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BJP out to woo
Sikh voters in Delhi Selfless service
drives auto driver
Cong defends
Jogis |
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KEY CONTEST EC bars TV
publicity Parties promise
to upgrade health sector Malwa holds the
key for BJP
Jaitley for
criminal action against Amarinder
Filmstar and Union Minister Vinod Khanna addresses an election meeting for BJP candidate Uma Shankar Gupta from Bhopal (South) on Monday night. — PTI
photo MP DIARY
Sonia targets
PM on graft issue Govt employees
can tilt scales Effect change,
Advani urges Rajasthan voters
Amarinder
promises more canal water Rich and famous in
poll fray Rajasthan
Diary
INLD complaint
to EC against Congress Will father’s
legacy help Jagat Singh?
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BJP out to woo Sikh voters in Delhi New Delhi, November 25 Adding to their concern is the drifting of Sikh vote-bank to the Congress as the party, which was shun after the 1984 riots, is much sought after by candidates and the party has given the ticket to seven Sikhs compared to only five by the BJP. With this fact as a backdrop, senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who is heading the campaign committee has urged veteran Akali leaders to rush to Delhi to campaign for the BJP. After hard negotiations, the BJP agreed to give four seats to the Shiromani Akali Dal, which is contesting the poll on the Lotus symbol. The BJP did not part with the Tilak Nagar seat the Akali leadership insisted upon Akali leaders, less optimistic of the party candidates’ performance in Gandhi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Jangpura and Adarsh Nagar, did not make rounds of the constituency. Further, the filing of the charge sheet against SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and others kept them confined to Punjab. With the SOS call from the BJP, SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra and SAD President Parkash Singh Badal, SGPC honorary secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta, SAD General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa would campaign in the Capital in the coming days. When asked that the seats left by the BJP for the Akali candidates did not have significant Sikh population and that the saffron party had resisted giving the Tilak Nagar seat to the SAD, the SGPC chief said: “We may have differences with the BJP, but that is an internal matter. Since the Congress is a taboo, the only alternative left is the BJP.” About the party’s position in Rajasthan, where the SAD is contesting in alliance with the INLD, he said the objective was to defeat the Congress. Mr Tohra said the emphasis of the Akali campaign would be to ask over 700,000 Sikh voters in Delhi to vote for the BJP in the coming elections.
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Bhattal addresses
poll rally New Delhi, November 25 After the rally, Mrs Bhattal left for Malerkotla in Punjab to take part in the Id celebrations tomorrow. According to her press secretary, Mrs Bhattal will then return to Delhi the same evening from where she will go to Jaipur to address more poll rallies. |
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Selfless service drives auto driver
New Delhi, November 25 When she was only 13, her parents married her off to a man from Haryana. “My life since then was like living in a hell. I was harassed for dowry,” says Chaudhury, who belongs to Meerut. She says one night she was carried off to a nearby jungle by her husband’s relatives who wanted to kill her. “I somehow escaped and ran for my life.” Chaudhury, who did not go back to her husband, divorced him later. During their marriage, she also had to see the death of her two-month-old baby. Life in Delhi’s
Mehrauli, which she made her home after her disastrous marriage, has made her a social worker first and foremost. “I came to Delhi with the determination that I will henceforth live a life helping the poor,” she says. In fact, Chaudhury did more than that. She formed a one-person trauma service, picking up accident victims from the road whenever she saw one and rushing them to the hospital. “I beat up auto drivers when they refused to carry the victims,” recalls Chaudhury. Chaudhury says after working for the Samaj
Sevika, a women’s social welfare organisation in Mehrauli, for several years, she decided that it was time she had a proper platform for helping people. “I immediately accepted it when the Panther’s Party offered me a ticket. I have seen what life means to the poor. I can understand the problems of the
people.— UNI
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Forgive me, Jogi pleads to EC New Delhi, November 25 Replying to the commission’s show-cause notice, Mr Jogi admitted in his reply that he had travelled in the state government aircraft but pleaded that he did not use it for electioneering but for official work. He described it as an “inadvertent error” and pleaded forgiveness. Giving details of each of the instances that he used the aircraft, Mr Jogi maintained these were all official programmes which he was required to attend in his capacity as Chief Minister. Mr Jogi also took the plea that Chhattisgarh is a newly-created state and that its far-flung areas are not accessible by road. Although Mr Jogi has taken this plea, the code clearly says that the state machinery cannot be used once elections are announced. This, it was explained, is to ensure that those who do not have access to this facility are not at a disadvantage. The commission had issued a show-cause notice to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Mr Jogi last week, stating that they had violated the code as they had travelled in the state government aircraft after the code came into force. They were given a week to send in their replies and warned that the Congress could face derecognition for this lapse. The Congress had been quick to come to Ms Gandhi’s defence, sending its reply to the commission within two days. Realising that Mr Jogi had a weak case, the party had delinked Ms Gandhi’s case from that of the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. Consequently, Mr Jogi was left to fend for himself.
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Cong defends Jogis New Delhi, November 25 Referring to media reports quoting CBI sources that the Judeo sting operation was the handiwork of Mr Jogi and his son, Amit Jogi, Congress spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy said instead of prosecuting Mr Judeo, the CBI was planting stories to implicate the Jogis. Going on the offensive, Mr Reddy charged that the CBI “is being used both as a shield and a sword in the hands of the ruling combine.” He reiterated that the CBI should have registered an FIR against Judeo.
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KEY CONTEST Marwahi, November 25 But the people of Marwahi are not smiling. They say sarpanches of their villages have prospered more than others in the past three years. Each of the more than 150 village heads in
Marwahi, a picturesque forested area, has received lakhs as development fund. No one in the Assembly seat, not even the BJP, complains about shortage of funds. However, perceptions vary about the utilisation of money and the victimisation of the workers of rival parties. Villagers point out that some sarpanches have added motor cycles and tractors to their possessions in the past three years. It is an indication of the growing edginess in the Congress that party workers are informing the people here about Mr Jogi’s likely visit to Marwahi on November 28. The party has been projecting Mr Jogi’s declaration about not visiting the tribal seat during the campaign period as an expression of his confidence in the people of the area. The Chief Minister’s son, Amit Jogi, has taken charge of the Congress election work in the constituency with the canvassing having been left to the local party leaders. The Congress network is stronger than that of its opponents and its booth supervisors send daily reports about the mood of voters. The show being put up by BJP candidate Nand Kumar Sai and Nationalist Congress Party candidate Hemvant Porte is causing some worry for the Congress. Ms Porte, whose husband, Bhanwar Singh Porte, had won the Marwahi seat several times, commands a lot of respect among the
tribals. She has been touring the constituency extensively and striking an emotional chord with the people. BJP’s Nand Kumar
Sai, the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, is taking on Mr Jogi on the question of “real and fake tribal”. Several BJP leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister
L.K. Advani and film star-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, have visited Marwahi, where the BJP flags have started to appear atop distant houses. The BJP had won the seat in the 1998 Assembly poll, but its MLA Ram Dayal Uike defected to the Congress and left the seat for Mr Jogi. Mr Uike is the Congress candidate from neighbouring Tanakhar Assembly seat. Mr Sai draws attention of people to “corruption” in the construction of roads, shortage of water in some villages and “outsiders” being appointed on government posts in
Marwahi. Mr Sai was last elected to the state Assembly from Tapkara seat in Jashpur and his contesting from Marwahi is being projected by the Congress as an outcome of internal feud in the BJP. The BJP is trying to cash in on the perception about Mr Jogi being a “dictator”. Mr Advani tried to rub in the point during his rally at Marwahi yesterday by calling Mr Jogi an
“atankwadi”. BJP leaders have been complaining about victimisation of their workers in Marwahi and removal of their posters and banners. The party is also playing on the uncertainty in the voters’ mind over Mr Jogi returning to power as the Chief Minister. Mr Jogi had won the seat by nearly 50,000 votes in 2001. Though confident of victory, Congress workers are not betting on the margin.
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EC bars TV publicity New Delhi, November 25 In a press note, the commission said the period of 48 hours during which the provisions should be in force would commence from 5 pm hours on November 29 and conclude at 5 pm on December 1. Any person contravening the provisions shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years, or with a fine or with both, it added.
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Parties promise to upgrade
health
sector
Raipur, November 25 Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has said all district hospitals would be
provided with satellite-based tele-medicine facilities and have linkages with
super-specialty hospitals in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to provide better
medical care to the largely rural population. The BJP has said mobile units
would be launched on a large scale. — UNI
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Malwa holds the key for BJP Indore, November 25 In the 1998 Assembly poll, the BJP could manage only 14 seats, while the Congress cornered 47 and one had gone to an Independent candidate. This time, the BJP seems to have an edge in the region with the party’s development plank catching the attention of the voters, both in cities and villages alike. For the first time after a decade one can discern an undercurrent against the Congress in the Malwa region considered to be its bastion. The power issue is weighing so much against the Congress this time that even Chief Minister Digvijay Singh’s decentralisation measures like giving adequate power and resources to the Panchayati Raj bodies seems to be fading out. Another issue likely to hit the Congress below the belt is distribution of ‘charnoi ki bhoomi’ to Harijans in the region, resulting in a major rift between big farmers and new allottees. The intention of cornering the whole-hearted support of Harijans, who play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the candidates on some of the seats in the Malwa belt seems to have got a blow with the Harijans left out in the distribution of land working against the Congress. Compounding this is the resentment of big farmers, who used to send their cattle for grazing to this land, which is now in the possession of Harijans. Now the big farmers are finding it difficult to graze their cattle. A big worry for the Congress can be the inroads made by the BJP in the tribesmen-dominated districts of Jhabua, Dhar, Badwani and Khargaon districts having 21 Assembly seats. In the last elections, the Congress had bagged 15 seats from here, while the BJP had got six. The picture can be different this time as the RSS and the Hindu Jagran Manch have been working in these districts for the past about three years, which is proving beneficial to the BJP. As one political observer puts it: earlier, tribals identified themselves with only Indira Gandhi and the ‘hand’ symbol of the Congress, but now a major shift is there in favour of the BJP, thanks to the RSS, which has been working for their welfare, and the Hindu Jagran Manch, which has been bombarding the tribals with its hard-core Hindu ideology. However, this does not mean that the Congress can be written off from this region. Despite the anti-incumbency factor weighing against the party, at least 36 Congressmen in the region are capable of retaining their seats against all odds. This region has a history of sending MLAs with narrow margins. The presence of NCP candidates at some of the seats can also affect the equation. The Congress can benefit from the rift between BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Uma Bharti and Union Sports Minister Vikram Verma in Dhar district and adjoining areas. Mr Verma is reportedly among those who had strongly opposed the BJP’s move to project Uma Bharti as the chief ministerial candidate. Moreover, he is cut off with the leadership for bowing to the pressures of the RSS and the Hindu Jagran Manch in Dhar (proper) constituency by denying ticket to Sharad Vijaywargi. Mr Vijaywargi, who is known to be very close to Mr Verma, was first given the ticket from Dhar, but at the eleventh hour RSS-backed candidate Jaswant Singh Rathore was made the official nominee. Although Vijaywargi is not contesting as a rebel, he is likely to work against the official candidates. Interestingly, Mr Verma has not paid a visit to Dhar, his native place. Realising the importance of this region, the Congress has been focusing a lot here and Mr Digvijay Singh has already addressed a large number of public meetings in the region.
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Jaitley for criminal action against Amarinder
Bhopal, November 25 “I saw in newspapers today that the State Election Commission has sent a complaint to the EC”, Mr Jaitley said, adding that he had made a personal request to the commission officials for taking quick action in this regard. He, however, denied that the delay was deliberate. “I will not term it as a deliberate delay. The EC is overburdened with the elections of five states and our job is to remind while their job is to take action”, the senior BJP leader said. “Mr Amarinder Singh, who is also filing criminal cases against the Opposition, will also realise what a criminal case is”, Mr Jaitely said with reference to several cases the Punjab Government has filed against former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and members of his family. The BJP had filed a complaint to the EC a couple of days before showing the footage that the Punjab Chief Minister had used the state government’s aircraft for his tour in Madhya Pradesh during which he attended an official function and even participated in campaign. Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni had refuted the allegations, saying that Mr Amarinder Singh had sought permission and paid money for the purpose. She even assured of giving a suitable reply if a notice was received from the EC in this connection.
— UNI
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Khanna agrees with Amarinder’s statement
Bhopal, November 25 Mr Khanna, who is on tour to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, nodded positively to a question on whether he found Mr Digvijay Singh to be a better Chief Minister than Capt Amarinder Singh. Mr Arun Jaitley said: “Mr Khanna wants to say that if one is disaster, another is catastrophe.”
— UNI
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MP DIARY In the run-up to the December 1 elections, musicians having orchestra group and magicians are the happiest lot. With the battle for ballots hotting up, their demand is growing, resulting in their pockets getting bulkier and bulkier.
Political heavyweights
With just a week left for the battle of ballots, electioneering has picked up in the state with political heavyweights of both the ruling Congress and the BJP undertaking an extensive tour. For the Congress, Sonia Gandhi is spearheading the campaign, while for the BJP, it is Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
— TNS
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Sonia targets PM
on graft issue
Morena (MP), November 25 “Ignoring evidences against corrupt ministers, the Prime Minister is leaving them unpunished. On the other hand, those facing corruption charges are being protected and rewarded with new responsibilities”, she alleged addressing a party election rally here. Hitting out at the
BJP, Mrs Sonia Gandhi said the party had promised to eliminate fear, hunger and corruption before the Vajpayee Government came to power at the Centre, and alleged that corruption has assumed alarming proportions under his regime. “Bribery is going on unchecked while six Union Ministers are looting public sector undertakings,” she alleged. Asking the people to defeat the proponents of communalism, she charged the BJP and its allied organisations with weakening the country’s unity and integrity.
— PTI
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Govt employees can tilt scales Kota, November 25 And this time again about eight lakh government employees could hold the key in some constituencies, mainly those falling in the city and urban areas. The addition of members of their families to this figure definitely adds up to a huge number which would be of importance to any political party. It is no surprise that the candidates of all parties are concentrating hard on this section of voters. More importantly, leaders of various unions are in great demand as members of a union would vote as per the instructions of their leaders. Government employees said here that they would vote en masse as advised by their leaders. And they pointed out that this was the situation everywhere in the state. In the last elections, the annoyed employees voted en masse for the Congress. The situation could be different this time as the employees do not seem to be too happy with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for various reasons. One of the main reasons seems to be the breakdown of their strike some years ago. Other reasons put forward by the employees include the cut in their salary for the strike period and no new recruitment at the lower levels despite a shortage of employees. On the other hand, there is regular recruitment at the officers level through examinations. The employees point out that although the government keeps talking of lack of funds due to drought conditions, there is never a shortage of funds when it comes to hiking the salaries of members of the Legislative Assembly or of ministers. The manner in which government employees vote on December 1 will have a telling effect on the poll outcome.
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Effect change, Advani urges Rajasthan voters
Tonk (Rajasthan) November 25 Addressing an election rally here, Mr Advani said backwardness still prevailed in various sectors due to Congress misrule. The present Gehlot Government too, had done nothing for the development of the state, he observed. Therefore, he appealed to the electorate to effect a change of guard in the state for development and good governance. Mr Advani maintained that “by its ideology... the BJP had established a different identity for itself..... we are above vote- bank politics and do not discriminate on caste and communal lines.” Because of this approach, the Vajpayee-led government has earned a good reputation even at the international level, he claimed. He said the BJP had, for the first time, projected a woman, Ms Vasundhara Raje, the party’s state unit president in Rajasthan, as the chief ministerial candidate.
— UNI
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Amarinder
promises more canal water Hanumangarh, November 25 The fact that he enjoys a mass following in the area, largely dominated by Jats and Sikhs, was evident as the crowd patiently awaited for his arrival for over three hours. Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar have 11 assembly seats and the BJP was able to win only one seat in the previous poll. The Congress aims to repeat the show, but may find the going tough due to anti-incumbency factor and the infighting over the distribution of ticket. That is the reason why some of the star campaigners of the party are crisscrossing the dusty trails in these parts. Captain Amarinder reached here after addressing rallies at Anupgarh and Rawatsar and was accompanied by former Union Minister Balram Jakhar, PPCC chief H.S. Hanspal, Minister J.S. Kang, Parliamentary Secretary Hans Raj Josan, MLA Sunil Jakhar, besides other senior leaders of the area. The party candidate here is Chaudhry Vinod Kumar. He said the people of both states had enjoyed cordial relations for centuries and the bond was further strengthened during the times of need. This was evident during the long spell of drought and if the people felt that some issues were unresolved, these could be taken up with the new Congress regime that the people were going to vote into power, he said. Capt
Amarinder Singh said he had met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot last year and had
assured all help. His counterpart had revealed that foodgrain and fodder were in
short supply so Punjab dispatched truckloads of fodder and foodgrain to various
affected districts. Similarly, additional canal water was released so that the
people could not only drink, but also sow their crops in time, he added amidst
applause. Castigating the NDA alliance, he said the government had totally
ruined the country with wrong policies since there was no consensus among the
alliance of 22 regional parties. “We do not have any policy whatsoever and are
groping in the dark even in the case of foreign policy. It is hard to understand
the gesture of providing a subsidy of Rs 12,000 crore to other nations when
millions of our fellow brethren go to bed hungry everyday,” he said. He also
attacked the Vajpayee government for the Kargil war and his slack grasp on his
party and the government that, according to him, had resulted in numerous scams
in the past five years. He also condemned the INLD and said it was strange that
the alliance partners at the Centre were face to face here. While he criticised
Akalis, he was all praise for Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok gehlot and said he
was an able administrator who had done the best for his people and had rightly
been ranked the best CM in the country. He appealed to the people to vote for
the Congress in the name of peace and prosperity.
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Rich and famous in poll fray Sriganganagar, November 25 CM Ashok Gehlot is a crorepati and so are some his Cabinet colleagues. The list of millionaire contestants includes state BJP chief Vasundhra Raje (jhalarpatan), Poonam Goyal (Ladpura), Shanti Dhariwal (Kota), Rajendra Singh, a scion of the Alwar Royal family, B.D. Kalla (Bikaner), Gulab Singh Shaktawat (Ballabnagar), Babulal Singhria (Kekri), Vishnu Modi (Masuda), Manik Chand Surana (Lunkaransar), Sujan Singh (Jhalawar). Others include former legislator Gopal Joshi (Bikaner), who estimated the worth of his houses at various places, including Jaipur, at several crores. Interestingly, Shanti Dhaliwal, Tourism Minister in the current government and considered the wealthiest, has shown only a bank balance of Rs 10,000 only, which is much less than the bank balance of his wife and children. Agriculture Minister Ramkishan Verma also does not have much to show as bank balance. Vasundhra Raje is wealthier of the two main contenders for the top post. She has investments of more Rs 1. 5 crore, besides a bank balance of Rs 4 lakh and Rs 17, 000 cash in hand. Gehlot has half share in joint paternal property worth over Rs 1 crore, besides Rs 2 lakh in the bank and Rs 10 000 in hand. His wife and son have four lakh in their bank accounts. He has investments worth Rs 10 lakh and a plot and a house worth Rs 26 lakh. Nearly 90 per cent of the contestants do not have any criminal cases against them, 40 per cent do not have bank accounts and most of them are just matriculates. The candidates have shown the worth of their properties at prices these were bought in the past and not at the current market value. Some of the candidates have shown properties owned by two wives. The state also has numerous not so well-off candidates in the fray. An Independent candidate from Dausa, Shampoo Deal, has assets of just Rs 13,000, while many others have shown assets below Rs 1 lakh.
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Rajasthan Diary AS poll day is drawing near, the candidates are out to show their strength by increasing the number of supporters who form part of their entourage while they go around canvassing. The numbers are swelling by the day and while the candidates claim of increasing support, insiders say they are part of the entourage for Rs 100 that they are paid by the candidates every day. Though the job of shouting slogans throughout the day is not easy, it gets them more money than they usually earn during a day. Women also form part of this entourage and actually help their family earn more for the day. Every individual gets paid separately.
Weighing candidates against fruits
This round of the Assembly elections seems to have started a new trend which can go a long way in improving the election scenario in the country. While the candidates used to get weighed against cash, now the trend seems to have shifted to getting weighed against fruits and sweets. The fruits and sweets used for weighing are later distributed among the poor. “This way the candidates get a chance to create an impression among the poor,” said a supporter of a candidate.
— TNS
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INLD complaint to EC against Congress
Jaipur, November 25 INLD state president Jai Narayan Punia said in a statement here that he had stated in his complaint sent to the CEC that “on the one hand some administrative authorities were helping the Congress candidates by various means and on the other they were harassing his party’s nominees.” Citing an example of breach of the code, he alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had sent a large number of vehicles in the Laxmangarh constituency in Alwar district for electioneering in favour of the Congress candidate. From the seat, Jagat Singh, son of senior Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, is in the fray.
— UNI
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Will father’s legacy help Jagat Singh? Laxmangarh, November 25 But for Jagat Singh, the Congress nominee from this constituency, all these factors will not work. For he will not only have to prove that he is an able youth leader of the party, but also that he is not depending on the legacy of his father, Natwar Singh. Caught in a multi-corner contest, he will be facing a tough competition not only from BJP candidate Dharmveer, but also from at least two other BJP rebel candidates, one of whom has chosen to contest on the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket and the other as an Independent candidate. Even the people of this constituency feel that Jagat Singh will have to prove his mettle independent of the backing of his father. But one thing in his favour is that there are no rebel candidates of the Congress here. Although the Congress has denied the ticket to its sitting MLA Rajendra Singh Gadura, there is no dissidence. Gadura himself decided to vacate the seat for Jagat Singh and is now working for the success of the youth leader. So the traditional vote bank of the party remains intact. However, according to people, it is not the party that attracts votes, but it is the caste. The caste factor will play a vital role, they say. People here are not
very happy with the performance of the Congress. They have complaints about poor roads and inadequate electricity supply. For BJP the road may not be as straight as it can be for Jagat Singh. By denying ticket to Nasroo Khan, who had lost about 2,300 votes to Gadura in the last elections, the party has forced him to contest as a rebel candidate. Hoping to cash in on the Jat votes, which constitute almost 16 per cent of the votes, Nasroo Khan has shifted allegiance to the INLD. Another rebel, Sumendra Singh, feels that by giving the ticket to Dharmveer the party has done injustice to him and he will set this right. Meanwhile, along the Alwar-Bharatpur Highway, the election scenario is still to hot up. With no evident signs of posters and banners, the people here really feel that the fervour that comes with the elections is missing. Some people are very clear that they will vote for the candidate whom the ‘Raja’ backs, while others are not ready to reveal their mind.
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Morena (MP), November 25
Video
Hanumangarh, November 25
Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, a former Chief Minister of Punjab, today addressed a big poll rally at Hira Nagar here in support of the Congress candidate, Mr O.P. Wadhwa.
Government employees, a force to reckon with and form such a huge majority that it becomes necessary for every political party to keep them in good
humour. Government employees were responsible for a number of BJP candidates losing in the 1998 elections and eventually forcing the party to sit in the Opposition after ruling the state for eight years on the trot.