S P O T L I G H T

Cong puts off party poll
NEW DELHI, April 8 (UNI) — The Congress has postponed organisational elections indefinitely in a bid to tackle dissensions in the party leading to massive cross voting in West Bengal and election of rebel candidate in Uttar Pradesh in the recently held biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha. Party sources said the decision to postpone the elections also had to do with the poor performance of the party in the recent Assembly elections with several leaders, including Mr Balram Jakhar, Mr C.K. Jaffer Sharief, Mr Chabildas Mehta and Mr Kapil Sibal, openly questioning the way decisions are taken by the party leadership.

Parties on tax evasion
NEW DELHI, April 8 (PTI) — Five political parties today sought the President’s direction to the government to initiate cases of tax evasion against 17 political bigwigs, including three Union Ministers L.K. Advani, Yashwant Sinha and Ajit Kumar Panja. The political parties — the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the CPI-M, the SJP, the JD (S) and the Akali Dal (T) — which held a demonstration here in protest against what they called the CBI’s ‘‘undue haste’’ in filing charge sheet against RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam case, sought the direction in a memorandum to the President.

Rao to act in film
JAIPUR, April 8 (UNI) — Congress leader and former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao is set to play a new role, as a “neta’’ who gives a bravery award to Nandita Das, who essays the role of a rape victim in the film “Bavander’’. Interestingly, Mr Rao has given the bravery award during his tenure as the Prime Minister to the real life rape victim Bhanvari Devi belonging to Bhateri village of Jaipur district. Mr Rao is expected to reach here on Monday for the shooting.