. |
. |
Close contests on the RAIPUR, Nov 29: Curtains rung down today after a fortnight-long acrimonious campaign for the first-ever assembly......more Star-studded campaign ends in Delhi NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Campaigning for the Delhi assembly elections ended this evening after more than three weeks of frantic political activity that saw ...more Muslims choice crucial in a dozen Delhi constituencies NEW DELHI, Nov 29: There are about a dozen Delhi assembly constituencies where a swing in Muslim vote may affect prospects of main ...more BJP
praises Election JAIPUR, Nov 29: Praising Election Commission for conducting elections "strictly in free and fair manner", BJP today said the Commission was doing ...more |
|
CHANDIGARH, Nov 29: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal said today that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was "trying to ...more Charges and counter-charges ridden campaign in MP ends BHOPAL, Nov 29: The high-pitched campaigning in Madhya Pradesh drew to a close this evening with the two main rivals — the BJP and the Congress ....more Kangra Kalam- Pahari miniature paintings DHARAMSHALA, Nov 29: Described as an art of fine colours and seductive figures, Kangra Kalam (Pahari miniature .....more JAIPUR, Nov 29: Accusing Congress president Sonia Gandhi of misusing official machinery in party-ruled states, BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan today said......more |
Close contests on the cards in Chhattisgarh RAIPUR, Nov 29: Curtains rung down today after a fortnight-long acrimonious campaign for the first-ever assembly elections to the 90-member Vidhan Sabha in Chhattisgarh, where polling is scheduled for December 1. Except for Naxal violence in tribal Bastar and Sarguja regions, bordering Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand respectively, the electioneering remained by and large peaceful in the state having an electorate of 13.5 million, including 6.72 million women. Chhattisgarh’s Chief Electoral Officer K K Chakravorty told UNI here that 819 candidates, including 62 women, were trying their poll fortunes. As many as 347 nominees of national parties, 93 of state outfits, 125 from unregistered political parties and 254 independents are in the fray. The ruling Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded aspirants for all the seats while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidates are fighting in 89 constituencies. Besides, 54 nominees of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 52 from the Samajwadi Party and aspirants of the Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist), Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have also jumped into the fray, making contests ‘close and tough’ in all seats. Prominent among those in the arena are Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who is locked in multi-cornered combat in Marwahi (Scheduled Tribes) constituency where he is pitted against BJP heavyweight and leader of the opposition Nandkumar Sai and NCP nominee Hemvant Porte, a former chairperson of the State’s Women’s Commission. Unlike in the other three states going to polls, the BJP did not project anyone as its candidate for Chief Ministership, saying that it was part of its ‘strategy’. Subsequently, the party did not field any of its top-rung leaders. Veteran Congressman and assembly Speaker Rajendra Prasad Shukla (Kota), Industries Minister Mahendra Karma (Dantewara ST), Home Minister Nandkumar Patel (Kharasia) and Finance Minister Ramchandra Singh Deo (Baikuntpur) are also locked in multi-cornered contests. During the campaign, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his Deputy Lal Krishna Advani, Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi, BSP president Mayawati, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and Samajwadi Party gen secy Amar Singh undertook election tours. Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav, actors Prem Chopra, Macmohan and actress Mahima Chaudhary canvassed support for the Congress while cine stars-turned-ministers Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna and Rajya Sabha member Hema Malini campaigned for the BJP. Renowned ‘Pandwani’ singer Teejan Bai drummed up support for NCP nominees. The electioneering remained ‘Jogi-centric’ throughout, with the BJP and NCP targetting the Chief Minister, raising controversies over his caste credentials, pending cases and accusing him of unleashing a "reign of terror" over the past three years. The ruling Congress too went on the offensive against the BJP after a graft scandal, linked with former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judev, broke out on November 16. Stung by the expose, top BJP leaders Swarmed Chhattisgarh, intensifying their attack against Mr Jogi. The present Vidhan Sabha was carved out of the Madhya Pradesh assembly. At the time of this state’s formation, the Congress had a strength of 48, BJP - 36, BSP - three, Gondwana Gantantra Party -one and two independents. Later, a BSP legislator defected to the Congress while a BJP MLA vacated his seat to enable Mr Jogi to contest a bypoll and fulfil the mandatory requirement of becoming a member of the assembly within six months of assuming office. Within a year, a 12-member group of BJP legislators broke away from the party, formed a fresh outfit and later merged with the Congress, taking the ruling party’s strength to 62. (UNI) |
 |
Star-studded campaign ends in Delhi NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Campaigning for the Delhi assembly elections ended this evening after more than three weeks of frantic political activity that saw Showbiz Icons rubbing shoulders with high profile politicians and parties hardselling their promises to woo the voters with personal contact programmes, traditional long-winded speeches and hi-tech gadgets. With 70 seats up for grabs, the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP unleashed a no-holds-barred campaign, occasionally degenerating into legal wranglings and hurling of personal innuendos. To burnish their chances at the hustings, political parties stumbled upon novel ideas like sending crisp messages on the mobile phones and the internet in addition to door-to-door campaigning. Despite the presence of cine stars like Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna, Sunil Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Amisha Patel, Smriti Irani, Mahima Chaudhary, Aman Verma and Dara Singh, the campaigning has remained a low-key affair in the presence of strict Election Commission regulations. The electioneering this time has remained focussed on public meetings, personal contact programmes and distribution of hand bills. The use of vehicles and loudspeakers have been barred by the Election Commission. The Election Commission, in a press note, said any political leader or candidate trying to violate the campaign restrictions during the next 48 hours would face imprisonment up to one year and a fine or both. The last two days of campaign saw parties making a last ditch effort to curry favour with the voters by attending a plethora of marriages. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wrapped up his party’s campaign with a public meeting in Pitam Pura area of west Delhi. He had already addressed two meetings. Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed eight and three public meetings respectively in support of their party candidates. Among others who addressed public meetings during the last two-three days were Defence Minister George Fernandes, Lok Janshakti party president Ram Vilas Paswan, BSP chief Mayawati, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. During the past three weeks of campaigning, allegations and counter allegations between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Madan Lal Khurana dominated the election scene. Mr Khurana claimed that the Congress regime had been an "utter failure" with corruption being its hallmark. Mrs Dikshit countered the allegation saying the BJP was banking on "negative politics". The Congress made development and its Government’s achievements during the past five years its main election plank, while the BJP tried to focus on issues such as banning conversion by force, granting sops to the middle class, bringing down house tax, uninterrupted power and water and wheat and rice at Rs 2 and Rs 3 for the poor. Even though the two major contenders for power tried to raise development, corruption and others issues, the electorate preferred to keep their options close to the chests. Most of them felt that election these days have become a mere constitutional formality instead of being a real democratic process. "We are not interested in who is winning and who is not. It’s not going to make any difference for us. Everybody comes to exploit us and we will continue to be exploited. But it’s a constitutional formality which every Indian fulfils periodically," said Kailash Jain, a Nai Sarak-based businessman. The notification for the December 1 election was issued on November 7 and a total of 817 candidates are in fray for the 70 assembly seats. A total of 1,021 candidates filed their nominations of which papers of 160 were rejected on scrutiny and 44 candidates withdrew from the race. Nasirpur accounts for Teh highest number of 25 candidates followed by Wazirpur (20), Saket and Karawal Nagar (19), Tughlaqabad (18) and Gole Market (17). The lowest number of four contestants are in Mangolpuri from where Education Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan is seeking re-election. The Chief Minister, who is contesting from Gole Market, is challenged by BJP nominee Poonam Azad, wife of member of Parliament from Darbhanga Kirti Azad. Mrs Dikshit could have faced difficulties with the presence of rebel Congress candidate Romesh Sabharwal in the fray as an independent, but after he withdrew from the contest yesterday, it may just turn out to be a simple contest. NCP nominee Nand Kishore Bhat also withdrew in her favour after he joined the Congress. Mr Khurana is contesting from his traditional Moti Nagar constituency where the main challenge is from Congress greenhorn Alka Lamba, a former Dusu president. However, the Delhi BJP chief is likely have a smooth passage in the elections. With Election Commission restrictions on poll expenditure in force, the campaigning has remained a low-key affair. Candidates have mostly depended upon public meeting, door-to-door canvassing, street corner meetings and distribution of posters, banners and hand bills. A new feature at this election has been the introduction of the music-based campaigning as it is a low-cost affair. (UNI) |
|
Muslims choice crucial in a dozen Delhi constituencies NEW DELHI, Nov 29: There are about a dozen Delhi assembly constituencies where a swing in Muslim vote may affect prospects of main contenders—the ruling Congress and the BJP, but in the absence of a strong third alternative, the community is left with little choice. Moreover, in the immediate context, there is no such major issue in the capital or at the national level, or any strong individuals that could wean away the minority on a large scale from the ruling Congress, which it had largely supported in the last two elections. There might be anger voting against non-performing candidates in some stray cases, and in that situation, third party candidates might corner minority community votes, but political observers feel that this will not be happening in many constituencies, as the general tendency at the last moment is to cast vote in favour of the winning candidate. As for developmental issues, the failures and successes of the Sheila Dikshit Government have affected the community the same way as they have done other sections of the population. For example, the alleged loot of the electricity consumers by private contractors following privatisation of power distribution, which the BJP has made one of its main election issues, has affected everyone, but some improvement in power supply seems to have pacified the people’s anger to a great extent. "We are ready to pay thrice the amount for electricity provided we have it," said a voter from a middle income group residing in the Muslim dominated Okhla constituency represented by the Congress. Muslims voters may not be very happy with the sitting MLA but in the present scenario they have no choice, says a former university professor from the same constituency. However, there are a few constituencies where Muslims may not vote for the Congress en bloc, which may work to the advantage of the BJP. Balli Maran from where the Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister and sitting MLA Haroon Yusuf is seeking re-election is one such constituency. Presence of a strong independent candidate has made the fight not very easy for the minister who had won from here with a heavy margin of 24,000 in the last elections. However, in the 1993 elections, he had won with a narrow margin of around 1500 votes. Mr Haroon is facing a new BJP face in Mr Raj Kishore Gupta. However, independent Satish Chandra Jain, a BJP rebel, is not new to the area, though he is contesting the election for the first time. Mr Jain had won the corporation elections from the area as an independent in 1997. In the last MCD elections he contested as a BJP candidate and lost. Political observers feel that Mr Jain as an independent might be more acceptable to the voters in this constituency dominated by the minority community. Besides Mohammad Akram Ansari of the BSP, Naved Yar Khan of the Indian National League and Mr Musleuddin of the Indian Justice Party are among a total of ten candidates in this constituency. Okhla, having 45 to 50 per cent Muslim population, is also one of those constituencies, where incumbent Parvez Hashmi, a former Delhi Transport Minister and now AICC secretary may not find the going very easy this time. In the last electons, he had won this seat with a heavy margin of 18,000 votes. The BJP had come second. In the 1993 elections too he had won on this seat as a Janata Dal candidate. This time Mr Hashmi is facing BJP’s Rajpal Singh. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Wasim Ghazi who is likely to corner around 5,000 votes, and if he is able to do that, the fight may be tough for Mr Hashmi, as the BJP candidates belonging to the Gujjar Community is fighting with an added advanatge of having strong presence of this community in the constituency. Besides, Mr Hashmi has lost around 10,000 voters in the slums where he had done developmental work, but which have been removed from the constituency this time. Besides the Congress, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, there is Mr Amiruddin of the BSP and a few more Muslim candidates fighting either as nominees of other parties or as independents. Matia Mahal is also a Muslim dominated constituency but here presence of a strong local candidate, Shoib Iqbal, has kept the seat out of the Congress kitty. Mr Iqbal has been winning on this seat as Janata Dal candidate since the last two elections with heavy margins. Delhi cantt has also 20 to 30 per cent Muslim votes. Here Karamvir Singh of the BJP is taking on sitting MLA Kiran Choudhary of the Congress. In the last election, the Congress had defeated the BJP by a narrow margin of 2627 votes. In the 1993 electons, the Congress lost the seat to the BJP by a margin of around 9000 votes. A swing of minority votes against the Congress could mar its prospects but in this election there is no such candidate as could wean away substantial number of Muslim voters from Ms Chaudhary. There are a total of 11 candidates. In Babarpur, where there are around 30 to 40 per cent votes, the BJP had won last time by a narrow margin of 963 votes. This time Vinay Sharma of the Congress is facing Naresh Gaud of the BJP. Among the total 13 candidates, there are several Muslims including - Zakir Haider(NCP), Ahamd Ali Khan(Indian justice), Mohammad Jafar(SP) who can impact minor losses to the Congress. The BJP had defeated the Congress in this constituency, in the 1993 elections, by a heavy margin of about 15,000 votes. Tughlaqabad, having 30 to 40 per cent Muslim voters, had returned a Congress candidate last time. The party had defeated the BJP by a margin of 8,879 votes. This time, Vir Singh of the Congress is pitted against Ramesh Bidhuri of the BJP. The Congress had won in 1993 also defeating BJP by around 2,000 votes. Mubin Idris of the Samajwadi Party, Shiv Narain Dubey of the Indian Justice Party, Ananad Kumar Gupta of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kusum Sharma of the Rashtriya Lok Dal(RLD) Raza Husain of the RJD are among a total of 18 candidates in this constituency. In Karawal Nagar, where there are about 35 per cent Muslim votes, the BJP has fielded Mohan Singh Bisht against Hasan Ammad of the Congress. The party had defeated the Congress by a margin of 3058 votes in the last elections. In the 1993 elections, the BJP had won with almost a double margin. Sher Khan(BSP), Sher Khan Malik(SP), Samiuddin(NLP) are also among the total 19 candidates in this constituency. In Seelampur, where Muslim voters are over 50 per cent, the BJP had defeated Congress in the last election by over 3,000 votes. In the 1993 elections, the party had won over the Congress with a good margin of around 9,000 votes. This time Ch Matin Ahmad of the Congress is pitted against Sanjay Kumar Jain of the BJP. Muslims’ support will be crucial in deciding his fate. Besides Kanhaiya Lal Otwal of the Shiv Sena, Mohammad Yusuf of the INL, Zahoor Khan of the Rashtriya Parivaratan Party, Mohd Yusuf of the National Loktantrik Party, Mohd Sultan of the Janata Dal United, Mr Shafiq of the SP Haji Ikram Hasan of the Janata Dal(Secular) are among a total of 13 candidates in this constituency, including two independents, both Muslims. In Paharganj, having about 30 per cent Muslims votes, Ms Anjali Rai of the Congress is taking on Virendra Babber of the BJP. In the last election, the Congress had defeated the BJP by around 16,000 votes. However, in the 1993 elections, the BJP had won over the Congress by around 4,000 votes. The JD had come third. This time Manoj Narain of the JD(S), Mohammad Hamid of the SP are among a total of 14 candidates in the constituency including eight independents. In Geeta Colony, having a sizeable Muslim population, the Congress has been winning since the last two elections. The party had defeated the BJP by a heavy margin of about 28,000 votes in the last elections. This time, Ashok Kumar Walia of the Congress is facing Naveen Kumar of the BJP. In Seemapuri (Res), Veer Singh Dhign of the Congress is facing Kamla of the BJP. The BSP has put up Jaibhagwan. Last time, the Congress had defated the BJP by around 17,000 votes. In 1993, the Congress was defeated by the BJP with a margin of over 1,500 votes. Besides Hauz Khas, presently retained by the BJP, Nangloi also have noticeable Muslim presence. (UNI) |
|
|
|
|
Kangra Kalam- Pahari miniature paintings DHARAMSHALA, Nov 29: Described as an art of fine colours and seductive figures, Kangra Kalam (Pahari miniature paintings of Kangra) that once adorned the princely courts of erstwhile Kangra and Guler rulers, has been given a new lease of life even as the Centre Government has allocated Rs 28.41 lakh for constructing a special gallery for the Kangra miniature paintings at the museum of Kangra art at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The genealogy of the artists’ clan of legendary Kangra school of Pahari paintings reveals that Pandit Seu was the pioneer of this fascinating art. The last in the lineage and the only original artist of Kangra Kalam is Anil Raina who is presently engaged in the revival of this prestine art. Presently working as a monumental attendant at the Kangra museum here, anil owes immaculate adroitness in this art to his mentor-father Chandu Lal Raina. Undoubtedly, Anil is rendering Yeoman’s service to keep alive this art though his job in the museum is entirely of different nature. Tenaciously holding the slender brush (distinetly made from squirrel’s hair), warily engrossed in painting ethereal "Shepherdess grazing sheep and goats" in the art gallery of the Kangra museum here told UNI that the peculiarity of the Raina clan was that the colours used by them were domestic and locally extreacted by them from different dried-up flowers and herbs. He was visibly abullient when he disclosed that he had also completed the fragmented piece of "Radua and Krishana" half done by his late father. Kangra Kalam-father of all schools of Pahari miniature paintings— has a strong thematic base. Several miniature paintings of Kangra school elegantly depict the historical, religious and traditional background of the royal courts of the erstwhile Katoch denastry which ruled Kangra. Superb personification of 84 "Ragas" in different froms is the most conspicuous and exquisite feature of Kangra miniatures done by Anil Raina. Krishan Leela, Ramayana, Mahabharta, Raas Mandal, Nar and Devyanti and ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu are the popular masterpieces of Raina clan. (UNI) |
|
||
|
JAIPUR, Nov 29: Accusing Congress president Sonia Gandhi of misusing official machinery in party-ruled states, BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan today said she did not hold any constitutional position and was not entitled to such a privilege. "Gandhi is using aircraft and helicopters belonging to her party-ruled states for personal or party work on the pretext that she is the leader of the opposition," Mahajan told reporters here. "But the law does not envisage any official power to the leader of the opposition whose role is confined to Lok Sabha. "She is not a part of Government. She ranks 13th in the official protocol below cabinet ministers. Her position as leader of the opposition is limited to Cabinet Secretariat," Mahajan said. Referring to Election Commission’s notice to Congress for use of Chattisgarh helicopter for Gandhi’s visit to Chennai, Mahajan said the state machinery could only be used by the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and officials of the state. Mahajan said he would be requesting Civil Aviation Minister to come out with a paper on use of state aircrafts and helicopters. Exuding confidence that BJP would garner majority votes to make Vasundhara Raje the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan, the BJP general secretary claimed there was a "storm" in favour of his party. "We concentrated on local issues concerning people’s lives during the campaign while Congress and its star campaigner Sonia Gandhi touched only national issues as if the polls were being held for Lok Sabha", he said. On Congress success in 1998 polls when it got three fourth majority, Mahajan said "Khuda Jab Deta Hai to Chhappar Phaad Kar Deta Hai. Magar Jab Leta Hai To Jhadu Maar Kar Leta Hai (when God gives he gives by breaking roof and when he collects back he does it with broom)." Ridiculing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his comment that BJP proved to be the most ineffective opposition during the last five years, he said "I accept this charge. We may not have proved ourselves as a good opposition but I can assure we shall prove to be most effective in Government". (PTI) Will Digvijay be third time lucky? BHOPAL, Nov 29: With poll forecasts and political pundits predicting his doom, will Chief Minister Digvijay Singh be third time lucky or mood of change sweep Madhya Pradesh on December 1? This has become a million dollar question as the campaign for the battle of the ballot turns into a keen tussle between a Raja and a Sanyasin. The never say die Chief Minister had almost achieved the impossible in 1998 by defeating BJP when everyone had written him off for a second term. "You can fool all the people for some time, but cannot fool them all the time," is the punchline of an aggressive BJP which is sensing power in the wake of power crisis in the state. Singh, who has declared that he would not hold any post for ten years in the event of a Congress defeat, is still maintaining with a straight face that his party would bag anything between 125 and 135 seats out of a total of 230. Uma Bharti, Digvijay Singh’s arch-rival and BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, speaks about a comfortable majority for her party but says "I do not take time, people and god for granted." BJP’s Uma card assumes signficance in view of the fact that she belongs to the OBC category and the state has a sizable population of backwards and has undergone a lot of churning in the wake of the Mandal Commission report. Madhya Pradesh never had a backward or a woman Chief Minister as the top post always went to upper castes in a scenario dominated by feudals and ex-royals. The electoral outcome depended on the impact of how deep are the sentiments of the people over the power crisis and bad roads at a time when the opposition is busy projecting the record of Digvijay worse than that of Bihar’s Laloo Prasad Yadav. The campaigning has led to Digvijay earning many a sobriquet from the opposition including King of Potholes and Mr Disaster. Digvijay had said some time back that elections are not won on developmental works, but time appears to have changed with development emerging as the dominant issue in the elections for the first time in recent years. The Chief Minister’s attempt to shake off the anti-incumbency factor to emerge winner depended on how Congress scores in key regions like Malwa where last time the party had bagged 47 out of a total of 64 seats. Malwa is considered a bjp bastion and in 1993 both the opposition party and Congress had secured 32 seats each. BJP’s move to field Uma from Bundelkhand region and its strategy to tie down assembly speaker Srinivas Tiwari in his Mangawan constituency in the Vindhya region are expected to benefit the saffron outfit in the two regions. (PTI) Candidates are modern-day gladiators in MP’s poll arena BHOPAL, Nov 29: Their feet are covered with blisters, faces blackened by sun and caked with dust but they have no option but to keep going, that too with countenances "showing" the confidence of victors. The persons being referred to are not characters in a Bollywood creation but aspirants trying their electoral fortunes in the Madhya Pradesh assembly hustings. The portrayal is a stark reality and has brought to the fore a challenging aspect in the lives of leaders who, many believe, lead a life of pleasure. "Those entering public life have to almost undergo a trial by ordeal. The physical and mental strain of campaigning, plus the tension of awaiting results, take their toll," says Dr S N Chaudhry, a sociologist. State Congress media in-charge and MP Suresh Pachauri and Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesman Kailash Vijayvargiya, though belonging to arch-rival outfits, agreed on this subject. In the 1998 assembly polls in the undivided Madhya Pradesh, two victorious MLAs passed away soon after declaration of results. They were Khallari’s BJP nominee Ramesh, who died following a heart attack, and Burhanpur’s independent aspirant Shivkumar who fell victim to brain haemorrhage. It is hard to say what role electoral tensions played in the deaths but it cannot be denied that the duo toiled hard and faced psychological pressure during the election campaign. "He would bathe three-four times a day while on the campaign trail, just for looking fresh. After starting out at six in the morning, he came back only late in the night," says Mr Shivkumar’s widow Kishori Devi. Even after reaching home, he used to hold a series of meetings on poll management and strategy. He got barely two-three hours of sleep, she added. "Several times, electoral politics witnesses equations where even strong candidates fail," says senior Professor of Psychology and Rewa University’s former Vice-Chancellor Uday Jain. Conflicting information reaching nominees leads to fluctuations in blood pressure. While one moment they are assured of heading for victory, a few minutes later they learn of being on the brink of defeat. This kind of uncertainty leads to a restless state of mind. "There are two categories of people. The first is tension-prone while the other faces challenges without apprehensions. Politicians are no exception. The results definitely have positive and negative effects on health," Prof Jain adds. Dr Chaudhary points out that such circumstances make aspirants emotional and religious-minded. Constant prayers and pilgrimages become a regular feature of their routine. "In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, candidates leave no stone unturned in making even the electorate emotional. They specially chalk out a strategy that emotional issues should dominate," he adds. Mr Pachauri believes hustings are doubtlessly tension-raked affairs but explains in a slightly philosophical fashion. "Our holy texts say that the person in public life and working for others has to undergo a phase of profound difficulty. This is the true challenge of public life. Stigmas will be attached and years of effort may be wiped out instantaneously. But the feeling of doing something for others is beyond words," he adds. Mr Vijayvargiya, who is also an aspirant from Indore-2, says, "The pressure is intense but we have adopted our own stress-management strategies. As far as mine is concerned, my cheerfulness is my greatest asset. I do believe in the theory of Karma and don’t worry about the results. That’s why I can manage challenges easily." As the campaign battle rages, a poet’s words put it beautifully ‘Peeche Bandhe Hai Haath, Lekin Sharth Hai Safar Kisse Kahen Ki Pair Ka Kaanta Nikaal Do’ (though hands are tied behind the back, travel is compulsory Who is to be asked to extract the thorn from one’s foot?) (UNI) Campaigning ends, publicity guns fall silent NEW DELHI, Nov 29: The publicity guns fall silent today capping weeks of bitter war of words even as political parties make a frantic door-to-door campaign to woo an estimated nine crore voters in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the December 1 assembly polls. Congress, seeking to retain power in all the four states, has brought up corruption as its main poll plank in the wake of cash-on-camera scam involving former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo but its main rival BJP responded by questioning the quality of governance by Congress Governments there. Elaborate arrangements have been made to conduct free and fair polls in the four states whose outcome may set off fresh political alignments ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections. An estimated 3.78 crore voters are expected to choose their representatives for the 230-strong Madhya Pradesh assembly from among 2171 candidates while nearly 3.40 crore electorate in Rajasthan are likely to cast votes for the 200-member house for which 1541 hopefuls are in fray. There are 819 contestants for the 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh which have an estimated 1.35 crore voters and in Delhi over eight million voters are to select 70 members from amidst 817 nominees. Nearly 19,500 personnel from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) would assist police in the four states for smooth conduct of the polls. While 65 companies have been deployed in various districts of Chhattisgarh, 55 companies in Madhya Pradesh and ten companies in Delhi have been put in place. Besides five companies each have been kept in reserve for Chhattisgarh and Delhi. Allegations flew thick and fast during the high-voltage campaign often marred by acrimony as star politicians and popular film and television personalities raced across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Deputy L K Advani led the BJP bid to win over voters while Sonia Gandhi led the opposition blitzkrieg. (PTI) Star-studded campaigning ends peacefully in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Nov 29: The star studded and peaceful, but Lacklustre campaigning for the December 1 elections to the 200-member Rajasthan assembly came to an end at 1700 hours today. Altogether 3,39,13,887 electors, including 1,61,82,857 women and 60,779 service voters, would be exercising their franchise through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to decide the fate of the 1,541 contestants, of which 114 are women, at the 35,689 polling stations. This is the first time since Independence that the state missed BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the electoral scene. Among the major political parties, the Congress has fielded its nominees for all the 200 seats while the BJP is contesting 197 seats leaving three for its ally the Janata Dal (United). There are also 556 independents in the fray. Prominent among those facing tough contests are Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, BJP Chief Ministerial nominee Vasundhara Raje Scindia, former Chief Ministers Shiv Charan Mathur, Jagannath Pahadia and Hiralal Devpura, Congress MP Rama Pilot, assembly Deputy Speaker Devendra Singh and a horde of State Ministers and sitting legislators. Also in the fray are the son-in-law and nephew of vice-president Shekhawat. Banking on the development plank and its performance over the past five years, the Congress had pressed into electioneering a host of its stalwarts. AICC chief Sonia Gandhi carried out a vigorous campaigning, charging the rival BJP with corruption and non performance at the centre. A number of Congress Chief Ministers had joined the campaign trail. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party, calling for a positive change ("Parivartan") in the state had called in a number of Bollywood and television stars including the "Dream Girl" Hema Malini, "Shotgun" Shatrughan Sinha and star-turned politicians Vinod Khanna and Dara Singh, besides Smriti Malhotra of the teleserial ‘Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ fame. Both the Congress and the BJP carried out an aggressive campaign through advertisements in the print and electronic media also. For the first time, an eunuch called Sushila, spiced up the contest in the pilgrim city of Pushkar while a magician wooed the electorate with all the tricks at his command from Soorsagar in Jodhpur district. In Jaipur’s Bani park constituency, independent Tej Prakash Kalla, who runs a motor driving school, occupied a sofa tied atop a moving car as he went around campaigning. Making the contest tough in many constituencies are members of the former royal families who are seeking to don the leadership role through the democratic exercise. Lending support to the BJP against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the Sardarpura constituency is the former Jodhpur royalty, which commands much respect in the area. The BJP’s electioneering was given the desired boost by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and firebrand Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who criss-crossed the districts addressing a series of election meetings. The Bahujan Samaj Party, which had won two seats in the last polls, has this time fielded candidates for 124 seats while the Rajasthan Samajik Nyay Manch, which had spearheaded the reservation movement, is in the fray with 65 candidates. The Samajwadi Party is contesting 63 seats while the INLD has fielded its nominees in 50 assembly constituencies. The CPI (15), the CPI(M) with 19 candidates besides a host of other parties too sought to mark their presence by aggressive campaigns in constituencies from where they are contesting. Electioneering was made interesting also by the rebel candidates of the two major political parties — the Congress and the BJP. The rebels, who are contesting either as independents or as the nominees of different political parties, might even tilt the electoral balance in a few constituencies. Devoid of any political wave or any strong issue, caste came to the fore once again in the polls. Traditional loyalties of caste groups towards political parties have been the subject of much speculation as they came under strain over the past few months due to the reservation movement and inter-community differences. The Congress had won an unprecedented 153 seats in the last polls, making the BJP a meek opposition with 33 members. The Rashtriya Janata Dal and the CPI(M) got one seat each while the Janata Dal (United) won three seats and the BSP two. The rest who won were independents. As many as 8,939 of the polling stations in the state have been declared as sensitive or hypersensitive. For the peaceful and smooth conduct of the polls, 110 companies of Central Para-Military Forces, besides State Police and Home Guard jawans will be deployed in the state. The election process is being monitored by 131 EC observers also. (UNI) |
||
|
||
|
| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports | |
