the general elections held just four months ago, Congress-NCP put
up its best performance by winning 25 of the 48 seats in the state,
leaving the saffron front with just 20 seats. The biggest gainer was
Congress, which added 3 more to its 2004 tally of 14 at the cost of
NCP-Sena. The Opposition lost its Mumbai-Thane bastion, where the
ruling front romped home impressively. It was a personal humiliation
for the ageing Tiger of Matoshree as the Sena-BJP lost all six seats
of Mumbai.
However, a statistical analysis of the results show that the BJP-Shiv
Sena front did not do so badly in the region. Despite winning 25 Lok
Sabha seats in the state, DF secured a majority only in 133 assembly
segments, 12 seats less than what would be required for an absolute
majority in the assembly. This tally is less that its 2004 assembly
figure. On the other hand, the saffron combine managed to win 122
assembly segments, just 11 short of the Democratic Front tally.
A glance at percentage of votes secured by the rival sides makes the
race even closer.
Congress-NCP polled 38.89% votes against BJP-Sena’s 35.17%. With
little to showcase after a 10-year governance, a less than four
percentage points is quite close for a state like Maharashtra.
However, the saffron fronts hopes of emerging victorious have been
dampened by the MNS factor. In the Mumbai-Thane region, which accounts
for 66 assembly seats, DF virtually swept the Lok Sabha polls thanks
to MNS securing 21% votes against Sena-BJP’s 30%.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks that his
estranged cousin Raj was targeting the saffron front more than
Democratic Front should be seen in this context. It betrayed his
nervousness as he sees a plot in MNS’ spoiler role.
Udhav has reasons to be edgy and angry. It was MNS that single-
handedly routed the saffron combo in its Mumbai-Thane backyard.
Though MNS secured just 4.07% votes state-wide in its debut election
of May, but it secured 21% votes in Mumbai-Thane. In the 11 Lok Sabha
constituencies of Mumbai, Nashik, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane and Pune,
that account for 66 assembly constituencies, a determined Raj showed
his damage potential.
If votes polled by Sena-BJP candidates and MNS candidates are added,
the Congress-NCP trail in five of the six seats it won in Mumbai.
Only Priya Dutt would have still won. Victorious Congress candidates
like Milind Deora, Eknath Gaikwad, Gurudas Kamat, Sanjay Nirupam and
NCP’s Sanjay Patil owe their win to the division of anti-Congress
votes. Similarly, Suresh Kalmadi in Pune, Sameer Bhujpal in Nashik,
Sanjeev Naik in Thane and Suresh Taware in Bhivandi owe their victory
to Raj’s ‘torpedo act’ against his former party.
MNS came first in eight assembly segments in the region, second in 13
and third in 37, routing the Sena-BJP.
If MNS, which also has pockets of influence in Marathwada, retains or
intensifies its punch in the assembly elections, it could dramatically
change the statistical picture of a close race between the two
fronts.
This is why many in the saffron camp has alleged that the Congress,
especially its star campaigner Vilasrao Deshmukh, was providing fuel
to Raj. Congress leaders gleefully call this the `divide and rule’
policy.
Like MNS in Mumbai-Thane-Nasik region, the focus is also on the
spoiler act being hatched by BSP and RPI-led third front even though
the last two hold little significance. In the LS polls, BSP defied
conventional wisdom, of damaging Congress prospects, and ended up
eating into Sena-BJP votes in Vidarbha.
The third front could pose a threat to Congress-NCP in some seats but
would also deny Mayawati a monopoly of anti-Congress Dalit votes in
the state.
As big guns slug it out in Maharashtra, it could be small players who
could be deciding their fate, before and after the polls.
chhotemianinshallah
Raj Thackeray is Jinnah of Maha: Saamna
1 Oct 2009, 1245 hrs IST, Ambarish Mishra, TNN
MUMBAI: In a scathing editorial, Shiv Sena’s organ Saamna accused Raj
Thackeray of dividing Marathi votes to help Congress win assembly
elections.
Saamna described the MNS chief as Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Maharashtra.
‘‘Jinnah and Muslin League divided India and got Pakistan in the name
of religion. Partition led to wide spread violence and killing, and
permanently wounded the Hindu psyche. Jinnah was propped up by the
British. Congress party has now propped up a new Jinnah whose divide
and rule game will help Congress win the elections. This new Jinnah is
some one who is our own,’’ Saamna said, without naming Raj Thackeray.
Pointing out that partition did not bring peace and prosperity to
Pakistan and left Jinnah unhappy, Saamna warned Raj that his politics
of dividing Marathi votes will not bring him any peace. ‘‘The Marathi
manoos stands strongly united under Shiv Sena’s flag and this
solidarity cannot be ruptured,’’ Saamna asserted.
The Sena morninger came down heavily on Congress for ignoring
Marathis. ‘‘The Mumbai Congress is run by non-Marathis, such as Murli
Deora, Gurudas Kamat and Kripa Shankar Singh. Congress can’t find a
Marathi leader to head the party in Mumbai. This shows what Congress
thinks about Marathis,’’ Saamna stated.
Refuting Saamna’s allegation , MNS spokesperson Shirish Parkar told
reporters that Balasaheb Thackeray has nothing to do with the
editorial. ‘‘ Saamna is run by Uddhav Thackeray and his caucus,’’ he
added.
Sid Harth
53% People Want Change in Power: BJP Survey
Mumbai | Oct 01, 2009 PRINT SHARE COMMENTS
A survey conducted by BJP says that 53 per cent of people in
Maharashtra are willing to bring change in power in the state Assembly
polls on October 13.
"We are having very hopeful picture for the BJP, as 53 to 57 per cent
of people are willing to bring the change in the state power," BJP
spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said today.
The survey was carried in 100 prominent constituencies of 288, across
the state and 1,000 people in each constituency were interviewed for
the same, Javadekar said.
"About 45 to 50 per cent of people have blamed Congress-NCP Government
for increasing price rise and we are going to make an agenda in
campaigns against the Government," he said.
Javadekar also said that after first round of campaign the Shiv Sena-
BJP alliance is confident to win 160 seats.
Criticising NCP chief Sharad Pawar's assurance to make the state load-
shedding free in just two years, he said, "it's utter rubbish. They
aren't considering the ground realities."
"How can Pawar assure to make Maharashtra load-shedding free, when the
NCP could not do it in past 10 years, holding the charge of the Energy
Ministry," he said.
The Sena-BJP saffron alliance has also promised to make the state load-
shedding free in three years if it comes to power.
Sid Harth
Modi's Political Speech Attempt to Make Politcal Gain: Cong
Ahmedabad | Oct 01, 2009
Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil today
accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to make
petty mileage by making political speech at an apolitical function and
that too in presence of the President.
"It is an insult and unfortunate for the people of Gujarat that the
Chief Minister made political speech at an apolitical function and
that too in presence of President Pratibha Patil," he said.
Referring to Modi's inaugural speech, Gohil described it as an attempt
to make petty political gains.
Modi speaking at the function had said that if Sardar Patel was the
the first Prime Minister of independent India (Instead of Nehru) there
would be no farmers' suicides or terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Gujarat Chief Minister had further said that Sardar Patel, in
November 1950, had written a letter to Jawaharlal Nehru cautioning him
of the threats from neighbouring China.
"In November 1950, a month before he (Patel) passed away, he had
written a letter to Pandit Nehru cautioning him of the threat from
China then.
"In the letter to Nehru, Patel had written that India needs to change
its defence policy with regard to China as the neighbouring country
could become a big threat for the nation. This shows how right Patel
was as China, even today poses a big security issue for India," Modi
added.
Gohil said, "It has become a habit of Modi to raise the issue of
terrorism to kill people under the garb of encounter to make political
capital out of it."
With regards to funds for maintenance of Sardar Patel Memorial, Gohil
said, Modi has not given funds for the memorial and does not even have
the basic courtesy to thank the Union government for sanctioning a
grant of Rs 20 crore for it.
Gohil further alleged that Modi has stopped the routine state grant
for the memorial, while his predecessor Keshubahi Patel had given a
grant of Rs 60 lakh for the SVPMS corpus fund.
During his speech today Modi had claimed that Gujarat government had
given the property, which is worth Rs 400 crore, to the SVMPS.
It was the former Chief Minister Babubhai Patel who had given the
property to SVMPS in 1975, Gohil said.
"Modi should not have taken credit for the SVMPS property as it was
provided by CM Babubhai Patel," he added.
Sid Harth
BJP will Bounce Back Like Sensex: Shatrughan
Itanagar | Oct 01, 2009
The BJP is down but not out and it will certainly bounce back much
like the Sensex does, party leader and popular movie actor Shatrughan
Sinha has said.
"It is true the BJP has 116 Lok Sabha members, 90 behind the tally of
the ruling Congress, but still it has a big national presence and
occupies almost the entire opposition space. Plans are afoot to
revitalise the party," the former Union minister told PTI last night.
He said the party, which had once only two seats in the Lok Sabha, was
able to take its strength to 200. Like the Sensex the BJP's fortune
fluctuates and it will definitely come back.
Sinha, who came here to campaign for BJP candidates for the October 13
election to the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh assembly, said he was
present along with senior leaders at a long meeting with RSS chief
Mohan Bhagawat recently to chalk out plan to revitalize the party.
Asked what the plans were, Sinha said, "You will see when the plans
are implemented."
Sinha was overwhelmed by the huge crowd at both the rallies he
addressed here yesterday and said cine stars were better crowd pullers
than politicians because they played at least their reel roles
truthfully.
"On the contrary, people see what politicians say, they don't mean.
However, film stars are not always capable of converting all the crowd
into votes," he said.
He said he would raise the issue of rampant corruption during the long
Congress rule which had made the country, specially places like
Arunachal, backward despite being endowed with huge natural resources.
When China was building infrastructure close to international border,
no efforts were made to revive a dozen airfields lying unused for long
in Arunachal Pradesh, he alleged.
Shifting of loyalty by politicians in Arunachal is the result of
changing hand of huge money and democracy has taken a back seat, he
says wondering how a chief minister gets elected unopposed which
Arunachal witnessed.
Sid Harth
Shotgun Denies 'Politics' Behind Praising Rahul
New Delhi | Sep 29, 2009
Rubbishing reports that his praise for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
was a "pressure tactic" to get Rajya Sabha nomination for his wife
Poonam, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha today said there was no
truth in it.
"It was my personal opinion... I believe in healthy politics based on
issues... I do not consider my political adversary as my enemy," the
BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb told PTI.
"Though many people would love to see Poonam Sinha in the Parliament
because she has been working as a social and political activist for
the past over 20 years... But it is for the party and the people to
decide," Sinha said before leaving for Arunachal Pradesh to campaign
for the party.
Sinha's reaction came amid a section of BJP leaders viewing "political
designs" in his praise for Rahul.
"A man born with a silver spoon staying in the huts of poor dalits and
sharing their woes deserves a sincere praise... In the past also, I
held late prime minister Indira Gandhi in high esteem and had praised
veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu, BSP supremo Kanshi Ram and SP
general secretary Amar Singh on personal grounds," he said.
Describing Rahul as a dynamic and promising leader, the BJP leader on
his arrival in Patna from Nagpur on Saturday had said, "He (Rahul) is
hard working and his work for the common people at the grass root
level is appreciable... He has a bright future."
Sid Harth
Jagan Supporters Tear Down Sonia's Banner
Hyderabad | Sep 27, 2009
The demand to appoint Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Minister took an ugly
turn with his supporters allegedly tearing down a banner having
pictures of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi at Khammam district Congress
committee office.
Though the incident occurred two days ago, when supporters of the
Kadappa MP disrupted the teleconference by PCC president D Srinivas on
the party membership enrolment drive, it came to light only today when
a television channel aired the footage.
This has angered Congress veterans, who said that Jagan could not
become Chief Minister through such atrocious acts.
"Sonia Gandhi is our supreme leader. We are all ordinary workers and
neither Y S Rajasekhara Reddy nor Jaganmohan are exceptions. In fact,
Rajasekhara Reddy grew to such stature only with the blessings of
Soniaji," Congress Central Working Committee member G Venkata Swamy
said.
He denounced the incident and wanted the PCC chief to immediately
throw out such unruly elements from the party.
Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao attacked Jagan's followers saying
"their act of tearing down the picture of our be loved leader Sonia
Gandhi was highly outrageous."
K Rosaiah was appointed the interim chief minister following Reddy's
demise in a helicopter crash earlier this month.
He expressed anguish that the Khammam DCC leadership failed to
initiate action against those responsible even after 48 hours of the
incident. "As a mark of protest, I shall observe silence for 48 hours
as a true disciple of Sonia Gandhi," Hanumantha Rao said.
Another CWC member K Keshava Rao said "Acts like tearing down the
pictures of Soniaji are totally intolerable. The guilty have to be
sternly dealt with."
Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, meanwhile, directed police to
register a case and bring the guilty to book.
Government Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who represents Khammam
district, met PCC president D Srinivas here today to give his
explanation about the incident.
Labour Minister R Venkata Reddy, who hails from the district, said he
was present with the PCC president in Hyderabad when the incident took
place two days ago.
Other senior leaders of the party like Palvai Govardhan Reddy too
condemned the incident and demanded action against the guilty.
Sid Harth
Jaganmohan Asks Supporters to Observe Restraint
New Delhi | Sep 30, 2009
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today asked his supporters, who have threatened
to quit as ministers and MLAs if he is not made the chief minister, to
observe restraint, saying the Congress High Command has "full
knowledge" on the conditions prevailing in Andhra Pradesh and its
decision is binding on everyone.
Jaganmohan, son of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, told his
supporters that any action that is detrimental to the Congress will
not bring peace to the soul of "my father and our beloved leader".
In a statement issued here, the Kadapa MP said the party High Command
has the full knowledge on the conditions prevailing in the state.
"The decision taken with all wisdom by the High Command is binding on
all of us. We all have a responsibility to strengthen the leadership
of Sonia Gandhiji. Please do not resort to irresponsible activities
that would cause embarrassment to the High Command," he said.
Jaganmohan's statement comes in the wake of the campaign for making
him the chief minister taking a new turn with two ministers and six
legislators threatening to resign their posts if their demands are not
met.
He also appealed to his supporters to participate actively in the
party membership drive programs.
In order to strengthen the party at the grass-root level, let us treat
the membership drive as a sacred program and make it a big success, he
said.
"Every Congress worker knows well that there were the blessings of UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in every
effort made by Rajasekhara Reddy in the implementation of several
development and welfare programs and in providing 'Indiramma Palana'
in the state," he said.
Jagan also exhorted his supporters to strengthen the Congress, to
implement the programmes of his father and do justice to the poorest
of the poor, backward class and minorities in the state.
Sid Harth
Sonia's Poster Torn by Renuka's Supporters: Police
Hyderabad | Sep 29, 2009
The controversy over tearing down a poster containing the picture of
AICC chief Sonia Gandhi in the Khammam district's Congress office last
week, took a new turn with probe revealing that the four main accused
in the case were in fact the followers of former Union Minister Renuka
Choudhary.
"The three arrested persons Ramesh Reddy, Mustafa and Saidulu were
close followers of Choudhary and actively campaigned for her in the
April general elections. We are, however, trying to ascertain whether
they are still with Choudhary," a senior police official in Khammam
said.
Repeated efforts to get a reaction from Choudhary were unsuccessful.
Some Congress workers, claiming to be members of "Y S Jagan Yuva Sena"
tore down a flex banner in the Khammam DCC office on Friday last. The
banner contained a picture of Choudhary and Sonia Gandhi dancing hand-
in-hand with local tribals during the AICC chief's visit to the
district in February this year.
The tearing down of the poster triggered a major controversy with
those opposing the demand of appointing Kadapa MP Jaganmohan as the
Chief Minister strongly denouncing the act.
Even Jagan issued a statement condemning the incident and terming it a
sacrilege.
Sid Harth
Prez's Son Richer Than Rival Deshmukh
Nagpur | Sep 29, 2009
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat, who
is contesting from Amravati constituency on a Congress ticket, is
worth Rs 6.68 crore.
Shekhawat's movable property is valued at Rs 1.36 crore and his
immovable assets are worth Rs 5.32 crore, said the affidavit sworn by
him at the time of filing of nomination.
Shekhawat's main rival and Minister of State for Energy Sunil
Deshmukh, who has rebelled against Congress and is in the fray as
independent, has movable property worth Rs 58 lakh and immovable
assets of Rs 1.85 crore.
Former Maharashtra Textile Minister Satish Chaturvedi of Congress,
seeking a seventh term from Nagpur (East) assembly segment is probably
the richest among the candidates in Vidarbha with movable assets of Rs
16.11 crore and immovable property to the tune of Rs 7.68 crore.
According to the affidavit sworn by the Textile Minister Anees Ahmed
(Congress) who had shifted from his earlier constituency Nagpur-
Central to Nagpur-West has movable property of Rs 1.05 crore and
immovable assets of Rs 2.12 crore.
Two term MLA from Nagpur-North reserved (SC) seat, Nitin Raut,
Minister of State for Home (Rural) has immovable assets of Rs 7.68
crore and movable property of Rs 98 lakhs.
Congress nominee from Nagpur (South-West) Vikas Thakre, a former city
Mayor, has no immovable property but movable assets are at Rs 10 lakh,
his affidavit said.
Sid Harth
Vilasrao's Political Heir in Battle for Latur
Vilas Tokale/Latur | Sep 30, 2009
It was a huge earthquake which put this nondescript town in Marathwada
region on the news map.
Sixteen years later, Latur is again in the news as it will decide the
political fortune of Amit Deshmukh, son of Union Heavy Industries
Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in the October 13 Maharashtra Assembly
elections.
Amit, Congress candidate from Latur (urban) constituency, is locked in
a quadrangular contest with Annarao Patil of the Third Front, Pappu
Kulkarni of Shiv Sena and Qayum Khan of BSP.
'Latur's Family Number 1' was present in full strength when Amit filed
his nomination papers. Vilasrao, his actor son Riteish, Amit's T V
model wife Aditi and Vilasrao's brother and state minister Diliprao
are actively participating in his campaign in the constituency withh
2.91 lakh voters.
Refuting charges of nepotism, Deshmukh said it was necessary to put up
young candidates in the elections considering the "changing voters'
profile".
In 1995, two years after the devastating earthquake, a political
tremor rocked Vilasrao Deshmukh as he lost to a relatively unknown
Janata Dal nominee Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar in the Assembly election.
In 1999, Deshmukh avenged his defeat winning back Latur with a margin
of around 80,000 votes inflicting a humiliating defeat on Kavhekar who
forfeited his deposit.
Not wanting to take any chances, Deshmukh has wooed Kavhekar back into
Congress and persuaded him to withdraw candidature against Amit.
Kavhekar had quit NCP in 2003 to join BJP.
Deshmukh, one of the tallest Maratha leaders in Congress, also won the
seat in 2004 but quit it this year after being elected to the Rajya
Sabha.
Post-delimitation, Latur seat was bifurcated into Latur urban and
rural seats, incorporating parts of the Renapur seat earlier
represented by Deshmukh's personal friend and political rival, BJP
general secretary Gopinath Munde.
Latur town, which gained fame for "Latur pattern", producing merit
list toppers in SSC and HSC exams of the state board for years in a
row, is witness to rapidly developing infrastructure, including a
state-of-the-art flyover and an expanding industrial belt.
Contrary to what one would expect a fortnight before polls, the normal
hustle and bustle of an election is missing. There is no usual talk
around bus stand or tea stalls of who will win and who will bite the
dust.
Senior journalist Jaiprakash Dagde feels this is intriguing and may
portend 'things to come'. Asked if any candidate has a clear-cut edge,
Dagde, who has covered each and every election in Latur in the last
three decades, said this is a very peculiar election as the common man
is not giving any indication.
Deshmukh family virtually controls every sphere of life here, from
educational institutes to co-operatives in the region. There is also
talk of the family's link with the towns most popular multiplex.
Amit's rival Annarao Patil is noted lawyer and social activist in
Latur and is also known as a supporter of former Union Home Minister
Shivraj Patil who also hails from there.
Qayum Khan enjoys good rapport with suspended NCP leader Padamsinh
Patil, who is out on bail in the Pawanraje Nimbalkar case and is
expected to participate in son Rana Jagjitsinh's campaign from
Osmanabad.
Sid Harth
Sharad Pawar Hints at Retirement
Sholapur | Sep 27, 2009
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar today said younger leaders should be given
more responsibilities in the party and suggested he would like to
slowly step back and don the role of a "guide."
"It is time for the younger generation to play a greater role and for
me to slowly step back. Isn't that a good idea," 69-year-old Pawar
said at an election rally in Sholapur setting of speculation whether
he was talking of any plan to retire from active politics.
"I have started getting old. Now that the people have elected me to a
five-year term, I will complete that term and return to the state and
hand over responsibilities to younger leaders," said the Union
Agriculture minister and former Maharashtra chief minister.
Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule is a Lok Sabha MP from Pawar's
pocketborough Baramati constituency in Maharashtra. Both Congress and
NCP have fielded several young candidates for the upcoming Assembly
polls.
Reacting to Pawar's comments, NCP general secretary D P Tripathi said
his remarks were just a reiteration of the party's position that "we
are there to encourage the youth and the younger generation."
"This (remarks) is not to control, contain rebellion or to garner
sympathy votes," Tripathi said.
"Mr Pawar wanted to pave way for the younger generation. That is why
is didn't even want to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. The
entire party persuaded him and prevailed upon him to contest the Lok
Sabha elections in 2009," he added.
Sid Harth
Kalavati Out of Poll Fray in Maharashtra
Mumbai | Sep 29, 2009
It's official. Kalavati Bandurkar, the most visible face of the farm
crisis in drought-hit Vidarbha, today withdrew from Maharashtra
assembly polls after a series of flip flops.
"Her (Kalavati's) son-in-law threatened that he would commit suicide
if she contests the Maharashtra assembly poll," Vidarbha Janandolan
Samiti, the NGO supporting her candidature said.
The NGO has fielded another farmer widow Babytai Bais from Wani seat.
Kalavati had shot into national focus after Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi had mentioned her plight in Parliament after a tour of Vidarbha
where several debt-ridden farmers committed suicide.
Sid Harth
'Uddhav Ordered Attack on Manohar Joshi's House'
Mumbai | Sep 25, 2009
A day after joining Congress, former Shiv Sainik Sada Sarvankar today
alleged that party executive chief Uddhav Thackeray ordered the recent
attack on the residence of former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi.
"Uddhav gave us the orders to attack Joshi's house," Sarvankar, who
was elected to the Assembly in 2004 on a Sena ticket, said.
On September 20, Sarvankar's supporters demonstrated violently outside
the senior Sena leader's Shivaji Park residence, accusing him of being
responsible for refusal of ticket to him.
Peeved at denial of ticket from Mahim constituency for the October 13
Assembly elections, Sarvankar quit the Sena and joined Congress in the
presence of Industry Minister Narayan Rane, a former Sena chief
minister. Congress has fielded Sarvankar from the Mahim seat.
"We were told that (my) ticket has been cut by Joshi and to attack his
house," Sarvankar said. Asked who had given the orders, Sarvankar
said, "Uddhav ordered the attack on Joshi's house."
Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe described Sarvankar's allegations as "a
result of frustration and the thoughts of an abnormal mind".
"Uddhavji has faced many such ludicrous allegations and come out
unscathed. Joshi is like a 'guru' (teacher) to all Shiv Sainiks. After
the election results, Sarvankar will realise the folly of his absurd
allegations," Gorhe said.
Sarvankar and former Mayor Milind Vaidya were claiming the Mahim seat.
Sarvankar was upset that TV show host Aadesh Bandekar, who last month
joined Sena, was fielded by the party from Mahim.
On September 20, around 100 supporters of Sarvankar gathered outside
Joshi's house, shouting slogans like "Manohar Joshi hai hai".
The agitated supporters turned their ire on TV news camera-persons who
were shooting their demonstration and asked them to not do so as it
was a "ghar ka mamla" (home affair).
Sena sources said there is resentment against Joshi after he took a
'soft' stand on Uddhav's estranged cousin and MNS president Raj
Thackeray during a "meet-the-press" programme in the city last week.
Sid Harth
Now, a Slipper Hurled at Chavan
Nanded | Sep 25, 2009
After chappal throwing at political leaders by unhappy workers became
common during Lok Sabha polls, a supporter of a sitting MLA who was
denied ticket for Maharashtra Assembly poll, flung a footwear at Chief
Minister Ashok Chavan but it missed him.
The incident occurred when the Chief Minister arrived at Loha to
address a rally in support of Nationalist Congress Party's candidate
Shankar Dhaondge.
A chaotic scene followed and police used baton to disperse the crowd.
It was not immediately known if police arrested the person who flung
the footwear.
Chavan later addressed the rally.
Independent MLA from Loha, Pratap Patil Chiklikar, whose supporter
flung the footwear, had backed the Democratic Front Government for
last five years.
This time he was trying for a Congress ticket from Loha, which as a
part of seat sharing arrangement went to the alliance partner NCP.
chhotemianinshallah
Cong tries to remove BJP’s Sardar squatter
2 Oct 2009, 0615 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Congress is attempting to retrieve the legacy of Sardar
Vallabhbahi Patel in Gujarat after BJP’s bid to claim Independent
India’s first home minister as its own.
Congress which was contented with smirking at BJP’s description of its
leader L K Advani as ‘Loh Purush’ (iron man) and Gujarat chief
minister Narendra Modi as ‘Chhote Sardar’ — epithets used for
Vallabhbhai Patel — has now put out its version of the Nehru-Sardar
relationship. BJP has been trying to project differences between the
two leaders as the reason for the Sardar’s ‘marginalistion’ in
politics of post-independent India.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi dismissed claims that Jawaharlal Nehru
and Sardar Patel had “unbearable disagreements” saying this assessment
“distorts history.” Ms Gandhi also said the country’s first prime
minister and his home minister shared deep respect for each other
though they had different views on some issues. In a reference to
former BJP leader Jaswant Singh, who wrote a controversial tome on
Pakistan founder Jinnah, Ms Gandhi said: “The claim by some writers
that there were unbearable disagreements between Sardar Patel and
Pandit Nehru is to distort history,” Ms Gandhi’s message, at the
function held to inaugurate a community hall at Sardar Smarak by
President Pratibha Patil, said. She added that “they may have differed
in some of their views but that never affected their deep respect,
admiration and affection for each other or their ability to work
together to strengthen India’s unity and integrity”.
Congress statements also have to be viewed in the context of politics
in Gujarat where the Sardar and his brand of ‘tough-as-nails’ politics
is a potent symbol of Gujarati pride. This image has been invoked
successfully by BJP’s Narendra Modi, whose spartan lifestyle and tough
talk on fighting terrorism, has allowed him to claim the Sardar’s
legacy as another son of the soil.
However, as the recent Jinnah controversy triggered by Mr Singh’s book
demonstrated, Congress is unwilling to let the Sardar become BJP’s
mascot. Congress had come out strongly to denounce Mr Singh for his
statements on the Sardar, in a bid to compete with BJP, which not only
expelled Mr Singh but also banned the book in Gujarat on grounds that
it was disrespectful to the Sardar. The ban was however, struck down
by the Gujarat high court.
bademiyansubhanallah
Uncle Is Not Impressed
by Mritunjay | September 30, 2009 at 06:29 am
30 views | 3 Recommendations | add comment
Videos
300909 RAJ THAKRE JINNA
see larger video
sourced by Mritunjay
The "Jinnah Ghost" doesn't seem to spare Indian politics any time
soon. After BJP and Congress entangled in the counter allegations over
Jinnah's role in dividing India it's the turn of the Thackrey family
to wash their laundary in public. Bal Thackrey today accused his
politician nephew Raj Thakre of playing Jinnah. "The British incited
Jinnah and forced him to divide India. Now a Jinnah at home is
dividing Marathi people," Bal Thackrey said in his latest editorial in
party mouthpiece Saamana.
Both Bal and Raj Thackrey have have been trying to use the "sons of
the soil" issue to generate support for their parties. While Bal's
Shiv Sena is already in an alliance with the Bhartiya Janata Party
(BJP) for the forthcoming Assembly elections; Raj's Maharashtra
Navniram Sena (MNS) has said it's ready to support any party in a post-
election scenario.Bal Thackrey also blamed the Indian National
Congress (INC) to use Raj to divide Marathi votes in an attempt to
gain power. In the editorial Bal Thackrey said that this brand of
politics is worse than that of Jinnah who at least openly demanded for
a separate Pakistan.
Now it is to be seen what Raj has to say for his uncle. Raj has been
very vocally critical about his cousin; Udhav Thackrey but stayed away
from commenting much on his uncle Bal Thackrey till now.
bademiyansubhanallah
Dangerous Liaisons
1 October 2009, 12:00am IST
The saffron combine has dusted up an old agenda ahead of the
Maharashtra polls. It wants to end migration to Mumbai and other urban
centres in the state. This follows the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's
(MNS) threat to put in place a permit system to regulate migration to
India's financial capital. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a
member of the ruling coalition, joined this populist bandwagon when it
pushed reservation of 80 per cent jobs for locals. Now the BJP-Shiv
Sena have upped the ante by including a similar demand in their
manifesto. Thanks to the obsession with carving out vote banks, Raj
Thackeray's extremist demands have now become mainstream.
The problem, however, is that it is flagrantly unconstitutional. Our
Constitution guarantees the right of all Indian citizens to travel,
work and reside anywhere in the country. Political parties that want
to contest elections are legally bound to respect the Constitution.
Exceptions can't be made for the BJP, Sena, MNS or NCP. The concern of
these parties for the welfare of Maharashtrians is no doubt justified,
but the prescription to improve their lot is misplaced. The suggested
'permit system' would tear apart the social and economic fabric of
Mumbai and Maharashtra. Mega cities and economies across time and
place have been built with the sweat of migrants. Mumbai is no
exception. Its history and identity can't be altered by fiat from
political parties.
The Congress-NCP government, having been in office for two successive
terms, ought to take a large part of the blame for the state's
worries. But the saffron combine, instead of raising issues of
governance and there are so many of them wants to campaign with banal
slogans. The alliance hopes to check the influence of MNS, an offshoot
of the Sena, with a matching rhetoric. It may suit Sena's immediate
interests to force a political discourse that pits Maharashtrian
against non-Maharashtrian. But the BJP, which has a pan-Indian
presence and wants to expand that, will pay a price for backing the
Sena's narrow political vision.
The Congress and the NCP may have criticised the saffron combine's
position on migration, but they too are guilty of facilitating a
political climate that encourages chauvinist identity politics. The
Congress-NCP government has all along winked at MNS's hate campaigns
since its growth is expected to weaken the Sena. Such agendas, even if
raised only as election rhetoric, can build momentum for disastrous
policy changes. If Maharashtra enforces a permit system there will be
retaliatory sanctions from other states, which poses problems for the
country at large. Political parties must not allow temporary (and
doubtful) electoral gains to override the interests of the country and
its people.
bademiyansubhanallah
Bureaucratic activism stifling panchayats: Sonia
Agencies
Posted: Friday , Oct 02, 2009 at 1827 hrs
Nagaur(Rajasthan):
Sonia Gandhi expressed serious concern over increasing bureaucratic
activism in the Panchayati Raj.
Expressing serious concern over increasing bureaucratic activism in
the Panchayati Raj, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said that
despite all efforts, there was a deterioration in the rural
administration system and the voice of villagers was being muzzled.
“Several state governments did not conduct timely elections for local
bodies and panchayats just for gaining political mileage, which led to
deterioration of Panchayati Raj system rendering them helpless. The
role of the administration became increasingly important and the
peoples’ voice started getting muzzled.” She was speaking at a rally
organised here to mark the golden jubilee celebration of Panchayati
Raj system.
Recalling her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s
contribution to enacting the Panchayati Raj Act, the UPA chairperson
said, “When Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, he was saddened to
see the condition of the people and took a pledge to bring a change in
their living standards.”
She said, “Due to the strengthening of the Panchayati Raj system, at
least 12 lakh women of the country today could freely express their
voice on issues concerning them.”
Gandhi also said that the Centre was committed to empowering the
panchayats to enable villagers to fulfil the dream of first Prime
Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru The UPA chairperson also asked the people
to strengthen the National Rural Employment Guarantee Yojana (NREGA)
and Panchayati Raj.
7 Comments |
Admin deterioration
By: Hero Vaz | Friday , 2 Oct '09 21:14:36
If, despite all efforts, there is deterioration in administration, the
Govt. has failed and should quit. There is no point in making an
admission of failure and continuing to govern. Continuance can lead
only to further detereioration.
Fooling the people at all level under the Govnt.
By: Jamshed Juma Ali | Friday , 2 Oct '09 20:59:43 PM
The real root cause is not bureacratic interferance but it is the
Political interference by the so called politicians taken toll of rael
panchayat raj for which the Govt must take the blame.In UP Rahul's
interference in day to day administration has divided the people.Rahul
attracts the press and the administration but no complaints of aam
admi is looked into unless the aothority's hands arewell grease at all
level.This is common experience off all people including under the
nose od Sonia and Rahul.
Sonia on Panchayatraj !
By: Gopal | Friday , 2 Oct '09 20:42:46 PM
Sonia's statement on bureaucratic activism is born out of political
fever which has infected her. She and her party forget this during
rest of the time. If it is true, what steps has been taken by her
Govt. So long as Cong remains in power, corruption can never be
eliminated. Successive generations of politicians will continue to
endorse this statement. What prevents her and her cohorts to climinate
corruption in Govt ?
give funds and rights to panchayat institutes.
By: shafik | Friday , 2 Oct '09 20:27:04 PM
1.Panchayat institute should get enough funds to implement various
schemes.2.NAREGA should be used To implement PURA scheme. if
infrastucture for education, farming and employment is made available
at village level, gap between rural and urban people will decrease.
3.Bureucracy and local executive body often clashes with each other
because, some times local body (elected) not aware about various
terms
detoriating punchayatiraj system due to civil officers'ego
By: ram awadh gupta | Friday , 2 Oct '09 20:24:32 PM
Pains of our leader are correct.Whole of the training structures
irrespective to its class/cadre of civil servant is feudal and
undemocratic.Even , there is no democracy in the political parties in
India.Country is in the hands of undemocratic leaders.All leaders,
like noble Sonia Gandhi must be honest in making reforms in the whole
of the administrative set up in the country.We must delete the word
officer from the acts/laws/rules by replacing it from civil servant.
Really
By: Ravi | Friday , 2 Oct '09 19:18:16 PM
It is time Sonia Gandhi and her party stop loose populist
utterences.Even Mr Rajiv Gandhi declared ineffeciency of funds
disbursement at grass root level and declared only 10 paisa out of 100
paisa reaches poor. This he said 20 years before at a public meeting
in Bombay. So what is new about it except it is State election time in
Maharashtra.
Soniaji on Panchayatraj.
By: anil bharali | Friday , 2 Oct '09 19:10:49 PM
Soniaji has rightly mentioned breaucratic activism and corrupt
politicians at the grassroot are mainly responsible for siphonining
money out of the system.Corroupt breaucrats and politician are mainly
responsible for creating so called extremism for their protection.It
high time to isolalate those enemy of the common people from rural
india. It needs a nationwide movement.
chhotemianinshallah
Cong forgot austerity, spent crores at Nagaur event: BJP
STAFF WRITER 14:37 HRS IST
Jaipur, Oct 3 (PTI) BJP today accused Congress of forgetting austerity
and spending huge sums of money on Panchayati Raj Golden jubilee
celebrations attended by party president Sonia Gandhi in Nagaur
district in Rajasthan.
"The government forgot to maintain austerity measures here and crores
of rupees were spent for the event yesterday.
Advertisements were published in several newspapers just to please the
party president," state BJP chief Arun Chaturvedi said.
Many people, including labourers benefiting under the NREGA scheme,
were brought in buses to the venue at government expenditure, he
claimed.
He also alleged that government machinery was misused in organising
the event where no one from the BJP was invited.
"No public representative of the BJP received any formal invitation
for the function which shows that it was completely a Congress
function organised by the party-ruled state government misusing
official machinery," he alleged.
bademiyansubhanallah
Deve Gowda takes on BJP Govt
By Team Mangalorean, Bangalore
BANGALORE, October 1, 2009: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal
(Secular) leader H D Deve Gowda on Thursday charged the BJP Government
in Karnataka with preparing to sanction absolute sale deed to a
construction company for the multi-crore Bangalore-Mysore
Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project executed by Nandi
Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).
The format of the sale deed with regard to land acquired for the BMIC
project, approved by the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government on August 29,
blatantly violates the Supreme Court direction that the project should
be implemented strictly in accordance with the original framework
agreement, former Prime Minister said.
Addressing the media at the party office here, Mr Gowda said “if the
government completes the process of issuing sale deed for 20,193
acres, it will lead to allowing NICE the rights to sale and re-sale or
transfer of lands.” Mr Gowda, who has been opposing the project,
demanded that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa immediately convene a
special session of the State legislature to have a debate on “scams”
involving the project.
The JD (S) leader, who was bitter critic of the BJP Government, said
if the government did not pay heed to his demand he would launch an
agitation. He warned officials against passing illegal orders “under
dictatorial order from the government.”
Mr. Gowda said that his party would launch a massive agitation against
the “fraud to the tune of Rs. 30,000 crore” after October 15,
spearheaded by him.
He alleged that the spirit of the original framework agreement had
been “twisted” in the sale deed by highlighting subsequent
supplementary agreements which had allowed the NICE to “carry out a
daylight robbery.”
The company, he alleged, had been changing alignment every now and
then, nine times in all so far, and the sale deed had deliberately
missed an opportunity to rein in the company. Instead, it had allowed
greater opportunity for the company to buy and sell land at will.
Give up conclave, address woes of flood hit people: JDS
The Janata Dal (S) on Thursday urged the Yeddyurappa government in
Karnataka immediately call off its conclave at Mysore, scheduled to
end on Thursday and respond to woes of people of North Karnataka,
battered by heavy rains in the past few days.
Heavy rains claimed lives of over 50 persons in north Karnataka.
Thousands of head of livestock have perished in floods and standing
crops have been washed away. But the BJP government ministers are
taking lessons from RSS on how to govern, state unit JDS president H D
Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to the media here, he said none of the ministers’ in-charge
of districts in North Karnataka have bothered to visit their
respective districts despite the flood havoc. Now it is clear that the
BJP government has not started functioning even after 16 months of
assuming office. Now they are getting training in governance, he said,
in an apparently taking a swipe at the three-day conclave, the second
to be held in a gap of about five months.
The meeting that began on September 29 concluded on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister had announced Rs one lakh compensation
to families of those killed and directed Water Resources Minister
Basavaraj Bommai to visit Belgaum and Minor Irrigation Minister Govind
Karjol to go to Bijapur and Bagalkote districts.
Previous report
JD(S) threatens to launch stir
Mysore/Bangalore Oct 1: Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Prime
Minister H D Deve Gowda today alleged that BJP Government in Karantaka
was all set to transfer over 20,000 acres of prime land to the
promoters of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), which
was assigned to build Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC)
Project, and threatened to launch an agitation against the government
on the issue.
Talking to newspersons here, Mr Gowda alleged that the BJP Government
had approved a draft sale deed favouring NICE to transfer over 20,000
acres of prime land which was leased out to the latter to construct
Bangalore-Mysore Express Highway.
Terming the State Government's decision to assign absolute ownership
on the leased land to NICE as the 'biggest-ever scam' in the country,
Mr Gowda claimed that it had overshadowed the earlier scams of Harshad
Mehta, Ketan Parikh and the recent Satyam fraud.
Demanding the State Government to rescind from handing over the land
to NICE illegally, Mr Gowda threatened to take to streets to lead the
agitation. "I have no any selfish end in opposing the State
Government's stand on BMIC project, but cannot sit silently when a
public property worth over Rs 30,000 crore is being handed over to a
private enterprise ignoring the state's interests," he said and urged
the Chief Minister to stick to his promise to allow a special
discussion in the Karnataka Assembly on the issue of BMIC project and
expose those who were involved in the scam.
Former K'taka CM slams BJP
BJP Government in Karnataka has drawn flak from the Opposition Janata
Dal (Secular) for participating in the RSS organised three-day
'Baithak' in Mysore, while people of the Northern Karantaka were
reeling under the fury of rain which had disrupted normal life and
claimed the lives of more than 30 people.
Talking to newspersons here today, State JD(S) leader and Lok Sabha
Member H D Kumaraswamy alleged that when people of Gadag, Dharwad,
Koppal, Bijapur, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur were suffering
from incessant rain, which had caused a trail of loss of lives and
properties, the BJP ministers were attending 'tuition' classes from
RSS leaders.
Wondering whether Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had any concern for
the plights of the people of the rain affected areas in the state, the
JD(S) leader demanded the ministers to cut-short their 'three-day
baithak' and rush to the rescue of of the people.
Expressing concern over the severe damage caused by the heavy rain in
the North Karnataka region, the former Chief Minister claimed while
over 31 people had died, standing crop in over thousands of hectares
had got submerged and scores of livestock washed away in the flood
water.
bademiyansubhanallah
Action against rebels soon: CM
TNN 5 October 2009, 06:57am IST
AMRAVATI: Action against rebel candidates would be taken at the party
level, with a joint meeting of Congress and NCP proposed in the
upcoming days regarding such action, said chief minister Ashok Chavan
at a press conference on Sunday.
Chavan pointed out that since the cabinet anyway stands dissolved
after declaration of the elections, any decision taken will not be
targeted at rebel Congress minister from Amravati, Dr Sunil Deshmukh.
Chavan said that the Cong-NCP government would make the state load-
shedding free in the next three years. When asked about the huge loan
taken by the Congress regime, Chavan said that only those who have the
capacity to repay loans take such loans, and the state has never
experience an overdraft because of it. On the other hand, he said that
the Sena-BJP regime in the state had experiences over draft
frequently. "We have not breached any rules of the Central government
regarding this. The issues which BJP has spoken about in its manifesto
are actually our issues and the BJP is trying to take credit for it,"
Chavan said.
Union minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that free electricity could
not be provided to anyone in the state as long as there is shortage of
4,000 MW electricity. He asked how the BJP can claim that it will
provide electricity to every person when it takes seven years to set
up a power plant.
"In our case, the projects are already in action, with work to produce
90,000 MW electricity already started. Hence we can provide
electricity to every person by 2012," said Chavan.
bademiyansubhanallah
Uddhav may emulate father, Sonia
5 Oct 2009, 0439 hrs IST, Girish Kuber, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena is looking for its own 'Manmohan Singh'. The
Thackerays are mulling over an idea to hand over the reins of power-if
they get a chance, of course-to someone closer and loyal to the family
than exposing its inexperienced executive president Uddhav.
The idea is to shun power like the Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray did in
1995 when the Sena-BJP government came to power for the first time. Mr
Thackeray easily could have been the chief minister if he wanted.
Instead, he stayed away from power and steered the government with his
famous 'remote control'. The Sena is considering to re-enact the whole
drama if the saffron combine gets requisite numbers in the October 13
election. Any combination hoping to govern Maharashtra for the next
five years will have to have a support of 145 MLAs in the 288-member
house.
"Primarily there are two reasons behind this thought. First, one
always enjoys more respect by being out of power and second, it will
shield Thackeray Jr from many things that come with power," a top Sena
leader close to the Thackerays confided with ET. A large section of
the Sena strongly believes that Bal Thackeray could wield enormous
clout only because he never accepted any post of profit. "In the eyes
of common man and party worker, the act of staying away from power
amounts to sacrifice. It raises the stature," the Sena leader said
citing another example of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress chief. "Had she
been in power holding any post, she would never have received this
kind of support," he argued. "Actually by doing this, one enjoys best
of the both worlds. It's always a win-win situation for the leader,"
he explained.
So, if the saffron combine mops up enough support, Uddhav Thackeray
may actually prefer not to join the government. "Another consideration
behind this has been that the Thackeray Jr has had a very little, or
rather zero, legislative and administrative experience. It's certainly
not a good idea to lead the state the size of Maharashtra when you
know virtually nothing of running the administration," he said. Like
his father, Uddhav too never had a legislative encounter. "To control
the party is one thing and to run the government is another. It's best
if you can get your things done than doing yourself," this Sena leader
said. Uddhav, fully aware of his inexperience, is seriously thinking
of having similar set up post election, it's understood.
Not everyone, however, is convinced. A section of the Sena leaders
believe that Uddhav himself should be in saddle. "Balasaheb always
could reach out to people over the party shoulders. The organisation
was a mere tool for him. He was always above it and so had a solid
grip over the party. That's why he could afford to be out of power and
still control it. Similar is not the case with Uddhav," another Sena
leader said. "And there are not many leaders like Manohar Joshi who
possessed enough experience and had the loyalty to the Thackerays
around at present. So, it's not easy not to be in power and maintain
control over it," this leader said.
For the Sena more worrying is, however, the third possibility: Not
coming to power. This will raise serious doubts in the minds of Sena
workers. "That's even bigger challenge. We have been in opposition for
last 10 years. It will be the Himalayan task to sustain for another
five years and hold the party together," admitted these Sena leaders.
In the current atmosphere where Uddha's cousin Raj has come up as an
alternative, there is a fear of exodus from the Sena should it fail in
coming to power even this time, they concede.
No matter the path Sena's heir apparent choose post election, the road
ahead is laid with landmine of challenges for the party, the leaders
are aware.
bademiyansubhanallah
Maharashtra poll: Gujaratis left neglected by Marathi focus
5 Oct 2009, 0455 hrs IST, Maulik Vyas, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Fear of losing Marathi votes, thanks to Raj Thackeray's hate
campaign against the north Indians in Maharashtra has left the 40-lakh
strong Gujarati community in Mumbai completely ignored by all
political parties. There are just two candidates from the community in
Mumbai, one from Congress and the other from BJP. Earlier, the
Gujaratis were used to be a back-bone of BJP. But the party, this time
appears more interested in winning over Mumbai's Hindi-speaking people
than the Gujaratis, thanks again to the MNS.
"Because of the MNS the Sena is forced to concentrate on Marathi
votes. It can't be seen wooing the north Indians. That job now has
been left to us," a BJP leader said. The party has fielded four north
Indian candidates in Mumbai while only one from the Gujarati
community, Prakash Mehta, has been given another chance. This is said
to be a conscious move by BJP to make up for its alliance partner Shiv
Sena's concentration on Marathi manoos.
But the move does not seem to have gone down well with the trader
community. BEST committee chairman Pravin Chheda from the Gujarati-
dominated Ghatkopar, unhappy at being denied a ticket, had even staged
a dharna while senior leader Jaywantiben Mehta is also said to be
unhappy. However, ex-MLA and BJP's south Mumbai district president
Atul Shah attributes the decline of Guajaratis among party candidates
to delimitation. "Many seats with strong Gujarati vote banks have been
merged with other areas which has resulted in some seats losing its
Gujarati domination," he says.
Not everyone is convinced, though. Viren Shah, founder of Gujarati
Ekta Samiti is of the opinion that MNS and Shive Sena's campaign has
resulted in the polarization of North Indian votes which resulted in
the Gujarati community being ignored. "Gujarati community needs to
come together to build their own vote bank like other migrants," said
Mr Shah.
Kishor Kharawala, an executive member of BJP's Trade and Industry Cell
and also a Secretary of Federation of Association of Maharashtra (FAM)
says that party has committed a big mistake by not giving tickets to
Gujratis. "This is the time when Gujaratis and Marwaris should come to-
gather as a "business-buddies" in politics rather than keeping
themselves away from each other," said Mr Kharawala.
Secretary of Bombay Sub-urban Grain Dealers Association, Chandrakant
Gala feels that Gujarati community traditionally stays with BJP- Sena
coalition, but since this time community dose not get enough
representation here. They might change their loyalty in some pockets
like Ghatkopar, Mulund etc, where they have decisive voting capacity.
A NCP leader has a different take. "Despite being the same size as
North ndians, Gujarati voters are not disciplined, lack enthusiasm and
do not ote en mass. This is the major reason why community leaders are
not getting s much tickets as their other migrant counter parts," said
Hemraj Shah, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokseperson and
president of Bruhad Mumbai Gjarati Samaj.
Whatever the cause be, it has affected the Gujratis.
bademiyansubhanallah
Maharashtra poll: Rane works hard as a disciplined Congress leader
5 Oct 2009, 0506 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Narayan Rane, who had incessantly complained about former
chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is displaying a mature and obedient
streak in the run-up to the October 13 assembly polls in the state.
The leader, who had just returned from a hectic round of campaigning,
including in Mr Deshmukh’s son’s constituency in Latur, chose not to
rake up the prickly question of who will become chief minister. "The
issue of chief ministership will be decided by the high command. Right
now, I am working to strengthen the party and ensure that maximum
Congress-NCP candidates win the assembly elections," Mr Rane said in
Mumbai.
The leader said it was the party’s interests which were at the top of
his mind, when asked about his campaigning for Amit Deshmukh. "I
campaigned on Saturday in Latur for Congress candidates Amit Deshmukh
and Vaijath Shinde. Both Vilasrao Deshmukh and myself are leaders of
the same party. Whatever I have done is in my party's interests," the
leader said. He insisted that he had not gone to Delhi “to complain
about anybody” and when reminded about his allegations against
Deshmukh, the leader quipped, "Raat gayi baat gayi” (it is all in the
past).
Mr Rane has been an obedient partyman after the leadership decided to
remove Mr Deshmukh from the CM’s post following the 26/11 terrorist
attack in Mumbai. The leader’s co-operative tone also owes a great
deal to all his key supporters getting tickets in the coming polls.
Speaking on the role of Mr Raj Thackeray, whose MNS had helped
Congress win a large number of seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Rane
denied Shiv Sena’s charges that he was the ‘supari-man’ of Congress-
NCP. "There is no need for us to give supari to anybody," the Konkan
leader said. He added, “It was Uddhav Thackeray who forced Raj out of
the Thackeray household and Shiv Sena. Hence, Raj had to form a new
party. Congress was not responsible for this development. Both are
fighting for the same political space and the Marathi speaking people
have realised that the language issue is raked up only to get votes.
Hence, they are voting for Congress."
Mr Rane, a former CM, too had quit the Sena after Mr Uddhav
Thackeray’s ascendancy in the party. “Uddhav snapped all ties with me.
I have no fight with Raj and have no political connections with him,”
he said.
Criticising the Sena-BJP, Mr Rane said the opposition has no
developmental issue and was harping on emotional issues to get votes.
"They are anti-development. Shiv Sena opposed the SEZ in Raigad and
then says it was because of the government's ineffectiveness that the
Nano project was shifted to Gujarat. Similarly, it talks of load-
shedding and opposes land acquisition for setting up power projects,"
Mr Rane said. He also charged that Shiv Sena spoke well about north
Indians and Muslims during the Lok Sabha election campaign but spoke
with scorn during the recent polls campaigns.
chhotemianinshallah
Cong failed to keep promises of 2005 poll campaign: BJP
STAFF WRITER 17:16 HRS IST
Chandigarh, Oct 5 (PTI) With Haryana going to polls on October 13, the
BJP today came out with a list of "broken promises" in Congress' 2005
manifesto, alleging that the state government had failed on all
fronts.
BJP General Secretary and party's in-charge for Haryana affairs, Vijay
Goel, told reporters here that the Congress had "befooled" the people
of the state and failed to keep the promises it had made during the
previous assembly poll campaign.
"Congress had promised to provide a corruption-free and terror-free
regime. The truth is that corruption has increased manifold in every
sphere and the crime graph is surging with incidents of rape, murder,
loot and kidnapping becoming order of the day," Goel alleged.
bademiyansubhanallah
Columns - Rasheeda Bhagat
The battle for Maharashtra
Though the anti-incumbency mood in Maharashtra is palpable, what can
still help the ruling combine return to power is the listless mood in
the BJP and the son-versus-nephew battle in the Sena, says RASHEEDA
BHAGAT.
In the race…The NCP chief, Mr Sharad Pawar; the MNS chief, Mr Raj
Thackeray; and Mr Bal Thackeray’s anointed successor and son, Mr
Uddhav Thackeray.
While campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections to be held on
October 13 might be lacklustre, its outcome promises to be interesting
as it will affect the fortunes of several big leaders from the State,
beginning with the Nationalist Congress Party chief, Mr Sharad Pawar,
who once aspired to become the Prime Minister.
Infighting and factionalism in the NCP has only got worse after its
comparatively poor showing in the Lok Sabha polls in which the
Congress fared much better. This has resulted in the NCP, which many
people forget had secured more seats than the Congress in the 2004
Assembly elections, having to accept the role of the junior partner in
the Congress-NCP alliance.
But things are not hunky-dory in the Congress stable either.
Dissidence in the party is rampant, led by the rebellion of Mr Sunil
Deshmukh, two-time MLA and minister in the outgoing government.
Furious that the party ticket for his seat — Amravati — was given to
President Ms Pratibha Patil’s relatively inexperienced son, Mr
Rajendra Shekhawat, he filed his nomination as an independent from the
same constituency, raising the banner of revolt.
While the NCP and the Congress are plagued by dissension, the
Opposition BJP-Shiv Sena camp has nothing to cheer about either. After
a series of disasters at the national level, the rank and file of BJP
has been demoralised and the state unit was forced to toe Sena’s line
on alliance and seat-sharing. The BJP leader, Mr Gopinath Munde,
managing to get three nominations for his family members — including
his daughter, Pankaja, and niece, Poonam Mahajan (daughter of Pramod
Mahajan) — has not gone down well with local party leaders.
Battle of cousins
On the dissension front, the Shiv Sena’s plight is worse and harsh
accusations have been traded between the Sena chief, Mr Bal Thackeray,
and his anointed successor and son, Mr Uddhav Thackeray, on the one
hand, and the acerbic Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Mr Raj
Thackeray, on the other. While Mr Bal Thackeray has launched vicious
attacks against nephew Raj accusing him of a hidden agenda to help the
Congress-NCP combine return to power, Mr Uddhav has accused his cousin
of attempting to divide the Marathi vote.
Ironically, Mr Raj Thackeray’s one-point agenda seems to be to ruin
all chances of cousin Mr Uddhav occupying the top seat at the
Mantralaya. There is no longer any doubt on who will be Chief Minister
if the Sena-BJP alliance wins. Mr Raj has never lost sight of the
reason he left the Sena — which was rebellion against Uncle Balasaab’s
decision to anoint son Mr Uddhav, and not him, as his successor. But
Mr Uddhav Thackeray can become Chief Minister of Maharashtra only if
the Sena-BJP combine clears the 145 mark in a House with 288 seats.
The MNS has fielded as many as 145 candidates, the bulk in the Marathi-
dominated areas of Thane and Mumbai where the young Marathi electorate
seems to favour Mr Raj Thackeray’s vitriolic attacks against North
Indians for taking away jobs meant for the sons of the soil.
Clearly, the nephew and not the son has inherited the acerbic style of
the Sena chief and many Shiv Sainiks are panicking that if the
comparatively sober Mr Uddhav doesn’t add some chatpati bhasha (fiery
language) to his election rhetoric he will miss the bus to Mantralaya
not only this time, but for all time.
Battling anti-incumbency
The widespread feeling, even outside the Sena-BJP camp and in the
general public, is that there cannot be a better time than this to end
the 10-year rule of the Congress-NCP combine. As would happen in any
State which has seen two successive terms of the same government, the
anti-incumbency mood in Maharashtra is palpable.
Forget steep run up in food prices, and water and power shortages, the
Mumbai terror attacks are fresh in public memory. Many citizens feel
that it was the State government’s failure at two levels —
intelligence and operational capability — which led to the carnage.
But what can still help the ruling combine to return to power is the
listless mood in the BJP and the son-vs-nephew battle in the Sena.
Also, for the first time the Shiv Sena has seen dissidence and
unhappiness over the party nominations resulting in the vandalism by
Sainiks at the house of senior Sena leader, Mr Manohar Joshi. Some
Shiv Sainiks even marched to Matushree, Mr Bal Thackeray’s residence,
and demanded to know why deserving candidates had been ignored this
time. Surely, this must have shocked the leader who ruled his party
with an iron hand.
But what is worrying him most is that if there is a fractured verdict,
Raj’s MNS will most likely support the Congress-NCP and help it form
the government. On his part, the MNS chief keeps reiterating that he
will support anybody who is ready to follow his agenda on Maharashtra
and Marathis!
Do or die for Pawar
For Mr Sharad Pawar too, this election is crucial and the NCP’s
performance will determine not only his role at the Centre but the
continuance of the NCP as a separate political outfit. He is
increasingly under pressure to merge the NCP with the Congress; the
demand first started in June when Mr P. A. Sangma met the Congress
President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and apologised to her for raising her
foreign origin issue. It was on this issue that he, Mr Tariq Anwar and
Mr Sharad Pawar parted company with the Congress and formed the NCP.
In the last couple of weeks, Mr Pawar has had to issue several denials
about the NCP merging with the Congress. But as a ruling alliance
partner he is accountable to the electorate for their woes, not the
least being the problems faced by farmers. Launching his campaign in
Vidarbha last week, Mr Pawar blamed the erstwhile Sena-BJP government
for the power crisis in the State by its “flip-flop on the Dabhol
power project”.
While the project was conceived during Mr Pawar’s term as chief
minister, the BJP-Sena government scrapped it when it came to power,
not only triggering the power crisis, but also scaring away foreign
investment from Maharashtra, he charged.
As the worsening agrarian crisis and farmer suicides are sensitive
poll issues in this agri belt of western Maharashtra, Mr Pawar lauded
the UPA government’s “historic decision” on the Rs 71,000-crore farm
loan waiver and reduction in farm loan interest rates from 12 to 7 per
cent, and promised further reduction to 4 per cent.
For an election-weary nation, the run-up to the Maharashtra election
is a non-starter. The Congress, of course, hopes to breathe some life
into its lacklustre campaign by getting Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul
Gandhi to address a few meetings in the State over the week. Meanwhile
in Amravati, where the sitting MLA and Congress rebel, Mr Sunil
Deshmukh, is challenging the official candidate, Mr Rajendra
Shekhawat, the latter’s woes are growing.
The Amravati Mayor, Mr Ashok Dongre, ordered that all posters of Mr
Shekhawat’s mother be removed from the constituency, resulting in the
son sulking: “Is it a crime to be the President’s son? I have worked
very hard to get where I am.” He has requested Mr Rahul Gandhi to
address a meeting in Amravati.
(Response may be sent to rash...@thehindu.co.in and
blfee...@thehindu.co.in)
bademiyansubhanallah
Munde tries to play down MNS threat
6 Oct 2009, 0628 hrs IST, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) may have ruffled Shiv
Sena but BJP national general secretary Gopinath Munde feels the 17-
party Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF) would more than offset
MNS damage by hurting Congress-NCP.
Mr Munde, BJP's campaign leader for the assembly polls, claimed on
Monday that the Third Front would get 12-14% votes away from Congress-
NCP as against a 4% dent in the BJP-Sena votes that the MNS was likely
to make. However, Mr Munde’s optimism has overlooked the fact that
MNS’ state-wide 4% vote has little bearing on its damage potential in
the Mumbai-Thane-Pune belt, where it polled more than 20% votes in the
recent Lok Sabha polls.
In addition, Congress-NCP was fighting a serious rebellion in the
ranks with as many as 120 rebels in the fray against official
nominees, Mr Munde said. He conceded that even the BJP-Sena too were
facing rebellion but it was restricted to only 7 to 8 seats out of
288.
"The current political situation is comparable to the 1995 assembly
polls in Maharashtra, when Congress lost because of large-scale
rebellion. Rebellion will ensure that the transfer of votes from
Congress to NCP or vice-versa will not take place," Mr Munde said.
In 1995, Sena-BJP had polled 29.5% votes, which gave them 133 seats,
Mr Munde recalled. The saffron combine roped in Independents to form
the government. Asked if a post-poll situation similar to that in 1995
would mean BJP-Sena may have to take support from Independents, Mr
Munde said the alliance would get a clear majority.
He referred to elections held in other states during the last two-
three years, pointing out that the electorate had voted against a hung
assembly. "As many as eight states have showed this trend and here the
performance has also mattered," he said.
The BJP leader argued that several factors would go against the 10-
year-old Congress-NCP rule. Anti-incumbency, price rise, corruption,
energy shortage, and a deplorable law and order situation were only
some of them, he said. Mr Munde claimed Congress-NCP had failed to
justify their return to power in the Lok Sabha elections five months
back.
"Not even a point on the 100-day agenda outlined by the prime minister
has been achieved. People gave them more seats in Maharashtra than BJP-
Sena with some expectations but they have not fulfilled those
expectations," Mr Munde said.
Mr Munde ridiculed the Congress-NCP manifesto accusing the combo of
copying 13 agendas from the 21-point manifesto of BJP-Sena alliance.
"If they can't think of something original even after ruling the state
for ten years, why would the people trust them again," he asked. But
keeping the manifesto season alive, Mr Munde promised BJP-Sena, if
voted to power, would cut allocations already budgeted for different
departments to find Rs 2,000 crore to fight drought.
chhotemianinshallah
CM calls Raj a frog, Uddhav equates him with a rat
STAFF WRITER 12:38 HRS IST
Mumbai, Oct 6 (PTI) As far as calling names goes, campaigning for the
October 13 Maharashtra Assembly elections seems to have reached a new
low, with key players in state political arena calling rivals names,
including those of animals.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan called MNS chief Raj Thackeray a 'frog'
during a press conference in his hometown Nanded recently.
"Raj Thackeray and other opponents are like frogs which appear on
ground during the monsoon and start croaking," Chavan said.
Chavan is the latest in the long line of leaders who have used
colourful language to deride opponents, the most visible practitioners
of this 'art' being estranged Thackeray cousins.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray equated Raj to a
"contractor working on commission for the Congress-NCP combine".
Sid Harth
Muzaffarpur/Mumbai, October 6, 2009
Court issues arrest warrant against Raj Thackeray
PTI
A Bihar court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against Maharashtra
Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly making hate
speeches against Biharis with a directive to the Mumbai Police
Commissioner to execute it and produce the MNS chief on November 2.
In Mumbai, Police Commissioner D Sivanandan said necessary action will
be taken in accordance with law once they receive the directive.
The warrant was issued by Sahab Kaushar, first class judicial
magistrate, Muzaffarpur, after he took exception to non-compliance of
the order of the court by Mr. Thackeray to represent his side on
previous dates. Mr. Kaushar ordered that Thackeray be produced before
the court on November 2.
The MNS, which had spearheaded a controversial campaign against north
Indians, said it would react only after seeing the warrant copy. “We
have not received any such warrant and would not comment on it unless
we read it,” party general secretary Nitin Sardesai said.
Sudhir Ojha, a senior advocate, had on February 2, 2008 filed a
complaint under section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke
breach of peace), in the court of the then Chief Judicial Magistrate
(Muzaffarpur) J K Sinha seeking legal action against Mr. Thackeray.
Mr. Ojha alleged that Mr. Thackeray had on Janaury 31, 2008 statement
made “uncharitable, insulting and hate speeches against the Biharis.”
Mr. Thackeray had also insulted the ‘Chhath’ festival, he alleged.
Mr. Sinha had then transferred the case to the first class judicial
magistrate.
Sid Harth
Nanded, October 6, 2009
People area aware of opponents’ ‘hollow claims’: Sonia
PTI
PTI Congress president Sonia Gandhi being garlanded by Chief Minister
Ashok Chavan and other leaders at an election rally in Nasik on
Tuesday. Photo: PTI
People of Maharashtra are aware of ’hollow claims’ by the opposition
parties and will once again vote Congress-NCP combine to power,
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said here today.
“Maharashtra people are alert. They know who is making genuine
promises and who is making hollow claims. They will once again bring
Congress-NCP to power in the state,” Ms. Sonia said, addressing a
rally for the October 13 Assembly polls, at this Sikh pilgrimage town
in Marathwada region.
“What does the opposition have to do with development?” Ms. Sonia
asked, alluding to the Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance. .
“They don’t talk about public interest but only foment hatred for
their political interests,” she added.
“We want a Maharashtra where every person can live in peace and
harmony and participate in the development process,” Sonia said,
appealing voters in the nine Assembly constituencies of Chief Minister
Ashok Chavan’s home district Nanded to vote for Congress-NCP-RPI
(Gawai) alliance.
The UPA government took various initiatives for farmers, specially
those from Maharashtra, the Congress president said. .
“There is a new light in the lives of farmers after the Government
announced Rs 71,000 crore loan waiver,” she said.
Congress is fighting for the welfare of weaker sections of society,
including Dalits and women, Ms. Sonia said. Loans at cheaper interests
have been made available to ‘our sisters’, she said.
“We have increased support prices of foodgrains,” the Congress
president said.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, christened after
Mahatma Gandhi, has been taken to all districts in the country and has
been a success, she said.
Nanded, an important religious destination, has been included in the
National Urban Renewal Mission and funds allocated for its
development, she said. Soon, Nanded would be a slum—free town, the UPA
chairperson said.
Recalling the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Lal
Bahadur Shastri in the freedom struggle, Ms. Sonia said these leaders
worked for progress and development of generations to come.
chhotemianinshallah
Sabotage fear stalks Cong
SANJAY K. JHA
New Delhi, Oct. 7: Beneath the veneer of alliance, a common manifesto
and joint campaign lie the thorns of animosity and distrust between
the Congress and the NCP.
Congress leaders now realise that the bitter bargaining for seats is
nothing compared to the landmine Sharad Pawar has laid on the ground:
inputs sent to the high command suggest that over 45 rebel candidates
troubling the official nominees enjoy the blessings of the ally.
Many Congress leaders feel that the main challenge the party is facing
is the possibility of internal sabotage by the Pawar camp. Most rebels
who pose a real threat to Congress candidates are powerful NCP
leaders.
The Congress leadership itself was keen to whittle down Pawar’s
influence in the state but could not dream up such an elaborate plan
to hurt the NCP candidates on the field. Congress leaders who openly
talk about the need to restrict the NCP to 30-35 seats admit they
don’t have a statewide action plan to achieve the target.
A Congress leader told The Telegraph: “This is true we face sabotage
and we cannot match Pawarsaheb’s artful tactics. If both the partners
play this game of undercutting each other, this becomes a dangerous
game. This could also help the rivals beyond our imagination. We
should keep our fingers crossed.”
Adding to the Congress-NCP woes is the savage rise in the prices of
essential commodities. “This has definitely caused voter apathy, if
not a strong anti-incumbency. Our sympathisers who are opposed to the
Shiv Sena-BJP also don’t feel like voting us back to power. It is
gradually becoming difficult,” another leader said on phone from
Mumbai.
He added that the only reason the Congress-NCP combine would still be
back in the saddle was the growing clout of Raj Thackeray’s
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). “Raj will give us raj,” he said.
Raj has become such a menace for the Sena that both Bal Thackeray and
Uddhav have concentrated their energies on tackling him. This is
helping the Congress-NCP as the Sena and the BJP have not yet kicked
up too much dust on the performance of the government in the past 10
years.“They already had the disadvantage of not having a projected
leader who could be seen as an alternative chief minister and now they
don’t have an engine to pull their campaign. We would have definitely
faced difficulties if the campaign was focused on matters of
governance, instead of Raj,” a Maharashtra Congress leader said.
Raj has created a situation in which the Sena-BJP is struggling in
most of the 75 constituencies in the Mumbai-Thane-Nashik region.
Congress leaders won’t be surprised if the Sena-BJP fails to win
lesser seats than the MNS in this region.
While the hardcore Marathi votes are likely to split vertically, the
Congress is hoping to squeeze past the post on the strength of
consolidated votes of outsiders (mostly north Indians) and Muslims.
The non-Marathi-speaking voters play a decisive role in the Mumbai-
Pune-Thane region.
bademiyansubhanallah
BJP lashes out at Cong in Haryana
STAFF WRITER 13:11 HRS IST
Sonepat, Oct 8 (PTI) BJP in Haryana today blamed the "wrong economic
policies" of the UPA for the price rise and claimed this trend would
continue if the Congress returned to power in the state.
BJP national general secretary and incharge of party affairs in
Haryana, Vijay Goel, told reporters the Congress advanced the poll in
Haryana because it was aware that prices would further rise in the
coming months.
Dubbing the present government in the state as "a government of
announcements and scams," the BJP leader asked the people to vote for
the BJP candidates if they are fed up with the "false promises and
announcements" as well as "scams" of the state government.
He regretted that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi did not mention at all
the price rise issue during her election tour to the state.
bademiyansubhanallah
Uddhav is CM face of Sena-BJP
Anita Saluja
First Published : 07 Oct 2009 01:38:00 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Uddhav Thackeray is the Chief Ministerial face of the Shiv
Sena- BJP alliance. An understanding has been reached between the Shiv
Sena and the BJP in Maharashtra that if the saffron alliance manages
to wrest power from the Congress- NCP, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray
and BJP veteran L K Advani will make the declaration. In the Thackeray
versus Thackeray poll battle, Uddhav is expected to neutralise Raj
Thackeray’s MNS impact on the electorate in the run-up to the
Maharashtra Assembly polls on October 13.
Sources said though earlier there was an understanding that the party
which wins larger number of MLAs to the Assembly will get the chief
ministership, this time around the party has already given up its
claim on Chief Ministers’s post, much before the elections. The Shiv
Sena is contesting 169 seats and BJP 119 seats in the 288-member
Assembly. In the 2004 elections, the Sena had contested 171 and the
BJP 117 seats. The alliance had jointly bagged 119 seats, compared to
the Congress-NCP tally of 139.
According to the BJP poll managers, the difference between the Shiv
Sena-BJP and the ruling Congress- NCP is less than three per cent vote
during the recent Lok Sabha polls.
In the Lok Sabha polls, while the Sena-BJP led in 122 Assembly
segments, the Congress-NCP led in 128 Assembly segments. Against this
backdrop, the electoral battle is expected to be a close call.
The saffron camp feels that the Third Front factor could prove to be
the game-changer in Maharashtra. The Third Front, comprising of RPI,
Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), SP, JD(S) and the Left Front
accounts for at least 5 percent vote, which was earlier with the
Congress- NCP and it could make a dent in the ruling front vote base,
helping the Sena-BJP combine.
The strong presence of nearly 100 rebels of the Congress-NCP in the
fray is also expected to prove to be advantageous to the Sena-BJP. The
rebels and the Third Front would only cut into the Congress-NCP vote
base. The BJP feels that in Vidharbha, Marathwada and Northern
Maharashtra, which accounts for 160 of the 288 Assembly seats, it will
do well. While the Western Maharashtra (Pune, Satara, Sangli,
Kolhapur), accounting for 60 seats is the NCP stronghold, it is the
Mumbai-Thane region with 60 seats which will be the real battleground
Sid Harth
Support to MNS a 'passing phase', says Khurshid
STAFF WRITER 21:16 HRS IST
Mumbai, Oct 9 (PTI) Support to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) comes
from a section of people who represent the Shiv Sena kind of ideology
and it is merely a "passing phase", Union Minister and Congress leader
Salman Khurshid said today.
Asked at a press meet here about the sizeable votes garnered by the
Raj Thackeray-led party, especially in Mumbai, in the Lok Sabha poll,
he said some phenomena are difficult to explain in a hurry in a
democracy.
It is not easy to explain in a press conference as to why some forces
rise when they should not or why some good people lose an election, he
said.
"There is always a preferential confusion to which Mumbai is no
exception. A certain section of society is programmed to think in the
Shiv Sena ideology.
bademiyansubhanallah
UPA's 10 Most Powerful People
TOI Crest 10 October 2009, 11:06am IST
Power lists are always a contentious affair. Rating the country's
finest sportspersons, richest businessmen or blockbuster filmstars is
relatively easy. But, as with beauty, measuring power is a minefield
of subjectivity. And when it comes to a power list of politicians and
bureaucrats, it can get really slippery. There are those who love to
flaunt the trappings even when they lack the real thing, and those who
control the levers while staying in the shadows.
TOI Crest canvassed a cross-section of people whose business takes
them tramping through New Delhi's corridors of power:
parliamentarians, both of the UPA and the Opposition, senior
bureaucrats, business tycoons and lobbyists. After considerable
sifting and filtering, a list emerged. We deliberately excluded the
troika of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi - to name them
is to state the obvious. And although Pranab Mukherjee's place in the
pecking order of influence was also a given, we've kept him in.
And the Ten Most Powerful People in this UPA regime (in alphabetical
order) are: Ahmed Patel, A K Antony, Anand Sharma, Digvijay Singh,
Jairam Ramesh, Mamata Banerjee, M K Narayanan, P Chidambaram, Pranab
Mukherjee and T K A Nair.
Since a complete consensus on such a list is impossible to hope for -
already we can hear accusations of omission and commission - we use in
our defence the wisdom handed down by the American judge, Potter
Stewart. When asked to define pornography, Judge Stewart said that it
was hard to define, but "I know it when I see it." With power too, you
know it when you feel it.
THE GO-TO GUY
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
In 1980, Pranab Mukherjee disregarded Indira Gandhi's advice and
fought an election from West Bengal. He lost. He was readying for the
wilderness when something happened. On the way to Rashtrapati Bhavan
for the swearing-in of her new cabinet, Mrs Gandhi asked her private
secretary R K Dhawan for the list of ministers for one last check. She
turned on Dhawan - Why isn't his name here? - and promptly added
'Pranab Mukherjee' in her own writing. The story tells you a great
deal about the man's indispensability. Sharp as a stick, and blessed
with a photographic memory for facts and figures, the workaholic
minister wears out officers much younger than him. Up every morning
before six o'clock , he's on the treadmill that his son bought him, in
sweatshirt, tracks and sneakers for an hour (he used to walk at
Talkatora stadium until he was advised not to for security reasons).
The workout is followed by two hours of puja complete with Sanskrit
shlokas. At 9.30 am sharp he's at North Block. He works through the
next 12 hours, with just 60 minutes of shut-eye in his ante-chamber in
the afternoon. Back home, he meets people at the office attached to
his 13 Talkatora residence: Congress and CPM workers from West Bengal,
Mamata Banerjee, Amar Singh (when the Samajwadi Party boss was in
better health), the warring brothers of a business empire. From 11 pm
until midnight, he buries himself, eagerly, in his files. At Cabinet
meetings, he is easily one of the best prepared in the room.
At 74, Pranab babu brings not just political wisdom but much-needed
ballast to the UPA government. He is trouble-shooter-in-chief,
repository of institutional memory, respected strategist, and for all
practical purposes, the No. 2 man after Manmohan. At the end of almost
every Cabinet meeting, the PM turns to Mukherjee for his views. He was
the constant and credible face of New Delhi - and indeed India - in
the hard days and weeks following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He headed
the government when the PM was recuperating from heart surgery. In
short, he is a minister for all seasons and all reasons. He can be as
watchful as a tiger in the political undergrowth, both persuasive and
stern while handling tricky situations, and capable of hammering out a
consensus when none seems possible. Equally, he doesn't suffer fools
gladly and is known to lose his patience easily - Mamata , who holds
him in high regard, is believed to have once complained, "Even my
parents didn't scold me as much as you do. You do it on the phone and
in front of the entire Cabinet."
His detractors never let anyone forget that Pranab once deserted the
party and floated a splinter Congress. Or, that for a brief moment, he
seemed interested in succeeding Indira Gandhi. That he was overlooked
as a presidential nominee last time testifies to the strength of the
campaign against him. It didn't help that the Left, at that time in
the UPA tent, was keen to have him as President.
And yet, it is a measure of his importance that after the last Lok
Sabha election, Sonia Gandhi ensured that Pranab was given finance
even though Manmohan may have preferred Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
If there's one thing Mukherjee has not forgotten, it is that he was
virtually No. 2 to a person of Indira Gandhi's stature. For a man who
delights more in history and philosophy than in modern technology (he
still can't send an SMS), it's these things that memories are made
of.
HOME GUARD
Home Minister P Chidambaram
There was never much doubt about P Chidambaram's efficiency or
intelligence. But he still manages to impress with the sheer
versatility of his range. As finance minister, he delivered more than
one dream budget - the Rs 60,000 farmer loan waiver last year was a
huge vote mop - and cut quite a dash at Davos. As home minister, he is
said to have licked North Block into shape, with a handpicked bunch of
young officers who are not just capable, but his eyes and ears as
well. His diplomatic and legal skills have proved enormously useful in
his 26/11 dossier offensive against Pakistan. Old ministry hands say
there's a stark - and welcome - contrast from the time of his
predecessor, Shivraj Patil.
Chidambaram was drafted into government by a Rajiv Gandhi eager to
induct a new crop of professionals to break the stranglehold of old
"power-brokers" on the party. Born into the upper crust of Chettinad ,
the dapper, articulate lawyer with an MBA from Harvard Business School
slotted in perfectly. Several assignments and a rich haul of
experience later, the 64-year-old minister has earned his spurs as a
deft trouble-shooter after his handling of the food-for-oil scam which
splattered Natwar Singh, then foreign minister, as an alleged
beneficiary of Saddam Hussain's largesse. The oil slick threatened to
spread to the Congress, but Chidamabarm marshalled the resources
available to the economic investigative agencies to build a fool-proof
case for the leadership.
He is not quite a Pranab Mukherjee - or at least not yet. But like
Pranab, he comes to Cabinet meetings well prepared. Ever the master of
minutiae, he worries over every sub-clause in a legislation. As home
minister, he has cracked heads together to break down the walls that
separate intelligence agencies. Does this palpably bright politician
have any shortcomings? Perhaps, if you agree with those who say he's a
little too aware of his brightness.
RUNAWAY TRAIN
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee
Impulsive, impossible - but to her legion of followers in West Bengal,
inspirational. That's 54-year-old Mamata Banerjee - one of the
mavericks of Indian politics, and remarkably enough, for all her
whimsical ways, the future leader of "intellectual" West Bengal. The
dichotomy is resolved if you see her for the person she is - upfront
to the point of being in your face, without lipstick or foundation or
a trace of guile. What you see is what you get, which makes the little
firebrand endearing, never mind the warts.
That's probably why both Sonia Gandhi and the tetchy Pranab Mukherjee
have put up with her tantrums - although she has driven them well past
the point of exasperation. She is treated more like a reckless and
irresponsible sister, a well-intentioned bull in a china shop. Mamata
speaks her mind - often in a torrent of half-swallowed words. When the
Relief & Rehabilitation Bill was being finalised by the Cabinet, she
demanded that the government should have no role whatsoever in
acquiring land for the private sector. She almost huffed out of the
room, until the PM himself coaxed her back from the door. Only last
week, she was on the phone to Pranabda , bitterly complaining about
the Congress "betrayal" in Siliguri for teaming up with the CPM in the
mayor's election against the Trinamool nominee.
Mamata holds the veto in UPA-2. She can nix an economic reform or a
disinvestment proposal if she has strong reservations. And when it
comes to Sonia Gandhi, Mamata doesn't believe in intermediaries. In
the run-up to the recent assembly bypolls in Bengal, she went directly
to Sonia and scotched the local Congress' hopes of contesting even a
single seat. Clearly, Congress sees her as the best bet to uproot the
Left from West Bengal after 35 long years. Many are praying that she
succeeds in realising her chief ministerial ambitions and moves to
Kolkata, which is where she really wants to be.
WILD CARD
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh
Guess who powered the free trade agreement (FTA) with Asean countries?
Jairam Ramesh. Well, there's some exaggeration in this, but only a
bit. What actually happened was that when several ministers from the
south opposed the FTA at the cabinet, Manmohan Singh, who was
committed to it, was at a loss. He finally turned to Jairam. The
environment minister, who was the junior commerce minister in UPA-1,
not only made a robust pitch for the FTA, but also suggested the
mechanism for assessing its impact and that helped the PM carry the
day.
That day his colleagues, often given to dismissing Jairam as a mere
wordsmith, were forced to sit up and acknowledge that he was also a
man of substance. But the Gandhi family has always taken the 55-
yearold Jairam, with his impressive educational background (an IIT
engineer who went on to Carnegie Mellon and MIT) more seriously. It
would be a mistake to measure his importance only by the relatively
"unimportant" portfolios he has held - apart from commerce, he was the
junior minister in power. His current portfolio, environment, is
crucial to the government because of the global heat around climate
change and the attempts by rich countries to force India and China to
accept emission caps that could slow the pace of development.
Beyond ministries, Jairam has many uses - one of them is being a key
associate of Rahul Gandhi. Jairam is not just a policy wonk, he's an
implementer who can blend policy making with political compulsions. He
was one of the key people behind the winning aam admi Congress
campaign of 2004. His inputs are sought for the speeches of both Sonia
Gandhi and Rahul. His proximity to Rahul Gandhi is a source of endless
discussion among Congressmen. As environment minister, Jairam enjoys
virtual autonomy and is not scared to tread on the toes of other
ministries, or even occasionally, the PMO. For instance, he has
opposed the civil aviation ministry's site for a second airport in
Mumbai. In its latest power list, the British weekly New Statesman put
Ramesh ahead of Sonia Gandhi, calling him the "Green Giant". That, of
course, was a case of irrational exuberance. The climate hasn't
changed all that much.
TRADE GUIDE
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma
When Anand Sharma was named a Cabinet minister in UPA-2 , jaws hit the
floor. How had a political lightweight acheived this? When he was
given the plum portfolio of commerce and industry, disbelief turned to
shock. But then only those with a weak political antenna were taken by
surprise. The signs of Sharma's rise had been there for some time. For
instance, when a new CBI boss was to be appointed last year, most
people thought the job would go to M L Sharma. In fact, Sharma was
being congratulated on his impending elevation. But at the last
minute, Ashwini Kumar pipped him to the post. When power brokers made
their inquiries, they discovered that Anand Sharma's push had got
Kumar the job. Anyone who could swing such a politically sensitive
appointment, they correctly reckoned, could not be a lightweight.
Quietly, the number of visitors to his door swelled. Today, Sharma has
a very serious assignment - to navigate India through the choppy
waters of WTO. What's the secret of the rise and rise of this 56-year-
old Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh? What's helped him stay a
member of the all-important Congress durbar for so many years? His
success can be traced to his youth politics - his being Youth Congress
chief when Rajiv Gandhi was party supremo. The link has endured. His
interest in foreign policy, and his championing of the anti-apartheid
cause for the party, brought him close to Rajiv.
When he joined the foreign ministry as a minister of state in UPA-1 ,
it seemed only natural that he should escort Sonia Gandhi on her
maiden visit to China. He marked his arrival as party spokesman,
skillfully amplifying the aam admi message. When required, he displays
a pugnacious relish for scoring partisan points. Anand Sharma has, for
all practical purposes, sidelined the veteran Virbhadra Singh as the
future Congress face in Himachal. Watch out - his climb is by no means
over.
THE INSIDER
Political Secretary To Congress President Ahmed Patel
He is the ultimate insider - unswervingly loyal and ever alert to the
dangers of the spotlight. He sleeps four hours a day - between 2 am
and 6 am - and when he does, he probably dreams of politics. He gives
honest advice when it is solicited and is nothing if not discreet.
Knife-sharp, he is an astute judge of people and situations, carries
complicated messages and delivers them to the right people with the
right nuance. No wonder then, that the 60-year-old Ahmed Patel is
widely regarded as the most influential person in UPA-2 after Sonia
Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Patel's official designation is innocuous - political secretary to the
Congress president. It's said that since R K Dhawan, no secretary to
the Congress boss has wielded as much power. Some say his reach is
greater than even Dhawan's was. Patel's chief skill is his ability to
melt into the shadows. From there, he assesses competing scenarios,
takes decisions in consultation with his bosses, but cleverly leaves
the execution to someone else.
That Patel - handpicked by Rajiv Gandhi to be his parliamentary
secretary and Congress general secretary - derives his power from
Sonia's faith in him is a no-brainer. Party circles are certain that
Sonia runs almost all her important decisions by him. What has
strengthened the equation is that Ahmedbhai never betrays a secret or
the power that comes with such knowledge. His engaged detachment
prevents him from acquiring biases and hobby horses. For all his self-
effacement, though, he can be quite touchy.
Patel's came into politics through the taluka, but rose quickly to
enter the Lok Sabha in 1977 at the
age of 27. He must have had favourites and foes in Gujarat, but few
know who they are. His popularity with the cadre was indicated by the
huge margins he posted in the elections to the Congress Working
Committee in 1992 and 1997. In the years ahead, it will be interesting
to see how his equation with Rahul evolves and whether the bond of
trust will hold.
HIS MADAM'S VOICE
Defence Minister A K Antony
Everyone in the Congress knows Antonyji is important. But only Cabinet
members know how important. Ironically, for someone who gained
national prominence by defying Indira Gandhi in the Emergency, the 69-
year-old minister is now known to be terminally loyal to the High
Command. He rarely speaks at Cabinet meetings, but when he does - in
his understated style - everyone listens. He is his master's voice,
and to defer is wise. So, when he sounds downbeat about a proposal,
people quickly lose enthusiasm for it.
Born to a Syro Malabar Catholic family in Alappuzha district of
Kerala, Antony was nicknamed Thankachan, which means "the golden boy".
A devout atheist, Antony's reputation has been hewed in gold - his
hypochondriacal honesty in a system coated with slush, sets him apart
from the rest of the pack. In the political marketplace such probity
is seen to be of little "use" but people still flock to St Antony
because he has a hotline to Madam.
If he has one drawback, it's the glacial speed at which he takes
decisions on crucial issues such as defence purchases - generals and
admirals say he's so obsessed with avoiding any hint of taint that he
prefers to sit on his hands for as long as possible.
STEEL MAGNOLIA
Digvijay Singh, Congress General Secretary
Digvijay Singh is a quiet charmer. With his canny political sense,
feel for the grassroots, clear articulation - both in English and
Hindi - and winning smile, this former Rajput royal from the
principality of Raghogarh in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district, has
clawed his way back from political ground zero. He seemed to be down
and out after the 2003 drubbing when the Congress, under his
leadership, was reduced to 37 seats in an assembly of 230 in MP, but
has re-emerged as one of the key political generals of UPA-2.
Digvijay Singh often humorously refers to himself as a member of the
"duffer group" - as opposed to the "core group" of party notables. But
this self-deprecation only underlines his growing confidence. It
started growing when, as party general secretary, he was given charge
of Uttar Pradesh, the first family's home turf, where the party had
been reduced to a rump. Diggy Raja (as he's called) sensed scion
Rahul's instinct as well as his impatience with playing second fiddle
in this crucial state and took an aggressive stance towards seat
sharing with Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha polls. To show the
Congress wasn't bluffing, Diggy Raja urged the party to go solo. And
the gambit paid off big time when Congress won 20 seats.
The 62-year-old Digvijay Singh, say insiders, has hit it off well with
Rahul, and is often referred to as Gandhi Junior's political adviser.
The young leader believes, and Digvijay agrees, that there should be a
bold approach to the party's revival in areas where it has lost
influence. It's significant that Singh pushed for tough bargaining
with the NCP in Maharashtra, and if necessary, even an ekla-cholo
approach. While that has not happened, Digvijay has been asked to
manage the polls in the state and coordinate with the NCP. This
assignment is viewed by the allies as the arrival of the political
assassin with a sweet smile.
THE HAWK
M K Narayanan, National Security Advisor
When Mayankote Kelath Narayanan took over as National Security Adviser
(NSA) three weeks after J N Dixit's death in January 2005, many policy
pundits shook their heads in disbelief. This was not a job for spooks,
they said, only those with hands-on foreign policy experience (like
Dixit and his predecessor Brajesh Mishra) could truly appreciate the
intricacies of world politics and the myriad threat perceptions
emerging from an imperfect world. Mike - as Narayanan is called by
some friends - may be a great officer, they said, but his exposure was
limited to the Intelligence Bureau.
The spook proved the sceptics wrong by pursuing the nuclear deal with
the US, and helping fetch the UPA its biggest foreign-policy trophy.
Things haven't been easy for the 75-year-old former IB chief. As NSA,
he got flak after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but once the then home
minister Shivraj Patil was axed at the altar of "accountability",
Narayanan lived to see another day. His supporters say the security
mess wasn't of his making. In fact, he's one person who in meeting
after meeting spoke of the rising jihadi threat. But then in India,
it's customary to take note of things only when they begin to hurt.
Narayanan not only has daily and direct access to the PM, but he also
enjoys Singh's confidence, mainly because of his role in bringing the
nuclear deal to fruition. As chief of the IB under Rajiv Gandhi, he
was a favourite at 10, Janpath - and the reason why he joined the
government in the first place. While the old links remain, his
importance now is largely because of his equation with the PM.
Narayanan is required to attend daily security briefings convened by
home minister Chidambaram, but he leads the discussions in the
minister's absence. His interventions during Cabinet meetings are
heard with attention.
GATE KEEPER
T K A Nair, Principal Secretary to PM
A small, bird-like man, his non-threatening demeanour hides a
cautious, calculating mind. Running the PMO in a coalition as
disparate as UPA-1 was not easy and Nair would often be called in to
handle allies. He did so with consummate professionalism. Nair has to
deal with fewer tantrums now, but his role remains just as crucial. As
principal secretary to the PM, this former Punjab cadre IAS officer
enjoys the absolute trust of his boss and serves as the link between
government and the Congress leadership, ensuring swift action on
issues of party interest.
Nair, 70, is not flamboyant like some big babus of the PMO have been
in the past. But he's better than many of them when it comes to
delivering results, often rolling up his sleeves and getting into the
micro-management of things. When the PM is on an overseas tour, and
every important sarkari functionary is out with him, Nair often stays
home to hold the fort. He keeps a low profile, leaving the more
outgoing NSA to deal with the press.
But make no mistake - Nair is neither compliant nor weak. Given his
job, Nair controls access to the PM. He commands the confidence of PMO
officials who see him as a fair and efficient boss who runs a tight
ship. His eye for spotting trouble is well known as he carefully
steers potentially incendiary position papers out of harm's way. Out
of the limelight, Nair wields vast influence on policy making and it
is not surprising that all manner of supplicants queue up for his
time. One of Nair's pet missions is to promote inter-service
camaraderie between the IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service, especially
after the resentment caused by the sixth pay commission.
...and Iam Sid Harth
bademiyansubhanallah
MNS sings in Urdu, Hindi and English too
Clara Lewis, TNN 10 October 2009, 10:39am IST
MUMBAI: Raj Thackeray's MNS seems to have suddenly discovered the
virtues of multi-culturalism as it campaigns for votes for an election
that may well determine its future.
Thackeray himself may refuse to speak any language other than Marathi
but his hand-picked candidates do not seem to be so confident of
winning seats in Mumbai's melting pot only on the strength of Marathi.
The city's rainbow population has forced MNS candidates to print
pamphlets in Gujarati and - hold your breath - Hindi, Urdu and
English.
Arvind Gawde is one such MNS candidate. Gawde, who is contesting from
cosmopolitan Colaba, has printed handbills in English, Hindi and
Gujarati. Gawde maintains Marathi "asmita'' must be preserved but
admits, a little sheepishly, that the people in his locality should
also know who he is and what he stands for. "There are around 40,000
Gujaratis, 30,000 North Indians, 29,000 Muslims and 70,000 Marathi-
speaking people in my constituency. These people have stayed here for
years,'' the MNS candidate said, almost echoing the logic that people
often use to counter Thackeray's Marathi-only-in-Mumbai agenda.
"These handbills are simply dropped into people's homes. They should
at least know which party I am standing from and, therefore, I have
printed a four-page consolidated handbill in English, Hindi, Marathi
and Gujarati,'' he said.
Gawde does not forget to remind you that he conducted Marathi-speaking
classes in Colaba and Bhendi Bazaar for three months when the MNS
started the Mumbai-for-Marathi agitation. But he also adds that the
response was poor.
Rajan Raje, who is fighting the election from Thane Assembly
constituency, is another MNS candidate who is using his leader's pet
hate, Hindi, in handbills. Forty per cent of the voters in this
constituency are non-Marathi.
And the party's candidates from Dahisar and Magathane, Deepa Patil and
Pravin Darekar, respectively, have followed this example, issuing
pamphlets in Hindi because of the huge North Indian community in their
constituencies.
Darekar, in fact, justified wooing North Indians: "They form a part of
my constituency and are convinced and say they are willing to support
us when I approach them and explain our party's stand,'' he said.
Shirish Parkar candidate from Vile Parle unlike his leader does not
shy from talking to his voters in Hindi.
Notwithstanding its vitriolic agitation against north-Indians, the MNS
has in the past taken up their cause. Following the death of a taxi-
driver working with MERU cabs, the MNS led the agitation for
compensation to be given to his widowed wife.
Nitin Sardesai, spokesperson for the MNS said his party was for
Marathi, Maharashtrians and sons of the soil. "But at the same time we
are not against any language. Raj has always maintained that we are
not against those who have lived in the city for generations, and
respect Marathi culture. Our candidates printing handbills in other
languages is keeping in line with our stand,'' said Sardesai.
bademiyansubhanallah
63 crorepatis in Arunachal poll fray
TNN 8 October 2009, 10:34pm IST
ITANAGAR: The poll field in Arunachal Pradesh could be one of the
richest in the country. Of the 154 contestants for the October-13
Assembly elections in this landlocked frontier state, 63 are
crorepatis. Topping the chart is Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjay's
brother, whose declared assets are worth about Rs 209 crore.
According to poll affidavits of candidates analyzed by National
Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), two
citizen action groups working for poll reforms, Tagar, who is
contesting from the Palin constituency on a People's Party of
Arunachal (PPA) ticket, is also one of the youngest among the aspiring
lot at 34. He has, however, studied only up to Class X. The survey
found that his business firm, M/S Reniya Enterprises, has a turnover
of Rs 158 crore at the moment.
Former Rajya Sabha member Nabam Rebia and Congress nominee for the
Doimukh Assembly seat is second in the crorepati list with assets
worth over Rs 24 crore, closely followed by incumbent chief minister
Dorjee Khandu (Rs 22 crore-plus).
Ex-minister Lechi Legi, who contested on a Congress ticket last time
but lost to BJP's Kipa Babu from Itanagar, is in the fourth position
with assets worth a little less than Khandu but also over Rs 22 crore.
This time, he has swapped parties with Babu. Gojen Gadi of Congress,
re-contesting from Basar, complete the Top-Five chart with his Rs 19
crore-plus movable and immovable property.
To put it in a descending order, those in the Top Ten list are Chowna
Mein and Kameng Dolo of Congress (both Rs 18 crore-plus), Nang Sati
Mein (Independent) at Rs 14 crore, James Techi Tara (NCP) at Rs 13
crore and Wangman Lowangcha commanding assets worth Rs 12 crore.
Poll debutante Tara, who hails from Papum Pare but later settled down
in Lohit, is pitted against sitting MLA Chowna Mein (Congress) and
three others. Missing a slot in the Top-Ten list by a whisker is Likha
Saaya, the youth face of Congress, with his assets worth Rs 9.6
crore.
In the last Assembly elections, former chief minister Gegong Apang was
the richest candidate with his Rs 9 crore-plus assets. But in the last
five years, he has only gone poorer. According to the survey, his
assets are worth Rs 7 crore and he managed to clinch the 14th
position.
Like Apang, education minister Tatar Kipa, PWD minister Nabam Tuki and
parliamentary secretary Takam Sorang were in the list of Top Five
crorepatis in the last polls, but have gone down the chart this time.
Tuki, with his Rs 6 crore-plus assets, finished 16th in the list,
while Kipa stood 22nd (Rs 3 crore-plus). Sorang, with only a plot of
land at ESS Sector Itanagar worth Rs 2.5 lakh, is not even in the Top
Hundred list.
Interestingly, most parties seem to have favoured crorepatis while
giving them tickets to contest the polls. While Congress gave tickets
to 37 crorepatis, NCP chose eight and Trinamool Congress seven. PPA
has four crorepatis in its list of 11 contestants, BJP has six of its
18 nominees and of the three Independents, one is a crorepati. JD(U),
which has fielded three candidates, is the only party that does not
have a single crorepati in its fold.
bademiyansubhanallah
UPA's other knights at the round table
TOI Crest 10 October 2009, 11:04am IST
The debonair Montek Singh Ahluwalia has become something of a fixture
on Raisina Hill. During his days at the finance ministry, he was often
spotted strolling across the road between the North and South blocks.
Today, he sits a little distance away at Yojana Bhavan but wields much
more power than he did as a bureaucrat. That's because of his
proximity to the PM.
Those privy to the Singh-Singh relationship say that for Manmohan,
Montek is the son he never had. Trust and affection run deep, a bond
shared by the PM's wife, Gursharan Kaur. If Manmohan Singh were to
believe in a coterie, Montek would have been its leading light.
Despite all this, Montek is not seen as a power player. This has to do
both with his personality as well as his style of working. His
capabilities are recognised but there's always that niggling feeling
that the Planning Commission deputy chairman is a bit short on
pragmatism . "Good on theory, weak in practicals" is the pithy
assessment. The widely held view in the Congress is that Montek is too
much of textbook person and adrift of the party's political
priorities. Yet, his access to the PM makes him a much sought-after
VIP.
If Congress has stymied Montek's mobility, the party's backing -
particularly Rahul Gandhi's - is the chief reason for the remarkable
ascent of C P Joshi. He lost the assembly polls by one vote but that
did not derail him. As a matter of fact, the loss was more than
compensated for when, after winning the Lok Sabha polls, he was not
just brought into the Cabinet but given charge of rural development -
a portfolio that is valued (a) because of its huge budgetary
allocation (b) because it holds the key to Congress's aspiration to
have a majority of its own on the back of aam aadmi support, and (c)
because it's close to Rahul's heart. Joshi's organisation-building
abilities hold the chief of the Rajasthan unit of Congress in good
stead. But what hinders the former lecturer of psychology is his
volatile temperament. Simply put, Joshi has a knack for rubbing people
up the wrong way. His jousts with the Opposition have been aggressive
enough to embarrass a leadership which itself does not believe in
giving any quarter. He will have to learn to tread cautiously in New
Delhi - a stage which favours discretion over bravado.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi remains crucial, but has lost some of the heft
he had under UPA-1 , both because of his dependence on the Congress in
Chennai and because Sonia's improved tally buffers her against the
tantrums of regional bosses. It's the same for Sharad Pawar. Indeed,
the erosion of the Maharashtra politician's base is glaringly obvious
because of the mismatch between his feverish projection as potential
prime minister and the single digit Lok Sabha tally of his NCP.
Within Congress, Kamal Nath is out of the ‘A’ List for now because of
his shift from the commerce ministry. But those who know the man know
that he can bounce back. The fact that he heads the ministry of road
transport and highways - a hot button for both the PM and Congress
leadership - can be an invaluable opportunity for a man who values his
"performer" tag.
In contrast, Prithiviraj Chavan, the MOS in the PMO, remains on the
favoured list. His being in charge of the politically sensitive
department of personnel is proof enough that he is trusted by the
Congress leadership. And while he is a full-scale minister of the
Cabinet, his perch affords him a seat at the high table and makes him
privy to very important information.
Delhi is an arena where even the mightiest politician has to reckon
with the wily set - the "permanent government". In fact, even in this
age of empowerment, many babus are supposed to be more powerful than
those to whom they report. The smarter politicians see this. Those who
don't get "house trained" without even realising it. Cabinet Secretary
K M Chandrashekhar, with his ability to work officialdom, heads the
power pack which includes home secretary G K Pillai, finance
secretary, Ashok Chawla and commerce secretary Rahul Khullar. Then,
there are others like urban development secretary M Ramachandran, Trai
chairman J S Sarma and special secretary in the ministry of petroleum
S Sundareshan who add lustre to their designations.
Attorney general Ghoolam Vahanvati and solicitor general Gopal
Subramaniam make it to the list because of their position and legal
skills. Rajeev Mathur, director of Intelligence Bureau, has won
admiration for grasping his brief quickly. The intelligence operative
who has earned the admiration of his international peers is also
appreciated in the PMO.
bademiyansubhanallah
UPA netas board economy, fly luxury
TNN 9 October 2009, 01:40am IST
NEW DELHI: Pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines have blown the lid
off the UPA's ongoing austerity drive which has seen ministers and MPs
making a proud show of flying economy. In a letter to the airline
management, they alleged that ``some'' ministers and MPs insisted on
an upgrade — that is seats in business class — after boarding the
aircraft on economy tickets.
Some VVIPs, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA)
complained, even ``forcibly occupy seats in J (business) class''.
The airline, on its part, maintained that it had not come across any
such case. ``The ICPA has not cited any specific example. So the
question of taking action for something that has not happened so far
does not arise,'' said an airline spokesperson. Officials of several
airlines, however, agreed that despite the austerity drive, not many
VVIPs were comfortable flying economy class.
Steering clear of the austerity issue, the ICPA only requested airline
CMD Arvind Jadhav not to take disciplinary action against pilots by
holding them responsible for the upgrade ``if some person in power
upgraded him/herself on their own''.
After taking over, Jadhav has come down heavily on the earlier common
practice of upgrades in the Air India-Indian Airlines combine. Only
very senior level employees can travel business class and even for
other well-connected people, the economy ticket has to be of a certain
minimum fare level to be considered for upgrade.
``Many private airlines have instructions fed into their systems to
give upgrades automatically, subject to availability, to certain
powerful names from the political and bureaucratic spectrum. The
austerity drive has mainly meant loss of revenue for us as when
certain VVIPs are checked-in, we do insist on upgrading them.
Sometimes they don't accept the offer and sometimes they do. But they
all want to know if some senior party leader or UPA functionary is on
that flight before accepting the upgrade,'' said an airport official
of a private airline.
Being a government airline, IA airport staff may not be under the same
stress as their private counterparts to automatically upgrade the big
names holding economy tickets — possibly, leaving VVIPs to use their
clout on board the aircraft to seek upgrades.
``Since they are in positions of power, our commercial staff and cabin
crew are helpless as any resistance (to forcible upgrades) will lead
to an awkward situation... So, at times, keeping in mind on-time
performance and to avoid agitation of mind, we have to turn a blind
eye to (this) problem,'' said the letter written by ICPA general
secretary R S Otaal on Wednesday.
Worldwide, it is customary for airlines to upgrade commercially
important persons (CIPs) or even common fliers inconvenienced by the
airline in any way. However, the desi VIP culture has meant that
airlines have made a habit of upgrading netas and babus.
bademiyansubhanallah
Flush with slush: On the money trail
TNN 10 October 2009, 11:19am IST
Indians love the extremities of Switzerland: Bollywood romances its
snowy mountain peaks and businessmen can't go deep enough into its
bottomless bank vaults.
The Swiss Numbered Bank Account - say it with a smirk and a shush -
has long united the old seths and the nouveau riche. Businessmen,
royals, politicians and underworld dons have steadily salted away
their 'No 2 money' in such accounts , far from taxman (and wife). Some
of this money flowed from crime, corruption and underhand business:
Drugs, gun-running , protection rackets, bribes, kickbacks, over-
invoicing , diversion of funds, 'round tripping' . The rest was more
dodgy than dirty: Tax rates during Indira Gandhi's socialist raj were
so bone-crushingly heavy and foreign exchange limits so laughably low
that the incentive to salt away money abroad was strong. Plus, Zurich
was so safe and silent, and there was no danger of footprints in the
snow. It became a running joke. Even when the not-so-rich travelled to
Switzerland, a friend would affectionately mock, "Money's safe? What's
your bank balance like now?"
Swiss bankers began to unbend only after the horror of 9/11, when
presented with evidence of terror finance being routed through their
safes. And after the global meltdown of September 2008, governments
the world over were less inclined to wink at these lockers of loot.
Neck deep in debt on the one hand and bleeding billions to bail out
wobbly banks and businesses, the US brought its boot down on tax
evaders. A number of European countries such as the UK and Germany
followed suit, prosecuting Swiss banks for sheltering tax criminals
and even arresting senior bankers in their countries. The banks got so
rattled that they advised their senior management to avoid overseas
travel.
Finally, they began to respond to specific proof of moneylaundering
and other criminal actions, but were clear that "fishing
expeditions" (roving investigations) would be sternly rebuffed.
Pressure has continued to mount since the G-20 meeting in London,
where the finance ministers of developing and developed countries
decided on concerted measures to crack down on tax havens. For it
wasn't only Switzerland that was being hunted.
Over the years, slush banking has moved (as has Bollywood) from this
charming Alpine country to newer pastures such as the Caribbean
islands (Cayman, Bahamas, Panama), tiny Liechtenstein and Luxembourg
in Europe, Dubai and the Maldives.
Every few years, there was loud talk in India of repatriating this
legendary, quick-growing black wealth either by forcing banks to
disclose the names of their Indian clients (fat chance) or by
announcing an amnesty scheme (slim chance). Cynics discount all such
noises with a standard response: "A lot of it belongs to Indian
politicians or businessmen fronting for politicians . They're not
going to open a can of worms." In the campaign heat of the 2009
general election, the BJP's candidate for prime minister, L K Advani,
vowed to pry open the accounts of Indian citizens if voted in. The
Bofors ghost - Rs 64 crore in kickbacks allegedly hidden in a Swiss
bank - was exhumed again, with Advani demanding that Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh come clean on the issue. On the back foot, the PM later
said he had already started action on getting back black money.
Switzerland, of course, promptly snubbed India's initial appeals for
cooperation.
In recent weeks, New Delhi has once again started to pressure the
Swiss authorities to share information on Indians with numbered
accounts. The finance ministry is said to have sent over 20 letters to
the Swiss, and a team of officials will visit Switzerland in the
coming weeks- but there's little hope of the Swiss breaking the
omerta, the sacred code of silence . There are indications, though,
that the Swiss might offer to pay a small "tax" on black money that
flowed from India into secret accounts - as compensation for the tax
that should have been paid in India but was evaded.
What has given Indian efforts an element of urgency are charges that
Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan transacted $8 billion (almost Rs
40,000 crore) from his wife's Swiss bank account, as well as a public
interest litigation by renowned lawyer and political gadfly Ram
Jethmalani alleging that a mind-numbing Rs 70 lakh crore of Indian
money is in banks abroad and no serious effort is being done to get it
back.
Last week, solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam told a Supreme Court
bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan that the Centre would
seek to amend the double taxation avoidance treaty (DTAA) with
Switzerland and incorporate a disclosure clause forcing Swiss banks to
share information about Indians suspected of parking illegal money in
numbered accounts. The solicitor general also told the SC that the
Centre might invoke the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against
Hasan Ali and his banks. The chairman of the Central Board of Direct
Taxes, S S Moorthy, told TOI, "This December, we will begin the first
round of talks on amending the DTAA in respect of exchange of
information."
Transparency International's India chairman , Admiral R H Tahiliyani
said, "Before seeking revision of any tax treaty, the government
should ratify the UN convention on corruption. Once that's done, it
will make it obligatory for other signatory countries to share
information on tax evaders and their black money."
bademiyansubhanallah
What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Rebellion is the flavour of the season. None, be it the NCP-Congress
front or the Sena-BJP alliance, has been able to prevent the
disgruntled ticket aspirants from raising the banner of revolt. The
Congress has identified 40 to 50 rebels in the state who could do
serious damage to the Democratic Front alliance.
Resident Editor, The Times of India, Pune
P.S. You may also SMS or e-mail your views. Mail us on
mytimes...@timesgroup.com with ‘Rebel’ mentioned in the subject
line. To SMS, type MTMV, leave a space, type ‘REBEL’, leave a space,
type your comments and your name and sms to 58888. Charges applicable:
Rs 3 per SMS
Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6:26 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Religion(hinduism-caste system), inequality and injustice.
Posted by BR AMVAADEKAR @ 10/10/2009 10:26 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Lack of proper forums to voice complaints opinions and suggestions.
Allowing influential people and people in power to get away with
irresponsible actions.
Getting elected to pursue personal and selfish goals.
Delay in justice, Lack of enought opportunities.
Are all a few of the main reasons.
Posted by Petrolah @ 10/8/2009 4:00 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Economic imbalance, sex and labor exploitaion, atrocities on weaker
sections and ofcourse lack of will power in governance.
Posted by Prof. Ramesh Sinha, ND @ 10/8/2009 11:24 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go
Posted by This too funny @ 10/8/2009 1:47 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Rebellion?! The causes of rebellion could be many viz utter
dissaisfaction with personal or social circumstances. But sorry to say
although dissatisfactions abound, rebellion is a rare phenomenon in
India. It is not in the blood or genes of Indians otherwise we would
not have been ruled by Foreign Muslim rulers and then the British and
after that our own corrupt politicians. If an Indian can just pass
over an injured man on the road, normally go to work place without
initiating any protest against government's repeated failure to punish
the terrorists causing deaths & destructions in Mumbai & elsewhere,
not punish the politicians for failing to take any action against
those who insulted our Parliament and Red Fort, sit silent over not
hanging Afzal Guru, Nithari killings, wink at molestation & rape of
womenfolk just because they are not related to him THEN HOW CAN WE SAY
THAT INDIANS CAN ALSO REBEL LIKE THE CHINESE AND RUSSIANS ?? I believe
the Indians are a race of cowards and will remain as such !!!
Posted by Asim Kumar @ 10/7/2009 6:03 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Rebellion?! The causes of rebellion could be many viz utter
dissaisfaction with personal or social circumstances. But sorry to say
although dissatisfactions abound, rebellion is a rare phenomenon in
India. It is not in the blood or genes of Indians otherwise we would
not have been ruled by Foreign Muslim rulers and then the British and
after that our own corrupt politicians. If an Indian can just pass
over an injured man on the road, normally go to work place without
initiating any protest against government's repeated failure to punish
the terrorists causing deaths & destructions in Mumbai & elsewhere,
not punish the politicians for failing to take any action against
those who insulted our Parliament and Red Fort, sit silent over not
hanging Afzal Guru, Nithari killings, wink at molestation & rape of
womenfolk just because they are not related to him THEN HOW CAN WE SAY
THAT INDIANS CAN ALSO REBEL LIKE THE CHINESE AND RUSSIANS ?? I believe
the Indians are a race of cowards and will remain as such !!!
Posted by Asim Kumar @ 10/7/2009 6:00 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
When PT Usha cried today, it can be considered symbolic of total
corruption, castiesm, spineless governments ruling, and where there is
utter disregard for any decency. The utter chaos in CWG is shown when
PM has to intervene to get something working. Think of what aam admi
must undergo where it must be impossible to get something working.
Posted by CitizenIndia @ 10/6/2009 7:22 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
Because everyone want to be a leader with control and power. They do
not to share their public looting with anyone. what do you expect from
criminal, murderer,rapists and patty thives.
Posted by KRIS canada @ 10/6/2009 12:47 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
RAJ THACKREY THE BASTERED MAFIA OF BOMBAY,THE COWARD RAJ THACKREY
THINK OF HE IS SHIVAJI OF MAHARASHTRA,HE IS JUST COWARD DOG & BARKING
ONLY IN BOMBAY,IF HE HAS GHUTS TO GO CHINA BORDER WITH HIS SENA TO
FIGHT AGAINST CHINESE?EVEN HE CAN NOT GO OUT FROM BOMBAY WITHOUT
SECURTY? WAKE UP PEOPLES OF BOMBAY & KILLED HIM BEFORE HE BECOMES
ANOTHER PAPER TIGER BAL THACKREY?WHERE IS "DON DAWOOD IBRAHIM" ONE &
ONLY "DON DAWOOD IBRAHIM" CAN TEACH LESSONS TO RAJ THACKREY??? """MERA
INDIA MAHAN"""
Posted by GUL RAMANI @ 10/3/2009 5:17 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
The cause of rebellion of political parties is money and allurement
for some undue gains given to the rebels from the contending party(s).
This is done to damage the chances of the prospective candidate to
win. This strategy has proved to be very successful in bringing down
even the political big-wigs.
We, the electorate need to be more aware and conscientious to prevent
this game.
Posted by Pradeep Khan @ 10/2/2009 11:47 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
No commitment to country, only self-interest/greed/lust of pwer is
main aim of rebellion.
Posted by S C Vaid @ 10/1/2009 6:10 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
The cause of rebellion is lack of ideology, as also strong desire to
"serve the nation" to and make future generations of the netas' poor
enough to afford some minor luxuries in life, wield power to "serve
the aam admi."
Posted by Mohan Deshmukh @ 10/1/2009 3:12 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
THE REAL CAUSE OF REBELION IS THE COUNTRY BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE BY
THE POLITICIANS AND NETAs LIKE SHARAD PAWAR AND MAYAWATI. THEY ARE
ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE
PROBELMS OF INDIA. THEIR HUNGER FOR MONEY ARE POWER IS SO LARGE THAT
THEY DO NOT CONSIDER ANYTHING ELSE. WHILE THE PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND
STUGGLING TO MAKE THE ENDS MEET, THESE TWO LIVE HIGH ON THE HOG AND
MAKE FALSE PROMISES TO THE GULLIBLE PEOPLE. IT'S A SHAME THAT THESE
PEOPLE GET ELECTED AND RE-ELECTED AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Posted by NIRANJAN @ 10/1/2009 8:51 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
first of all in Cong-NCP, Sena-BJP both alliances delayed the list of
their nominees and another major cause is these parties are not
prefering new faces new social activists or workers as their
candidates. they are giving tickets to the people who are already
mla's for consecutive 4 to 5 times or more than that. its not good for
any party and those who are working since last 10 to 15 years waiting
for party nod are not getting tickets. and in frustration these people
are now in fray as rebel candidate of the respective parties. party
chief should monitor the ticket distribution and see that it is going
in proper way or right way.
Posted by sangeeta padalkar @ 10/1/2009 8:40 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
The revolt in a paqrty or united government is due to lack of
compromises and "give and take policy" of the ruling party.True
rebellion is due to stupid actions of a leader resulting in
disenchantment and disillsionment with suffering of masses.In a
democratic society if only the chief of the state or country takes
every thing t5here will be revolt.If the chief takes every thing at
the expense of even mere existence and ordinary conveniences from the
people then there will be a rebellion.
Posted by ssmoorthy @ 10/1/2009 3:28 AM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
The real cause for the rebellion is the greed and fear of politicians.
the rebels donot want to give up their seats as the status of being an
mla brings them lot of moolah. and they fear that if they are not an
mla then it will quickly eclipse them politically thereby losing the
lucrative field.
Posted by S. V. KAMATH @ 9/30/2009 7:24 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of rebellion?
The people who had worked from their School-days at the local levels,
namely grassroots,very often do not get any chance in the party
hierarchy.This may be due to favoritism,religious/ caste
considerations and I am told that even money matters! In such
situations, it is very hard to expect someone to show loyalty to the
so called high-commands!Revolting is perhaps the only way to express
one's feelings. Gone are the days of ideological politics!
Posted by Viswanath @ 9/30/2009 3:45 PM
# re: What, according to you, is the real cause of r
In Indian politics to revolt has become a fashion. For anything and
everything there are revolts from the party leaders and office
bearers. If election ticket is not given they revolt, if minister post
is not given they revolt and wherever there is no accommodation, we
can see people revolting.
The real cause for this is catching of power by becoming a minister or
some other post with authority.
This trend will weaken our democracy and it is not a healthy trend.
Whereever unnecessary revolts take place the party strength is
weakended. Those in authority should realise this in the interest of
our nation.
Posted by beegeeaar @ 9/29/2009 9:18 PM
bademiyansubhanallah
When Raj Thackeray is put on the couch
C P SURENDRAN4 October 2009, 12:34am IST
Karan Johar's, Wake Up, Sid, is being released at the wrong time. The
assembly polls are round the corner in Maharashtra. And, so, this
happens to be, more than anyone else's, Raj Thackeray's make or break
year. If Raj sends enough MLAs to the assembly, it will obviously work
to his advantage. If not, he is out for the count. Which is why he
picked on Johar in whose movie, characters refer to Mumbai as Bombay.
The Thackeray family, be it Balasaheb, Uddhav or Raj, have essentially
just one cracked plank to walk the chasm between victory and defeat:
the plank of Marathi Manoos. Local pride. Raj has always been quicker
to react to issues like Amitabh Bachchan's preferring UP to Mumbai for
opening a school, the alleged preponderance and prosperity of north
Indian construction workers in Mumbai, or the Johar controversy. But
Raj is the quicker of the Thackerays, not because he's sharper, but
also because he is more desperate.
Desperation is a sign of failed imagination. You think in terms of
resources, but not what you have, what you lack. When Raj Thackeray
formed the Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena in 2006, one of the things he
harped on was the state's development. What he has done to harness his
party's energies in that direction is pretty much laughable. Contrast
this with the grassroots politics of, say, a Rahul Gandhi.
Raj's nightmare is that his apparently milder cousin Uddhav – and to a
lesser extent his aged uncle, Bal – might be the seen as the real
Marathi Manoos. Since most of us tend to be guided by our fears and
not by our courage, it is easy to see where Raj comes from. But fact
remians that for a young man, his politics is ancient.
It is passé to say that the politics of parochial pride pays no
dividends in a city that works to global dimensions. Johar is as
global a citizen of Mumbai as any but because his characters refer to
the city as Bombay, MNS is angered. Johar apologized to Raj with
remarkable alacrity. Sorry, Sorry. Sorry.
But the party is not happy. It now wants Johar to apologize to
"millions of Marathi Manoos at large." What, individually? It is not
clear. There are people like Raj all over the place. People whose
genius is to take offence. They expect you to say sorry before you say
good morning. Johar is likely to comply. Crores are at stake.
What Johar is really apologizing for is a state of mind that the city
once represented, at least for the middle class. As a label, Bombay,
had a more urbane association than Mumbai. It is not just the
anglicization of sound. It is a certain freedom of the mind, a feeling
that you don't have to refer to a city where you lived, worked and
died, by a name seared into your brain by politicians who care for not
much besides power. And no matter what you call the city, the lot of
the son of the soil hasn't changed much.
Raj wants his city referred to as Mumbai. He and his party are more
than free to do so. But if you, as an Indian, prefer to refer to a
part of the Union territory as the more nostalgic Bombay, surely you
are entitled to do that, election or not? Clearly not. All this proves
just one thing: This is a free country so long as you don't offend Raj
Thackeray. How sorry is that?
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
bademiyansubhanallah
Wake Up, Raj
Bachi Karkaria Wednesday October 07, 2009
Must politicians always do things just naam ke vastey? Will the
heavens fall, the lakes dry up, the reviled builder lobby concretise
the whole city, and every noble vada-pav turn into a villainous
Mcburger if a handful of film characters says 'Bombay' instead of
'Mumbai'? Does Maharashtra's pride stand or fall on a name?
Yes. Especially if it involves a Thackeray. That name, of course,
continues in its absurdly Anglicised form even as the father, son and
holier-than-thou nephew continue to make a career out of the
Marathification of everyone and his signboard.
It was scary to see Karan Johar grovelling before Raj Thackeray, not
because Karan is too superior to grovel, but because the city is.
Mumbai's self-anointed defenders should be fighting the real dragons
instead of tilting at the windmills. Chitre, Date, Quixote, all
Maharashtrians only, no?
And no, it's not only the election, stupid. The Mumbai-Bombay non-
issue is a handy headline grabber, pulled out every time that anyone
has the audacity to thus sully the honour of Marathi manoos. The
latter should object to being burdened with as trivial an insult.
Thackeray Bappa changed Bombay to Mumbai in 1997, but his nephew has
hijacked this agenda along with all things Balasahebesque. In any
case, he always saw himself as the true inheritor of his uncle's
mantle right from the days when he was a little cub gambolling near
the tiger's paws at Matoshree.
Now his lieutenants leap to their feet and start rattling their
wannabe Bhawani swords at this ersatz atrocity. Crowd us like cattle
in commuter trains, suffocate us with pollution, force us into
tenements, deprive us of varan and water, but never ever dare to
humiliate us by calling us 'Bombay'.
Did the audience rise to a man (and militant mahila) to pelt the
screen with popcorn or singdana as soon as the reviled 'B' word was
pronounced? Or had they not even noticed till the MNS hit them on the
head with a poll plank to point out this cultural molestation?
It doesn't happen only when a celeb can be turned into a sitting
Bombay duck. It happens even when a panelist in a TV discussion
commits such lese majeste. Earlier this week, i went for a TV
discussion on the forthcoming assembly elections. Having been verbally
lynched on the same anchor's show a couple of years ago, i assiduously
minded my M's and B's. But 'Tony' Jethmalani, who is patently a Bomboy
rather than a Mumbhai despite his BJP's poll alliance with the Sena,
slipped up, and immediately got it in the jugular by our MNS co-
panelist, Vageesh Saraswat.
For the record, the born-again Vageesh-bhau started life as a UP
bhaiyya, his own party's Mumbai Enemy No.1, and the 'outsider' that
even the BJP-SS combine has manifestoed to keep out. Bombay was built
by a mongrel of communities, but 'pure-bred' Mumbai could well become
the pariah of exemplary urbanisation.
As ironically, the old name would have died a natural death if its
self-anointed killers didn't keep reviving it so aggressively. Today
'Bombay' is more label than clothing. Its flag-bearers are those who
shimmied through it in the 60s; now in their own 60s, they are still
seen but not as heeded. It may remain a metaphor for all that made
this the coolest and hottest place to be, but, Karan Johar
notwithstanding, even the SoBo young have begun using 'Mumbai' as
routinely as they do 'Bombay', if not more so.
However, every time the MNS and its ilk make it into a Them and Us
issue, GenNext is class-bound to thump it back to life. The attack on
Wake Up, Sid will be yet another shot in the arm for the idea of
Bombay.
Sid Harth
EC files case against Raj Thackeray
Headlines Today
Pune, October 10, 2009
A complaint has been filed against MNS chief Raj Thackeray at a city
police station for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by
using "unparliamentary" language against ex-Union minister Shivraj
Patil during a campaign speech.
Under the direction of Election Commission observers, the complaint
has been lodged at Kothrud police station, police said on Sunday.
According to the complaint filed under various sections of the IPC,
Thackeray used "unparliamentary" language against the former home
minister during a rally here on October 8.
The party had also allegedly violated the poll code by putting up its
flags on the nearby buildings when the election meeting was held to
campaign for MNS candidate Kishor Shinde, police said.
With PTI
Sid Harth
Mumbai, October 11, 2009
Curtains down on high-pitch campaign for Maharashtra polls
PTI
PTI Congress supporters take out a rally in Sangli, Maharashtra on
Sunday, the last day of the campaigning for Maharashtra polls.
The high-pitch campaign ended on Sunday in Maharashtra for the October
13 Assembly elections which saw Shiv Sena and MNS fighting for the
same political space and the ruling Congress-NCP aiming a hat-trick.
An electorate of 7,56,34,525 will decide the fate of 3,559 candidates,
including 211 women. There are 1,820 independents, mostly rebels, in
fray.
The State goes to polls on Tuesday under the shadow of the gruesome
Naxal attack in Gadchiroli district where 17 policemen were killed in
an ambush.
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) which polled over 12
lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and
Nashik, is seen as a major factor likely to influence the State
politics.
Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who toured the State
highlighting suicides by farmers and the government’s failures in
power sector, was forced to change his campaign from development
issues to the ‘Marathi Manoos’ agenda.
Raj Thackeray in his meetings attacked the Opposition, especially Shiv
Sena saying that by and large they had failed to corner the government
on its failures.
The polls, being held after the Lok Sabha elections in May this year
where the Congress performed impressively going past the 200 seat
mark, have encouraged the party in the state to go for a hat-trick.
The Congress has been ruling the state for the last ten years in
alliance with the NCP.
The Congress is contesting on 174 seats, leaving two for RPI (Gavai)
group while the NCP is contesting on 114 seats.
The Shiv Sena is fighting on 169 and the BJP on 119 seats. Though the
MNS has fielded candidates in 143 assembly constituencies, Raj
Thackeray has focused on Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik areas where he
hopes to make a dent.
The Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF) comprising 16 political
parties, including the PWP, the CPI(M) and the Samajwadi party and
spearheaded by RPI leader Ramdas Athavale, is also contesting from all
the seats.
The Front suffered a setback after RPI (Gavai) moved out to join the
Congress-NCP bandwagon.
Generation Next of top state leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh,
Sushilkumar Shinde and Gopinath Munde are also making their debut in
the election.
Amit, Mr. Deshmukh’s eldest son is in fray from Latur city; Pranati,
Mr. Shinde’s youngest daughter is the Congress candidate from Solapur
city central; Mr. Munde’s daughter Pankaja Palve is in fray from her
father’s bastion Parli while Poonam Mahajan, Mr. Munde’s niece and
daughter of BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan is testing political waters
from Ghatkopar west in Mumbai.
But the most high-profile of all is Rajendra Shekhawat, son of
President Pratibha Patil who is contesting from Amravati, a seat
represented by his parents earlier.
The campaigning saw UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress General
secretary Rahul Gandhi addressing election meetings across the state.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the media in Mumbai on
Sunday.
While the ‘Thackeray vs Thackeray’ campaign focused on ’Marathi
manoos’ issue, both Sonia and Rahul stressed on development issues and
cautioned people against voting for divisive forces.
Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani toured the state
except for Mumbai and BJP president Rajnath Singh participated in a
joint rally with Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray at Shivaji
Park on Saturday.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar also campaigned aggressively for the Congress-
NCP candidates but did not share stage with Sonia Gandhi for any
election rally.
Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray could not actively participate in the
campaigning and restricted himself to interviews and televised address
to followers.
The “Marathi” issue dominated the election manifesto of both Sena-BJP
and Congress-NCP. Both manifestos speak of organising “Marathi week“.
The Congress-NCP even said that it will set up a legislative committee
to ensure that the work at government offices is carried out in
Marathi.
The Sena-BJP manifesto says it will set up a permanent machinery to
stop migration to Mumbai and ensure 80 per cent jobs to locals.
Sid Harth
ADAMPUR, October 11, 2009
A battle royale in Adampur
Rajesh Ahuja
A battle royale is being fought in this prestigious constituency
which is the home fief of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and his
clan.
Interestingly, the once powerful Bhajan Lal family has retained the
seat since the formation of Haryana in 1966.
However, political equations have been changing over the years
especially after Mr. Bhajan Lal and his younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi
left the Congress and floated their own outfit - the Haryana Janhit
Congress in 2007.
Interestingly, Mr.Bhajan Lal, who was disqualified as MLA in 2008,
managed to win from here in the May 2008 by-election with a lower
margin of 26,000 votes. In the 2005 polls, Mr.Bhajan Lal had won the
seat by a record margin of 71,000 votes.
The veteran politician, once regarded as a political strongman who
earned the sobriquet of ‘engineering defections’ failed to become the
Chief Minister in the 2005 Assembly polls.
Interestingly, Mr.Bhajan Lal, who was president of the Haryana unit of
the party during the polls, was hopeful of becoming the Chief Minister
for the fourth time as the Congress won 67 out of 90 seats. However,
Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda was appointed as the Chief Minister by
Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Now, Mr. Kuldeep Bishnoi, who has been declared as his political
successor by an ailing Mr. Bhajan Lal, is determined to become the
Chief Minister. So winning from here has become crucial for him.
The Congress has fielded former Union Minister Jai Parkash, who at one
time was a close associate of the Chautala clan. Interestingly, Mr.
Jai Prakash who had been elected as Congress MP from Hissar in the
2004 Lok Sabha polls, lost to Mr. Bhajan Lal in the May 2009 polls.
The candidates fielded by other parties have become inconsequential as
the main contest is between the Bhajan Lal clan, which has always
depended on the Bishnoi vote bank, and Mr. Jai Prakash, who is a Jat.
The Congress is harping on development carried out in the State by the
Hooda regime and the so-called neglect of the region by the Bhajan Lal
clan.
The INLD has fielded Rajesh Godara, a close relative of the Chautalas,
but is regarded as a “dummy candidate’’ by some political observers.
It is being said in political circles that the INLD which wants to
settle scores with its former leader Sampat Singh, who recently
defected to the Congress, has entered into a “secret’’ arrangement
with the Bhajan Lal clan. Mr. Sampat Singh has been fielded by the
Congress from Nalwa, a neighbouring constituency of Adampur while the
HJC has fielded Jasma Devi, the wife of Mr. Bhajan Lal, against him.
According to insiders, the INLD cadres would support Mr. Bishnoi in
Adampur and Ms. Jasma Devi in Nalwa. In return, the HJC would ensure
the victory of the Chautala clan in Ellenabad and Dabwali.
chhotemianinshallah
Most criminal records among Sena candidates
Abhay Khairnar / DNA
Sunday, October 11, 2009 2:37 IST
Although Maharashtra is a progressive state, 28 per cent of the
candidates who are contesting the Assembly elections have criminal
backgrounds. The Shiv Sena tops this list with 64 per cent candidates
with criminal records followed by BJP and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,
according to the data presented by the Maharashtra wing of the
National Election Watch (NEW) -- an umbrella group of more than 12,000
NGOs.
The data is based on an analysis of the affidavits filed by 2,069
candidates (out of total of 3,559 candidates) from 288 constituencies
in 35 districts before the Election Commission.
On the wealth front, 22 per centcandidates out of 2,069 are crorepatis
with the Nationalist Party topping the list and accounting for 74 per
cent of the wealthy candidates. Out of 112 candidates, 83 candidates
were from the NCP with properties of more than Rs1crore.
The NEW is working on electoral reforms and improving democracy and
governance in India, said co-coordinator for Maharashtra Election
Watch Ajit Ranade. "This data is being released to inform voters about
candidates. It is based on the affidavits of 2,069 candidates (out of
total 3,559) from 288 constituencies in 35 districts. All the
candidates from the major political parties are included in it, Ranade
said.
Out of 2,069, 588 candidates were found with criminal records. All the
political parties were found to have fielded candidates with criminal
records.
While the Sena topped the list with 64 per cent candidates with
criminal records (98 out of 153), BJP followed with 58 per cent (66
out of 114 candidates). While the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has 81
out of 141 candidates with criminal records, the NCP was found to have
40 out of 112 candidates with such a record. 34 per cent of Congress
candidates have a criminal background (56 out of 164 have a criminal
history).
Half of the candidates from the Sindudurg district have criminal
records and interestingly more than half of the candidates from the
district are also crorepatis. On the education front, 36 per cent
candidates (738 out of 2,069) are at least graduates. Congress and NCP
topped the list in graduate candidates with 57 per cent of their
candidates being at least graduates. BJP follows, with 50 per
centgraduate candidates.
bademiyansubhanallah
Hooda will lead next Cong govt: Sonia
TNN 12 October 2009, 01:47am IST
JHAJJAR/CHANDIGARH: On the last day of campaigning for assembly
elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi focused on farmers’
welfare, development and participation of common man in government and
assured that the incumbent, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, would lead the next
Congress government in Haryana.
‘‘Congress is a political and social force. What have INLD and BJP
done for you? Have they given any big loan waivers to farmers? Don’t
fall prey to their false promises,’’ she said. ‘‘We can’t sit idle
when farmers are burdened with debt. Our farm loan waiver scheme has
written off Rs 71,000 crore,’’ she told the gathering. Notwithstanding
Congress’s high-pitched poll rhetoric, the ruling party in the state
appears close to a simple majority in the 90-member assembly after the
elections on Tuesday. Punters are betting on the party getting between
47 to 52 seats whereas the Congress’s main challenger, INLD, led by
former CM Om Prakash Chautala, could get close to 20 seats.
Other significant players like Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit
Congress (HJC) and BJP appear comfortable only on five seats apiece.
BSP which got 15% votes in last the Lok Sabha elections on the hope of
Mayawati becoming the PM appears certain on only two seats. These
figures have been arrived at on the basis of information from Central
and state intelligence agencies as well as field reports by TOI
reporters. BJP president Rajnath Singh was quoted as saying that the
state was heading towards a hung assembly and that the party could
think of supporting a non-Congress government.
Congress, which was ahead in 59 seats during the Lok Sabha elections
getting around 43% votes, has lost some steam due to a local anti-
incumbency against MLAs and bad choice of candidates. Ticket
distribution left almost 30 rebels in the field with at least 10
posing serious problem to party candidates.
On the other hand Chautala’s aggressive and well-oiled media campaign
has ensured that his rallies pulled the largest crowds — beating even
Opposition stalwarts like PM Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul
Gandhi. Sonia’s naming Hooda as Congress’s next CM was inspired by the
belief that not doing so would have led the state’s 25% Jat voters to
Chautala.
chhotemianinshallah
'BJP, Left Ignore Disconnect Between Two Indias'
Shimla | Oct 13, 2009
Hitting out at opposition BJP and the Left parties, Congress general
secretary Rahul Gandhi today said these parties were focusing on a
certain section of the people while ignoring the rest.
"This is the biggest fault in the views of both BJP and the Left
parties," Rahul Gandhi told reporters at the start of his one-day tour
of the hill state.
"Totally ignorant of the fact that almost 60 per cent of the country's
population fell in the category of have-nots, the BJP was obsessed
with the urban population and taking cue from a TV advertisement
coined the slogan 'India Shining' in 2004 general election which
boomeranged on them," he said.
"They still continue to ignore the majority section of deprived living
in underdeveloped villages," Rahul said.
About Left parties, the young Gandhi said they want India of
opportunity to collapse and concentrate only on the have-nots.
The need of the hour is to strike a "balance" between the two Indias,
he said adding this was the aim of his visits to rural areas and stay
in the huts of downtrodden.
"My political opponents laugh at me when I visit a poor in his shanty
house...But it is necessary to do so to know about them and their
problems to bridge this wide gap between the two Indias," the Amethi
MP said.
About various schemes launched by the UPA such as NREGA, farmer loan
waiver and preparation of Universal Identity Card, he said these were
aimed at bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots.
Rahul also charged the Right-wing and the Left-wing parties with
living in the past and dwelling mainly on issues of the past.
"Some of the views of both BJP and the Left parties are almost 1000-
year old," the young Gandhi, flanked by Union minister Virbhadra
Singh, leader of the opposition in HP assembly Vidya Stokes, PCC chief
Kaul Singh Thakur and AICC secretary and in-charge of NSUI and MP
Minakshi Natrajan, said.
"BJP is obsessed with Pakistan's founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The saffron leaders are debating about him in public. I do not wish to
spare even a minute to discuss about Jinnah," he said.
Instead of "whiling away" time on some past event, we instead should
focus on issues which could brighten the future of the poor and the
downtrodden, he said.
"People suffering from hunger and other problems want to know about
what we plan for them to better their future," he said adding this was
his guiding principle in politics.
My father (late Rajiv Gandhi) had said only 15 paisa out of one rupee
of developmental fund reaches the needy...We need to end this
irregularity, he added.
In reply to a question, he refuted the perception that regional
parties have occupied political space of the Congress.
After addressing Congress leaders and workers at Rajiv Bhawan, the
state Congress headquarters, Rahul left for an open discussion with
youths at HP University.
Sid Harth
High commodity prices become key issue in Haryana polls
13 Oct 2009, 1800 hrs IST, Madhvi Sally, ET Bureau
CHANDIGARH: 42 year old Sant Ram a mason in the Pinjore tehsil of the
Panchkula district in Haryana has only one wish this Diwali. He wants
the yellow card given to Below the Poverty Line family to avail
essential commodities at subsidised rate.
With a monthly income of Rs 3,000 the mason has been facing the pinch
with the increase in prices of commodities. “I believed that the
government will do something and reduce the rates. Months have passed
by but nothing has happened. I have stopped having tea as can’t afford
sugar. How long will this spell continue?” he asks.
Mr Ram has been attracted by the subsidised moong sabut dal which is
being given to BPL card holder at the rate of Rs 54 per kg compared to
the market price of Rs 65 a kg in the wholesale. Also a BPL card
holder has got an increase in the quota of sugar this month as
festival quota. A ration card holder can now get 4.2 kg sugar
additional to 2 kg they are allotted at the rate of Rs 13.50 per kg.
The wholesale rate according to Food and Supplies department of Sugar
is Rs 31 per kg.
The rising commodity prices are one of the crucial issues in the
ongoing assembly elections in Haryana. Even as opposition parties talk
about giving 25 kg wheat free of cost per month to families below the
poverty line, the ruling Congress government spoke of giving the
highest price of sugarcane to farmers (Rs 160-170 per quintal).
Opposition party The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief & former
Chief Minister Chaudhary Om Parkash Chautala as part of the election
manifesto announced to give minimum support price for wheat at Rs 1400
and sugar cane to be Rs 250.
The election promises are to announced and not implemented says a
progressive farmer from Karnal Kamaljeet Singh. “The government
policies have led to such a scenario of increase in price of
commodities. Farmers left sugar cultivation as returns were very less
and mill owners were exploiting them,” he said.
As on date the rate of wheat and rice were stable and have not
increased in the past fortnight in Haryana. In Hisar rice was being
sold at Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per quintal. Wheat prices were at Rs
1,100 per quintal and sugar was ruling at Rs 3100 per quintal. Traders
expect prices to be stable and don't foresee a likely fall.
High prices of pulses and vegetables are an issue of concern for the
common masses. Gram dal is the cheapest dal being sold at Rs 3200 per
quintal in Hisar, followed by Urad whose rates were varying at Rs 5300
in Karnal and Rs 6100 in Hisar. Toor Dal was being sold at Rs 7200 to
Rs 8000 per quintal. Potato prices have remained firm at Rs 14 per kg
for local varieties and Rs 25 for Himachal varieties. Prices will fall
in November when the new crop arrives.
Onion prices have increased in the past one week and are currently
ruling at Rs 25 kg. Less supply form southern India is a reason being
quoted by traders. Seasonal vegetables currently arriving from within
the state are being sold at Rs 30-40 per kg including cauliflower,
okhara, capsicum etc.
chhotemianinshallah
Ruling alliance in the lead, exit polls show
Sena-BJP trail as Raj's party fails to impress
By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
Published: 00:00 October 15, 2009
Mumbai, Maharashtra: Exit poll projections have predicted the Congress-
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine having a clear lead in the
Maharashtra assembly elections with the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance
trailing even as Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)
emerging with a negligible number of seats.
A far better turnout at 60 per cent for the state and 52 per cent for
Mumbai, an improvement on the 41 per cent during the Lok Sabha
elections this year in the city, has given a whole new variety of
numbers for the assembly polls, the results of which will be known on
October 22. The CNN-IBN-Lokmat exit poll has forecast 135-145 seats
for the Congress-NCP, 105-115 for the Sena-BJP, 8-12 for the MNS and
25-35 for the others in the 288-member assembly. This is almost the
same as in 2004 when the two allies got 140 seats, very close to the
magical number of 145 required for a simple majority.
The only difference this time is that the Congress is expected to get
a higher number of seats — 75 to 85 while the NCP will bag 55 to 65
seats. Projected for the Sena are 55-65 seats and BJP 45-55 seats
whilst the MNS, fighting the assembly elections for the first time,
will fare poorly, after all the noise made on the Marathi manoos issue
by its leader Raj Thackeray.
Giving the Congress-NCP far higher gains of 171 seats is Live India's
exit poll that has predicted just 85 seats for the Sena-BJP alliance,
17 for MNS and 15 for others. On the other hand, Star Maaza's
predictions project 125 for the Congress and NCP, 119 for the saffron
allies, 18 for Raj's party and 26 for the rest.
Victory for congress
The Congress party is set to win outright in Haryana and Arunachal
Pradesh, according to exit polls.
Thanks mainly to a splintered opposition, the Congress is expected to
sweep Haryana and win in Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern state
which has been in the news because of Chinese claims to the
territorry.
The Star News expected the Congress to win 57 seats in the 90-member
Haryana house and retain power.
After voting, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda declared:
"The Congress will sweep this elections." The Hooda government got the
previous assembly dissolved seven months before its term was to end
and sought fresh mandate.
In Arunachal, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and two more Congress
members have been elected unopposed.
chhotemianinshallah
Advantage Congress in India
15 October 2009 Elections to the three state legislatures in
Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday were the first
major test for India’s two leading parties, the Congress and the
Bharatiya Janata Party, barely four months after the General
Elections.
Exit polls indicate that the Congress, the incumbent party in all
three legislatures, is likely to return to power. Official results
will be declared only on October 22. A Congress victory in all three
states will be a psychological boost for India’s grand old party, and
will further strengthen its hold over the United Progressive Alliance,
which is at the helm in Delhi. The Congress has been facing a dilemma
in recent years — should it seek the support of regional parties, or
contest elections on its own?
Rahul Gandhi, who represents the younger generation in the party — and
is a scion of the Gandhi-Nehru family — has been pushing for the
latter course of action, seeking a revival at the grassroots level.
His strategy of not seeking tie-ups with regional partners in Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh paid handsome dividends for the Congress in the
general elections.
A somewhat similar strategy was adopted in the run-up to the elections
to the three state assemblies, where the party’s junior partners –
especially the Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra – were given
warning that the Congress would, if pushed to the wall, prefer to
battle on its own. If the Congress finally emerges the winner in all
three states, many of its allies across India will have to prepare for
tough negotiations in the months ahead.
For the BJP, a party that is facing an existential crisis, the
election results are likely to result in further demoralisation.
Maharashtra and Haryana are two important states where the party has
had a strong presence in the past and where it was hoping to return to
power with the help of allies. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena-BJP
alliance stood a good chance of replacing the Congress-NCP government,
a regime that has been in power for 10 years, but with nothing much to
show in terms of performance. But factionalism within the BJP and the
emergence of the Maharashtra Navnriman Sena, a parochial and anti-
migrant version 2.0 of the Shiv Sena, has stumped the
saffron
partners.
The exit polls also indicate that though the Congress may emerge as
the single-largest party in Maharashtra, it will have to seek the help
of not just loyal allies such as the NCP, but even of independents and
perhaps some of the smaller parties in the third front.
Younger and impatient leaders such as Rahul Gandhi might push for
going it alone in future elections, but a lot of work remains to be
done for the Congress to really emerge as a dominant party across
India.
bademiyansubhanallah
What the taxi driver couldn't tell me
Ranjona BanerjiMonday, October 12, 2009 22:35 IST
It is incumbent upon journalists, every now and then, to try and gauge
the mood around them. Without wanting to give the professional game
away, this has been known to involve only family members, sometimes
restricted to just one spouse.
One editor I knew based the assessment on her three-year-old nephew.
The more adventurous will include the travel writer's staple -- the
taxi driver. This gent (it is usually a gent) is globally acknowledged
as a pop philosopher, a psychobabble interpreter and a barometer of
popular opinion. Driving up and down city roads apparently make you an
expert on human behaviour.
However, chauffeurs who work for one boss are usually not accorded
this status. They mix in rarefied circles (memsaabs, babalogs, maids
and such). Then occasionally, someone will commission a survey and the
agency will speak to 122.5-odd people (this is a statistical exercise
which mere mortals are not supposed to question). Their answers will
be distilled into percentages and so you will learn that 42.8 per cent
of the population believes that rabbits live on the moon and 7.8 per
cent are not sure.
To make a long story short, how does one figure out the mood of the
nation this week? There's the election mood in Maharashtra, Haryana
and Arunachal Pradesh and the pre-Diwali mood.
For Maharashtra, the cabbies feel that it is the Congress-NCP again,
so do family and friends and as it happens so do the surveys. The
general sense seems to be that the Lok Sabha pattern where the
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena skewed the picture for the Shiv Sena and
the BJP will be repeated. The most reliable meter here might be the
bookies -- after all they have money to lose -- and they're on the
Congress-NCP too.
So if you're backing the wrong horse, don't put too much money on it.
That leaves the other two states and to be honest, no taxi driver
spoken to had any clue. This includes Maharashtrians and North
Indians, so all one can conclude is that one (that is I) cannot hazard
a guess when the "don't know" category touches 100 per cent.
The Congress, however, thinks that it is winning in Haryana even
though second terms have no historical precedent and are therefore a
statistical no-no. The opposition however is in a bit of a tattered
state and hey, there are always benefits to be accrued from NREGA. The
story's similar in Arunachal -- the Congress looks the strongest and
the opposition's a mess. This pop analysis is based on newspaper
reports so it is likely that local spouses, taxi drivers and random
people on the street have voiced their opinions to someone.
That leaves Diwali. Now this is a real leaves-you-stumped question.
Are people buying or not buying? A newspaper supplement recommended
for its readers to buy a pair of earrings worth Rs2.5 lakh. Yes, these
had diamonds called baguettes which I'm guessing have nothing to do
with French bread. Also suggested was a watch for Rs63 lakh. Is it
fair to assume that the readership of this publication can afford this
stuff or would like to afford it?
"Shopping" though is now a word in every Indian language and it is a
national pastime. No cabbie had been consulted here, but it is likely
that shopping may soon beat cricket as our favourite sport. Therefore,
why should we stop this Diwali? Remember when government emporia would
offer a 10 per cent rebate and then add a 10 tax? Many of these Diwali
sales might be something like that. Some shops never remove their
'sale' stickers all year long, but at this time of the year, we can
see them better.
For the salaried middle class which had to suffer salary cuts this
year, though, Diwali is a dreaded time. The domestics expect and
deserve their bonuses (plus the baksheesh to everyone else) but you're
not going to get any. So the only thing to do is hide your wallet and
weep. And before that, just check with spouse, cabbie, neighbour and
vote for somebody.
chhotemianinshallah
UPA ahead in Maharashtra, Haryana: Exit Polls
TNN 14 October 2009, 09:53am IST
An unexpectedly high 60% voter turnout in Maharashtra, a higher 68%
turnout in Haryana and an even higher 72% in Arunachal Pradesh in
Tuesday’s UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at an election rally.assembly
polls may have political pundits arguing about what that implies, but
exit pollsters are sanguine — the UPA was the winner at the end of the
day.
For Maharashtra, all three exit polls available at the time of writing
projected a hung house with the Congress-NCP combine clearly ahead of
the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, effectively suggesting that the UPA would
form the next government in the state.
In Haryana, there was a consensus among pollsters on the Congress
getting a near two-thirds majority, while none of the pollsters did an
exit poll for Arunachal.
The CNN-IBN poll projected that the UPA would win 135-145 seats in the
288-member Maharashtra assembly, almost exactly the same as the 140
won in 2004. But the Congress is estimated to bag 75-85 seats compared
to the NCP’s 55-65, decisively shifting the balance within the
coalition.
The same poll gave the Sena-BJP alliance 105 to 115 seats with the
Sena getting between 55 and 65 seats and the BJP 45-55 seats. Raj
Thackeray’s MNS was projected to win 8-12 seats, which implies that it
may have been the game spoiler for the NDA, while others will win
25-35 seats according to this poll.
The Star News poll had fairly similar estimates at the alliance level,
but an even more decisive edge for the Congress within the UPA. It
gave the Congress 89 seats, the NCP 48, the BJP 51 and the Sena 62,
leaving 12 for the MNS and 26 for others.
CVoter, which conducted a syndicated exit poll for several media
groups, did not give a party-wise breakup. It projected the UPA as
winning 127-139 seats and the NDA as bagging 106-118. The MNS, in its
estimate, should finish with 9-17 seats and others with 24-36.
If these predictions were to come true, the Congress-NCP combine would
be pulling off quite a political feat — getting a third term after
providing, from all accounts, unremarkable governance in Maharashtra.
Such a verdict would also show up the sorry state of the BJP-Sena
combine which could not exploit this to its advantage.
In Haryana, Star News gave the Congress 57 seats in the 90-member
assembly, while CVoter gave the party between 57 and 65 seats. INLD is
set to emerge as the clear opposition, according to the two polls,
Star giving Chautala’s outfit 18 seats and CVoter 13-19 seats. Bhajan
Lal’s party is projected by Star to win 9 seats and by CVoter to get a
much lower 2-6 seats.
Both polls indicate that the BSP's ambitions in Haryana may have to
wait a while, with Star giving the party just two seats and CVoter
between one and five seats. Others are given three seats by Star and
2-7 seats by CVoter.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinions/5122153.cms
Readers' Opinions Comment
UPA ahead in Maharashtra, Haryana: Exit Polls
vivian,houston,says:congress please save my dear mumbai and make it a
safe place for all indians to stay together here and fight to end any
political mischief by shiv sena or whatever sena who only hold the
city to ranson for useless reasons. people have trusted and voted for
you, its time for you to deliver back the good will to the people of
mumbai.
[14 Oct, 2009 1257hrs IST]
Omkar,Pune,says:It is very glad thing for me & all maharashtrian
people that UPA govt will be again there. They developed maharashtra
very well in most of things.But it is very bad thing that they were
not able to solve the problem of electricity.BUt UPA are always better
than the oppositers.
[14 Oct, 2009 1235hrs IST]
Asif Khan,Mumbai,says:It is funny that even after a huge anti-congress
outcry, people are still voting for the super corrupt congress. This
is like the voting in Iran, a forgery perhaps! Something is definitely
wrong in India that Congress wins despite of non-performance and
defeats on all sides. Shame!India not worth living now
[14 Oct, 2009 1112hrs IST]
Kaustubh,Pune,says:As you can see, the % of voting this time is much
less. In Mumbai around 22%, in Raigad around 31%....this shows that,
the people are not ready to accept this democracy.. the Indian
Democracy has to be changed....there should not be these many options
to choose.....this only shows that leaders have much diversity in
their thoughts.....how can they improve the system? India needs
educated leader....there has to be educational criteria for
Leaders..... think on it..
[14 Oct, 2009 1003hrs IST]
narayana,muscat,says:It just means that India's bad times destined
since 1947 is going to contuinue. Unless this most corrupt, dishonest
rulers disappear, there is no hope for India
[14 Oct, 2009 0947hrs IST]
JM,New York,says:BJP and Sena are yet to get the message: In India
your hindutwa and "hate-madrasi" idea will not work any more. This is
a 21st century India, not the an India of stone-age. Get this into
your head and make necessary changes if you desire a survival.
[14 Oct, 2009 0943hrs IST]
Sharad,US,says:For non marathi manoos it would have been better to
have these trouble creators shiv sainiks or MNS come to power. Atleast
they would be quite and let them live in peace. Now with UPA forming
govt, they will continue torturing and harassing non marathi manoos
folks there.
[14 Oct, 2009 0818hrs IST]
uddhav dahiphale ,mumbai,says:I think result projected by media and
actual will differ.There is possibility of change in numbers.It is
difficult to say as to which alliance wii form the Goverment.
[14 Oct, 2009 0805hrs IST]
Amar,San Jose Calif.,says:UPA can't be ahead in Maharastra at least,
in Haryana it was the work done by Hooda, it is his personal
achievement, and the Italian learnt it when they lost everywhere in
India except Haryana (Gujarat, Himachal assembely elections) and they
used less tampered E.V.M.s in that elections to check the ground
situation, and Haryana gave positive results, they had ample time in
general elections so they helped Hooda whole heartedly. but it was
only Hooda's personal achievements, and you know Om Parkash Jindal a
big industrialist of India offered any sum of money to Janardan
Dwivedi (Haryana incharge at that time) not to make Bhajan Lal as CM,
so he accepted 25M $ worth of INR and made Hooda CM. hooda's father
was a freedom fighter. and you are very well aware that no freedom
fighter can have millions of dollars. Now a days this is real picture
of Kangresiye. Pawar, Deshmukh Chawhan are eating the poor men's
bread. How is itr possible they return to power after 26/11 attack
which prices of food items are rocket high farmers are commiting
suicide, no electricity in urban areas, there is no reason of
returning to power. Do you think tampering E.V.M. will work every
time. You are murdering democracy
[14 Oct, 2009 0755hrs IST]
chhotemianinshallah
BJP braces for blows from MNS in Mumbai seats
Dhaval Kulkarni
Posted: Friday , Oct 16, 2009 at 2306 hrs
Mumbai:
Karunanidhi and his silencePolitics Peace prize for Obama!Have I
become a ‘Screenager’? Already smarting under its reverses at the
national level, the BJP expects a jolt from the Raj Thackeray-led MNS
in some Mumbai seats in the Assembly polls, too.
“There can be no two opinions that there is an undercurrent of support
for the MNS. My opinion is that they may not get less votes than they
got in the Lok Sabha polls. They may increase,” said a BJP functionary
from North Mumbai.
He added that in Assembly seats where the Shiv Sena had not put up a
candidate and let the BJP contest, there was a likelihood of the
Marathi voters and a section of the Sena cadre and voters gravitating
towards the MNS.
The BJP leader pointed to the Kandivali (East) Assembly segment, where
the MNS fielded Vinod Pawar and made an issue of the BJP and Congress
candidates, Jaiprakash Thakur and Rameshsingh Thakur, being non-
Maharashtrians.
“The MNS raised this issue well,” he admitted, adding that the
situation would be similar in constituencies in North Mumbai, where
the BJP had not put up any candidate of Marathi origin.
A BJP leader added that they expected to win five seats, including
Dahisar (Gopal Shetty), Charkop (Yogesh Sagar), Malabar Hill (Mangal
Prabhat Lodha), Mulund (Sardar Tara Singh) and Ghatkopar East (Prakash
Mehta), while the results in Ghatkopar West (Poonam Mahajan Rao),
Bandra West (Ashish Shelar), Colaba (Raj Purohit) and Malad (R.U
Singh) seats would depend on the extent to which the votes of the
opposing candidates was divided.
While the BJP expects the MNS to cut into its votes in the urban areas
like the Mumbai-Thane belt, it hopes the Republican Left Democratic
Front (RLDF), a conglomeration of Left parties and Republican Party of
India (RPI) factions, will play spoiler for the Congress-NCP in
Vidarbha and Marathwada, which has a strong Dalit base.
The BJP and the Sena had together won 30 seats in the Nagpur and
Amravati divisions in 2004, and a MLA from Vidarbha said they expect
to win more than 34 seats from the region now. “The Republican Party
will be a major factor in Marathwada and Vidarbha,” he added.
A BJP MLA from Marathwada, too, added that they were likely to improve
their 2004 tally, due to anti-incumbency and the presence of the RPI
in the fray.
He added that the presence of the RLDF in the fray would help swing
some votes away from the Congress-NCP to the advantage of the Sena-
BJP. However, he added that improper selection of candidates in some
constituencies could hurt them in the polls.
bademiyansubhanallah
Intel report: Sena-BJP will not cross 100 seats
Nikhil S Dixit / DNA
Friday, October 16, 2009 2:48 IST
Mumbai: Intelligence Bureau (IB) has predicted that the Shiv Sena-BJP
combine will barely touch the 100-seat mark in the just-concluded
elections to the Maharashtra assembly, thereby ruling out any chance
of a saffron alliance government.
The bureau has predicted that the Congress and Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP) would return to power, even though it will require the
support of independents, rebels and the Third Front to prop them up
for a stable dispensation. The Congress-NCP combine will bag 137
seats, the bureau has soothsayed along the lines predicted by various
exit polls.
But the element of surprise is the massive decline it predicts for the
BJP in the state. According to IB estimates, the BJP will not be able
to cross 35 to 40 seats which is a huge decline from its previous
tally of 56 seats which they got in the 2004 assembly elections. The
Shiv Sena, rebuilding itself under the leadership of executive
president Uddhav Thackeray, will win in 55 and 60 seats, according to
the bureau estimates.
It also means that the Cong-NCP combine will be eyeing the rebels who,
according to the reports, are expected to get 25 seats, or the
independents who are likely to get anywhere between 12-14 seats. The
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is likely to bag eight to 10 seats,
suggests the report.
The results of the state assembly elections which went to the polls on
October 13 will be declared on October 22. The IB and other
intelligence agencies conduct their own survey based on the ground-
level reports of the police and other cadres.
The report indicates that that Congress will emerge as a single
largest party winning 77 seats and its alliance partner NCP 58-60
seats. The rebels, the report says, will hold the key to the formation
of next government winning 25 seats. However, the Third Front, a
conglomeration of 20 parties, is likely to make no impact and is
expected to bag just two seats.
The bureau analysis gives just eight to 10 seats to the Raj Thackeray-
led MNS. The independents will win 12 to 14 seats, says the report.
bademiyansubhanallah
Congress taps rebels tipped to be winners
PTI Thursday, October 15, 2009 16:45 IST
Mumbai: The ruling Congress in Maharashtra, tipped to emerge as the
single largest party when the assembly poll results are out on October
22, has begun sending feelers to rebels who have a strong chance of
winning.
A senior Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) functionary
said that party office bearers have already been asked to engage with
the potential winners.
"Though we do not see any major problem in forming the next government
(with the Congress-NCP combine securing a majority on its own), the
exercise has been initiated to ensure we have the numbers, just in
case we fall short by few seats," the senior functionary said.
He said the party leadership has identified a few rebels who stand a
chance to win but declined to name them.
Shiv Sena-BJP alliance too is not lagging behind in the exercise to
rustle up the necessary numbers.
A senior BJP leader said, according to the party's estimates, the
saffron combine expects to get 135 seats, 10 short of the magic figure
of 145 in the 288-member state assembly.
"Independents, MNS and few members of the third front will support us
and we have already started talking to them," the BJP leader said,
pleading anonymity.Stating that the MNS would win a maximum of five
seats, the BJP leader claimed the elected representatives of thatarty
could back the SS-BJP bid to form the next government.
"If Raj Thackeray chooses not to support any side in government
formation, the MLAs may go their own way," he added.