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Thursday,
June 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Congress
undecided on Kalam
Cong MLA
claims allegiance to DF Lucknow, June 12 It is almost seven days that the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee is without a state President. It had never happened in the history of the state Congress. And if the senior leaders are to be believed, this stalemate is likely to continue for another week as the list of contenders for the coveted post is long. Witch-hunt: another
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Congress
undecided on Kalam New Delhi, June 12 Sources said while a section of senior party leaders in Delhi had advised party President Sonia Gandhi to put up a candidate against Mr Kalam, the feedback from party chief ministers has not been likewise. Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony has already gone on record supporting candidature of Mr Kalam. The Congress today deferred decision on the presidential elections, saying that “wider consultations” were needed within the party and a decision would be taken in a day or two. The CWC, which met here this morning for an hour after the split in the Opposition ranks over the candidature of Mr Kalam, decided to have wider discussions with the Left parties on the issue. “Party President Sonia Gandhi is for wider discussion on the issue though she has been authorised by the CWC to take a decision,” a senior leader said. While none of the 14 Congress Chief Ministers was present at the CWC meeting, some senior leaders, including Mr Motilal Vora, Mr Shivraj Patil, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Vayalar Ravi and Mr Arjun Singh were also not present. The Congress leaders advocating a contest for the post of President feel that the party should not be seen as supporting a NDA candidate, particularly since the Congress was not “consulted” over the NDA’s choice but only “informed” about it by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. There is also a feeling among the top party leaders of having been outsmarted by the NDA in the presidential sweepstakes and a contest for the top post, these leaders say, would send the right message to the confused party cadre. The Left parties, which have declared their opposition to the NDA’s candidate for the post of President, want the Congress to contest the poll and field its candidate. Some senior Congress leaders are in touch with the Left parties to work out a joint strategy. Among the names being mentioned in Congress circles as possible presidential candidates are former Chief Justice of India A Ahmadi, India’s former envoy to the USA Abid Hussain and former Governor Khursheed Alam. Names of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker P.M. Sayeed are also figuring as possible choices. The Congress Working Committee is expected to meet informally tomorrow to chalk out the party’s further strategy. Apart from their unwillingness to be seen as backing the NDA’s nominee for the top post, some Congress leaders feel that putting up a candidate against Mr Kalam would enable them to expose Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party as the one close to the ruling NDA. Mr Yadav has already declared support to Mr Kalam, causing a disarray in the Opposition. By
confabulating on names who are all constitutional experts, the Congress and the Left parties are apparently showing how much importance they were attaching to the factor vis-a-vis the NDA nominee. There is a feeling that as the Congress forms the single largest college in the electoral college for the President, the party should determine its response based on its strengths. But the Congress leaders are also painfully aware of the lack of numbers on their side in a
presidential election and realise that pulling off a victory would be nearly impossible. The Congress dilemma on deciding against supporting Mr Kalam has not been eased by the warm welcome the NDA’s nominee has evoked from the minority community in the country. Several Muslim representative institutions have welcomed candidature of Mr Kalam. |
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Gujral supports
Kalam New Delhi, June 12 “I am happy that Dr Kalam has emerged as the next choice for the post of President,” Mr Gujral said here today. Dr Kalam’s services to the nation are meritorious and his vision as a scientist has been recognised the world over, the former Prime Minister observed. “It was a privilege that during my tenure as Prime Minister it was decided to recognise his services and the nation bestowed upon him the country’s highest civilian honour,” he said. |
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Cong MLA claims allegiance to DF Mumbai, June 12 High drama unfolded when Mr Walvi was brought to the state legislature by Leader of the Opposition Narayan Rane to depose before Speaker Arun Gujarathi in connection with a disqualification notice. Narrating the sequence of events to mediapersons later, Mr Walvi said he was made to sit in Mr Rane’s office till he was summoned to put up his plea before the Speaker. The second time, however, he was successful and rushed to the office of the Speaker’s secretary, urging him for an urgent meeting with the Speaker, which was conceded to. On reaching the Speaker’s chamber, Mr Walvi urged for protection, stating that he was being “pressurised and terrorised” and had been “illegally confined” in the Opposition camp. The Speaker immediately deployed marshalls for Mr Walvi’s protection and also assured him police protection. NEW DELHI:
In an order that could have a major effect on the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by NCP MLA Shirishkumar Vasantkumar Kotwal, who withdrew support from Democratic Front Government, seeking stay of disqualification proceedings against him by the Assembly Speaker. |
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Scramble
for UPCC chief’s post Lucknow, June 12 According to an estimate, over 24 senior leaders have already thrown their hats in the ring for the coveted post, and are pulling all strings to impress 10, Janpath. It is a virtual who’s who in the state Congress who are lobbying for the post. As most of them are in New Delhi trying to impress their political masters, a Congress worker told The Tribune today that the Congress in UP was a party of leaders, not workers, and it was evident from this mad scramble. To break this impasse, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora, who is also in charge of UP Affairs, held a meeting with party workers. A leader said Mr Vora had already a list of 18 senior leaders who could be the probable Congress President. He would disclose the names at the Congress meeting slated for June 20 in New Delhi, he added. However, one of the spokesmen in the UPCC, Mr Akhilesh Singh, said Mr Vora had come to select a candidate for the MLC election for the Azamgarh and Mau region. He, however, refused to talk about the confusion over the selection of the UPCC chief. “This decision is to be taken by national leaders,” he said. Former UPCC chief Prakash Jaiswal had resigned from his post following defeat of his party in the Assembly election. The drubbing Congress got in the recently held bye-elections, in which all party candidates’ forfeited their deposits, proved the last nail in Congress coffin in the state. Spurned by the defeat, Mr Jaiswal announced his resignation, which was subsequently accepted by the national leaders. “It had never happened in the past that the UPCC had remained head-less for such a long time. Earlier too, presidents had resigned, but they were asked to continue till the next arrangement,” said a senior general secretary of the party. The failure of the national leaders to select a candidate shows the mire in which the UPCC is in at this point of time. Though the national Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had voiced concern over the state of UP Congress in the just-concluded session of the AICC, she is yet to act to translate her words into action. |
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Witch-hunt: another
woman killed Jaipur, June 12 The woman was brutally beaten up while she was working on her field at Devpuri village in Bhilwara district last Wednesday. She died five days later in hospital. Three persons — Gheesa Mali, Kailash Mali and Suratia Mali —have been nabbed in connection with the killing and a manhunt was on for the remaining three absconders, a Bhilwara report said. The victim’s son Bhairu Mali, who lodged an FIR with the police, alleged that he had to bribe the policemen to get his report registered.
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