Jammu, December 11
BJP president Rajnath Singh seemed in no mood to spare the UPA government and the state Congress on any front in his rally at Ghagwal in Kathua district.

The issues, which he picked up to attack the opponents, showed that the top-rung leaders had begun their preparation for the forthcoming Parliament elections as well.

He besieged the Congress on different issues ranging from terrorism to Ram Setu to discrimination in Jammu.

Drawing comparison with Japan, he said, “If a small country like Japan can emerge as a superpower then why can’t we in India do so despite having a large population. The Congress, which ruled for the maximum number of years is responsible for pushing the country in backwardness with its wrong policies.”

Coming back to the current scenario, where the country was passing through the after effects of terror attacks, he categorically remarked that if needed, the country should not hesitate in mounting a military attack on Pakistan as the entire international community was standing by India in this hour of urgency.

He cited his party's stand during the Kargil War when the NDA gave resounding answer to Pakistan’s audacity and compelled it to flee. Dressing down the government, he charged it for lacking in requisite courage and political will to combat terrorism in the country.

The issue of Ram Setu might have taken a back seat but the BJP reminded the people of Congress’s stand on it where the Congress had to chew its words later on by tendering an apology.

He praised the public of Jammu for fighting for their cause during the Amarnath land agitation.

Jammu, December 11
With a record over 1,300 candidates in the electoral fray, 320 of them Independents, many of whom are rebels, the latter may play a spoilsport for various political parties and in the Assembly poll.

The last Assembly elections gave ample proof as to how Independents could hold the sway when nine Independent MLAs helped the Congress and the PDP cobble up a majority. The Congress had bagged 20 seats while the PDP got 16, falling eight short of a simple majority in the 87-member House. These independents later joined the Congress as its associate members and some of them even went on to become ministers in the coalition regime.

The 2002 Assembly poll witnessed 13 of the 215 Independent candidates emerge victorious. Surprisingly, they polled 26.2 per cent votes, next only to the single largest party, National Conference, which polled 28.23 per cent votes. It was a huge leap as compared to the 1996 elections when only two Independent candidates won, polling a meagre 9.3 per cent votes.

An increase of almost 50 per cent in the number of Independent candidates this time as compared to 2002 is to some extent the outcome of the mandate that they received in the last elections. The rebel factor has also played an important role in increasing their number. Almost every major political party is facing rebellion in one area or the other. While the Congress' official nominees are facing the party rebels in Kathua and Jammu districts, the National Conference is in a similar situation in Pulwama and Anantnag. The same holds true for the PDP in Rajouri district.

Interestingly, the electorate too doesn't mind voting for the independent candidates, provided their antecedents are good. "We have been voting for the same political parties for the past 60 years and we are still struggling for basic amenities like drinking water, health services, education, and roads. If some new faces with no political affiliation join the poll fray, there is no harm in giving them a chance. At least they will be more accessible as well as concerned about our woes," said septuagenarian Girdhari Lal, a resident of Gandhi Nagar.

Jammu, December 11
Claiming the BJP to be a pro-people outfit, state vice-president and party candidate from Vijaypur assembly constituency Chander Prakash Ganga today urged the people to remain vigilant against politicians, who betrayed them in the past.

Addressing public meetings at Rajinderpura, Channi Manahan, Bari-Brahmana, Taret Basti and Suchaini in Vijaypur today, Ganga stressed upon voters to remain cautious against what he claimed “dirty games of those politicians, who have betrayed them in the past”. Teach them a lesson by rejecting them at the hustings,” he added.

He further appealed to the party activists to apprise the people about pro-people policies being pursued by the BJP. On the occasion, several activists from the Panthers Party, the PDP and the NC joined the BJP.

Meanwhile, Lok Jan Shakti Party state president and party candidate from Jammu East Rafiq Malik has demanded winding up of the Evacuees Property Department and ownership rights to tenants living in such properties in the urban areas of Jammu city.

Addressing rallies here today, Malik said that EP Department is proving to be a white elephant and has become a den of corruption.

While evacuees property departments in all other states were closed long ago, in this state it still exists because of some politicians and senior officers in the department, who continue to plunder this property, he said.

Srinagar, December 11
A senior leader of the DPN survived a close shave when militants attacked the party headquarters with a grenade injuring his driver and personnel security officer (PSO) here today.

Official sources said militants hurled a hand grenade towards the headquarters of DPN at Rajbagh when senior leader Ghulam Mohammad Bawan, contesting from the Sonawar constituency against former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, was holding a meeting.

The grenade missed the intended target and exploded outside the building causing injuries to the driver and the PSO of Bawan. The injured have been admitted to a hospital.

Meanwhile, a major tragedy was averted as security forces today detected an improvised explosive device (IED) on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road at Pattan in Baramulla district, hours before the route was to be used by Karavaan-e-Aman, the inter-LoC bus service.

The IED, allegedly planted by militants, was detected on the highway in Pattan town by a road opening party of the security forces a few hours before the inter-LoC peace bus was scheduled to depart, official sources said.

A bomb disposal squad of the police, which was rushed to the spot, defused the IED.

At least seven persons were injured in Pulwama today in south Kashmir today as an anti-election crowd pelted stones at the cavalcade of Sonaullah Dar, an Independent candidate and former minister in the National Conference regime.

Officials said the incident occurred around 6 p.m. in Tahab Trissal when a mob attacked Dar’s supporters even as he escaped unhurt. Locals claimed that the CRPF also faced the hostility of the crowd when it tried to control the situation, forcing it to resort to a baton charge. At least four persons were injured in it.

Meanwhile, campaigning came to an end this evening in 11 constituencies of Pulwama, Shopian and Kathua districts, where polling is being held in the fifth phase of elections on Saturday. An electorate of 8,35,181voters, including 434238 men and 400943 women, would decide the fate of 179 candidates in the three districts — Pulwama and Shopian in the Kashmir valley, and Kathua in the Jammu region — where adequate security and poll arrangements are in place. The constituencies going to the polls include four (Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora) in Pulwama district, two (Wachi and Shopian) in Shopian and five (Bani, Basohli, Kathua, Billawar and Hiranagar (SC) in Kathua district.

As many as 1,154 polling booths, including 65 auxiliary booths have been set up in these 11 constituencies. Of these, 626 have been identified as sensitive, 386 as hypersensitive and 142 as normal.

Meanwhile, the hectic campaign for the 11 seats has witnessed 283 large, medium and small election rallies, public meetings and road shows between October 19 and December 11.

An official spokesman said here that 51 election rallies, meetings and road shows were organised by various political parties and Independent candidates in Pulwama district, 64 in Shopian district and 163 in Kathua district.

The PDP held 75 meetings, Congress 70, NC 37, BJP 33, JKNPP 12, BSP 10, ANC five, CPM five and the PDF two. The Independents had 31 election rallies and meetings during this period.

Kathua, December 11
Even as the campaigning for the fifth phase of polling ended today, the candidates and the political parties put in their last minute effort to woo voters to caste votes in their favour.

The fifth phase of polling would decide the fate of various political ‘bigwigs’ of the state politics, including president of PDP Mehbooba Mufi, who is contesting the assembly elections from the Wachi Assembly segment of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The Congress candidate from the Kathua assembly segment, who is also a sitting MP, Chowdhary Lal Singh, today toured various parts of his constituency, wherein, he held rounds of public meetings and public rallies.

“Today has been a hectic day for us as this was the last day to make people aware about what we would be doing for them and what our party has done.” Lal Singh told The Tribune.

He said, “This day was really crucial as various dividing forces like the PDP, the NC and the BJP have been playing politics of division.

We didn't want to waste a single moment; we wanted to apprise the people of what the Congress had done for them during the three years rule of the party in the state.” Singh said.

This time the going won’t be easy for the Congress in Kathua as the party candidate will be facing stiff competition from party rebels, who were denied party tickets.

As many as 66 candidates are in the fray in the five assembly segments of the district including, Kathua, Bani, Basholi, Hiranagar and Bilawar that will be going to polls in the fifth phase.

In Basohli, former MLA and the wife of Congress MP Chowdhary Lal Singh Kanta Andotra will also be testing her fate for the second time.

Senior leaders of various political parties like the Congress, the BJP, the NC, have already held rounds of public meetings at various areas of Kathua district

Meanwhile, 8,500 para-military and police personnel have been deployed in Kathua district to maintain law and order during the polling.

Wachi, December 11
The nondescript and underdeveloped constituency of Wachi, which is going to the polls on December 13, has emerged as one of the most high-profile seats like Ganderbal and Anantnag after PDP's president Mehbooba Mufti decided to contest from here.

Though the PDP had come second-best here in the 2002 elections, losing the seat to Khalil Naik of the CPM but party workers are confident that Mehbooba's charisma would change the party's fortunes this time. "Mufti Sayeed sahib has done a lot of work for the region during his government. If the PDP comes to power, Mehbooba will call the shots. She will definitely win," Ajaj Khan, a PDP supporter, said.

A total of 14160 out of 50054 voters had voted last time and Naik bagged 4133 votes, scraping past Ghulam Hassan Bhat of the PDP, who got 4053 votes. The National Conference had come a distant forth with 2058 votes while the Congress was third.

NC workers say they had suffered last time due to the threat issued by militants, targeting support base of the party while tacitly indicating PDP voters to cast their votes. "Our supporters had refrained from voting last time. They will come out this time," Abdul Qayoon, who is campaigning for the NC, said.

Srinagar, December 11
Former Chief minister mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said the PDP government transformed the political course in Jammu and Kashmir by piloting successfully and with conviction the crucial issues concerning the state and its people.

The PDP patron was addressing election rallies at Shopian and Bijbehara today. He said the emerging positive and feasible scenario, propelled by the pro-people policies of the PDP, had set the momentum for Jammu and Kashmir’s everlasting peace and prosperity.

He said the pro-people issues raised by the PDP drew positive results that eluded earlier attempts made by other political parties. He said the driving force for the PDP’s endeavours was the public support, without which the party could have not achieved much.

Referring to relations between Srinagar and Delhi, Mufti Sayeed said the dialogue between the state and the Centre on earlier occasions had resulted in only Jammu and Kashmir conceding something without getting anything substantial for its people. “The process began in 1952, when as a result of the Delhi Agreement the Instrument of Accession was diluted and powers transferred from the state to the Centre, rather than the other way round”, he said and added that similarly the 1975 accord formalised the erosion of the State's autonomy.

Sayeed said the agenda of the PDP was met with considerable success, though much more was still to be done and achieved to fully restore the dignity of the state and its people.

He said the self-rule and the complete political and economic empowerment of the people of the state in a positively evolving arrangement was the party’s final goal, which was more in sight today than ever before.

Srinagar, December 11
CPM state secretary M Y Tarigami has criticised some political parties for “befooling the people at the time of elections” in the name of some important issues and blamed the PDP for its failure during its three years rule to keep the promises enshrined in the common minimum programme (CMP).

Addressing rallies in the Devsar constituency of Anantnag district, Tarigami said the PDP ignored the matters of the state for their own petty vested interests thereby, causing sufferings to the people of the state.

He said this party had always been responsible for subverting the democratic process and creating political situations necessitating the Governor’s rule.

Tarigami said there had been no respite in the growing human rights violations and the PDP’s claim of the healing touch policy, peace with dignity, withdrawal of draconian laws and disbanding of SOG were only slogans.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had seen through their manipulative, self -centered politics and so should the defeat the PDP steer the state out of the morass created by it.

Tarigami deplored the PDP for promising two jobs per household in the 2002 election, but failed to keep its promise after assuming power. Tarigami cautioned the people and said the parties like PDP hade now come out with different tricks to woo voters especially the younger generation by giving them false promises regarding jobs.

He appealed to the people not to go by rhetoric and false promises of such parties and assess candidates on the basis of their performance.

The party’s contesting candidate for the Devsar Constituency, Mohammad Yaqoob Ganie, also addressed the rally.

Pulwama/Shopian, December 11
A drizzle across south Kashmir today, where six constituencies in Pulwama and Shopian districts are going to the polls on December 13, had already dampened the spirits of NC workers. And it was not a good omen for the party either that its star campaigner and president Omar Abdullah could not attract a big crowd in his public meetings.

Abdullah wascharacteristically composed and lucid. "The PDP had made promises of porous borders and employment in every family but it failed to deliver. Voters will punish them," he said in Pulwama, where NC candidate Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri is up against PDP's Khalil Band, who had won last time.

If the NC is to retain its position as the number one party in the valley, it could not afford to let the PDP win a majority of the seats in south Kashmir as was the story last time. The PDP had won 10 of the 16 seats spread across four districts while the NC managed only two. The NC has this time replaced a number of its candidates, relying upon fresh faces like Ratanpuri. "We have given the ticket to untainted people and even replaced our candidate from Rajpora because his name had cropped in an enquiry by the Accountability Commission. People will compare our clean contestants with those tainted in the sex scandal," he said, referring to PDP's winning candidate, Ghulam Hassan Khan, from Shopian in 2002. The PDP has dropped him this time but the NC has made it into an issue. Abdullah is also telling the people that his party would form the next government and they should back a candidate who would be a part of the government not opposition.

A conversation with voters in constituencies of Shopian, Pulwama, Wachi, all going to the polls on December 13, indicates that infrastructure works like roads and schools during the PDP-Congress reign is a positive issue for the PDP. But development was concentrated in a few pockets, many pointed out, and the party could not fulfil its employment promises.

Jammu, December 11
A day after the BJP accused the Congress of having a "tactical understanding with Kashmir-centric parties to save its political identity" the Congress today accused the BJP of playing divisive politics in the state.

In a statement released here, AICC secretary Capt Praveen Davar said: "The BJP does not appear to have learnt a lesson from the humiliating defeat it suffered in Delhi and Rajasthan, where its attempt to politicise terror and divide the electorate on communal lines failed miserably." He alleged that the BJP was now trying desperately to divide people on religious and regional lines.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley stated in a press conference yesterday that the "Congress can only become a tail of Kashmir-centric parties like it has done in the past."

Sharply reacting to it, Davar said: "This is the most ridiculous and misleading statement coming from a senior leader of the BJP which itself is a tail of the RSS that dictates the political, social and economical policies of the BJP. So strong is the hold of the RSS on the BJP that it didn't allow the then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to sack Narendra Modi post-Gujarat riots in 2002."

He said the BJP general secretary didn't have the courage to clarify as to why his party has dropped the demand for abrogation of Article 370 in its poll manifesto. "Obviously, the BJP is dreaming that with a few seats it may win it will have the chance of becoming a tail of a Kashmir-centric party," he quipped.

Hiranagar (Kathua), December 11
Residents of nearly 30 villages located along the border in Hiranagar sector have aversion for leaders and elections.

A question about voting on December 13 made Santi Devi (44) say agitatedly that elections were not the answer to their woes. “Leaders hardly visit villages on zero line to understand their problems.” She said roads were in deplorable condition in the border villages while innumerable small nullahs criss-crossing the area were without bridges.

Fear of landmines stalks them like a ghost. Janak Ram, a farmer, said though his land had been de-mined before its handover, there was still fear of leftover mines.

Nanak Chand, president, border welfare committee (BWC), said farmers of the area could not sow six crops following the mining of border land by the Army after relations with Pakistan touched their lowest ebb in 2002. Though fields were returned after being de-mined by the Army in 2005 yet there was fear of leftover mines.

The central government had compensated them with a grant of Rs 12 crore out of which nearly Rs 8 crore alone had been distributed.

Bharat Bhushan, another functionary of the BWC, said under the central-funded border area development programme (BADP) a grant was given for development of area up to 5 km from the border. However, he alleged the amount was being used in other areas.

Their other grouse was that next of the kin of the landmine victims was given Rs 1.5 lakh each. However, there was no assistance for casualties among livestock.

A farmer, Rajesh Sambyal, said elections were meaningless till farmers residing in remote areas of the country were given some leverages ameliorating some of their sufferings on a par with Punjab and Haryana farmers.

Jammu, December 11
Anita Thakur, general secretary, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and candidate from the Marh Assembly constituency, today conducted a door-to-door campaign in Akalpur, Shamachak, Sui, Lalayl, Sangrampur and other places.

As per a press note, she interacted with the people of these villages, who complained about the dilapidated condition of roads in their villages, which needed immediate reconstruction.

They also complained that none from the Block Irrigation Department and PWD Department cared to improve the deplorable condition of roads despite several representations made by them to the authority concerned.

Thakur assured the people that if elected, their burning problems would be highlighted at the right forum. She said the NC, the Congress, the BJP and the PDP had always exploited sentiments of the innocent people of Jammu. “It is only Prof. Bhim Singh who has always stood with the people of Jammu,” she said.

Udhampur, December 11
Former minister and Congress candidate from Reasi Jugal Kishore Sharma and his supporters today staged a massive protest outside the office of the district development commissioner (DDC), Reasi, and demanded immediate action against BJP activists, who had allegedly made a "murderous attack" on him on December 5.

Sharma and his supporters took out a protest rally in the town and staged a 'dharna' outside the DDC’s office. He demanded that all culprits, who were involved in the violence at Bhaga on December 5, should be booked and warned that if stern action was not taken against the culprits within a week, they would call for a complete "chakka jam" in the town.

The protestors also shouted slogans against the police for its "failure" to take action against the culprits.

It may be mentioned here that some BJP activists had attacked the cavalcade of Jugal Kishore Sharma and set his vehicle on fire at Bhaga on December 5. The Congress candidate has demanded a judicial or CBI inquiry into the incident. Later, a delegation of Congress activists also met the DDC and urged him to direct the police to take stern action against the accused.

Jammu, December 11
About 900 students of a premier college in Jammu city are facing problems due to dearth of teachers.

In Government Degree College for Women, Parade, there are about 900 students with philosophy as one of their subjects but there is not even a single permanent or ad hoc teacher to teach them.

“After several earnest pleadings with the college administration, off late we have got a teacher. However, she is a guest lecturer from a higher secondary school and teaches us thrice a week,” said a student pleading anonymity.

Resenting acute shortage of classrooms and their limited capacity to accommodate students, it is difficult to imagine how a single teacher can deliver to all the students.

The student added that the teacher came for two hours only as she has to teach in her own school also. “It’s really hard to cope up with the situation as the government seems to be indifferent towards the education sector,” she added.

Shashi Koul, vice-principal of the college, however, said classes were being taken by higher secondary lecturers, besides some lecturers appointed on an ad hoc basis. “The college administration has taken up the issue with the authorities concerned,” she stated.

Students of other city colleges like MAM College and SPMR College of Commerce also rued a shortage of teachers. “Our studies have been suffering on account of dearth of teachers. Despite most teachers working on a contract basis, the shortage continues,” they complained.

Leh, December 11
The institutional demand for solar buildings in Ladakh is gaining momentum with the local government and NGOs preferring it over conventional buildings. Solar buildings, which respond to climate, remain warm in winter and cool in summer.

Conventional structure of government schools, which are dark and cold are revamping to the solar type. French NGO UNKOGDE sponsored a nine-room solar residential school in the Lingshed area in Khalsi block. Major Public schools in the district, including Lamdon Senior Secondary School branch in Nubra valley and Druk Padma Karpo School in Shey village have constructed a schools based on solar energy.

After getting successful results in its initiative of building new public places based on solar energy, a local NGO SECMOL has floated a construction agency in the name of Sheyon Solar Earth Work, in charge of agency Wanla Rigzin said, “ Besides technical support, we also construct on contract at nominal charges. Seven youths have been trained in the first phase on solar engineering with the help of foreign professionals.”

Rigzin said, “ Because of the temperature dipping below 0° C and scarcity of fuel, we are promoting solar energy as an alternative energy in the region.

Presently, the people are dependent on kerosene oil and cow dung”

The Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDG) has begun constructing solar houses in rural areas. Tsering Jorges, director of LEDG said, “ As many as 130 solar houses on 50 per cent subsidy were constructed in Durbuk block in eastern Ladakh, where the winter is more severe.”

The Army too has started constructing solar buildings with the help of SECMOL.

Frence NGO Geres, four local NGOs, with the funding of the European Union is constructing one- room solar houses for one thousand households in Leh and Kargil districts.

Rajouri, December 11
The Poonch police had to face embarrassment after militants managed to escape after a brief encounter at Jhajha close to the Krishna Ghatti area last night.

Intelligence sources said through police personnel laid an ambush in the area to nab militants they managed to escape after a brief encounter.