EC bans political speeches on R-Day function
Rajeev Khanna

Almora, January 23
With the Republic Day celebrations falling at a time when the poll campaign in the five states will be at its peak, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it clear that “under no circumstances, they (celebrations) should become a platform for political campaign”.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretaries and Chief Election Officers (CEOs) of the poll-bound states, the Secretary of the Commission KN Bhar has stated, “References have been received from various states about the attendance of political functionaries in the celebration of Republic Day. The commission has considered all relevant factors in view of the general elections to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies and certain byelections. The commission has decided that there is no objection to central ministers, Chief Ministers, ministers in the states to do the honours in the main Republic Day functions at various locations subject to the condition that in their speeches, they should confine themselves to extolling the achievements of the martyrs in securing freedom of the country, glory of the state and so on.”

The letter further points out that in view of the fact that the Republic Day celebrations will come during the election process and that the central ministers, Chief Ministers and ministers in the states belong to political parties and alliances and may even be the candidates, the commission, purely in the interest of coming a level-playing field, has directed that none of these or any other political functionary in the states will do the honours at any Republic Day functions at any location within their home district or constituency or the constituency from where he or she is a contesting candidate or intends to contest.

“The commission, however, has no objection to organisation of kavi sammelan, mushairas or other cultural functions organised in connection with the Republic Day celebrations and being attended by the central ministers, Chief Ministers, ministers in the states and other political functionaries. However, utmost care should be taken to ensure that no political speeches are made on the occasion,” the letter underlines.

The commission has further decided that investiture ceremonies at the national and state level and distribution of Tamra Patras to freedom fighters etc will be done according to the existing conventions.

The ECI has called for strict compliance to these norms.

Congress fields largest number of candidates facing criminal charges
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 23
The Uttarakhand Congress has achieved an unusual distinction of fielding the largest number of candidates facing criminal charges and at least 16 party nominees are facing cases.

According to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch, the Congress Party has fielded 16 candidates, the highest number of candidates with criminal background, followed by 14 nominees of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 13 of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 7 candidates of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Progressive UKD (P). The ADR analysed affidavits of 278 nominees out of a total of 788 candidates who are in the fray. The BJP, Congress and the BSP have fielded 70 candidates in all 70 seats, while the UKD (P) is contesting on 44 seats.

Surprisingly, there is no criminal case pending against former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, as claimed by the affidavit filed by him. In the 2007 election, he had one criminal case pending against him.

The top five candidates with most serious pending criminal cases, including charges of extortion, theft, murder etc, pending against them are Ramsukh, against whom a total of 12 cases are pending, and he is contesting from Dharampur and is a nominee of BSP. A total of three cases are pending, both of serious nature, against Kishore Upadhayay, Congress sitting MLA from Tehri Garhwal; he is again in the fray. While two cases are pending against Congress sitting MLA from Lakshman Chowk Assembly seat, he is now in the fray from Dharampur Assembly seat. On the fourth place is Shahzad, who is standing from the Piran Kaliyar seat on the BSP ticket and has a total of 2 pending cases against him.

In the fifth place is BJP’s nominee Vyajantimala, who is standing from the Jhabrera (SC) Assembly seat. A total of five cases are pending against her.

“In all there a total of 53 (19 per cent) tainted candidates, who would be fighting the elections this year in Uttarakhand and in 2007 election a total of 46 candidates (affidavits of 253 were analysed) with tainted background had fought the elections,” said Dr Ravi Chopra, member of ADR.

Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), also informed that out of 278 candidates’ affidavits analysed, in 2012, 88 candidates are crorepatis and 46 per cent of candidates are from the Congress Party, while around 36 per cent of BJP candidates are crorepatis. The number of crorepati candidates in 2007 was 11 per cent. Rajesh Shukla of the BJP, who is standing from the Kichha assembly seat, is on the top slot with assets worth Rs 26 crore, followed by Congress Party’s Amrita Rawat, who is standing from Ramnagar seat. Her assets are valued at Rs 13 crore.”

Someshwar to witness three-cornered contest
Rajeev Khanna/TNS

Someshwar, January 23
This reserved constituency stands out as an ideal example reflecting what went wrong in the state of Uttarkhand since its creation.

It is a food bowl in the shape of a picturesque valley that cries for impetus for development. The locals claim that it has everything that can make it a replica or a mini Punjab but the interventions that are required are simply missing. The voters today are in a dilemma over the choice of electing a political representative that can help bring about the much-sought change.

The Tribune came across Rajendra Ram of Tana Kangar who rued that he has remained unemployed ever since he got enlisted in the employment exchange way back in 1989. Even his children today are staring at unemployment.

Deepak Bora, who is a Congress supporter, speaks out candidly: “Whosoever forms the next government will have to chalk out a concrete road map to address the issue of emigration of youth and provide local employment before it gets too late.”

He points out that the local hospital does not have a lady doctor, which forces people to go to Almora or Haldwani for getting medical assistance. He also claims that there is no test facility at hand for the medical patients.

Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters want that some sort of industry must come up in this valley to make productive use of the youth, who are quickly taking to alcoholism in the absence of employment. It is not without reason that Someshwar in the past had earned the reputation of being “Rampur of the Hills” as it has witnessed some heinous crime emanating from alcohol consumption.

Today people want some intervention at the agricultural level so that they can make use of the optimum fertility that the soil offers. They also want a technical institute that can prevent the youth from going down to Delhi to wash utensils in eating joints.

As Lajwanti, a middle-aged lady campaigning for one of the candidates in the fray, says: “ The youth of this place has been utilised and exploited by the metros.”

Sri Krishna, an octogenarian from Manaan village, points out: “Things were better when we were a part of the undivided Uttar Pradesh. They have gone from bad to worse since the state came into being. I do not even feel like casting my vote for anyone.”

The constituency is witnessing a three-cornered contest for the forthcoming Assembly polls.

The Congress candidate Rajendra Barakoti, who is a veteran politician, is promising a development with regard to the local issues, which also included tackling the menace of wild boar and monkeys, which have been destroying the agriculture produce.

The sitting legislator of the BJP, who has also been a Cabinet minister in the past, Ajay Tamta, claims to have weaved a web of roads in the constituency. He is seeking a re-election on the promise of inclusive development.

A Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, Rekha Arya, is giving sleepless nights to both the candidates from the mainstream parties.

Nobody is sure whose voter base she is damaging more. Things have come to a pass that there is a slander campaign against even from the public platforms. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded a candidate but is unlikely to make much headway.

It is amid such a scenario of uncertainty that there is a ray of hope that things might improve in the next five years when Someshwar goes to the polls on January 30.

Entire village in no mood to vote
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, January 23
Nearly 335 voters of Namik village, one of the highest polling stations and at a distance from main road in the district, are in no mood to vote this time as, according to the villagers, they are bound to feel that the elections have not remained an instrument of change for them as they have not been linked by motor road in the last 64 years of Independence and are forced to travel for 27 km on rugged tracks to reach the nearest market, medical centre and government office.

“There is a lot of activity in our village caused by the roar of helicopters and of government employees after every five years during elections, but we are forgotten after the elections. Therefore, we have this year decided not to vote for any candidate as they all are equally insensitive to our demands,” said Tulsi Devi, gram pradhan of Namik village

Tulsi Devi, who had come to Munsiyari town to submit her memorandum to the administration, told media persons that despite several elections, their problems are still there. “We are still bound to carry our patients 27 Km away at Bala primary health centre and the lone primary teacher, our village school got is from our own village after the villagers taught him and got him posted in the village school,” said Tulsi Devi. She alleged that had the villagers of Namik not taught the teacher, the government would have not yet appointed any teacher in their village.

The village polling booth of Namik is at a height of 2,800 metre from sea level, which makes it the highest situated polling booth in the district and at a distance of 27 km from Bala village on the Thal-Munsiyari highway.

“More than 15 km long track to the village from the motor road, which bifurcates from the famous Birthi falls on Thal-Munsiyari highway, is under heavy snow, making normal life of the villagers difficult these days,” said the gram pradhan. 

Poll Snippets
Star campaigners for Haldwani

Political buffs in Haldwani and its adjoining areas are facing a problem of plenty with regards to the poll campaign on January 24. The reason is that a series of star campaigners are expected to descend on the town to address a host of rallies and road shows. The town is all set for a rally to be addressed by BSP supremo Mayawati at the MB Post Graduate College grounds. Then there is a rally to be addressed by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi at Dahariya. The BJP will be fielding the “Dream girl” of the seventies Hema Malini to campaign for its candidate. At a close quarter in Bhimtal, senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani is supposed to address a public rally. The political buffs are confused which event to attend and which one to drop.

Dev Bhoomi or Daitya Bhoomi

Uttarakhand has always been referred to as Dev Bhoomi in political speeches. Giving a new colour to this perception, local BJP leaders are accusing the Congress leadership of being a daitya. They have been telling the voters whether they want the state to remain a Dev Bhoomi or a Daitya Bhoomi. While this blame game is on, the skeptics can be heard joking, “It is obviously a Dev Bhoomi as it is only the Gods who are running the show here.”

Maya promises welfare schemes for people
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

A huge crowd gathers to listen to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in Roorkee on Monday. Tribune photos: Rameshwar Gaur

Dehradun January 23
BSP supremo Mayawati placed the welfare schemes started by her government in Uttar Pardesh before public in here today while urging them to vote for her party candidates so that they could also enjoy the benefits of the policies in their state as well.

She also cautioned them not to be tempted by any tactic of the rival political parties and vote only for the party symbol, elephant.

Mayawati addressed a crowd of around 5,000 people at Parade Ground that looked blue by the party’s insignia “blue elephant”. It was only Mayawati who did not wear anything blue but presented herself in light-colored clothes and coloured shawl. She said it was her party, which did not enter into any alliance and was determined to come to power on its own. She enumerated a number of welfare projects started by her government which received a periodic applause from the audience.

She avoided narrowing down her focus on only Dalit community and encompassed people from ‘sarv smaj’. Even on the subject of allocation of ticket, she said she gave fair representation to the people of all communities as her party was not meant for any one particular religion and caste. She reiterated the oft-repeated slogan of ‘Sarv Jan Sukhay, Sarv Jan Hitay’ as the mantra of her party.

She said it was her government which constituted welfare departments and appointed a minister above it to keep a tab on the activities in her government. While talking about the pro-poor policies launched by her, she said the vacant government land was distributed equally among people of all communities. A monthly assistance of Rs 400, a two-room house, free legal aid of government lawyer to fight cases, the help of Rs 1 lakh for 18-year-old poor girl, a lady cycle and Rs 1500 cash for a poor girl student of Class XI and Rs 10,000 for further studies from Class XII and the facility of higher studies abroad were all launched for the poor.

She said her government provided reservation to the Dalit community in government jobs and contractual work up to Rs 25 lakh.

While mentioning about the overall development, she said the villages in UP were connected with “bijli, paani aur sarak” (electricity, water and roads) following Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s ideology.

Blames UPA for high inflation, rising petrol prices
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Roorkee, January 23
Making a scathing attack on Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-run Central Government, the Bahujan Samaj Party supreme today alleged that the alliance was not taking care of people’s interests, but catering to their vested interests only.

Mayawati was addressing a massive election rally in Roorkee today as part of her Uttarkhand election campaign tour.

She lashed out at the UPA Government for upping the inflation rate as well as increasing petrol prices, which had a direct bearing on the common man’s pocket.

During the past 31-month tenure of the Congress Government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, only scams had been the real achievements of this government and had put the country’s development in reverse gear.

“For the past 64 years since Independence, the Congress has been at the helm of governance in the country, but development has not been as it is made out to be by their leaders, particularly those hailing from ‘one single’ family. The time is now to change it as now you(voters) have an option in Bahujan Samaj Party, which caters to all segments of society,” said Mayawati to the applaud of a substantial 15,000-odd crowd.

Coming on to Uttarakhand Assembly election, the four-times UP Chief Minister lashed out at both Congress and BJP-led state governments for indulging in multiple scams, cheating the aspirations of the people of this hilly state, who had envisaged mass development works when the new state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000. She elaborated further, saying: “If people of Uttarakhand want to replicate the mass development work being carried under her tenure in Uttar Pradesh, then this election should bring us in power in this state, too.

“Be it weaker sections of society, minority, Dalits, poor or upper castes, every one is looked after in the BSP regime as we follow the ideology of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, which is based on Sarv Jan Hitay.”

Taking a dig on Uttarakhand Lokayukta enacted by BC Khanduri-led BJP Government, she said that they have just only enacted it keeping in mind the elections but it is her government that has expelled corrupt legislators and even Cabinet ministers.

Congress dividing Hindus, Muslims, says Uma Bharti
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 23
BJP senior leader Uma Bharti today criticised the Congress for pursuing divisive politics by announcing reservation for the Muslims in the OBC quota, thereby creating a wedge between the Hindus and Muslims just before the Assembly elections.

At a press conference today, the saffron leader criticised the Congress for starting a dangerous practice that is bound to divide the Hindu and Muslim communities. "To woo the Muslim voters, the UPA had cleared 4.5 per cent reservation for the minorities within the 27 per cent quota for OBCs; now even Samajvadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, too, is promising to give 15 per cent reservation to the Muslims, setting a dangerous trend. The 4.5 sub quota announced by the Congress will eat into the OBC share, antagonising them. Moreover, the Constitution does not favour reservation on the basis of religion," Uma charged.

She said the BJP had already started a campaign against Muslim reservation and she was ready to stage the fight on the street, even after the election.

Rebutting the claims made by Congress star campaigners Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that the BJP Government in Uttarakhand had failed to utilise the Central funds, Uma Bharati said the UPA Congress Government had a habit of putting queries on proposals sent by the non-Congress governments in the states. "When I was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, I endured the step- motherly treatment meted out to Madhya Pradesh, and even the BJP Government in Uttarakhand faced similar problems. The Congress cannot tolerate other parties in power.

On the contrary, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was receptive even to the needs of the non-BJP government states, she said.

She also reminded the Congress that it's leaders were never in favour of the creation of Uttarakhand and continued to support the Mulayam Singh Government, even in the face of atrocities committed on the people of Uttarakhand, who were fighting for the creation of a separate state.

UKD (D) chief Bhatt absent on day of manifesto release
Tribune News Service

Dehradun January 23
Unlike other political parties, president of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (D) Diwakar Bhatt remained absent on the day of his party’s manifesto release. Since Bhatt is fighting with another party MLA Om Gopal Rawat on BJP’s symbol, senior leader and former president of the party BD Raturi said contesting on BJP’s symbol was a political compulsion as they got their party symbol from the Election Commission of India very late but despite that the party leaders wanted to bring the issues dear to them before the public and continue to work to achieve them.

The main issues mentioned in the manifesto were to declare Gairsain as capital of the state, establishment of Himalayan Development Authority for the development of Himalayan region and people inhabiting here. Pension ranging from Rs 3000 to 7000 for statehood strugglers, who were incarcerated from 1 to 7 days, was also promised.

The party tried to woo the ex-servicemen voters by offering to lower the education limit to class VIII to gain entry into armed forces for the youth of the state along with one Central School and Sainik School in each block and district, respectively. It also talked of giving status of Central university to Kumaon University.

Reservation to poor upper class community on the basis of economic backwardness and land to landless people of SC/ST community were also assured. Other promises made included amendments in Forest Act to facilitate development, relaxation in gas supply in hills, railway line connectivity in hills, stationing special forces in border hills for protection, ownership rights to people, small cottage industries in hills to curb migration, boost in tourism and vacancies to be filled.

A special package was also promised for the displaced people given to the dams built over rivers, inclusion of Garhwali and Kumaoni languages in the eighth list, better PDS system, revoking ban on hydroelectric projects and free medical treatment to poor were also added to lure voters.