The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2003

	RAJASTHAN Personal charisma holds the key Kotputli, November 23 Personal image and charisma of candidates are likely to play a major role in the Rajasthan Assembly poll in the stretch from industrial township of Shahpura to agricultural belt of Kotputli, adjoining Jaipur. As electioneering gets heated up following tours by national and party leaders in this stretch spread over Alwar and Jaipur districts, candidates and their party cadres have started door-to-door canvassing. But rebels and others are making the task of the two major parties, the Congress and the BJP, daunting. In Kotputli, Raghuvir Singh who won for the BJP for the first time in the last poll is in the fray as an Independent after being denied party ticket. The BJP has fielded Sheel Dhabhai, Mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation, to retain the seat for her party as the Congress, banking on Gujar votes, opted safe by fielding Hans Raj Gujar. The only visible issue dominating the poll campaign seems to be that of making Kotputli a separate district. “I won the seat for the BJP in the last elections but have been rewarded with denial of ticket,” rued Raghuvir Singh. However Dhabhai claimed that she was getting huge support from workers and local people. The Congress is trying to retain neighbouring behror constituency, dominated by Yadavs, by again fielding Karni Singh Yadav, a noted heart surgeon. The BJP has fielded Laxmi Yadav replacing Sujan Singh who lost the last elections by a huge margin. However, Sujan Singh is again in the fray as an Independent. The Indian National Lok Dal, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have also fielded their candidates here, making it a 13-cornered contest. Supporters of none of the candidates seem to be confident of their parties and feel the image and personal touch of their candidates would overweigh everything. In Bansur constituency, Rohitash Kumar, a former Cabinet Minister in Shekhawat government, has been fielded by the BJP to retain the seat. The Congress has chosen Mahipal Singh Yadav to get the seat for the party, which last won it in 1980. Fileding its Rajya Sabha Member Amamuddin Ahamed Khan “Durru Mian,” the Congress is trying to regain Tizara seat, which it lost to the RJD candidate in 1998 poll. Durru Mian had got this seat for the Congress in 1993 and to counter this, the BJP has fielded Zilla Pramukh Kiran Yadav, wife of Lok Sabha Member Jaswant Yadav. From Alwar Jitendra Singh of the Congress, who wrested the seat from the BJP in 1998 poll, is trying to retain the seat facing challenge from his own sister Minakshi Kumari who is in the fray as an Independent. The BJP has also fielded a woman candidate, Pushpa Gupta, to regain the seat it held in 1990 and 1993 poll. — PTI
	Wooing Sikhs Cong way New Delhi, November 23 As part of its efforts to regain Sikh support that it lost after the 1984 riots, the Congress has fielded more candidates belonging to the community than the BJP and its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), have named together in Delhi. The Congress has given the party ticket to seven Sikhs, including its four sitting MLAs and Delhi Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi. Two new faces in the fray from the Congress side include former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary Bhajan Singh Walia. Congress MLAs Prehlad Singh Sahni (Chandni Chowk), Jaspal Singh (Tilak Nagar), Arvinder Singh Lovely (Gandhi Nagar) and Tarvinder Singh Marwah (Jangpura) also seek re-election. Mr Surinder Singh Bittoo is a first-time party candidate from Timarpur. The BJP, on its part, has fielded its sole Sikh warhorse H.S. Balli, who faces a tough fight from advocate O.P. Wadhwa in Hari Nagar after the BJP turned down the Akalis’ request to let them fight elections from that Sikh stronghold. Four Akali candidates are contesting elections on the BJP’s symbol, triggering resentment among the Akali rank and file and providing a talking point to the opponents. Akali candidate Sarbjeet Singh aims to unseat Delhi Transport Minister Ajay Maken from the Rajouri Garden constituency, while DSGMC members Ravinder Singh Khurana and Tarjeet Singh Nagi seek election from Adarsh Nagar and Gandhi Nagar constituencies, respectively. In Jangpura, SAD Delhi secretary-general Kuldip Singh Bhogal is pitted against Congress MLA Marwah. But the DSGMC, which commands sweeping influence over Delhi’s Sikh population, has extended indirect support to the Congress, notwithstanding its public posture of neutrality. “The BJP has done little for the Sikhs during its rule both in Delhi and at the national level,” DSGMC chief Prehlad Singh Chandok said. “Chances of Sikh candidates’ success on seats left for the Akalis by the BJP appear pretty bleak as the SAD has been given only those constituencies which its ally itself felt shy of fighting,” senior DSGMC member Manjit Singh said. A senior Akali leader said there was disappointment within his party both on account of the seats it had been allotted and “indifferent attitude of the BJP workers” towards the Akali nominees. Despite their political alliance, BJP Delhi chief Khurana and SAD Delhi chief Avtar Singh Hit continue to nurse differences, especially over allotment of the ticket and election strategy, party sources say. Akalis accuse the BJP of having denied them due share when it was in power in Delhi and say they do not expect much this time, too, even if the allies come to power. The BJP, however, denies the charge, saying it has increased Sikh role in the party. “We allotted more electoral opportunities to Akalis this time than before,” BJP leader Balli said, adding that his party, when it was in power in Delhi, had ensured that each widow from the 1984 riots got a compensation of Rs 3 lakh. — UNI
	Rich and poor slug it out in Delhi New Delhi, November 23 Flaunting ones affluence for effect is not exactly unusual, but divulging every bit of it, that too for public scrutiny, is. An election law, however, ensures that there is no escaping the fact that those who are fighting the battle of ballots will have to bare not only their material assets, but also criminal records and educational qualifications. The disclosure of assets by the contestants in the December 1 elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly makes a fascinating reading of bulging bank balance and fleet of sleek cars for some. There are also a few whose disclosures border on disbelief as they claim themselves to be absolutely penniless. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the Congress candidate from the Gole Market constituency, has a cash of Rs 30,000 and a bank balance of Rs 3,98,424. Ms Dikshit has also invested money in shares of some private companies, mutual funds and government securities and bonds. She has invested Rs 8,000 in ICICI Money Multiplier Bond; Rs 10,000 in IND Tax Shield B Bond; Rs 70,000 in ICICI Tax Saving Bond; Rs 19,800 in Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund; Rs 3,328 in Prudential Services Ltd; Rs 13,6500 in Apollo Tyres; Rs 3,328 in CEAT Financial Services; Rs 4,215 in Daurala Organics Ltd; Rs 20,0000 in RBI Relief Bond; Rs 14,50,000 in PNB Relief Bond; and Rs 15,000 in UTI MIP. In addition, the Chief Minister has made an investment of Rs 8,21,651 in some other financial institutions. With regard to jewellery, Ms Dikshit has divulged 30 grams of gold (Rs 15,000); diamonds (Rs 35,000); and eight kg of silver (Rs 63,000). A postgraduate from Miranda House, she has also a flat in Nizamuddin. Surprisingly, Ms Dikshit does not own a personal vehicle. Dr Mahinder Singh Saathi, Finance Minister in the outgoing House and known for both his affluence, also does not own a personal vehicle. But the cash owned by him and his relatives is around Rs 45,000, while the bank balance has a figure of Rs 29,77,113. Dr Saathi, the Congress nominee from Vishnu Garden, has invested Rs 58,29,000 in shares and bonds and possesses jewellery worth Rs 45,0000. His immovable property has an estimated value of Rs 1.06 crore. On the other hand, BJPs dummy candidate from Babarpur Virendra Singh, in his affidavit filed before the Returning Officer, shows nil in the column for cash. Similarly, Veer Narayan Kaushik and Neeraj Dhamija, candidates from the Karawal Nagar and Rohtash Nagar constituencies, respectively, have shown nil in the cash column. Shiv Sena candidate from Nand Nagri, Bhikari, also falls in this category. Mr Nathu Prasad, CPM candidate from Ramnagar, is somewhat in a better position with a cash amount of Rs 560 and Rs 1,000 in bank accounts. In addition, he has a scooter (Rs 8,000), the jewellery (Rs 2,50,005) and two plots of land in Bahadurgarh worth Rs 1,30,000. Mr Sanjay Jain, BJP’s nominee from Seelampur, did not encounter much problem in disclosing his assets. He has only Rs 1,717 in the bank account. A bachelor, he does not own any personal vehicle nor a house and has only Rs 15,000 in cash. At the other end of the spectrum is Delhi Assembly Speaker Subhash Chopra, who is Congress candidate from Kalkaji. He has a cash worth Rs 1,75,000 with him or his relatives; Rs 20,67,411 in banks and other financial institutions; jewellery worth Rs 21.33 lakh; agricultural land (Rs 3.5 crore); 20 per cent share in landed property worth Rs 1.5 crore in Okhla; and residential and commercial property worth Rs 162.95 lakh. Yet. Mr Chopra, the former president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, does not have a vehicle of his own, as per an affidavit. The disclosure made by Transport and Tourism Minister Ajay Maken shows a cash of Rs 2,30,000 owned by him and his relatives; Rs 6,91,180 in bank accounts; shares and bonds (Rs 68,87,897); jewellery (Rs 2,66,760); landed and other immovable property (Rs 1.70 crore); and an Indigo Deluxe car. Besides Maken, Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed (Congress), Shoaib Iqbal (Janata Dal-S), Mange Ram Garg (BJP), Poornima Sethi (BJP) and Bhisma Sharma (Congress) are among the candidates who are facing various charges under the Indian Penal Code. — UNI
	Parties bank on catchy slogans New Delhi, November 23 If winning elections in a vibrant democracy like India can be compared to marketing a product by convincing the consumers about its usefulness — the one tool, which is ubiquitous in the strategy of political parties is slogans. Whether it was “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” of Lal Bahadur Shastri in the elections subsequent to the first Indo-Pak war in 1965 or “Vote Hamara, Raj Tumhara — Nahi Chalega” of Mr V.P. Singh in the 1989 general elections in the wake of his Mandal politics, slogans caught the imagination of the voters and convinced them in favour of the respective party or leader. Catchy, crisp and satirical, the slogans convey the message, which the political parties want to put forward. In the current frenzied campaign for the four states going to the crucial polls soon, the parties have come up with various interesting slogans. While the Congress branded BJP as “Bangaru Judeo Party” indicating the alleged involvement of its leaders, Bangaru Laxman and Dilip Singh Judeo in the Tehelka expose and cash-on-camera controversy, respectively, the BJP gave the slogan “Bhay, Bhrashtachar Aur Bhookh Se Mukti (Freedom from fear, corruption and hunger) alleging that Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s rule in Chhattisgarh has been marked by these features. In New Delhi, while the BJP calls upon the voters to “Shiela Hatao Dilli Bachao”, the Congress counters it by saying “Dilli Ka Mukhya Mantri Kaisa Ho, Shiela Dixit Jaisa Ho”. The BJP is also trying to attract the voters by promising a change “Bhajapa Jitaye Parivartan Aaye”. In Rajasthan, where Vasundhara Raje Scindia takes on Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the BJP questions the Congress saying “Paanch salon ka hisab do, Gehlot sarkar jawab do.” In an apparent attempt to cash in on the glamour of Vasundhara, her party has also coined catchy slogans like “Vasundharaji ayee hai, har or hariyali chayee hai”, pointing to good monsoon the drought-affected state had this year. “Jan jan ki hai pukaar, Vasundhara ki ho sarkar.” In Madhya Pradesh, where ‘Sanyasin’ Uma Bharati is fighting a battle with ‘Diggy’ Digvijay Singh, the BJP slams the latter’s rule as “Diggy ki dekhi manmani, bijili me hai anakani, peene ko to nahi milta pani, sadako ki bhi gajab kahani, sabak sikhane ki ab tani” (see the misrule of Digvijay Singh, no power, no water to drink, even roads have a sorry tale to narrate, now is the time to teach a lesson). — PTI
	Fierce battle of ballot on the cards Joseph John Raipur, November 23 Chhattisgarh is all set to witness close multi-cornered contests in almost all the 90 constituencies even as political parties have unleashed an acrimonious campaign for the state’s first-ever Assembly poll. The ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), main contenders for power, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have fielded candidates from all the seats, making triangular contests inevitable. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting 53 constituencies with the dual purpose of preventing the BJP from coming to power and checkmating the Congress from securing absolute majority in the Vidhan Sabha. In undivided Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh region was by and large bipolar with the Congress and the BJP having a strong presence across the state. The contest between both the parties had been neck and neck, as the former polled about 39 per cent votes against the BJP’s 39.02 per cent in 1998. The presence of the NCP, headed by veteran leader Vidya Charan Shukla, and other parties in the fray is expected to make contests “close and tough” in several constituencies. Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, however, argues that there is no space left for a “third force” as the state will continue to remain bipolar even after the elections. The opposition BJP shares the view. Initially, the BJP and the NCP explored the possibility of an “understanding” in a few seats. But the parleys mainly centered around the option of fielding a common candidate to take on Jogi in Marwahi (Scheduled Tribes) constituency. However, by the time the talks progressed, both the outfits announced their lists of nominees. The most awaited contest is within Marwahi itself, where Jogi, senior BJP member and Assembly Leader of the Opposition Nandkumar Sai and state Women’s Commission former chairperson Hemvant Porte, also an NCP nominee, are vying for the seat. Senior Congressman and Speaker Rajendra Prasad Shukla is locked in a nine-cornered contest at Kota where old rival and BJP nominee Bhupendra Singh is trying to wrest the seat from the Congress. State BSP President Dauram Ratnakar is seeking re-election from Pamgarh where he faces a 15-cornered contest. BJP aspirant Shakuntala Singh and Congress candidate Mahant Ram Sundar Das are among those in the fray to wrest the seat from Ratnakar, who won last elections by just 86 votes. Finance Minister Ramchandra Singhdeo, is seeking re-election from Baikuntpur where he is pitted against BJP’s Bhaiyalal Rajwade, NCP nominee Prakash Tiwari, CPM aspirant Balbadra Pandey and six others. Tribal leader and Industries Minister Mahendra Karma is locked in a five-cornered contest for Dantewara (ST), where Naxals have given a poll boycott call. Pitted against him is BJP’s Sonuram Sodi. From Rampur (ST), old rivals Congressman Pyarelal Kanwar and BJP nominee Nankiram Kanwar are contesting against each other. As contests are close and tough, electioneering has become embittered with parties indulging in mud-slinging and personal attacks, raking up issues such as the controversy over Jogi’s caste credentials and the scandal involving Judeo — UNI
	Vajpayee, Jogi in verbal duel Prashant Sood Tribune News Service Ambikapur, November 23 It may not be an electoral battle between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but the people of the state are watching with interest the verbal duel between the two leaders. Mr Jogi, who had earlier accused Mr Vajpayee of “turning the CBI into his police station, has now blamed him of not purchasing paddy from the farmers of the state. A day after Prime Minister’s rally here, Mr Jogi said following Mr Vajpayee’s refusal, his government took up the challenge of purchasing paddy from farmers in the state. It obtained loans to purchase paddy from farmers. The state agencies had spent Rs 2,000 crore in the past two years on procurement, he added. Mr Jogi had held a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s house on the issue of paddy procurement. Claiming that he was “held by the police for pleading farmers’ cause”, he is now making it a poll issue. All political parties here are claiming to be saviours of farmers. The BJP has made promises of setting up farmer courts and a welfare board, providing cheap loans and giving free five hp motors. The Nationalist Congress Party has also made several promises to the farmers in its manifesto. In his speech yesterday, Mr Vajpayee referred to the Jogi government’s “failure to properly utilise the grants given by the Centre. Nearly 15 rallies are being held in the state everyday by BJP’s main campaigners. The Prime Minister was unsparing in his attack on Mr Jogi. He repeatedly hammered the point of Mr Jogi using “forged document to defame the Central Government and then turning against the CBI when the whole matter was referred to it. He sought to turn tables on the Congress on the Judeo issue. He criticised Mr Jogi for not resigning despite being chargesheeted. The attendance at Mr Vajpayee’s rally and the response he received every time he nailed Mr Jogi has caused some worry for the Congress in Sarguja region that has been the party’s traditional stronghold. The BJP at present has only one of the 10 seats in the region, nine of which are reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidates. The presence of the NCP is causing some pinpricks for the Congress as is the lukewarm response of the the royal family of Ambikapur which has been traditionally with the Congress. The Congress has won Ambikapur seat in the past three elections, but the party candidate Madan Gopal Singh, MLA, is finding the going tough this time. The BJP is sending its tribal leaders to the region to woo voters. Party workers here are hopeful that the Prime Minister’s rally will make a difference to their fortunes in the region.
	Cong behaving irresponsibly, says Advani Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 23 Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today lashed out at the Congress for behaving “irresponsibly” by making “wild” allegations against the Union ministers. “The Congress was an abysmal failure while in office and in Opposition, grossly irresponsible... allegations against ministers such as Arun Jaitley and Ram Naik, who have an impeccable track record, are wild”, he said while addressing an election rally here. He said even the Central Vigilance Commissioner had denied taking the name of any minister as charged by the Congress.He said the government had provided “political stability” and dispelled the misconception as voiced by many political analysts that an era of political instability could set in with the decline of the Congress.
	BJP demands Cong apology Tribune News Service Bilaspur, November 23 With reports about alleged involvement of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s son Amit Jogi, in the cash-on-tapes episode involving former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo, the Bharatiya Janata Party today went on the offensive and demanded an apology from the Congress. Copies of the newspaper report having fascimile of the e-mail puportedly sent by Amit Jogi were being distributed by BJP workers in different parts of the city and the state. BJP chief Venkiaih Naidu, who was in Jagdalpur, termed the whole episode as an election gimmick of the Congress and sought an apology from the party. The Congress, however, refuted reports suggesting Amit Jogi’s involvement in the matter and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe.
	Scindias’ popularity on test S. Satyanarayanan Tribune News Service Gwalior, November 23 From the historic and princely cities of Gwalior and Guna to the dacoit-hit districts of Bhind and Muraina, the Gwalior-Chambal region is expected to witness yet another interesting battle of ballots. The region, comprising 34 seats spread over seven districts, will witness more fierce battle this time as the BSP and the Samajwadi Party have fielded some good candidates, having both personal image and caste equations to their credit. However, the eyes of the people are focussed on the contests at Lashkar (East) constituency in Gwalior district, from where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s nephew, Anoop Misra, is contesting and at Pichore seat, where Uma Bharti’s elder brother, Swami Lodi, is crossing swords with the sitting Congress MLA K.P. Singh. The fielding of Yashodhara Raje Scindia from Shivpuri (proper) constituency is also generating interest. While Mr Misra, who has shifted his seat from Lashkar (West) to Lashkar (East), is trying to enter the Madhya Pradesh Assembly for the second consecutive time, Lodi, armed with caste equation and muscle power, is taking on the mighty Congress minister and two-time MLA K.P. Singh, popularly known as Kaka. Mr K.P. Singh had won the seat two times earlier. Mr Lodi, who vacated the Bada Malhera seat for her sister and BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, Uma Bharti, has been nominated from Pichore by the party due to presence of sizeable Lodi and other backward class voters. However, Mr K.P. Singh is unfazed by the fight put up by Mr Lodi. He says people in the constituency know, who is the real leader and can protect their interests. At Lashkar (East), Vajpayee’s Nephew is not only facing his arch rival from the Congress, Ramesh Agarwal, but also rebellion from within the party, as he has shifted his seat from Lashkar (West) to Lashkar (East), thus spoiling the chance of fielding of a candidate backed by the RSS. The differences came to the fore when the RSS fielded Shyam Bihari Mishra and Prabhakar Narain Kelkar as Independent candidates from Lashkar (East). The two nominees withdrew their nominations only after an intervention by Mr Vajpayee. Despite the differences, Mr Mishra is confident of winning the seat. As far as the overall equations on the 34 seats in the region is concerned, the BJP is expected to do a repeat performance, if not an improvement in Gwalior district having six seats. It had won four last time, while one went to the Congress and another to the BSP. However, improvement in the BJP’s overall tally of 16 out of 34 in the region seems to be unlikely with the BSP and the Samajwadi Party giving a tough fight in some of the constituencies in Shivpuri, Bhind and Muraina districts. Last time, the BJP had won three seats out of six in Bhind, three out of six in Muraina and three out of five in Shivpuri. In this election, entry of the Samajwadi Party and the new outfit the Samata Samaj Dal, formed by the expelled BSP leader Phool Singh Bharraiya, is also expected to upset the equations of both the Congress and the BJP. The Congress had won nine out of 34 seats in 1998, three from Guna, two each from Shivpuri and Bhind and one each from Shyopur and Gwalior districts. An interesting contest is also on the cards in Guna, where late Madhavrao Scindia’s son, Jyotiraditya, wields popularity. In fact, the image and popularity of Jyotiraditya will be put to test this time. On the other hand, at Shivpuri, the candidature of Yashodhara Raje Scindia has enthused the BJP workers. It is to be seen whether the BJP, which had got three out of five seats in Shivpuri district, manages to add up to the tally at the cost of the Congress, which had won two seats. Prominent among the Congress candidates, who are contesting from this region include minister in Digvijay Singh government Dr Govind Singh from Lahar seat and Rakesh Chaudhary from Bhind (proper). Both are trying to make it to the Assembly for the fourth consecutive time.