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Sonia promises growth, clean govt in Haryana
Assembly Seats:
YAMUNANAGAR
Poll Second
Round: FARIDABAD
Crowd refuses to lend ear to Bhajan Lal
Assembly
Seat: Mundhal Khurd
Factors at
Play: KALKA, NARAINGARH
Videography only with observer’s nod
Liquor has free run in Kurukshetra, Kaithal
YC chief joins Jindal bandwagon
Cong trying to retain Kailana
Mayawati: BSP against caste politics
Karnataka cops reach Faridabad
SOLAPUR BYELECTION
BYELECTION IN RAJASTHAN
BIHAR POLL
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Sonia promises growth, clean govt in Haryana
Pehowa, January 28 Addressing rallies at Naulatha (Panipat),
Pehowa (Kurukshetra), Bawal (Rewari) and Nuh (Gurgaon) today, she not only lashed out at the previous NDA government, but also criticised the INLD government for “corruption and misadministration.” Though showers late last night left the venue for the rally here in a slush, an impressive and mixed gathering of urban and rural voters greeted her warmly. Sporting an olive green salwar-kameez, Mrs Gandhi took a few minutes off after the rally to mix with the audience. Accompanied by the treasurer of the AICC, Mr Moti Lal Vora, and the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Bhajan Lal, it was her first whirlwind tour of the state. She will address rallies in Rewari and Narwana tomorrow. The Congress President has chosen the venues for the rallies carefully by visiting the Muslim-dominated
Nuh (Mewat), Sikh-dominated Pehowa, Jat-dominated Panipat and the Ahir-stronghold of Bawal in Rewari. She did not visit the constituencies of Mr Bhajan Lal, Mr Birendra Singh or Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala. Party sources say that she wanted to visit Narwana because she wanted to ensure the defeat of Chief Minister and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala by visiting She avoided talking about the chief ministerial candidate. She had Ms Selja with her at Naulatha and Mr Naveen Jindal at Pehowa as besides the state Congress chief, she wanted the local MP to be present. She also did not talk about the SYL issue and avoided even talking about other parties, including the BJP, and held that the contest was between the Congress and
the INLD. Assuring the people of a transparent and accountable administration, she said promises made in the manifesto would be honoured. The INLD government during its five-year rule had pushed Haryana back by retarding its growth in agriculture and industry. Eulogising the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, she said the Congress had always been supportive of Haryana’s development. Since Haryana was agriculture dominated, the UPA government had launched various programmes for promoting agriculture. The setting up of the National Horticulture Commission and ensuring better utilisation of resources in the agriculture sector were among the major plans initiated by the UPA government, she said. “The Congress has always worked in the interests of the people of Haryana but the INLD government had failed on all fronts. There is a total breakdown of law and order and crises in the agriculture, industry, education, health and employment sector. Only the Congress can put Haryana back on the path of peace, prosperity and progress,”
she claimed. “You have to decide the future of Haryana. To free Haryana from fear, lawlessness, corruption and nepotism, the Congress needs your support,” she added. Mr Bhajan Lal said it was time for the people to throw out the corrupt INLD government. Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala said after the elections, the property of the Chautala clan should be confiscated. |
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Assembly Seats:
YAMUNANAGAR
Yamunanagar, January 28 The volume of noise coming from speakers put at the venues of public meetings or three-wheelers is far lower than that coming from the speakers mounted at religious buildings. The BJP and Congress candidates contesting from Yamunanagar have been issued notices for the violation of the model code of conduct. Except for two national leaders of the BJP, no other political leader of any other party has addressed any public meeting or rally. The reluctance of people to attend public meetings and rallies has forced the candidates to start a door-to-door campaign. Most candidates do not forget to carry a “dholi” along. A Congress candidate told The Tribune that these days even if over 20 persons turn up at a public meeting and weigh the candidate against coins or “ladoos”, the meeting is considered to be successful. The maximum crowd was noticed at the new Grain Market, Jagadhri, where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was to address a public meeting in support of the five BJP candidates. The crowd took no time in dispersing from the venue after it was announced that Mr Vajpayee would not be coming. With only five days left to go for the polls, the INLD is leading in the election campaign followed by the BJP and some Independents, including Congress rebels. Some state Congress leaders like Kumari Selja and Mr Naveen Jindal have addressed rallies and public meetings. The Congress candidates are visiting every house to ask for votes. Mr Subhash Chaudhary, Congress candidate from Jagadhri, has already completed a personal contact programme in all wards and 104 villages falling in the constituency. Till date no senior Congress leader has yet asked for votes for Mr Chaudhary. The BSP candidates, too, are depending upon their workers only. Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala, his son, Mr Ajay Chautala, and Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC President, has already visited all five constituencies to ask for votes for the INLD candidates. Senior BJP leaders Shanta Kumar and Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, too, have campaigned for the party candidates in three of the constituencies. Three MLAs of the party from Himachal are said to be camping at Chhachhrouli from where Mr Kanwar Pal is the party candidate. President of the state unit of the party, Mr Ganeshi Lal, and General Secretary of the all-India BJP Shiv Raj Chauhan, too, are actively campaigning for the party candidates. The rebel Congress candidates from Radaour and Sadhaoura, Mr Deep Chand and Master Ram Singh, respectively, according to some Congress leaders, could affect the prospects of the official party leaders. |
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Poll Second
Round: FARIDABAD
Faridabad, January 28 While about 10 to 12 candidates are contesting each seat in the region, the main fight is direct or traingular at most places. As a majority of the contestants have been promising the “moon” to the voters, the main issues include development and the “failure” of various governments to provide basic amenities like water, power, roads and employment. The region has the ‘dubious distinction’ of being continuously ignored by various regimes in the matter of employment. An acute shortage of both drinking and irrigation water has been a cause of concern for the farmers here. The lack of proper attention to infrastructural development and ‘inaction’ on the part of the government had led to ‘slowdown’ in the growth of industry and business here, resulting in closure or shifting of some big units here in the past one decade. While the ruling INLD has been facing ‘anti-incumbency’, the BJP has no advantage of having any alliance this time. The BJP party seems to be worried about the response from the rural areas. The Congress candidates, who appears to be on a strong wicket this time despite factionalism, are also “dogged” by the fact that no top leader had come for campaigning so far. It is felt that all party candidates may not be getting this support with less time left for campaigning. On the other hand, the BJP has already got some of its “star campaigners”. For the INLD, Chief Minister and party supremo Om Prakash Chautala has also toured twice, asking for votes for his candidates. Mewla Maharajpur, having the highest number of voters (336191) in the state, Faridabad (NIT), Ballabhgarh and Palwal are the key constituencies here. In the constituencies of Ferozpur Zhirka, Nuh and Pataudi, which fall in the Mewat region, the main factors include lack of proper educational and health facilities, besides the fact that the issue of community sometimes dominates all other factors. |
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Crowd refuses to lend ear to Bhajan Lal
Nuh (Mewat), January 28 After she delivered a well-received speech, Mr Bhajan Lal was invited by the AICC treasurer, Mr Moti Lal Vora, to deliver a speech. As soon as he started his speech, the crowd rose to its feet, waving hands in a negative posture. The gathering became more intolerant when he continued with his speech. At this juncture, Mrs Gandhi intervened and started waving at the crowd but it did not relent. Everything returned to normal when he took his seat. She then continued to stand and waved at the crowd which reciprocated with applause. She assured the people that she would monitor the functioning of the government if her party was voted to power in the state. Nuh is primarily dominated by Meo-Muslims. The ire of the public against Mr Bhajan Lal was on account of his government’s “negative” role against local residents during the post-Babri riots. |
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Assembly
Seat: Mundhal Khurd
Bhiwani, January 28 Little wonder that Mr Mahendra fared poorly when he fought the Lok Sabha elections from the Bhiwani parliamentary constituency and then lost in the February 2000 Assembly elections from Mundhal Khurd in Bhiwani. He fought as Congress candidate on both occasions. He is again in the fray as a Congress candidate from Mundhal Khurd. Also, for the first time in his electoral career, he is receiving the support of his father, Mr Bansi Lal, former Chief Minister. The BCCI chief, elder of the two brothers, had fallen out with his father who anointed his younger son Surender Singh as his political successor. Mr Mahendra did not join the HVP floated by his father. His relations with Mr Bansi Lal reportedly improved after he became the BCCI President last year. The HVP’s recent merger with the Congress has paved the way for Mr Bansi Lal openly coming out to back him. Election posters of Mr Mahendra contain a picture of Mr Bansi Lal, who, it was learnt, will visit Mundhal Khurd to campaign for him. That he is the BCCI chief seems to be of little interest to the voters, though they know that he is holding an important position. The candidate himself does not mention anything about cricket in his brief election speeches. He talks about sorting out the anomaly in pension distribution, proper identification of below the poverty line families and the like. In Mundhal, a resident says that Mr Mahendra had paid a visit to the village after becoming the BCCI chief and promised that he would do his best for talented cricketers of the area. “But to us he is only the Congress candidate,” he adds. His most important opponent in the constituency is Mr Raghvir Singh, INLD candidate. Mundhal Khurd has a strong presence of the Rajputs, and Mr Raghvir Singh is a Rajput. The sitting INLD legislator from the constituency, Mr Shashi Parmar and his predecessor, Mr Chhattar Singh Chauhan from the HVP, were both Rajputs. However, during the 2000 and 1996 elections, the wave was in favour of the INLD and the HVP, respectively. |
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Factors at
Play: KALKA, NARAINGARH
Panchkula, January 28 If the traders’ vote (about 22,000) in the urban segment of the Kalka constituency will decide the results, in Naraingarh, the Saini vote (16,500) will prove to be the deciding factor. The BJP has chosen a candidate from the traders’ community, Mr Sham Lal Bansal in Kalka and a Saini, Mr Sumer Chand Saini, in Naraingarh. While Mr Bansal is giving sleepless nights to the Congress candidate from Kalka, Mr Chander Mohan, the Congress and INLD candidates in Naraingarh, Mr Ram Kishen and MLA Pawan Diwan Sawhney, are glad that the Saini vote here will be divided between the BJP and BSP candidates. Inspite of developing infrastructure like roads and bridges, besides improving the health and educational facilities, the INLD finds itself cornered in both constituencies. While the MLA from Naraingarh, Mr Pawan Diwan Sawhney, is defending his seat on the issue of development, in Kalka, the party candidate, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, though getting a good footing in the rural areas, is yet to make his mark in Panchkula. The voters of Naraingarh are concerned at the non-payment of dues to farmers and the large-scale unemployment. In Kalka, the INLD candidate is facing the people’s ire because of the formation of cartels in river bed
material (RBM) mining and locals not being allowed to sell the RBM from their own land without having to pay royalty. This is also true in a part of the Raipur Rani block which falls in the Naraingarh constituency. If the party is getting credit in the rural areas for the improvement in water supply and construction of roads and bridges, in Panchkula there is disillusionment with its performance as far as development goes. The Congress candidates in Kalka and Naraingarh are relying on their fathers’ glory. Mr Chander Mohan is the son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal while Mr Ram Kishen is the son of four-time MLA from Naraingarh, Mr Lal Singh. However, his being an “outsider” (he is settled in Faridabad) goes against him. The “outsider” tag also sticks to the BJP candidate from Naraingarh, who hails from Kurukshetra district. The BJP candidate from Kalka, Mr Bansal, seems to have gained a foothold in the urban areas of Kalka. The BSP candidates, Mr Pawan Randhawa and Mr Sat Pal Saini, are unlikely to cause a dent in the committed vote bank of other parties. They will, however, get the maximum Dalit votes
in the rural areas and slum colonies (in Panchkula). |
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Videography only with observer’s nod
Chandigarh, January 28 Well-placed sources in the Election Commission said the returning officer of various constituencies had been directed to videograph important events related to campaigning, prior to February 3, the date for polling. The apex court had earlier suggested that the EC should videograph the poll proceedings in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana. The EC later wrote to the Election Commission of Haryana, saying that videography should be done at sensitive booths where there has been history of poll-related violence or booth capturing. The returning officers have been directed to engage the services of government, semi-government or private videographer if the election observer of the state so desires. The returning officers can also decide the number of teams to be engaged, after screening the antecedents of the videographers. They should not be affiliated to any party or related to any of the candidates in the fray from that particular constituency for which their services have been hired. |
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Liquor has free run in Kurukshetra, Kaithal
Karnal, January 28 Money is no problem for most contestants contesting on the party ticket. Kitchens setup at the election offices prepare tea and food throughout the day. As the dusk falls, party workers turn to drinks to beat the chill. In the Karnal, Gharaunda, Nilokheri, Pai and Pundri constituencies, money power was quite visible. The observers were keeping a watchful eye on the poll expenses but it seems that all could not be accounted for as supporters provide the funds. It could cost anything around Rs 1 lakh to arrange even a small rally. Sources in the Excise Department revealed that liquor in large quantities was being sold to the candidates through L-1 wholesale dealers across the state. In Karnal, there was great demand for countrymade liquor which was being sold at Rs 600 per case. IMFL brands like Director Special, Aristocrat and Bagpiper falling in were being illegally sold at Rs 1200 per case. The rates of other liquor brands in the IMFL category include Blenders’ Pride Rs 3600 per case, Signature Rs 3600 per case, Royal Challenge Rs 3400 per case and Royal Stag Rs 2,100 per case. Interestingly, a few smugglers have also emerged on the scene selling these brands of smuggled liquor at lower rates than the L-1 dealers. For example, countrymade liquor was being sold at Rs 375 per case. IMFL brands like Director Special, Aristocrat and Bagpiper were being illegally sold at Rs 900 per case. Similarly, the rates of other liquor brands are Blenders’ Pride — Rs 3200 per case, Signature — Rs 3200 per case, Royal Challenge — Rs 3000 per case and Royal Stag Rs. 1900 per case. These smugglers allegedly smuggle this liquor from Delhi, Chandigarh, besides Army canteens. |
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YC chief joins Jindal bandwagon
Hisar, January 28 This was stated by Mr Ashok Tanwar, President of the All-India Youth Congress, while addressing a news conference here today. He claimed that the electorate of Haryana, especially the youth, were extending whole-hearted support to the Congress. Earlier, addressing a gathering of youth, Mr Tanwar exhorted them to put in sincere efforts to ensure victory of the Congress candidate from Hisar, Mr Om Prakash Jindal. |
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Cong trying to retain Kailana
Panipat, January 28 While Mr Sethpal Gujjar (BJP) and Mr Teluram Jogi (BSP) are making efforts to make the contest four-cornered, the initial survey suggests a triangular contest among Malik, Nirmal and Tyagi. A large number of voters are not happy with sitting Congress MLA Jitender Malik. “What to talk of any development work, he did not show his face once during the past five years’, said Shamsher of Sayea Khera village falling in the Kailana segment. On the other hand, Independent Nirmal had done a number of social works in her constituency. Being a woman, women electors have a special liking for her. Similarly, Mr Tyagi is asking voters to support him on the issue of development works done by the Chautala Government whereas BJP candidate Gujjar requests the electors to make a change this time by electing him. The BJP does not have much base here. However, a considerable number of voters of Gujjar-dominated Chulkana, Kheri Gujjar, Balindpur and Ghasoli villages may favour his candidature. |
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Mayawati: BSP against caste politics
Yamunanagar, January 28 She said that the successive governments at the Centre and in the states had ignored the Bahujan Samaj ever since
Independence. While clarifying that the BSP was not engaged in caste politics and believes in the welfare of persons form all the sections of society, the BSP leader claimed that it was only her party which could uplift the members of the backward classes. She also stressed that the Manuwadi system prevailing in the Indian society had to be done away with. She promised that if she got the “master key” of the Haryana Government, the government land lying unused in the state would be distributed among the landless farmers. She claimed that she had done the same in Uttar Pardesh when she was the Chief Minister. All the backlogs in the reserve government posts would be cleared within no time. Interestingly, she asked the voters to defeat only the INLD and the Congress and not the BJP. Ms Mayawati was more than six hours late from her scheduled arrived, but the crowd kept waiting for her. The other BSP leaders, however, had tough time in holding the crowd. Ms Mayawati was here to campaign for the party candidate contesting from Sadhaura, Mr Lal Singh Panglasa. The other leaders who addressed the gathering included national general secretary, Mr Nariender Kashyap, the state unit’s president and general secretary, Mr Ramji Lal and Mr Sahi Ram, respectively. After addressing the rally, Ms Mayawati moved to Ambala to address another rallies. The BSP has fielded candidates on all the five seats in the district. The BSP had won the Jagadhri seat during the last Assembly elections. |
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Karnataka cops reach Faridabad
Faridabad, January 28 According to the district authorities, this has been the first contingent of the police force from outside the state which has been assigned the job of monitoring law and order during the poll on the directions of the Election Commission. Some more companies are expected to reach other parts of the state. The KAP contingent includes two DSPs, five Inspectors, 15 Sub-Inspectors and about 500 jawans. It is meanwhile reported that the authorities have set up about 30 patrol parties of the police to take charge in the “sensitive” areas. |
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SOLAPUR BYELECTION Mumbai, January 28 The Congress lost its bastion, Solapur (South) seat, to Sena candidate Ratikant Patil, who defeated Congress nominee Rajshekhar Shivdare by 1609 votes. The saffron combine won the seat for the first time while it was only for the second time that Congress lost the seat. Mr Patil secured 50,791 votes and Mr Shivdare bagged 49,184 votes, Election Office sources said. The Solapur (South) seat was vacated after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was appointed Governor of Andhra Pradesh. However, the Congress managed to retain the Nagpur (South) assembly seat with its candidate Dinanath Padole defeating his nearest rival Ashok Mankar of the BJP by 2227 votes. The Nagpur (South) seat fell vacant due to the death of its legislator Govindrao Wanjari on October 17. The bypoll were a prestige issue for Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who will soon be completing 100 days in office. Taking no chances, he had toured the Solapur (South) constituency twice before the byelections. With this win, the Congress has increased its tally in the Legislative Assembly to 68, while its coalition partner, NCP, has 71 seats. Similarly, the Shiv Sena tally goes up to 63 while its alliance partner BJP has 54 seats. — PTI
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BYELECTION IN RAJASTHAN
Jaipur, January 28 The Luni constituency has been a stronghold of the Congress right from 1980. Out of the 12 Assembly elections held so far, all candidates, irrespective of party affiliations have belonged to the Bishnoi community. Mr Jogaram Patel is the first non-Bishnoi candidate to win the seat. |
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BIHAR POLL
Bhagalpur, January 28 Mr Vajpayee touched the raw nerve of people by asking about the whereabouts of the DPS student, Kishlay. In his imitable style, he sought to arouse emotions by focusing on the kidnapping of schoolchildren and trained guns on the RJD. Mr Laloo Prasad
Yadav, RJD chief, lost no time and launched a counter-attack by accusing Mr Vajpayee of exploiting emotions and of having “allowed”
post-Godhra riots to take place. While Mr Yadav blamed the Lok Janshakti Party chief, Mr Ramvilas Paswan, for the abduction, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj held the RJD responsible for it. As per a rough estimate, the “kidnapping industry” generates a revenue of about Rs 40 crore annually. As many as 32,085 cases of abduction were registered between 1992 and 2004. A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “criminalisation of politics has reached such levels that people prefer to negotiate with criminals rather than report the incident to the police.” |
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