 |
Thursday,
August 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
Trifurcation
fails to enthuse voters Statehood
for Jammu good for nation: RSS PM
‘succumbed’ to NC pressure NC’s
sincerity doubtful: Azad |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 file
papers Notification
for second phase of poll today Advani’s
refusal irks Shah Army man
hurt in Pak shelling
|
|
Trifurcation fails to enthuse voters Jammu, August 28 The RSS-backed State Morcha has sought trifurcation on the plea that people in the Jammu and Ladakh regions have been given a raw deal by the ruling parties and the bureaucracy. The RSS leadership has announced to support those who favour the division of the state with statehood status for the Jammu region and Union Territory status for the Ladakh province. The BJP is not averse to the trifurcation of the state but it has decided not to make it a poll issue. The National Conference, the Congress and the PDP are opposed to the demand for the division of the state. This demand has no takers in the Kashmir valley and Kargil district but the people in Leh district support it. Consequently, the statehood demand may remain confined to major areas of the Jammu region. Another poll issue could be the restoration of greater autonomy. The demand had takers in the valley only, but of late, people have realised the futility of the pro-autonomy campaigners in the National Conference. This demand is opposed by the Congress, the BJP and the PDP and other smaller organisations in the state, especially in the Jammu and Ladakh regions. As no political party has been in a position to influence the voters with a few major issues, there is no wave in favour of or against any particular political organisation. Voters seem to be disillusioned with the growing infighting among the mainstream political parties. Ms Kaushalaya Devi, a border migrant, said: “We will vote for those who rehabilitate us. We are fed up with promises and pledges made by politicians in the past”. Corruption and unemployment may weigh heavy against the National Conference but the opposition parties have nothing substantial to show to the voters. This is the common refrain among the electorate. In the Jammu region, caste factor may play its role in more than 25 of the 37 constituencies as has been witnessed in the past. But this is not the case in the Kashmir valley which has 46 constituencies. Peace and restoration of normalcy could have been poll issues but neither the National Conference nor the BJP have the capacity to garner peoples’ support on these two issues as the general impression in the state is that both parties have failed in tackling the menace of terrorism in the state. The ongoing tussle between the RSS and the BJP may have a fallout in Jammu and Kashmir elections. But if the Congress and the PDP headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed agree to have a poll understanding, the combine may pose a real threat to the National Conference. |
|
Statehood
for Jammu good for nation: RSS Jammu, August 28 Mr Vaidaya, who was talking to media persons here, said that the longstanding demand was justified and would help integration of these two regions with India. He said that the fight in the state was between the forces of integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India and those aiming at disintegration by demanding the pre-1953 status. He said that a constant effort was being made to alter the demographic character of the Hindu-dominated Jammu region. Mr Vaidaya said that the demand for separation of Jammu was not new and a resolution to this effect was adopted at the RSS meeting at Kurukshetra in June last. The sangh has decided to support all those parties which were struggling for the separation of Jammu from Kashmir. The RSS activists were at liberty to campaign for the candidates of the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) in the Assembly elections. He said that there was discrimination with the people of Jammu and nearly two lakh of them have not been given the right to vote in the elections for the Assembly, while they could cast their vote for the Lok Sabha elections. Criticising the decision of the Election Commission not to hold Assembly elections in Gujarat at the moment, Mr Vaidaya said that the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr J.M. Lyngdoh, was not a rehabilitation commissioner who should have disallowed the elections only because a couple of hundred people were residing in relief camps following communal riots. He said that the Centre should talk with the leaders of the nearly two lakh displaced Kashmiri Pandits for their early resettlement. |
|
PM ‘succumbed’ to NC pressure Jammu, August 28 “The Prime Minister has come under pressure from the NC and failed to take steps to hold free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir by imposing Governor’s rule,” AICC secretary Satyajit Gaekwad said here today. He demanded the imposition of Governor’s rule and major reshuffle of officials. He said the Congress had deputed five leaders, including a minister and three MLAs from Delhi, as constituency campaign in charge for seven Assembly segments in border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which would go to the polls during the first phase on September 16.
PTI |
|
NC’s sincerity doubtful: Azad Srinagar, August 28 Talking to mediapersons at the PCC headquarters, Mr Azad said all parties needed to be involved in the discussion on the autonomy issue, adding that such issues could not be achieved by a single party. He said despite being an ally of the NDA government at the Centre, the NC did not react to the outright rejection of the demand for autonomy. “If the NC was sincere, its minister at the Centre should have resigned immediately after the resolution was rejected”, he said. The main plank of his party would be to get a “government in office” and end corruption, he said. The PCC chief reiterated that fair elections could not be held in the state under the NC government. When asked about the chief ministerial candidate he said elected members of the party in the legislative Assembly selected the candidate. Mr Azad said adequate security was not being provided to Congress leaders. A number of Congress leaders had approached the DGP for security to the PCC chief and others. A police spokesman, it may be mentioned, had clarified that Mr Azad was in the Z plus category and adequate security was being provided to the other 70 state leaders of the party. |
|
27 file papers Srinagar, August 28 The 27 candidates filed their nominations from 13 constituencies in North Kashmir’s Baramula and Kupwara districts, nominations for which would close tomorrow at 3 p.m., sources said. No nominations were filed at Handwara in Kupwara district and Gurez in Baramula district, the sources said. Besides Ms Pandita, who filed her nomination from Gulmarg segment in Baramula district, the Speaker of state Legislative Assembly, Abdul Ahad Vakil, filed his papers from Sopore, Education Minister Mohammad Shafi from Uri, and Rajya Sabha member Sharief-ud-din Shariq from Langate (all NC). Counter-insurgent Mohammad Yousuf Parray, alias Kuka Parray and convener of newly formed resolution movement Abdul Khaliq Haneef filed their nominations from Sonawari segment. With National Conference candidate Mohammad Akbar Lone also in the fray, the contest is likely to be keen.
PTI |
|
Notification
for second phase of poll today Srinagar, August 28 The notification for elections in 28 Assembly constituencies of Srinagar and Badgam and Jammu districts will be issued tomorrow, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer B.S. Jamwal told reporters here today. He said the last date for filing nomination papers would be September 5 and the scrutiny of papers would be done the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nomination was September 10. Mr Jamwal said the Assembly constituencies, which were going to poll in the second phase on September 24, were
Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Zadibal, Idgah, Khaynar, Habbakadal,
Amirakadal, Sonwar and Batmaloo in Srinagar district and Chadoora, Badgam,
Beerwah, Khansahib and Charar-e-Sharief in Badgam district. All 15 seats were won by the National Conference in the 1996 elections, which was held after about six years of President’s rule. He said in Jammu district the Assembly constituencies were Samba (SC),
Vijaypur, Nagrota, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu east, Jammu west, Bishnah, R.S.
Pura, Suchetgarh, Marh, Raipur Doman, Akhnoor and Chhamb (SC). UNI |
|
Advani’s refusal
irks Shah Srinagar, August 28 “Advani says in Parliament that he is willing to talk to anyone to resolve the Kashmir issue and now he is saying he will not meet us,” Shah said. Asked whether the Centre’s refusal to meet him was a setback to his peace mission, he said “it is a setback for the BJP government.”
PTI |
|
Army man hurt in Pak shelling Jammu, August 28 Rifleman Arivind Mishra was injured in shelling in Balnoi forward area in Poonch this morning. While
Balnoi, Jangard, Jallas, Chokichoura, Kaalie, Sabzian, Kerini, Menika, Balakote and Krishna Gati areas in Rajouri and Poonch sectors witnessed low-intensity shelling.
R.S. Pora, Samba, Ramgarh and Akhnoor area in Jammu sector experienced heavy firing, the sources said.
PTI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
