Tuesday, October 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Gujarat poll on Dec 12

New Delhi, October 28 Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held on December 12, the Election Commission announced today. The EC’s decision coincides with Supreme Court judgement upholding the EC’s order of not holding elections in the state before October. In video (28k, 56k)  BJP welcomes elections  Poll within 6 months not must: SC  Editorial:Crucial Gujarat elections

NEWS ANALYSIS
Advani, Modi’s future is at stake
Gandhinagar, October 28
With Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh’s surprise announcement of elections on December 12 today, the die is finally cast which is going to decide the fate of not only Chief Minister Narendra Modi but also of the future course of national politics as the choice before the electorate is “Hindutva” or “composite culture”.

Cong on comeback trail: Sonia
Mandi, October 28
Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Congress President, today said that her party had reached a pact with the PDP on the chief ministership of Jammu and Kashmir in the larger interest of the country and to honour the verdict of the people who had braved bullets to exercise their franchise.

All-India Congress President Sonia Gandhi in conversation with former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at a public rally in Mandi. Ms Mohsina Kidwai, Mr Anand Sharma and Ms Chandresh Kumari are also seen in the picture. — Tribune photo Karam Singh

 

Punjab page: SAD activists stage dharnas Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Mr Gurdas Badal and Mr Sukhbir Badal at a rally at Malout on Monday. — Photo Kulbir Beera

Krishna tenders apology to SC
New Delhi, October 28
Abandoning defiance, Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna today tendered an “unconditional apology” to the Supreme Court for not complying with its orders.

    Edit page: Krishna’s watered-down stand

Brajesh emerges unscathed New Delhi, October 28 Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary and National Security Advisor, Mr Brajesh Mishra, will continue to occupy both his key posts. Arguably the most powerful bureaucrat in the country, Mr Mishra continues to be Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s favourite and Mr Vajpayee is in no mood to be dictated by a section of the Sangh Parivar that has been demanding Mr Mishra’s ouster, well-placed sources here said today.