. |
. |
Magic of Nehru-Gandhi family too powerful for Amethi AMETHI, Apr 20: The magic of the Nehru-Gandhi clan seems to be overbearing on this dusty Uttar Pradesh town where Rahul Gandhi, the.....more LUDHIANA, Apr 20: The Election Commission should immediately step in and take suo-moto cognizance of gross acts of violations of the Code of .....more AAPSU to intensify movement as EC sticks to its directive NEW DELHI, Apr 20: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) today ...more Why
run after Oscar JAISALMER, Apr 20: Hollywood’s world famous Oscar awards are "no big guns" as such, shot off millenium’s mega star Amitabh Bachchan. ..more |
|
Cong should sever links with Jethmalani, Sibal : Bitta NEW DELHI, Apr 20: All India anti-Terrorist Front chairman M S Bitta today urged the Congress leadership to sever its association with Mr Ram . ....more Fight between two Generals begins DEHRADUN, Apr 20: Two former Army Generals today entered into virtually a straight fight in the Lok Sabha elections after filing their nomination papers .....more GNLF abstains from all-party election meet DARJEELING, Apr 20: The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) might not participate the 14th Lok Sabha elections, on May 10.....more Chautala putting pressure on Badal for political benefit: Jain CHANDIGARH, Apr 20: Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala was allegedly putting undue pressure on .......more |
Magic of Nehru-Gandhi family too powerful for Amethi AMETHI, Apr 20: The magic of the Nehru-Gandhi clan seems to be overbearing on this dusty Uttar Pradesh town where Rahul Gandhi, the youngest member of the dynasty to plunge into electoral politics, is in fray for the Lok Sabha polls. That magical surname Gandhi and the promise to complete his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dream for the constituency are enough to lead Rahul to a landslide victory against his rivals Ram Vilas Vedanti of BJP, Chandra Prakash Mishra of BSP and nine others. Expecting Congress president Sonia Gandhi to contest from here, Samajwadi Party did not field its candidate in the constituency. As Rahul criss-crosses the constituency, he evokes the memories of his father. "He looks just like his father," says durga devi as she gets back to harvesting the wheat crop in nearby fields. Rahul fires the imagination of the people of Amethi by promising to fulfil his father’s dream for the constituency. "There is a work that my father had started, a dream he had dreamt. I come to you today saying allow me to turn that dream into reality," he tells the people here, charming them with his every move. A Congress bastion, Amethi has in the past elected Rahul’s parents and uncle. So strong is the family name here that the party has won 11 of the last 13 Lok Sabha polls. Of the two defeats, the first being that of Sanjay Gandhi in 1977 following the emergency at the hands of Bharatiya Lok Dal candidate Ravindra Pratap Singh. Local royal Sanjay Singh, with support of the Thakurs in the region, won the 1998 Lok Sabha poll on a BJP ticket defeating Capt Satish Sharma of Congress. However, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s entry into electoral politics in 1999 General Elections once again established Nehru-Gandhi family’s hold on the constituency. She defeated Sanjay Singh (BJP) by a margin of over three lakh votes. Singh has since then rejoined Congress. Sanjay Gandhi’s widow Maneka too tried her luck from Amethi in 1984 against Rajiv Gandhi who won a landslide victory cornering over 83 per cent of the votes cast. The region witnessed a spurt in growth of industries when the Gandhi brothers represented the constituency till 1991. Today, most of those industries have shut and jobs are scarce in the area and power cuts order of the day. BJP’s Vedanti is trying to rustle up support by raking the foreign origin issue and dubbing Rahul as an "outsider" who is "unaware" of local issues. The BJP suffered a setback when its MLA from Tilohi had to be expelled for anti-party activities. The lone BJP MLA in the five assembly seats that come under Amethi Parliamentary constituency was last heard campaigning for Congress. Among other assembly constituencies on which Congress holds sway are Amethi and Jagdishpur while Samajwadi Party wields influence in Salon and Gauriganj where it has MLAs. The by-election for Amethi assembly seat, necessitated after BJP MLA Ameeta Singh quit the party to join the Congress, is to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Ameeta Singh is in fray as a Congress candidate while BJP has fielded Jamuna Prasad Mishra. Ramashankar Yadav is the BSP candidate and Ramashankar Singh is contesting the by-poll on Samajwadi Party ticket. (PTI) |
 |
|
LUDHIANA, Apr 20: The Election Commission should immediately step in and take suo-moto cognizance of gross acts of violations of the Code of Conduct by the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Congress party in Punjab, said Prakash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today. Talking to reporters he said that the violations of the Code of Conduct have become the order of the day in Punjab and this calls for action. He said that the Congress party had seen the writing on the wall and was sure of defeat on all the 13 seats in the state of Punjab. In desperation, plans were now afoot, Badal charged, to organise large scale rigging and booth capturing by the Congress party. He said that EC should initiate steps to ensure a free and fair poll in the state in view of this alarming situation. Badal further said that Amarinder Singh is openly challenging the authority of the EC and having violated the Code of Conduct brazenly says, "if any body has the guts he may challenge my acts." The Election Commission must take such violations and challenges seriously, he said. Badal said that the SAD-BJP combine in Punjab was confident of sweeping the polls and win all the 13 seats in Punjab. They had already completed their first round of electionering in each constituency and had received a very encouraging response from all sections of the voters. In reply to a question Badal said that they were forming a five member coordination committee of the SAD-BJP combine in the state for the joint election campaign in which the SAD would be represented by Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar and Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal. The SAD president told that the election manifesto of the party would be released at Ludhiana tomorrow. (PTI) |
|
AAPSU to intensify movement as EC sticks to its directive NEW DELHI, Apr 20: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) today announced to intensify its ongoing movement in protest against the inclusion of Chakma and Hajong refugees in the electoral list of the state and to boycot the May 5 Lok Sabha polls, after the Election Commission turned down the plea of the student body to delete the names. AAPSU leaders, who held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar this morning and later submitted a memorandum to the EC, said the Commission’s decision against deleting the names of Chakmas and Hajongs from the electoral list, would force the people of Arunachal to launch an anti-Delhi movement in near future. "We will appeal the people of Arunachal not to participate in the pols," they said. Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley and Law Secretary, who met the AAPSU delegation last evening, however, assured the student body that the issue would be discussed threadbare after the Lok Sabha polls and the Centre would try to fulfil their long standing demand. But the student leaders doubted the Centre’s sincerity, saying such promises made earlier were not fulfilled. Mr Jaitley had yesterday discussed with the EC the issue of deletion of names from the voters list which the EC turned down. The AAPSU, spearheading the anti-Chakma movement for the past four decades, had earlier given a call to boycott polls to the two Lok Sabha seats in the state to protest the EC’s March 3 directive to include 1,497 Chakma and Hajong refugees in the electoral rolls in the four assembly constituencies of the state. "The Arunachalees are not opposed to granting of citizenship to the Chakmas and Hajongs but against their permanent settlement in Arunachal," AAPSU president Byabang Taj said, adding, "if these refugees are granted voting rights, then Bhutanese, Nepalese and Tibetians should also be allowed to vote." "We are appalled to note that the Centre and the EC are sympathetic to the refugees while ingoring the genuine plea of the indigenous people and citizens of the country," Mr Taj observed. The Commission had not correctly interpreted the Supreme Court judgement in 1995. The Apex Court in its judgement never issued any direction that Chakmas and Hajongs be included in the electoral list and the Commission passed the order hastily without hearing the State Government and other agrieved parties, Mr Taj said. "Successive Central Governments have not been sincere to our demand of resettling the Chakmas and Hajongs to other parts of the country as their presence in Arunachal Pradesh threaten the indigenous population of the state," Mr Taj pointed out. The AAPSU delegation which was earlier scheduled to meet Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, submitted a memorandum to Mr Jaitley last Friday, demanding immediate action from the Central Government to resolve the deadlock. Mr Advani had earlier invited the student leaders to discuss the issue. "Political parties, except the BJP, are against the EC directive and we have urged the political parties not to file nominations till the impasse continues," Mr Taj said. However, nine candidates filed their nomination papers last week, amidst peaceful protest rallies by the AAPSU. For the Arunachal west seat, eight candidates filed their papers. They included Khiren Rijiju (BJP), Kamen Ringu (Arunachal Congress), Tadar Taniyang (NTC), Kido Ingo (SP), Kardu Taipodia (Samajwadi Party), besidies Tujo Bagra, Reda Lollen and Zodik Tali, all independents. "The AAPSU has given a call — no solution no election — and if any leader contests elections with the electoral list remaining unchanged we will term him anti-Arunachalee," the student leader said. "Voices of successive Parliamentarians have been ignored by the Centre. Therefore absence of MPs from Arunachal would not make much difference," Mr Taj said. A core committee headed by Chief Minister Gegong Apang and comprising leaders from all political parties, AAPSU and NGOs had earlier passed a resolution protesting the EC directive, he said. However, the Chief Minister resigned from the chairmanship yesterday, as despite the ‘no solution no election’ resolution adopted under his chairmanship, political parties were filing nominations. Mr Taj said the AAPSU was forced to give the poll-boycott call because of the "apathetic attitude" of the Central Government towards this border state and added that the EC’s decision was against the wishes of the people of Arunchal, who have been agitating against the problem for the last few decades demanding the deportation of the refugees. The move would give resident facilities to nearly the two lakh refugees in various parts of the state. The indigenous population of Arunachal Pradesh had opposed the temporary settlement of Chakma and Hajong refugees displaced by the construction of Kaptai dam in the Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh and religious persecution between 1964-69. "The refugee population in Arunachal is multiplying with every passing day and we are apprehensive that if the trend continues, the indigenous population will be in minority by 2021," Mr Taj said. (UNI) |
|
|
|
|
GNLF abstains from all-party election meet DARJEELING, Apr 20: The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) might not participate the 14th Lok Sabha elections, on May 10. The GNLF did not participate in the all-party meeting yesterday called by Kalimpong Sub Divisional Officer to make the political parties aware of the election Code of Conduct and poll rules. The GNLF led by Subash Ghishing had boycotted the past three Parliamentary elections citing various loopholes in the status of Darjeeling. Reacting to the GNLF abstaining from the meet,People’s Democratic Front (PDF) spokesman and Darjeeling MLA D K Pradhan criticised the GNLF saying that at least one representative from the council should have been present. The PDF is a common platform of five opposition parties, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (COPRM), the Congress, the BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) and GNLF (C), of which Mr Pradhan is president. Mr Pradhan said the GNLF’s absence from the meet was meant to boycott the election a ruling party of Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council (DGAHC). The PDF has supported Congress candidate dawn Narbula in the coming election. Mr Pradhan apprehended that the GNLF might use ‘muscle power’ in the election as it did not care to attend the poll meeting held at Kalimpong convended by SDO A K Yadav. He argued that the GNLF has tacit ‘understanding’ with the ruling CPI(M). Mr Pradhan said whenever the GNLF boycotted the polls, the CPI (M) had won the seat. He said the PDF would again write to the Election Commission as to how a registered party (GNLF) could abstain from vote in the General Elections time end again. To counter PDF charges,GNLF’s Kalingpong branch president Dawa Pakhrin said the party members were busy and hence could not attend the meeting. Meanwhile, West Bengal Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya, an MLA from Siliguri,has appealed to the GNLF to support CPI (M) candidate Ms Mani Thapa. Ms Thapa has filed her nomination papers yesterday. Mr Bhattacharya at a news conference yesterday publicly appealed to the GNLF, CPI M and ABGL to support it candidate. (UNI) |
|
||
Chautala putting pressure on Badal for political benefit: Jain CHANDIGARH, Apr 20: Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala was allegedly putting undue pressure on SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal to support the INLD candidate from here, BJP leader and party candidate from this Lok Sabha constituency Satya Pal Jain said today. "In the garb of his old friendship with Badal family, Chautala is pressurising Badal to support Harmohan Dhawan (INLD) and putting him in an embarassing position. SAD is a partner in the NDA and our alliance with them is already in place in Punjab, I hope Badal will not give into Chautala’s blackmailing tactics," Jain told reporters here. Jain claimed that Badal would announce his party’s support to the BJP in Chandigarh in a day or two. "I and Yash Pal Mahajan (Chandigarh BJP chief) have met Badal and even our senior leaders have also talked to him in this regard. We are confident that Badal will announce his support in our favour," he said. Jain alleged that Chautala was suffering from a "BJP phobia" ever since his party snapped ties with the saffron party. "Chautala has become vindictive against the BJP and his attacks on our senior leader are in poor taste. He wants to use everyone he can for his own selfish interests," he said. While Jain has claimed that he would win with an all time record margin this time, SAD’s support may end up a crucial factor in that. On the other hand, announcing his party’s support for BJP in Chandigarh may not be all that easy for Badal as he may find it difficult keeping his friend’s word and overcoming his own political compulsions. Jain also urged Congress MP in the dissolved Lok Sabha to Pawan Kumar Bansal not to use "abusive and derogatory" language while criticising the BJP. "I hope Bansal will realise the situation and will not behave in a manner unbecoming of a person of his stature," Jain said. He also lashed out at the Congress dominated Municipal Corporation for allegedly failing to solve basic problems of the people. (PTI) Cenvat on powerloom major issue TIRUCHENGODE (TN), Apr 20: Known for bus body building and rig industries, Tiruchengode, always considered a bastion of the Dravidan parties, is now facing a direct fight between a veteran DMK leader Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan and Edapadi Palanichamy of AIADMK who is a former Lok Sabha member. The powerloom industry is the lifeline of the constituency, which accounted for more than 75 per cent looms in the State and the Central Value Added Tax on the powerloom textile has become a major elections issue. While the DMK president M Karunanidhi, who campaigned for Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, had promised the withdrawal of the tax, Jayalalithaa, who had already completed her campaigning here, had blamed the DMK, PMK and MDMK for their "inaction" on the issue, when their nominees were in the Vajpayee ministry. She claimed that only after her intervention, the Centre gave subsidy to partially offset the loss suffered by weavers. Sentenced to nearly nine months of imprisonment under TADA for allegedly harbouring LTTE, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, a former DMK minister is now pitted against Edapadi Palanichamy, a former Lok Sabha member and former legislator. Subbulakshmi, a teacher, got elected to the State Assembly as early as in 1977 on AIADMK ticket and she was made a minister by late M G Ramachandran. In 1980, she threw her lot behind Nanjil K Manoharan, also a former AIADMK minister, and defected to the DMK. After her acquittal in the TADA case, she rose to become a Deputy General Secretary of the DMK. In the 13 polls held to the Lok Sabha from Tiruchengode from 1952 to 1999, AIADMK had captured this seat five times, the DMK four times, the Congress twice, MDMK and and independent once each. The DMK, Congress and MDMK, are now in one front called the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA). In the last General Elections, MDMK captured the seat and its nominee, M Kannappan, became a Union Minister. Since friends have become foes and foes have turned friends in this election, the DMK-led DPA has allotted this seat to the DMK. Its partner, MDMK, represented by Kannappan, did not get the seat in the seat-sharing exercise. Vellala gounders form nearly 40 per cent of the total electorate of 14.39 lakh in this drought-ravaged constituency, where women outnumber men by 20,000. Scheduled Castes constitute nearly 20 per cent of the electorate and Vanniyars and Mudaliars, form the balance. The DMK has chosen to field Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, who was elected to the State Assembly atleast twice in the past. The AIADMK candidate, Edapadi Palanichamy, had won the seat in the 1998 polls. The DMK is likely to project Subbulakshmi as a persecuted leader in the May 10 polls to the lower House. Famous also for powerlooms, the people of the constituency are a worried lot because of the cenvat regime. Rising prices of cotton yarn and the hardships being faced by poultry farmers are the other issues that are likely to dominated the campaign in the coming polls. (PTI) 1984 anti-Sikh riots shadow over Delhi Sadar seat NEW DELHI, Apr 20: Two decades after the anti-Sikh riots, the shadow of the carnage looms large over electioneering in Delhi Sadar constituency with former minister Jagdish Tytler of the Congress party in the fray and rival BJP firm on raking up the issue. The constituency, represented by BJP’s Madan Lal Khurana, now Rajasthan Governor, in the dissolved 13th Lok Sabha, has a substantial population of Sikhs among its 4,71,504 voters who can tip the scales. Tytler’s rival, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel, plans to use the riots issue to the hilt during campaigning. In rally after rally, he attacks congress for "ignoring the sentiments" of Sikhs by giving a ticket to Tytler, who has, however, been acquitted by courts in the riots case. He is also joined by Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leaders who blast Tytler and another riot-tainted Congress candidate, Sajjan Kumar, who is fighting from outer Delhi constituency. Tytler, however, says he is not worried. "I have contested every Lok Sabha election since 1984 from Delhi Sadar, except in 1998, and every time this issue has been raked up. There is not even a case against me," he says. He avers that Sikhs "know that I was falsely accused and they are one hundred per cent with me. "I lost to BJP’s Madan Lal Khurana by only 13,870 votes in 1999 and the situation has changed a lot since then." The political situation has definitely changed. In 1999, BJP had won all but one of the five assembly seats that come under Delhi Sadar area. In 2003, the equations reversed and it was the Congress which won four assemblies. Even between 1998 and 1999, BJP’s position had weakened though Khurana, a former Delhi Chief Minister, had managed to post victories. While he had cornered almost 57 per cent of the votes in 1998, this came down to 51 per cent the following year. Goel, however, says this does not represent a rise in anti-BJP feelings. "The issues in assembly and Lok Sabha polls are very different," he says, blaming the Delhi Government for the poor condition of the roads, traffic congestions and open sewers in the constituency. "After I am elected, I will make the area sparkle just like I did in Chandni Chowk from where I was elected in 1999," he promises. Goel, who had won his first Lok Sabha polls from Delhi Sadar in 1996, had been forced to move to Chandni Chowk after Khurana expressed his desire to contest in 1998 from the seat. After Khurana moved to his gubernatorial post in Rajasthan following the BJP’s defeat in last December’s assembly elections, Goel has been brought back to Sadar. His detractors say Goel feared a loss in Chandni Chowk this time and therefore moved to the "safe" Sadar seat. Goel, however, says it is a "homecoming". "Not only did I win here in 1996, but my father Charti Lal Goel had won the Model Town assembly seat under Sadar in 1993," he says. But Goel knows that to secure victory, he has to get Khurana’s supporters - who are a legion - firmly behind him and he is making it clear that he is not trying to challenge the veteran BJP leader’s heritage. Goel repeatedly recalls the "contributions" made by Khurana and says, "he had himself chosen me to carry on his work in the area." Sometimes, Khurana’s son Vimal also accompanies Goel on stage to voice his support for him. Khurana’s influence is still very much in evidence in Sadar and even Tytler acknowledges it. "I would have liked to contest against Khurana this time also. It was good to fight against him and always a fair game. "With Goel, it is only a game of deceit. He is so afraid he will lose that he is even approaching Congress corporators and trying to bribe them to support him," Tytler alleges. Pat comes the dismissal from Goel: "Tytler is insulting his own party’s councillors and doubting their integrity by making such allegations against me. There is so much infighting in the Congress that I do not have to do anything." Other accusations fly thick and fast. Goel accuses tytler of involvement in the Mumbai port trust land scam case while tytler returns the favour by alleging that goel "illegally" removed thousands of shanties in Delhi and transferred the land to a relatives name. (PTI) Free shops second round begins for Delhi, Mumbai duty-free shops NEW DELHI, Apr 20: After much delay, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has again invited global tenders for setting up duty free shops at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Trichy airports. In October last year, the tenders were invited but no eligible bids were received. Industry experts said the lack of response was due to small space being offered. Also, the royalty was too high for projects to be economically feasible. AAI officials now say the sale of tender documents will now begin on May 20 and last till June 4. The tenders can be submitted till June 17. The technical bids will open the same day. Most other conditions remain the same as they were earlier. The decision to go in for fresh tendering comes in the wake of Government moving forward on the privatisation exercise with Delhi and Mumbai airports. An average air traveller passing through Delhi and Mumbai airports spends a mere 1.5 dollars. Experts believe that smart retailing and footfalls can make that ten times. The world average is 20 dollars and the Asian average is 8 dollars. Dubai-based Flamingo International is setting up duty free outlets at six international airports across the country. The company will set up shops at Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calicut, Goa and Ahmedabad. AAI officials are glad that the monopoly of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) over duty-free shops at airports is set to end. The AAI had rejected its bid over non-payment of dues totalling Rs 19.5 crore. Even the Delhi High Court has snubbed the ITDC for challenging the AAI’s move. The ITDC had outbid others in 2000 when the AAI floated tenders for duty-free shops. Officials said the ITDC’s bid was absurdly high at Rs 37 crore but it was unable to earn commensurate returns. The AAI was not allowed to invite any further bids after that due to the Government’s decision to privatise airports. ITDC records an annual revenue of 18 million dollars as compared to Dubai duty free which earns over a million dollars every day. Nearly 16.84 million international passengers passed though Indian airports in 2003-04, representing an increase of six per cent. In ten years, this is expected to touch 28.58 million. By then, domestic traffic too would have touched 43.93 million (22.44 million in 2003-04). (UNI) Leftists could support Congress led secular alliance HOSHIARPUR, Apr 20: The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) secretary general Harkishan Singh Surjit today said that his party would not hesitate to support the Congress led secular Government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. Talking to reporters here today Mr Surjit also claimed that the BJP’s "false propaganda" about feel good factor and shining India had been died and a strong wave in favour of Congress and other secular allies had been generating in entire country and the NDA leadership had already realised the fact. He said that the Congress, the CPI-M and CPI had come together to faciliate a Congress led secular front on a single point of protecting the national unity and integrity which was not safe in the hands of a BJP led Government in the country. Mr Surjit said that in the past his party had supported the alternative Governments led by smaller groups like those led by Mr Inder Kumar Gujral and Mr H D Devegowda but they could not deliver the desired and thus dissappointed to the allianace partners. He said that being the largest group in the alternative alliance the Congress could be obvious leader and his party would not hesitate to support a Congress led alternative Government at the Centre after the elections. Making clear that the CPI-M was not after the post of Prime Minister Mr Surjit said that his party and its leaders never had lust for power or for the post of PM even in past when the party was offered the post of Prime Minister his colleage and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu had refused to accept the post. Mr Surjit was in the town to participate in the nomination procession of Darshan Singh Mattu, the party candidate for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat. Later Mr Mattu filed nomination papers in the presence of Mr Surjit. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress state president H S Hanspal were also present on the occasion. It is to be mentioned that the ruling Congress had left the Hoshiarpur seat for the CPI-M nominee. (UNI) |
||
|
||
|
| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports | |
