Counting complete in 18 segments

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 24: Counting for 18 Assembly segments out of 20 in the Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency was completed tonight.

In the Jammu East Assembly segment, BJP polled 13530 votes while Congress got 6760 and NC 2324 votes. BJP also maintained lead in Jammu West segment where it polled 20340 votes, Congress polled 14797 and NC 3050.

BJP polled 15948 votes, Congress polled 12155 and NC got 14661 votes in the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment. In Raipur Domana, BJP polled 12425 votes, Congress 12101 and NC got 5329 votes.

In Samba, BJP got 9774 votes, Congress polled 8172 votes and NC got 4307 votes while in Suchetgarh Congress polled maximum 10064 votes, BJP got 7447 votes and NC polled at 5622 votes.

In Poonch segment, NC polled 20073 votes, BJP polled 11505 votes and Congress 2879 votes. In Mendhar National Conference polled 21142 votes, BJP 225 and Congress 6369 votes.

National Conference got 22066 votes in Surankote, BJP polled 1074 and Congress polled 9746 votes while in R S Pura segment, NC polled 4672 votes, BJP got 6949 votes and Congress polled maximum 15673 votes.

In Vijaypur, NC polled 18505 votes, BJP 10082 and Congress 8275 votes while in Bishnah segment, NC polled 3064 votes, BJP polled 9921 votes and Congress got 13551.

BJP got 12098 votes, Congress polled 14748 votes and NC 9080 votes in Akhnoor Assembly segment. In Nagrota, NC polled 7705 votes, BJP got 8283 votes and Congress 4302 votes.

NC polled 10510 votes in Marh segment while BJP and Congress got 9100 and 9291 votes respectively in this segment. In Chhamb segment, NC, BJP and Congress polled 2202, 12004 and 20000 votes respectively while in Kalakote NC polled 16432, BJP got 8349 votes and Congress polled 7028 votes.

In Nowshera, NC polled 6804 votes while BJP and Congress got 16858 and 9264 votes respectively.

Cong wins in Uttaranchal, Punjab, setback for BJP

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party today suffered a major setback when it lost power in Uttaranchal and was headed for defeat in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where it shared power with the Shiromani Akali Dal.

The Congress was the gainer in Uttaranchal and Punjab, while the emerging picture in UP was highly confusing and pointed towards yet another hung Assembly, with the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party likely to outperform the BJP.

As results of the Assembly elections in four states came in, a clear picture was yet to emerge in Manipur where counting of votes was taking longer because voting for only six of the 60 seats was conducted with Electronic Voting Machines.

AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was set to return as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after winning the by-election to the State Assembly from Andipatti with a huge margin.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi (BJP), who had to become a member of the State Assembly within six months of assuming office, won convincingly from Rajkot-II. The other two seats in Gujarat which had by-elections—Sayajigunj and Mahuva—were wrested by the Congress.

In by-elections to the Lok Sabha, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Deve Gowda won the Kanakapura seat in Karnataka. Congress nominee Jyotiraditya Scindia, son of the late Madhavrao Scindia, was elected from Guna in Madhya Pradesh with a record margin of 40,6568 votes.

The Congress won a clear majority in the 70-member Uttaranchal Assembly, capturing 36 seats. The BJP secured only 19 as the BSP walked away with seven, pushing the regional outfit Uttarakhand Kranti Dal to the fourth spot with four seats. Three seats went to independents and the Nationalist Congress Party got one.

The rejection of the 15-month BJP regime in the hill State was complete, with most of its ministers and former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami not finding favour with the electorate. Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was among the winners.

Uttaranchal Congress Committee president Harish Rawat said the rejection of the BJP, which had a two-thirds majority in the Assembly, by the people of the State was "summary and near-total."

"We gratefully accept the people’s mandate in our favour," a beaming Rawat, a contender for the Chief Minister’s post in the State, told UNI after the final tally was in.

In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Rajnath Singh, who retained the Haidergarh seat, is understood to have decided to resign from his position after the party’s dismal performance in the State.

State BJP president Kalraj Mishra owned up responsibility for the party’s poor showing and said he had decided to quit. He felt the party should sit in the opposition instead of trying to form the next Government. However, a final decision on this would be taken by the party’s central leadership.

Of the 77 results announced so far, the SP and the BSP bagged 22 seats each, followed by the BJP with 21 and the Congress with six. The remaining seats went to other groups and an independent.

In Punjab, the Congress was four short of a majority in the 117-member house.

The party had so far bagged 55 of the 93 seats for which results had been announced. The SAD-BJP combine got 33 seats. Of these, the SAD won 30 and the BJP three. Four seats were bagged by independents and one by the Communist Party of India.

In Manipur, 13 results have been declared so far, of which four each have gone to the Congress and the Federal Party of Manipur. The BJP won two and one seat each went to the Manipur People’s Party, the Manipur State Congress Party, and the Manipur National Conference.

Voting for the Assembly elections and the by-elections to six Lok Sabha and seven Assembly seats across eleven states was conducted in four phases between February 13 and 21. Counting of votes was taken up in all the states simultaneously this morning.

In the by-elections, Congress candidate Nanakram Jagatrai Sindhi won the Ajmer-West Assembly seat in Rajasthan and Indian National Lok Dal candidate Malik Chand Ghambir won from Yamunanagar in Haryana.

In Uttar Pradesh. Prominent winners included Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati from Harora and SP chief Mulayam Singh’s brother Shivpal Singh Yadav from Jaswant Nagar.

The Congress lost the prestigious Amethi seat, considered its stronghold, where Amita Singh of the BJP defeated its candidate Ashish Shukla by a margin of 18,765 votes. The seat is part of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency represented by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

UP Health Minister Ramapati Shastri (BJP) lost the Dixir seat to Babu Lal of the SP.

In Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (SAD) won from Lumbi, but eleven of his ministers lost.

Punjab Assembly speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal lost to leader of the opposition Chowdhary Jagjit Singh by 4,019 votes in the Kartarpur (reserved) constituency.

Deputy Speaker Satpal Gosian (BJP) was defeated by Surinder Kumar Dawar (Congress) in Ludhiana (east) by a margin of 13,000 votes.

Punjab Congress chief Capt. Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, both contenders for the Chief Minister’s job, won their seats by comfortable margins.

The Punjab ministers who lost the elections include Science and IT Minister Chranji Lal Garg (SAD), Local Bodies Minister Balram Ji Das Tandon and Medical Education Minister Manoranjan Singh Kalia, both of BJP, Revenue Minister Sewa Singh Sekhon (SAD) and Rural Development Minister Nirmal Singh Kahlon (SAD).

Three ministers from SAD, Minister of Agriculture Gurdev Singh Badal, Minister for Excise and Taxation Adesh Partap Singh Karion and Minister of State for Agriculture Gurtej Singh Ranke have retained their seats.

Other prominent SAD candidates who got elected include former SGPC president Jagir Kaur. She retained Bholath by defeating her nearest rival Sukhpal Singh Khera of Congress by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

The election to Malout (reserved) constituency in the State had been counter-manded following the death of one candidate.

In Uttaranchal, Chief Minister Koshiyari won the Kapkot seat but his predecessor Nityanand Swami, Education Minister Teerath Singh Rawat, Sports Minister Narayan Singh Rana and Finance Minister Ramesh Chandra Pokharial were defeated.

In Manipur, State BJP president M Bhorot Singh tasted victory for the first time in his political life when he defeated Samata Party heavyweight and former Chief Minister Raohabinod Koijam by a margin of 1650 votes.

Former Chief Minister R K Dorendro Singh, also of the BJP, chalked up a facile victory from Yaiskul, defeating his nearest Congress rival E Kunjeshwor Singh by 1,040 votes. (AGENCIES)

Budget session likely to be stormy
Parliament to meet amid tighest ever security

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: With the BJP suffering a major debacle in the Assembly elections, Parliament’s budget session beginning tomorrow is likely to be a stormy affair as a buoyed opposition gears up to attack Government on several issues including the coffin scam and its handling of the Ayodhya problem and terrorism.

Opposition parties say that the Assembly poll outcome would certainly have an impact on the 24-party BJP-led coalition though Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan dismissed this saying that there was no challenge to the NDA Government.

The main opposition Congress said the session would be "very sensitive" for the Government in the wake of the poll outcome. The results might not numerically destabilise the Government but it stood "discredited" in the eyes of the people, it said.

After a violent end to the winter session, when terrorists attacked Parliament killing six security personnel, both Houses meet under tightest ever security cover - more machine guns in the precincts, regulated vehicular entry and stricter frisking.

The three-month long session begins with President K R Narayanan’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses in the central hall. Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha will present the general budget on February 28 and Nitish Kumar the railway budget on February 26.

In the backdrop of the December 13 attack and January 22 Kolkata strike, the issue of terrorism will again figure in a major way and the Government may attempt to push the controversial POTO (Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance).

It remains to be seen how the opposition would react to the measure in the changed scenario though in a trade-off after the terrorist attack on Parliament, both - the Government and the opposition - buried the issue for the moment.

The repromulgated ordinance has to be approved by Parliament if it has to be in force.

Indo-Pak ties and foreign policy are likely to figure in the context of Islamabad’s negative response to India’s list of 20 wanted terrorists.

The ‘coffin scam’ and the reinduction of Fernandes as Defence Minister have threatened to snowball into a fresh controversy with Parliament’s public accounts committee taking exception to some of the minister’s "actions" in relation to the purchase of caskets for Kargil martyrs and other defence procurements, adversely commented upon by the CAG.

The entire opposition, which boycotted meetings of the consultative committee on defence, is expected to protest the continuance of Fernandes in the Cabinet before completion of the probe into the Tehelka expose.

With VHP threatening to start Ram Temple construction from next month, the opposition is bracing up to demand an explanation from the Government on what steps it was taking to prevent repeat of December 6, 1992. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s controversial statement on Muslim votes for BJP will also be raked up.

The Government may come under attack on economic issues and labour reforms in the context of the proposed amendment to the Industrial Disputes Act for easier closure of sick industries and layoff of workers.

BJP’s ally, Shiv Sena, has already opposed the proposal which could result in difficulties in the way of legislation on the subject being passed.

The Left Parties are expected to kick up a row on Government’s policy on disinvestment of PSUs and any attempts to allow foreign direct investment in print media.

Besides POTO, the other crucial legislations slated to be taken up during the session are the Lok Pal Bill, Freedom of Information Bill and the Central Vigilance Commission Bill.

The Controversial Constitution (85th amendment) Bill, seeking to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, is also among the bills prioritised by the Government for the session, which is to have 41 sittings over 82 days. (PTI)

Sheikh to face murder charges for Pearl's death

KARACHI, Feb 24: Pakistani officials said today they would pursue murder charges against the confessed mastermind of US journalist Daniel Pearl’s abduction, as investigators pledged to keep looking for accomplices in the reporter’s grisly slaying.

British-born Islamic militant Sheikh Omar, who has said he was behind the Wall Street Journal correspondent’s kidnapping here January 23, is expected to be ordered into judicial custody when he appears again in anti-terrorism court tomorrow.

"Police will submit the interim charge sheet of the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl on Monday (tomorrow) in the court," police investigator Manzoor Mughal told AFP.

The 29-year-old former student at the London School of Economics will then have the chance to apply for bail, after which formal charges will be brought against him and a trial can begin.

Two suspects believed to have sent e-mails of Pearl in captivity will also appear in the court tomorrow. A third e-mailer has already been sent to jail, but must appear in court with the other suspects as a formality.

Pakistani Police have vowed to capture all responsible for the gruesome slaying of Pearl, which was recorded on a video sent to the US Consulate in Karachi.

But since Pearl’s death was confirmed late Thursday, police are only known to have detained one more person, the journalist who delivered the tape. He is being held for interrogation. (AFP)

Hurriyat using 'intimidation' weapon to silence EC critics

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: After announcing a parallel Election Commission, the Hurriyat Conference has launched an "intimidation" drive to silence critics of this move among the separatist elements, informed sources said.

Hurriyat leaders, who feel disgruntled over the formation of the Commission, have started distancing themselves from the 23-party conglomerate and are building up pressure with the help of the second rung leadership to counter the move, primarily initiated by JKLF chief Yaseen Malik and actively supported by amalgam chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and fire-brand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

However, other separatist leaders, including Shabir Shah and Hashim Qureshi, who have openly criticised the formation of the Commission, have now started maintaining a low profile following reports that some leaders of the Hurriyat Conference had started "intimidating" the critics.

Insiders within the amalgam confirmed that two trusted lieutenants of senior Hurriyat leaders visited residence of a Kashmiri separatist leader in the outskirts of Srinagar and allegedly asked him to withdraw his critical comments against the formation of the Election Commission by the Hurriyat.

The separatist leader issued a denial the very next day and withdrew his comments, they said.

Hurriyat insiders said though no consultations were held with senior leaders like Abdul Gani Lone, former chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Malik with the aid of Bhat and Geelani wanted to move ahead with the process despite feelers from the other three leaders expressing their disappointment.

Lone, Farooq and Ansari have been maintaining that there were no differences on the issue as a public posture, but insiders said that all disgruntled elements within the conglomerate were working hard to chalk out their next strategy.

In order to make a smooth sailing for the proposed parallel commission, Malik had recently "threatened" that if nothing concrete was thought of by the Centre, Kashmir could witness a fresh spate of violence.

However, even militants have reservation over his line. "When the entire globe is talking about the end of violence particularly perpetrated by militants, how do Kashmiris accept that violence could be escalated in the Valley if such a silly idea of commission is not accepted," a militant "commander" said. (PTI)

Tough budget likely, no sops for salaried class

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: Far-reaching agriculture reforms including hard decisions, like a cut in food and fertiliser subsidies, are on the anvil in the union budget that is likely to cut excise duty on textiles and automobiles and reduce import tariffs in a bid to kickstart a sluggish economy.

With revenue collections not being buoyant this year due to economic slowdown, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, is unlikely to cut income and corporate tax rates but may tinker with income tax slabs to give some relief to salaried class. There may be some relief to pensioners as well.

The 5th consecutive budget to be presented by Sinha will step up public expenditure by nearly 40 per cent to pump-prime the economy, bring in more services under the tax net, reduce interest rates by 1-1.5 per cent on contractual and small savings and allow foreign investment in housing where interest rates on loans could be lowered.

But keeping in line with his promise, Sinha may lower peak customs duty from 35 to 30 per cent and bring down the average customs duty from 26 to 23 per cent. Also,he is likely to introduce 8-digit level classification of customs duty to make the duty structure more balanced.

Official sources said several tax exemptions and export incentives would be rationalised in the budget to check their misuse and leakage of revenue.

Taking advantage of the low inflation, now estimated at less than 1.5 per cent, Sinha will increase allocation to infrastructure and rural development particularly power, roads, irrigation, ports and civil aviation to revive steel and cement industry which now had excess capacity.

The increased public expenditure could even be at the cost of slightly higher fiscal deficit.

To revive the rural economy, radical agriculture reform measures are likely to bring about second green revolution, the sources said adding there could be a relook at Minimum Support Price (MSP), which is now higher than the open market price of certain foodgrains.

Prices of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System are likely to be reduced by better offtake, besides incentives for contract farming so that there was shift from foodgrain to cash crops.

In order to boost agri-business under the WTO regime, futures trading is likely to be extended to more commodities besides allowing foreign direct investment in retailing.

Several new schemes including one for setting up rural godowns with 25 per cent subsidy, are likely to be announced to promote agricultural marketing and increase foodgrain storage capacity. Institutionalised export credit will be stepped up.

The long awaited Rs 8,000 crore recapitalisation package for cooperatives is on the anvil. The budget for both agriculture and defence will be increased by at least 10 per cent.

While imported liquor would become cheaper because of lowering of customs duty there could be additional five per cent excise duty on luxury items like cigarettes, domestic liquor and cosmetics to garner more revenue.

Power sector may be allowed to raise funds through infrastructure bonds at par with domestic financial institutions. Infrastructure equity fund too may be set up with funds from financial institutions, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India.

The five per cent service tax will be extended to health care, education and certain high value banking transactions. Corporate hospitals and donation charging educational institutions would be targetted but essential services in health and education will be exempted.

But transport operators might not be brought under the service tax net, though the sector could garner a substantial Rs 8000 to 10,000 crore revenue because of a stiff resistance in the past.

In the financial sector, Sinha would announce setting up of an asset reconstruction company for weak banks to deal with mounting Non Performing Assets. Public sector banks NPA have reached staggering Rs 58,000 crore and if that financial institutions’ NPAs are included, it could touch Rs 100,000 crore.

Though industry has demanded lowering of minimum alternate tax rates, Sinha is unlikely to concede demand but he may have a re-look at the 10 per cent tax on depreciation and restore the 25 per cent investment allowance. (PTI)

Israelis claim slain US journalist as their own

JERUSALEM, Feb 24: Israelis claimed murdered American journalist Daniel Pearl as one of their own today, amid revelations that his parents were Israelis and that he said on videotape that he was a Jew just before he was killed.

Israeli newspapers published interviews with Pearl’s grandmother in Tel Aviv and his father in the United States, alongside commentary focusing on the Wall Street Journal reporter’s Israeli connection and Jewish lineage.

Israel considers anyone with at least one Israeli parent to be a citizen. Pearl’s mother and father left israel some 40 years ago and settled in the United States.

His father, Yehuda, was quoted by Israel’s Ha’Aretz newspaper as saying his 38-year-old son — who had visited the Jewish state but never lived there — considered himself an American, not an Israeli.

"His parents were Israeli but he was not Israeli. He came to Israel a few times to be with his grandmother and take part in celebrations," the slain reporter’s grandmother, Tova Pearl, told Maariv newspaper.

"And even if he had been an Israeli, it’s also not a crime for which he needed to die."

Tova Pearl declined comment when contacted by Reuters.

Her grandson disappeared last month in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, as he tried to contact Islamic radical groups.

Kidnappers styling themselves the national movement for the restoration of Pakistani sovereignty first accused the journalist of spying for the CIA and later said he had been working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

Israeli officials dismissed the claims Pearl was a spy as "complete rubbish". The Wall Street Journal also denied them.

Pakistani officials have said that in a videotape showing Pearl’s murder the reporter said he was a Jew and that his father was a Jew just before he was killed.

Efraim Zuroff, Director of the Israeli branch of the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said it made his "skin crawl to think because a person is born a Jew, it makes him a candidate to be executed".

"The obvious thing that comes to mind when the same thing happened was during the holocaust," he said, referring to the Nazi slaughter of more than six million Jews in the 1940s. (AGENCIES)

BJP Parliamentary Board to meet today

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: Stunned by the drubbing in Assembly elections, particularly in Uttranchal and Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to convene its parliamentary board meeting tomorrow to review the situation.

The BJP Parliamentary Board’s meet is expected to be held prior to the meeting of the National Democratic Alliance convened by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee tomorrow evening at 1900 hours.

Mr Vajpayee also held informal discussions with senior party and NDA leaders at his residence this evening in the wake of the party’s drubbing in the three states.

The one-hour meet was attended by Home Minister L K Advani, BJP president K Jana Krishnamurthi, BJP’s former president and incharge of Uttar Pradesh Kushabhau Thakre, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader and Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh, and Janata Dal (U) leader and Labour Minister Sharad Yadav.

We accept the verdict of the people, Mr Krishnamurthi said and added he had nothing more to say at the moment as everything will be discussed at the Board’s meet tomorrow. He said the Board was the apex body to decide further course of action. A consensus will will be arrived at before taking any decision.

The BJP leaders maintained that the election results would not have any bearing on the stability of the NDA Government at the centre and the people’s verdict was in no way a reflection on the performance of the Vajpayee Government.

The party will soon have a Virar-type introspection to analyse the causes of its debacle at the hustings.

According to BJP leaders, the Kalyan Singh factor did affect the party’s fortunes in Uttar Pradesh. It did not have a replacement for him. The backward votes, particularly belonging to the Lodh Community of Kalyan Singh, did not vote for the party.

Besides, the delay due to the change of leadership with Mr Rajnath Singh replacing Mr Ram Prakash Gupta also affected its prospects.

A consensus was emerging in the party that it should accept the people’s verdict and sit in the opposition. There could be an effort to go for a post-poll alliance to form a Government if the largest single party, Samajwadi Party, failed to prove its majority in UP.

The party appeared reluctant to cobble any post-poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party, in view of its past experiences and it was not inclined to accept Mayawati as the BSP’s chief ministerial candidate.

The BSP with about 98 seats is the real beneficiary in the election. Senior BJP leader J P Mathur conceded that the results will have a demoralising affect on the party’s rank and file. Caste-politics and development of regional parties were also other factors which affected the prospects of the party. He said a leadership void in Uttaranchal has cost the party dearly. (UNI)

Raj Bhavan hogs limelight as hazy picture in UP

LUCKNOW, Feb 24: Uttar Pradesh again seemed to be headed towards a hung Assembly and with no major political player in the state looking set to gain a comfortable position, all eyes have turned towards the Raj Bhavan to see whether there will be President’s rule or a coalition Government.

Heavy political parleys seem to have begun with state heavyweights like Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and BSP vice-president Mayawati already in New Delhi.

Sources here say while Mr Yadav was engaged in a dialogue with the Congress, the BSP was talking with the BJP.

Chief Minister Rajnath Singh tendered his resignation taking moral responsibilty on the defeat of the BJP, and said his party would not have any post-result political alliance with the BSP.

"We are ready to sit in the opposition," he told mediapersons here after submitting his resignation to Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri.

Meanwhile, Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri said he had time till March 26 and "stability of the Government and satisfaction that the party can prove its majority on the floor of the house would be the main criteria for inviting a party/parties to form Government."

"My duty would be to go with the traditions and to follow the constitution, preventing any horse-trading or any other illegal ways adopted by any political party to impress the Rajbhavan," he further said.

Refusing to comment on whether he would recommend President’s rule if no party staked claim or none could satisfy him of the magic figure of 202, the Governor said, "let us see and hope good for the state."

Sources say all the parties are gearing up for the Government-formation process with most of them calling a meeting of their elected MLAs in the coming few days.

Congress state president Sriprakash Jaiswal told mediapersons here that the party was ready to support any "secular party".

"We are ready to support the samajwadi party if it stakes claim," he said.

Asked if the party would support the BSP, he said they may agree "if it (the BSP) did not involve the BJP in this process."

The Congress has called for a meeting of its working committee in New Delhi later tonight.

According to results for 160 seats released by the Election Commission office here, the SP had won 57 seats while the BSP had 43 seats. The ruling BJP was a distant third with 33 seats while the Congress stood at ten.

Among other parties, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Loktantrik Congress, the CPM, Apna Dal had two won two seats each while the Janata Dal (United), the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Kranti Party had one seat each.

The independents had six seats while others two.

Among results coming in from various parts of the state, the BJP retained the seat in the temple town of Ayodhya, where its Energy Minister Lallu Singh Chauhan defeated his nearest bsp rival Abhay Singh by a margin of 17,805 votes.

The BJP also had a feather in its cap with Amita Singh winning the Amethi seat which falls under Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency.

Besides Mr Chauhan and Amita Singh, other prominent winners were bsp vice-president Mayawati (Harora), LCP candidate and Handloom Minister Hari Shankar Tiwari (Chillupar), Social Welfare Minister and BJP nominee Premlata Katiyar (Kalyanpur), former Congress state unit president Salman Khursheed’s wife Louis Fernandes (Kayamganj) and Home Guards Minister Shyam Sunder Sharma.

Among the notable losers were Health Minister Ramapati Shastri (Dixir), Apna Dal chief Sone Lal Patel (who came third), Food and Civil Supplies Minister and Kisan Mazdoor Bahujan Party president Chaudhary Narendra Singh (Rajpur) who came a poor fifth, Irrigation Minister Shiv Shankar Singh Patel (Baberu), Law Minister Radhe Shyam Gupta (Fathepur), Minister for Family Welfare Sardar Singh who forfeited his security in Gokul and Vikas Yadav (Bisauli) who is under arrest in the Nitish Katara murder case. (UNI)

Congress to prevent BJP from forming Govt in UP

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: The Congress today asserted that it would thwart any move to form a pro-Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Uttar Pradesh, but appeared dragging its feet in extending support to the Samajwadi Party, fearing that such a step would end up in party losing its fledgling vote bank in the state.

We will certainly not allow any pro-BJP Government to be formed in Lucknow but as for forging an anti-BJP Government, we need to look at various aspects before we decide on our strategy, party spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy told newspersons just before a meeting of the Congress Working Committee convened here tonight to consider the issue. The support of around 25 Congress MLAs is crucial to the Samajwadi Party that is likely to emerge as the single largest party in the elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Congress leadership is cut up with the track record of the Samajwadi Party especially "its role in the past in breaking secular parties. In particular congress is sore that SP sabotaged its attempt to form an alternative Government at the Centre in 1999 after the Atal Behari Government was voted out in the Lok Sabha. Mr Reddy said, while we are sincerely concerned with a need to instal a secular Government in Lucknow, we must keep our party’s future in view and take into consideration various possibilities. He, however, declined to spell out various possibilities under consideration of the party. Indications are that tough bargaining will follow before the party took any decision in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress spokesperson said it was too early for the party to say anything on whether it would support the Samajwadi Party’s efforts to form the next Government. The party’s national leadership will have to give a serious thought to it before it finalised its position on the issue, he added.

Mr Reddy said the results of the Assembly elections amounted to resounding rejection of the National Democratic Government at the Centre. The Government may not be numerically destablised after the adverse verdict against the ruling party or combination in three states but it stood totally discredited in the eyes of the people.

The BJP made the POTO its major electoral plank and the people did not respond to the issue favourably, he said. (UNI)

Party-wise strength in LS after results of by-polls

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: Following is the party-wise strength in Lok Sabha after the results of by-elections held today:

Name of party Strength

1. Bharatiya Janata Party 180

2 Indian National Congress 112

3 Communist Party of India (M) 32

4 Telugu Desam Party 29

5 Samajwadi Party 26

6 Shiv Sena 15

7 Bahujan Samaj Party 14

8 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 12

9 Janata Dal (Samata) 12

10 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 11

11 Biju Janata Dal 10

12 All India Trinamool Congress 9

13 Nationalist Congress Party 8

14 Janata Dal (United) 6

15 Indian National Lok Dal 5

16 Pattali Makkal Katchi 5

17 Jammu and Kashmir National Conference 4

18 Lok Jan Shakti Party 4

19 Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 4

20 Rashtriya Janata Dal 4

21 Rashtriya Janata Dal (Democratic) 3

22 Revolutionary Socialist Party 3

23 Communist Party of India 3

24 Akhil Bharatiya Loktrantrik Congress 2

25 All India Forward Bloc 2

26 Muslim League Kerala State Committee 2

27 Rashtriya Lok Dal 22

28 Shiromani Akali Dal 2

29 All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen 1

30 Bharipa Hahujan Mahasangh 1

31 Communist Party of India (ML) Liberation 1

32. Himachal Vikas Congress 1

33 Indian Federal Democratic Party 1

34 Janata Dal Secular 2

35 Kerala Congress 1

36 Manipur State Congress Party 1

37 M G R Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1

38 Peasants and Wokers Party of India 1

39 Shiromani Akali Dal (S S Mann) 1

40 Sikkim Democratic Front 1

41 Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) 1

42 Independents 6

** Results of Tripura West and Jammu are awaited.(PTI)

| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports |
| international | weather | mailbag | suggestions | search | subscribe | send mail |