Excelsior... Nation

S M Krishna

Jaya rejection issue
debatable, I won’t
comment further: Krishna

CHENNAI, May 5: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today said decision of Returning Officers in Tamil Nadu to...more

Mamata aide up against
Basu’s man Friday

KOLKATA, May 5: Satgachia, which had returned Mr Jyoti Basu, the country’s longest serving Chief Minister, for a record five times since 1977, is.....more

NCB grills Fardeen Khan

MUMBAI, May 5: Film actor Fardeen Khan was today interrogated by officers of Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) here after he was...more

Rajasthan in grip
of severe heatwave

JAIPUR, May 5: With the mercury moving up gradually since the last fortnight, a heatwave has gripped various parts of Rajasthan with.....more

Stage set for fire salvos
directly at each other

CHENNAI, May 5: Perhaps no previous Assembly election campaign in Tamil Nadu has seen the main contenders for power firing such direct salvos........more

Mamata Banerjee

I have never coveted
any post, says Mamata

MALDA, May 5: Trinamool Congress (TC) leader Mamata Banerjee has said she never coveted any post....more

Trial court order a
stricture against the
Rajnath Govt: Cong

LUCKNOW, May 5: Uttar Pradesh Congress Legislature group leader Pramod Tewari today said that the ......more

Bhutto’s money in Swiss
Bank will not be returned

NEW DELHI, May 5: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband.......more

Jaya rejection issue debatable, I won’t comment further: Krishna

CHENNAI, May 5: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today said decision of Returning Officers in Tamil Nadu to reject the nomination papers of AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha was a debatable matter.

"As views and statements are being made for and against the issue, I will not go beyond saying that it is a debatable question," he said addressing a meet-the-press programme organised here by the Madras Reporters Guild.

The Chief Minister said his comments on the controversy would be "irrelevant" at this stage when the election process is half way through.

"However, as a student of law, I can say Returning Officers are supreme in making decisions and their decision can be questioned only through an election petition after the elections," he said.

On Ms Jayalalitha’s eligibility to become Chief Minister in the event of AIADMK-led Front winning the May 10 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, he said it was for the AIADMK heading the front to elect leader of the group.

The Congress, which was contesting from only 14 of the 234 constituencies, would support whoever is elected by the AIADMK, he said adding that Mr Ramakrishna Hegde was not an MLA when he became Chief Minister in Karnataka in 1983.

On the Congress strategy to support the Left Parties in some states, while opposing them in Kerala and West Bengal, Mr Krishna said it was a tragedy that secular forces were pitched against each other in the last 25 years.

"I have no hesitation in conceding the fact that the Congress is not able to see eye to eye parties like the CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc in states like Kerala and West Bengal," he maintained.

The Janata Dal (Secular) also opposed the "communal" BJP with the same vehemence, but it is pitched against the Congress in Karnataka, he pointed out.

Stating that such situations have become inevitable in the complex and plural nature of Indian politics, Mr Krishna said nebulousness would continue to prevail until political reality eventually settles down.

"I believe that the outcome of the Assembly elections in five states will bring about a qualitative change in Indian politics. There will be a re-thinking and further polarisation among the secular forces," he observed.

The Assembly election results would also send a signal to the secular forces to be vary of the biggest danger posed by the BJP which was bent upon "safronising" various institutions like the historic research centres and the Department of Human Resource Development.

"It is high time secular forces, forgetting their petty politics, come forward to put an end to safronising move, being attempted at a very visible manner," he said. The results would certainly be a pointer in this direction, he hoped.

Replying to a question, he said the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) was also a part of the Congress in Tamil Nadu and coming together of the two parties coming was a natural process of integration. The process of TMC’s merger with the Congress would take place after the elections, he added. (UNI)

Mamata aide up against Basu’s man Friday

KOLKATA, May 5: Satgachia, which had returned Mr Jyoti Basu, the country’s longest serving Chief Minister, for a record five times since 1977, is considered a red bastion. But the waning popularity of the left, lack of development and a pro-Trinamool wave seem to be the factors worrying the CPI(M) which has pitted Mr Jyoti Basu’s election agent and son of the soil Gokul Bairagi against Ms Mamata Banerjee’s trusted lieutenant Sonali Guha.

While Mr Bairagi has the blessings of his mentor Jyoti Basu who dangles the carrot of stability and peace in the constituency as his trump cards, for fire breathing Trinamool Congress nominee Sonali, the poll polemics veered around the area’s poor civic amenities, communication problem and shoddy state of healthcare despite having a Chief Minister representative for decades. "What have the people of this constituency got in lieu of electing the Chief Minister for so many terms? the Chief Minister spent more days in London than visiting his constituency. The people suffered from acute water scarcity, power cut, poor roads and pathetic healthcare," points out Sonali Guha, one of the closest aides of Mamata Banerjee.

For Mr Gokul Bairagi, however, the poll planks are stability and peace in the area besides projecting himself as the chosen one of Mr Jyoti Basu. The disciplined CPI(M) had to bow to Mr Basu’s wishes when he suggested Mr Bairagi’s name as his successor out of gratitude to the man who was behind his Satgachia feat. Instead of targeting his rival nominee, Mr Bairagi attacks the party itself. "Voting for Trinamool Congress means inviting chaos and violence," says Mr Bairagi who had played a key role in setting up a college at Borul in the constituency.

But while the son of the soil tag and his knowledge of almost every household of the constituency may work in his favour, Mr Bairagi also faces the discomfort of answering the myriad questions of non-performance of the left in the constituency as he goes on door-to-door campaigning. And it is often the shadow of Mr Basu which puts a question mark on the fate of Mr Bairagi as many a voter are angry with the neglect to the constituency by the former Chief Minister. Says Sakina Bibi of Chingripota, "these people come before the vote and make promises. But what have they done. We even have to buy kerosene at a premium from the black market." says another woman voter of the same area, "my husband was a CPI(M) worker. But now we cannot buy even tinned milk to our grandson."

Besides poverty and unemployment, poor civic amenities are also causes of concern for the left. Vast areas of Satgachia face severe drinking water crisis with aresnic poisoning assuming serious proportions. The foundation stone laid for an arsenic free drinking water project inaugurated by Mr Basu in 1997 is yet to be completed while in many villages of Satgachia even electricity has not reached despite planting of poles.

In the adjoining Birlapur and Budge Budge industrial belt there had hardly been a new industrial unit set up in the past years while many a unit were locked out causing unemployment.

"There is also the transportation problem in the area. There is no single direct government bus to take us to Kolkata," says Mrinal, a student of Calcutta University who has a harrowing time every day reaching the city from Satgachia village.

The CPI(M) has a few success stories to point out too. The setting up of Muchisha Gramin Hospital and a World Health Organisation (WHO) water project at Dongaria are the major development schemes in the area undertaken in the recent past.

But queering the pitch for Mr Bairagi is Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) nominee Anuradha Putatunda, wife of PDS general secretary Samir Putatunda. The PDS, formed by former CPI(M) leader and MP Saifuddin Chowdhury, may cut into the CPI(M) vote.

On the other hand, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) can also make a punch into Trinamool Congress vote bank as its candidate Samsur Alam is also opposing the TC fervently.

But despite not being a daughter of the soil, Ms Sonali Guha is pulling out all stops in her aggressive campaign. Taking the bull by the horn, she is making extra effort to woo the women voters."I am not a betrayer. I will not run away from the field,"she campaigns.

Satgachia had been witnessing a dent in left vote for long though the decline had never translated into a defeat for Mr Jyoti Basu. In 1991 the CPI(M) had garnered 52 per cent of the votes, which came down to 48 per cent in the last Assembly election in 1996. The winning margin for Mr Jyoti Basu in 1996 was only 11,110 votes. He polled a total of 58,597 valid votes as against 47,487 votes polled by Congress candidate Chittaranjan bag. BJP candidate M Khan, had got 10,686 votes. This time BJP has a marginal presence in the form of their candidate Shibaji Dasgupta. (UNI)

Stage set for fire salvos directly at each other

CHENNAI, May 5: Perhaps no previous Assembly election campaign in Tamil Nadu has seen the main contenders for power firing such direct salvos at each other.

With the rejection of Ms Jayalalitha’s nomination papers and the intense debate over her eligibility to become Chief Minister taking centre stage, the issue of Jayalalitha’s ‘corruption and misrule’ and the so called ‘good governance’ of M Karunanidhi, slowly got diluted. This set the stage for the two leaders to fire salvos directly at each other.

A defiant Ms Jayalalitha accused Mr Karunanidhi of hatching a conspiracy to ensure the rejection of her nomination papers in order to pave way for the coronation of his son M K Stalin.

Instead of focussing on her promise to provide good governance and restoring MGR rule, she provoked Mr Karunanidhi, charging him with misusing power to get her disqualified.

Stung by this, Mr Karunanidhi, explaining to the voters that Ms Jayalalitha had only herself to blame for the rejection of her papers, shot back questioning how could she, being an educated woman, file papers from four constituencies simultaneously. She must have known that election laws allowed a candidate to contest only from two constituencies at a time.

Did I ask her to file papers from four constituencies? , the DMK leader asked the crowds. Mr Karunanidhi also explained that it was because of her conviction in the TANSI land deal cases that her papers were rejected as per law. Did I ask her to purchase the state-owned TANSI lands? , he thundered.

When Ms Jayalalitha continued her verbal assault on the Chief Minister, accusing him of perpetuating dynastic rule, an incensed Mr Karunanidhi fired yet another salvo at her. What is wrong in stalin becoming the Chief Minister. He had undergone imprisonment as a Misa Detenu (during emergency). He was also a victim of brutal police atrocities, he retorted.

An embarassed Mr Stalin too, while denying during his campaign that he was not in the race for Chief Ministership, stirred a hornet’s nest by saying the DMK was not a ‘Sankara Mutt’ where a successor succeeds the mutt head automatically .

This provoked the Hindu Munnani organisation to demand an apology from Mr Stalin.

The AIADMK is also circulating a booklet containing corruption charges against Mr Karunanidhi and his family members.

Countering this, Mr Karunanidhi says only the corruption indulged in by Ms Jayalalitha and her family had been the subject of mockery. She has no locus standi to talk about my family , a furious Mr Karunanidhi claims.

Meanwhile, an innocuous comparison made by Tamil Maanila Congress leader G K Moopanar, involving late Chief Minister K Kamaraj and Ms Jayalalitha, has also led to a war of words.

Supporting Ms Jayalalitha’s candidature for Chief Ministership, Mr Moopanar drew a parallel with late Kamaraj, who, though not an MLA, had become the Chief Minister.

This comparison was attacked by Mr Karunanidhi, Mr Moopanar’s erstwhile confidant P Chidambaram and BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, How could Mr Moopanar compare Kamaraj to Ms Jayalalitha? , they questioned. The NDA leaders also took strong exception to CPI(M) state secretary N Sankariah’s remark that DMK founder C N Annadurai was also not an MLA when he became the Chief Minister.

They pointed out that while Ms Jayalalitha was convicted, neither Mr Kamaraj nor Mr Annadurai were barred legally. (UNI)

I have never coveted any post, says Mamata

MALDA, May 5: Trinamool Congress (TC) leader Mamata Banerjee has said she never coveted any post and resigned as the Railway Minister immediately after she sensed wrongdoings in the Government.

"I appeal to the people to give Trinamool Congress a chance to govern West Bengal for the next five years. We will have an alliance Government in West Bengal ...If we fail to deliver then you can reject us," she told an election meeting held at Englishbazar around midnight yesterday.

Banerjee, who has refused to take ‘Z’ category security, alleged there was a conspiracy to prevent her from campaigning.

"There is a conspiracy to kill me......My car is being stopped by waving Trinamool Congress flag. The wounds inflicted by CPI-M workers on previous occasions still pain at times. But I am not afraid," she said.

Referring to Englishbazar seat, where both alliance partners - TC and Congress have fielded candidates, she explained why there would be a friendly contest.

The Congress has fielded Goutam Chakraborty despite the understanding that the seat would be contested by TC candidate Krishnendu Choudhury. "I have all respect for Ghanida (A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury) therefore I will not say anything against him," she said.

She said that despite her support to Chakraborty, whom Khan was unwilling to field last time, the former had not kept in touch with her after winning the seat.

She also alleged that the CPI-M had tried to kill the TC candidate.

Banerjee said the plan to campaign jointly with AICC president Sonia Gandhi yesterday was changed due to inclement weather in North Bengal.

As a result Gandhi could not reach Coochbehar, where she was scheduled to address a poll meeting jointly with her, Banerjee told the gathering.

Gandhi had addressed a rally for her party candidate in the area in the afternoon.

"I have travelled 25000 km by road so far to campaign for the May 10 Assembly polls....My party cannot afford to hire helicopters like CPI-M does for Jyoti Basu.

"They (CPI-M) have lots of money and are spending a lot for their candidates ... They are spending crores of rupees for this election. We have not been able to spend much on our 120 candidates. Your blessings are our only strength," she added. (PTI)

Trial court order a stricture against the Rajnath Govt: Cong

LUCKNOW, May 5: Uttar Pradesh Congress Legislature group leader Pramod Tewari today said that the CBI special court judgement yesterday on the Ayodhya issue has put the State Government in the dock as it was a kind of "stricture" against it.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that the Rajnath Singh Government had committed a crime by not issuing a modified notification as per the instructions of the High Court even during the three months after the february twelve judgement of the lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

"It simply proved that the State Government was trying to save the accused, shirking its constitutional responsibility to correct the flaw in the notification, as pointed out by the High Court.

Mr Tewari said though the CBI is the prosecuting agency in the case working under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee they still believed their was the strong evidence for the prosecution of the accused who include three Union Ministers-Union Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani, Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Sports Minister Uma Bharti.

"The State Govermnment had to issue a modified notification in the case as this was a matter related to the killing of over 6000 people besides destruction of property worth more than Rs 20,000 crore in the aftermath of the demolition of Babri mosque," the Congress leader said.

The Congress leader said that handed over a memorandum to State Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri to ask the Rajnath Singh Government to issue a modified notification as required by the law.

"If the State Government did not fulfil its constitutional obligation, it must be dismissed", Mr Tewari demanded.

He said that in his opinion the BJP was the "most immoral party", and demanded that the accused ministers themselves ask the Uttar Pradesh Government to correct the legal flaw in the notification in order to stand trial to prove their innocence.

In his capacity as leader of the Congress legislature group, Mr Tewari wrote letters to the leaders of all the parties, including the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, to take aunited stand in the house when it assembled on May nine.

In his letter the Congress leader accused the Rajanth Singh Government of not functioning like a Government but like a party to save the accused leaders of the RSS.

"As this issue stands of utmost importance in the state", Mr Tewari urged the opposition parties to take a united stand over the issue to force the Government to issue a modified notification so that the accused could stand trial in the criminal case a related to the demolition. (UNI)