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Priyanka on free-wheel THAURI AMGHAT (AMETHI, UP), Sept 17: Priyanka Gandhi...more
AP Cong asks TDP HYDERABAD, Sept 17: Andhra Pradesh Congress....more
HC dismisses plea against NEW DELHI, Sept 17: The Delhi High Court has...more Exit poll manipulated SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Congress today said the exit...more |
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‘Statements of leaders will CHENNAI, Sept 17: The CPI(M) and AIADMK leaders’ assertion that a Third Front would emerge after the elections would not only spoil the Congress’ poll prospects, but also strengthen BJP’s chances, the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) said today......more
Sharma asks Congress SHIMLA, Sept 17: BJP vice president K L Sharma today asked...more Advani, Fernandes in a fix From B L Kak Illiterates be debarred from From B L Kak |
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Priyanka on free-wheel tour of Amethi THAURI AMGHAT (AMETHI, UP), Sept 17: Priyanka Gandhi, who has taken charge of campaigning for her mother Sonia Gandhi, was on a free-wheel tour of the prestigious Amethi Lok Sabha constituency today. Accompanied by her husband Robert Vadra, sister-in-law Michele Vadra and Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, Priyanka waved at huge crowds gathered along the route as she visited many villages and hamlets in Jagdishpur Assembly segment reminding the voters of her father Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to the speedy development of the constituency. Mujhe pitaji ki yaad aarahi hai (I am constantly reminded of my father), Priyanka told the crowd adding your love and affection have touched my heart. I am not bothered, she told when asked whether this electioneering was a stepping stone for entering politics. Amethi has not seen much development since my father’s death. You have to choose the right candidate, she said. Humey satta ki parwah nahi hae (we are not bothered about power), Priyanka said noting even if we don’t get back to power, we will remain with you. Turning towards children gathered at several junctions, she said Padhai karo desh ka naam uncha karo (study and bring fame to the nation). A local former MP B N Singh told Priyanka in a meeting Amethi is not a constituency ..... It is your family. The places Priyanka covered today in her whirlwind tour included Musafir Khana, Mohona, Dadra and Raniganj. (PTI) |
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AP Cong asks TDP to order inquiry into CM’s charges HYDERABAD, Sept 17: Andhra Pradesh Congress president Y S Rajasekhar Reddy today asked the ruling TDP to institute a judicial inquiry into its charge that Congress had established nexus with Naxalites of the banned People’s War Group (PWG) to unleash violence during polling. Let the State Government come forward with a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the charge that the Congress had established a link with PWG to create terror and capture power in the state, Reddy told reporters here. The PWG Naxalites have recently indulged in a series of violent attacks, including the killing of TDP MLA and candidate for Sirpur Assembly seat P Purushottam Rao. Reacting to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation yesterday that Congress was hand in glove with the PWG, Reddy said it is shameful that he stooped to so low in hurling such a wild allegation. If the Chief Minister does not order probe into the charge, our party on coming back to power in the state, will order the inquiry, he said. Reddy said Naidu was making such allegations out of sheer desperation as the Congress drew tremendous support from the people in Telangana region, going to polls tomorrow. He said the PWG has targeted not merely the TDP leaders but also several Congress leaders in the recent past. (PTI) |
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HC dismisses plea against Kesri in JMM case NEW DELHI, Sept 17: The Delhi High Court has upheld the decision of a special CBI court here rejecting a petition seeking to summon former Congress president Sitaram Kesri as accused in the JMM MPs bribery case. Dissmissing a review petition moved by former Congress MPs Abhay Pratap Singh and Anadi Charan Das, Justice M S A Siddique in a recent judgement said there was no infirmity in the order of the special judge. Justice Siddique said special judge Ajit Bharihoke had passed a detailed order giving reasons for rejecting the applications of the petitioners. No infirmity was found in the trial court order calling for interference of the High Court, Justice Siddique ruled. The High Court also accepted the plea of CBI that Kesri’s name did not figure anywhere during the investigation and it came only in a solitary statement of approver Shailendra Mahato, a former Lok Sabha member belonging to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party. Singh and Das had challenged the Special Court’s order of 1997 dissmissing their plea seeking to summon Kesri under Secton 319 of Criminal Procedure Code on the ground that mahato in his statement before the trial court had said that kesri had solicited the support of four JMM MPs prior to the voting on the no-confidence motion against P V Narasimha Rao Government on July 28, 1993. (PTI) |
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‘Statements of leaders will spoil poll prospects of Cong’ CHENNAI, Sept 17: The CPI(M) and AIADMK leaders’ assertion that a Third Front would emerge after the elections would not only spoil the Congress’ poll prospects, but also strengthen BJP’s chances, the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) said today. The statements of these parties would have an impact in the third, fourth and fifth phase of polling, TMC president G K Moopanar told reporters here. Will it not spoil the chances of the Congress? Moopanar wondered when his comments were sought on CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha’s statements on the Third Front recently. He said TMC would support any ‘secular Government’ at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls. On TMC’s poll prospects, he said every vote cast for the TMC-led front in Tamil Nadu was a vote against the DMK and the AIADMK. I started the Third Front, keeping in mind the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2001. If I get more than 40 lakh votes, I will achieve my purpose. I am not bothered about the Lok Sabha elections at all, he said. Moopanar said the Third Front would have ‘swept the polls’ in the state had the Congress and the Left Parties joined him in his effort. Moopanar said nothing could be said on the prospects of the Third Front till the poll results were out. Justifying his efforts to bring all Dalit organisations under his front, he said when he decided to keep away from the DMK and the AIADMK, he was considered an ‘untouchable’ by others. The dalits had then come to his rescue, he said. He said the TMC’s alliance with the dalit organsisations would continue for future elections. I never betray people, he said. Moopanar said he was concerned over ‘personal attacks’ on women leaders during electioneering. Let them fight these leaders politically. Everybody should refrain from degrading women, He said in apparent reference to Union Ministers George Fernandes’ and Promod Mahajan’s remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. On AIADMK’s charge that the Cauvery accord hammered out by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee at a meeting of the Cauvery Delta states was against Tamil Nadu’s interests, Moopanar said he believed that the accord was Just. The State Government was aware of how much the delta farmers were suffering due to water shortage, he, however, said and expressed the hope that a solution would be found to solve the problem. (PTI) |
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Illiterates be debarred from contesting polls: GVG From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Sept 17: The Election Commissioner, Mr GVG Krishnamurthy, has asserted that the onus for not nominating persons with criminal records lies with political parties. Legislatures are the repositories of the nation’s trust, he has emphasised. He asked: "If these parties want to send a murderer to Parliament, why should we send a petty thief to jail?" And he remarked in reply to a question in an interview: "We might as well wind up the jails". Has the Election Commission failed to check the entry of criminal elements into Parliament and State Assemblies ? Mr Krishnamurthy’s reply: "No, I will not agree atall. The Commission has taken some steps to prevent the entry of criminal elements into the legislatures, by stipulating that every candidate would have to file an affidavit about the number of cases pending against him or her. In 1996, there were as many as 1,500 candidates with a criminal record". He explained that following the Commission’s initiative, this figure came down to 150 in the 1998 election. "This is no mean achievement. But, I agree that this is not enough. However, it must be remembered that the onus for not nominating persons with criminal records lies with political parties", he said. Mr Krishnamurthy, who was initially at odds with the then Chief Election Commissioner, Mr TN Seshan, and later, beaten to the top post by colleague, Dr MS Gill, has not only been able to stand his own ground, but make a name for himself as a crusader for cleansing the election system. On September 30, Mr Krishnamurthy is set to become the first Election Commissioner to retire after a full term. What are his achievements ? Mr Krishnamurth’s reply: "You must remember that we started with a negative balance. Our (mine and Mr Gill’s) appointment was seen as an attempt to ‘clip Seshan’s wings’. We were seen as Government stooges come to undo the good work he was doing. So, you can imagine what it took us to establish our credentials as independent, competent persons, who would make a positive contribution to the Commission’s functioning. Now, when I am preparing to relinquish office at the end of the six-year term, I am sure that neither my integrity nor my commitment is in question". In his reply to another question, Mr Krishnamurthy said: "In a Commission which has three members, I can’t take the entire credit for anything. Credit and discredt – both will have to be shared by us all. We have conducted three general elections to the Lok Sabha, one Presidential and one Vice-Presidential election, not to mention the number of State Assembly elections during this period". These elections, he said, witnessed a silent reform because of the changes the Commission brought about in the rules. In one stroke, by increasing the deposit amount and the number of proposers and seconders for filing nominations, the Commission drastically cut the number of frivolous candidates in the fray. Their number, he added, came down from 13,952 in the 1996 general election to a manageable 4,750 in the 1998 election. The reduction in the number of contesting candidates per constituency enabled the Commission to use the electronic voting machines for polling. While the Election Commission has brought down the number of independent candidates in the poll arena, it is unable to do anything about the large number of political parties that get registered in the Commission’s records. What remedy does the Commission have to discourage floating of frivolous parties ? His reply: "While the Commission has no power to deregister parties, even though they do not participate in elections, we have imposed a registration fee of Rs 15,000, along with 100 affidavits from party functionaries. This has stopped the process of mushrooming of parties". Mr Krishnamurthy has highlighted the need for a minimum level of education prescribed for contesting elections, alongside other requirements of age and nationality. He asked: Isn’t it strange that a total illiterate should take oath on the Constitution, a document that spells out the basis of our democracy. Also, it is fair to let illiterates enter legislatures when even the lowest job in Government stipulates a minimum educational qualification ? The level of education – whether it should be matriculation or graduation – can be decided by Parliament, he said and hurriedly added: "But it must be done to bring quality into the law-making bodies". More than half of the population in India is unlettered. Is it fair to deny them participation in the democratic process ? Answering this question, Mr Krishnamurthy said: "This would be like arguing that if half the passengers travelling in a bus or train are blind, it must be driven by a blind person. In fact, it is all the more reason why we should have educated people in positions of law-making, so that the interests of the illiterates are properly taken care of. The elected persons should be in a position to distinguish between good and bad law, and what is good law and what is better law". |
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Exit poll manipulated in BJP’s favour: Cong SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Congress today said the exit poll telecast by Doordarshan and other private channels were manipulated in favour of BJP. We have no faith in the opinion poll as these are manipulated in favour of BJP by its hired men, AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here. He said that in 1998 Assembly elections, the exit poll gave only 30 seats for Congress in Delhi but the party won much more than that and formed the Government. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, the opinion poll showed much less seats for the Congress which formed the Government in that state with absolute majority, he said. The former Union Minister accused the electronic media of turning into "official organ of BJP", adding that while the BJP used them to present its view point on Kargil intrusion, Congress was debarred from doing so. (PTI) |
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