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NDA ‘non-performance’ is Cong poll theme
In the fray to become Jail Minister
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NDA ‘non-performance’ is Cong poll theme Ranchi, February 9 Convinced that anti-incumbency was the biggest factor working in favour of the party, Congress leaders have made “non-performance” of the state’s NDA Government their main poll issue. Rebutting the BJP charges of a rise in prices in 10 months of UPA rule, Congress leaders are speaking of the advantages of having a Congress-JMM government in the state. Four union ministers, including Mr Oscar Fernandes and Mr Santosh Mohan Deb and former Chief Ministers Digvijay Singh and Ajit Jogi are in the state. Mr Jogi, who is still in the wheel chair because of an accident, addressed rallies in three constituencies of the state today. After his rallies tomorrow in the seats adjoining Ranchi, Mr Jogi will go on a door-to-door campaign in some areas of the city. Bollywood star of yesteryear Rajesh Khanna and actress Nagma will campaign for the Congress in the next two days. The TRS, a UPA constituent, has sent its workers to build the Congress campaign in “Naxalite-affected areas.” The importance being attached by the Congress to the second phase of polling is reflected by Ms Gandhi’s decision to address four election rallies in the state in a single day. She will address rallies at Gumla, Simdega, Ghatshila and Ranchi. JMM chief Shibu Soren will also address these rallies. The joint rallies have been planned to dispel the impression about the weakening of the Congress-JMM alliance following “friendly fights” in some seats and ruptures within the JMM over the denial of the ticket to party leader Stephen Marandi. Of the 29 seats going to the polls on February 15, the Congress had won seven seats and the JMM one seat in the 2000 poll. Compared to the overlapping of seats in the first round of poll, the two parties have worked out a better understanding for the second phase. The RJD does not have a strong presence in most seats going to the polls in the second phase.
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Vote BJP-JD(U) combine, appeals Atal Darbhanga (Bihar), February 9 Holding both the Laloo-led RJD and the Congress equally responsible for the lawlessness and backwardness in Bihar, Mr Vajpayee, without naming Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), cautioned the voters against those parties and rebels who are contesting to split votes in favour of the RJD. “We do not hold power at the Centre but we will definitely capture power from the Congress, state after state...We showed them the door in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, now it is the turn of Bihar,” Mr Vajpayee said addressing an election rally here in the heart of Mithilanchal. Hitting out at the RJD-Congress Government in Bihar, Mr Vajpayee, flanked by JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and BJP Vice-President Sushil Modi, said: “You all know who is responsible for the backwardness and lack of development in the state in the past 15 years...” “It is time for you to replace the non-performing government with the NDA (JD(U)-BJP) Government, which had a glorious six-year rule at the Centre and which had set a high standard of development in the country. Asserting that the BJP-JD(U) combination was the only alternative in Bihar, the former Prime Minister said: “This time you must bear in mind that we — the JD(U) and the BJP — are not contesting against each other but contesting together with full coordination and cooperation.” Praising Mr Nitish Kumar for his various developmental initiatives as the Railway Minister in the NDA Government, the veteran BJP leader urged the voters to change their fate by voting for sincere and development-oriented persons and parties. In this context, he sought to remind the people of Bihar the various developmental initiatives undertaken during the NDA Government for the development of the state, including launching of a railway bridge project over the Kosi river and a four-lane road project. “Unfortunately, the NDA could not retain power as many of our supporters did not go to the polling booths to vote as they were so confident of our retaining power,” Mr Vajpayee said, urging each voter to cast his/her vote for change. There are 10 Assembly seats in the Darbanga region of which six are with the ruling RJD, one each with the Congress, the BJP, the Janata Dal (United) and an Independent. The region, which is considered a stronghold of the RJD is witnessing a keen contest this time as the erstwhile RJD partners, the LJP and the Congress, are contesting separately. Earlier, addressing the rally, Mr Nitish Kumar cautioned the people against giving a fractured mandate and urged them not to get influenced by “vote splitters”, without naming Paswan’s LJP. “It is high time to dethrown the non-performing government and give a clear mandate to the JD(U)-BJP government which is committed to development of the state,” Mr Nitish Kumar, who has been projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the NDA combine, said. BJP vice-president Sushil Modi asserted that the BJP-JD(U) combine was the only combination having adequate representation from a wide cross-section of the people. |
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Focus on booth management Balia, February 9 But contesting political parties are also paying more attention to booth management to overcome the phenomenon of multi-cornered contests that invariably results in lower margins of electoral victory. RJD Minister Shrinarain Yadav had won the Balia Assembly seat in 2000 by 304 votes ,defeating his nearest JD (U) rival Tanvir Hasan. In the 2000 Assembly elections, 13 seats were won by less than 1000 votes and another 12 by a margin of less than 2000 votes. Fortyfive seats were won by margins of less than 5000 votes. The majority of these seats fall in the second and third phases and that is why booth management is getting the maximum attention . In 2000, Ram Vilas Paswan was with the NDA. Now he is neither with the NDA nor with the RJD. This factor has brought a new dimension to the electoral arithmetic, says retired police official D Jha. Since the electoral scenario now is much more complex with more political parties in the fray, the contest is going to be a touch –and- go affair in several seats,, say political observers. The Rashtriya Janata Dal had won the Sitamarhi seat by 35 votes in 2000 and such close contests are more likely in the coming phases as the electorate begins to get confronted with issues of unemployment due to closure of industries and devastation because of floods in 2004. In the Harlakhi Assembly seat of Madhubani district, Sitaram Yadav of RJD had defeated Ramnaresh Pande of the CPI by 534 votes. The BJP had come third and the contest would be very tough this time too, a local journalist Bimal Sharma said pointing out that the elections here are on February 15. Similar fights are in the offing and the presence of central para military forces makes even earlier techniques redundant,Mr Bimal Sharma said ,adding that the Election Commission- deputed observers make life difficult for party managers.
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In the fray to become Jail Minister
Ranchi, February 9 Talking to UNI, Mr Hansda said: “I am contesting the elections after coming out from jail on bail. My colleagues
in jail want me to become the Jail Minister after winning the elections.” He said he had been to jail at least 12 times in connection with the Jharkhand movement. After having spent a long time in prison he
considered it his home now. He was in Jamshedpur, Ghagidiha and Ghatsila jails not for criminal activities, but for
cases in connection with the Jharkhand movement. At the time of leaving the jail on bail, Mr Hansda, who is contesting from the Ghatsila constituency, said his jail colleagues asked him to fight the elections and then be the Jail Minister and improve the
conditions in jails. To a question, he said irrespective of his party being in power he would work to improve the jails. He said despite funds being provided by the government, the basic amenities were not
available to the prisoners. — UNI
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