M A I N   N E W S

Advani not to don PM’s mantle
Begins ‘Bharat Uday Yatra’ from Kanyakumari

Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani during his “Bharat Uday Yatra” for the Lok Sabha election campaign in Kanyakumari on Wednesday. — PTI photo

Nagercoil, March 10
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today strongly rebutted speculation that his India shining yatra was aimed at projecting himself as the prime ministerial candidate.

Addressing his supporters from atop his motorised poll rath at the city main crossing here, Mr Advani said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would take the reins again, evidently dismissing reports of his donning the mantle if the BJP registered a landslide victory.

Asking people to shoulder the responsibility of making Mr Vajpayee the Prime Minister again, Mr Advani said he (Mr Vajpayee) had provided stability to the Indian polity ever since he came to power.

In comparison, the country saw seven Prime Ministers in a span of seven years (between 1989-96) before Mr Vajpayee’s advent on the scene.

KANYAKUMARI: Earlier Brushing aside controversial issues like Ayodhya and uniform civil code, Mr Advani on Wednesday sought a fresh mandate for the National Democratic Alliance to carry forward the development agenda and achievements of the Vajpayee government.

Mr Advani was addressing a public meeting after BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 33-day Bharat Uday Yatra from this sourthern tip.

He said the declaration of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that his country would not be allowed to be used by extremist elements was a historic achievement.

Stating that the message of the yatra would be “India’s time has come,” Mr Advani said: “Our journey is prosperity to all. Our efforts to make India a great power have begun. The 21st century is going to be ours. We are seeking a fresh mandate for achieving development goals”.

A galaxy of top BJP leaders like party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Shahnawaz Hussain, spokespersons Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar, and former union minister Arif Mohammed Khan, who recently joined the BJP, were present on the occasion. — UNI

EC not to interfere

Bhubaneswar, March 10
Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy today said the Election Commission will not interfere with the BJP’s ‘Bharat Uday Yatra’, adding it was one of various methods of election campaign undertaken by political parties. — UNI

EC stops fresh work under PM’s gram sadak yojna
R. Suryamurthy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 10
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) has come under the scanner of the Election Commission with the poll panel today directing the Centre not to undertake any fresh work under the centrally sponsored scheme till the completion of the Lok Sabha poll process.

Giving clarifications to the Rural Development Ministry, the commission said the work under the scheme, which had already been started on the ground, may be continued.

“No fresh work shall be started till the completion of the election”, the commission said, adding that tenders were also not to be finalised during the election period.

EC sources said the commission’s directions came in the wake of clarifications sought by the ministry about the execution of the annual PMGSY proposals cleared before the Model Code of Conduct came into force.

Meanwhile, in a major relief to candidates aspiring to contest the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly poll, the Election Commission today exempted them from the need to attach along with their nominations “no dues certificates” from various government departments.

“The commission has decided that no dues certificate is not required to be submitted’’ due to the difficulties in obtaining such certificates, the commission said in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and Union Territories.

The decision comes in the wake of representations from various individuals and departments, it said.

However, in the light of a Delhi High Court order, the candidates would have to furnish details of their dues owed to government departments in the affidavits that have to be attached with their nominations.

To facilitate this, the commission has modified the format of the affidavit which will contain details of the candidates’ criminal antecedents, if any, educational qualifications, assets and liabilities and outstanding dues to the government.

The modified format of the affidavit has as many as six columns on outstanding dues to government which will have to be filled in by the candidates contesting the coming elections to the 14th Lok Sabha and four state Assemblies and Assembly bypoll.

The six additional columns pertaining to dues cover outstanding dues to departments dealing with government accommodation, supply of water and electricity, telephones, transport (including aircraft and helicopters) and “other dues, if any.’’

The Chief Electoral Officers have been asked to have such details of candidates published in at least two newspapers having local circulation, one of which should be a vernacular newspaper.

This should be published by the Returning Officer within two days after preparing the list of contesting candidates.

Meanwhile, the Press Information Bureau has brought out the first volume of a reference book on “General Election 2004” giving exhaustive details of the three previous Lok Sabha poll in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

The second volume containing the names of the contestants of the 14th Lok Sabha poll will be available after the nomination process was over.

The third and last volume containing the election results will come out after the counting process on May 13.