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Friday,
February 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Paswan
releases LJP manifesto Congress
surprised at clean chit to Dhumal
‘To
Advani, c/o Indira’ Employees’
front to oppose BJP |
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BJP, HVC
leaders join Congress DISTRICT ROUNDUP
SIRMAUR KEY CONSTITUENCY
KUMARSAIN KEY CONSTITUENCIES
NURPUR & DHARAMSALA Vajpayee
govt ‘a failure’ 17
documents approved for casting vote 4 killed in road accidents Shimla, February 13 Four persons were killed and five others injured in two accidents in Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours. Three persons were killed on the spot when a jeep overturned after colliding with a truck near Sungalmod, 7 km from Bilaspur yesterday, the police said today. 
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Paswan releases LJP manifesto Shimla, February 13 “Mrs Sonia Gandhi should shirk the “soft Hindutva” line apparently taken out of her fear of being called a foreigner and rather show determination of Mrs Indira Gandhi in confronting communal politics,” Mr Paswan told a press conference called to release the manifesto of the party contesting 30 Assembly seats in the February 26 elections. Mr Paswan advised the Congress to avoid being trapped into the BJP propaganda on Hindutva and refrain from being reactive on these issues. Expressing the confidence that his party would emerge as a balancing force in the state, he said it would not hesitate to support the Congress to prevent the BJP from coming to power. Mr Paswan said the Congress was adopting double standards on the issue of secularism. While the party was supporting the corrupt RJD Government in Bihar on the pretext of keeping communal forces out, it was reluctant to support Samajwadi party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP to oust the minority BJP-BSP Government. POTA was being misused by the Mayawati Government in UP against its political opponents and by Ms Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu and demanded the Act should be scrapped. Even though the Prime Minister had assured that POTA would not be
misused, he had failed to check its misuse. Mr Paswan lashed out at the government for pursuing the disinvestment policy and said that it was nothing but a sellout of the national and state assets. The LJP would ensure socio-economic justice to all, ensure guaranteed employment, grant pension of Rs 500 to persons above 60 years of age, provide equal educational opportunities, extended health care to every citizen and link every village with road. He said the party would provide an interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 to each vendor engaged in self-employment. He also promised the party would work for implementation of the Mandal Commission report and increase the reservation limit to 30 per cent. |
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Congress
surprised at clean chit to Dhumal Shimla,
February 13 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Sharma said Mr Advani’s political compulsions in defending Mr Dhumal were understandable, but his statement that the issue was never raised over the last five years was a travesty of facts. Mr Advani was not only aware of the happenings, but even intervened to save the Dhumal government from collapsing in the wake of the charges levelled by the party’s own ministers and legislators. The ministers not only continued in the Cabinet, but were also re-nominated as party candidates for the election though they never withdrew the charges, he added. He said the Congress charge sheet submitted to the Governor more than two years ago also contained the allegation and the party had also been raising the issue in the House. He added that the Deputy Prime Minister must also be aware of the prominent party leaders whose names figured in the petrol pump scam and must have also seen the recent statement of the wife of Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Rural Development, in which she had accused Mr Dhumal of nepotism. Mr Sharma said the Home Minister, who had all intelligence agencies reporting to him, could not be ignorant of the happenings in his own party. The people of the state who were fully aware of the facts would not be misled by such pretensions, he added. The Home Minister was expected to call for probity in public life and it was unfortunate that instead of inquiring into the charges, he had chosen to warn the opposition against raising the issue, he added. It showed how the party with a difference had been sacrificing ethical values at the altar of political expediency, he stated. The Congress spokesperson also lambasted the BJP for making terrorism and internal security an election issue. He alleged that terrorism had spread to every nook and corner of the country during NDA rule, with important religious shrines and democratic institutions like Parliament coming under attack. He said the Vajpayee government, despite all the hype, failed to wage a decisive war against to check cross-border terrorism. He stated that the responsibility for the deteriorating security environment squarely laid on the NDA regime. |
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‘To Advani,
c/o Indira’ Kulu, February 13 Talking about the 1977 Emergency
imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said the
situation was worse than that in under British rule. “There was an
air of secrecy about the actions taken by the Congress government.
When I and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee were arrested in Bangalore, nobody
got wind of it. And when the news later broke, even our supporters did
not know which jail we were lodged in,” he said. The state of
affairs was so nebulous that some of his supporters wrote letters with
the envelopes bearing the address, ‘To Mr L.K. Advani c/o Mrs Indira
Gandhi’. These letters were redirected to him in whichever jail he
was, Mr Advani said, adding that he, in fact, later thanked the Prime
Minister’s Office for this act of kindness. The audience was again
amused when the Deputy Prime Minister said the BJP was once considered
“A.K. Hangal of politics”. Elaborating, he said as the character
artiste was liked by cinegoers but could never become a hero, so was
the fate of the BJP in the eyes of some people. “These people told
you your are good but can never come to power,” he said. But the
BJP proved all of them wrong as it came a long way from two seats in
the Lok sabha in 1986 to the leading party in the coalition government
at present, with 182 seats in its kitty, he added. Regarding the
Congress’ massive victory in 1985 in the wake of the assassination
of Indira Gandhi, he quipped, “That was not a Lok Sabha election but
an election of mourning.” UNI |
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Employees’ front to oppose BJP Shimla, February 13 Immediately after the formation of the front, leader of the front Chander Singh Mandyal appealed to employees to oppose the "anti-employee" government of Prem Kumar Dhumal. When asked during a press conference, if the front had announced to support the Congress in the elections, he said they had decided to oppose the BJP but would not extend clear support to any party. Mr Mandyal said employees had decided to oppose puppet organisations of employees being propped up by the government. He said these organisations had claimed that no demands had been left unfulfilled by the government. He produced district office-bearers of the Non-Gazetted Employees Organisations of seven districts asserting that the "puppet" organisations of government have been left with leaders. Mr Mandyal said rate of interest on the GPF, the CPF and the PPF had been reduced from 12 per cent to 9 per cent, leave travel concession and bonus had been denied to various boards and corporations. He said house rent allowance on the pattern of Punjab and electricity allowance to power board employees had been denied. The demand of medical allowance on the pattern of Punjab had not yet been accepted. Mr Mandyal alleged that the government had been bias in appointments on compassionate and medical grounds. |
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BJP, HVC leaders join Congress Nahan, February 13 Mr Kashyap contested his first election on the BJP ticket from the Pacchad constituency in 1990 and lost by securing all time high 41 per cent votes, while in 1985 and in 1982 BJP’s vote share in Pacchad remained below 26 per cent. The departure of Mr Kashyap from the BJP is being termed a big loss to the BJP as he is ‘Koli’ by caste which comprises of 30 per cent of the total electorate of the segment and has good following in the Sarahan area. A political stunt played by HVC leaders in the Pacchad constituency to defeat Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, a Congress candidate, by supporting the BJP, has led to a split in the party. A section of HVC leaders, led by its previous candidate Mr Subhash Bermani, revolted and announced to join the Congress yesterday. They have alleged that ‘HVC leaders of Pacchad had went into a ‘secret pact’ with BJP leaders. |
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DISTRICT ROUNDUP SIRMAUR NAHAN: With rebels emerging as a strong force in two of the five constituencies in Sirmaur district and undercutting by two partymen denied party ticket, the
endeavour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to establish a foothold in this Congress dominated district are slated to receive a setback. The BJP, which is yet to open its account in all five constituencies in the district, is faced with traditional Congress candidates who have set a record of registering consecutive victories. While the Congress has granted ticket to all its five sitting MLAs, the BJP is faced with internal opposition, which led it to change its Nahan candidate from Mr Chander Mohan to two-time loser Shyama Sharma. A situation similar to the 1998 Assembly elections is emerging in Nahan, with Mr Kush Parmar of the Congress facing the BJP’s Ms Shyama Sharma for the third time in succession. Mr Kush Parmar had won the seat in 1993 and 1998. He had shifted to Nahan following denial of ticket from Paonta, from where he had emerged victorious in 1982 and 1985. A Lok Janshakti candidate, Mr Sadanand Chauhan, is also in the fray. His performance in the last elections, where he had secured 7,230 votes and had stood third, is likely to make the contest a three-cornered affair. The denial of ticket to Mr Chander Mohan by the BJP after first being nominated will lead to undercutting,
benefiting the Congress. Mr Virender Sharma (HVC), Mr Jasmat Singh (CPM) and two independents are also in the fray. In Paonta-Doon, the traditional Congress candidate, Mr Rattan Singh, who is well in his nineties, is facing a rebel this time from Mr Kirnesh Jung, who after being denied the Congress ticket, is contesting on a Him Loktantrik Morcha ticket. The support he has amassed from the Muslim Community, hithertho Congress voters, is sure to have its effect. The BJP has fielded Mr Sukh Ram Chaudhary, who had lost in 1998 to Mr Rattan Singh. The fact that he is the lone candidate from the Bahti community which commands, a sizeable presence in the region may sway their votes in his favour. A keen three cornered contest is round the corner. An HVC candidate, Mr Rajinder Mohan, is also in the fray. Pacchad, which is the largest constituency in the district, has the distinction of sending the first Chief Minister of Himachal, Y.S. Parmar, who had successfully contested his first election from here. The Congress’ Gangu Ram Musafir is trying to get elected for a record sixth time from here and he faces Mr Ram Prakash of the BJP, who had contested unsuccessfully in 1993, when he had secured 12,694 votes as against 19,021 by Mr Gangu Ram Musafir. BJP rebel Surinder Banolta, who is contesting as an Independent, is also in the fray and may pose problems for the BJP here. In Rainka, Congress’ candidate Prem Singh faces BJP newcomer Balbir Singh. Former BJP MLA Roop Singh, peeved at being denied the ticket, is expected to pose problems to the BJP. Mr Prem Singh, on the other hand, has the record of emerging victorious in 1982, 1985, 1993 and 1998, defeating BJP candidates. The BJP is still groping to make its presence felt in this constituency. LJP candidate Mr Mohan Lal, Mr Maghu Ram of the HVC and an independent are also in the fray. In Shilai, Mr Harsh Wardhan Chauhan of the Congress faces BJP’s newcomer Dileep Singh Tomar. Mr Chauhan is comfortably placed and has been the MLA for two consecutive terms in 1993 and 1998. The presence of a rebel BJP candidate, Mr Jagat Singh Negi, a Shanta loyalist, has made the contest three-cornered, with the Congress having an edge. Mr Negi, who is expected to dent the BJP vote bank, is contesting after being denied party ticket. He had lost to Mr Chauhan in 1998 and had secured only 34.17 per cent of the votes as against 62.30 per cent by Mr Chauhan. The HVC has fielded Mr Sita Ram Sharma, who is yet to make his presence felt. |
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KEY CONSTITUENCY KUMARSAIN Kumarsain (Shimla): The death of Congress stalwart Jai Bihari Lal Khachi has not reduced the importance of this constituency a Ms Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, has shifted from her traditional Theog seat to fill the void. It will be for the first time in the past four decades that Mr Khachi will not be seen in the electoral arena. Over the years the seat had come to be identified with him. He made a successful electoral debut from Kumarsain way back in 1957. He contested all the 10 elections since then, winning seven times and losing thrice in 1962, 1977 and 1990. It has been a homecoming for Ms Stokes whose native village falls in Kumarsain. She adopted the Theog after her husband, Lal Chand Stokes, who represented the constituency, died in 1974. She has been locked in a four-cornered contest involving Mr Sandeep Bhardwaj (BJP), Mr Bhagat Ram Chauhan (HVC) and Dr Pramod Sharma, a Congress rebel, who has not reconciled to her shifting to the constituency. Incidentally, Dr Sharma has been a staunch Virbhadra Singh loyalist. In the last election Mr Khachi scored an impressive victory defeating his nearest rival Mr Ghan Shyam Das (Independent) by 9,575 votes. Mr Sandeep who was also in the fray as a BJP candidate came a poor third in the triangular contest securing a meagre 6,079 votes. It is a sprawling constituency, starting from the apple belt of Kotgarh and Narkanda and extends right down to the Sutlej. Each candidate has pockets of influence. While Ms Stokes has her stronghold in Kotgarh besides having influence in Kumarsain and Sunni areas, Mr Chauhan who won the seat in 1990 as a BJP candidate has support in the lower belt of Sunni along the Sutlej. On the other hand, Mr Bhardwaj and Dr Pramod are both young and belong to the Kumarsain area. They are, thus, eying on a common vote bank, particularly the youth. The two have been preparing for the elections for the past quite sometime. While Mr Chauhan, who is originally from the BJP is likely to cut into the votebank of his parent party, Dr Sharma will make a dent in the Congress vote. As such the infighting in the two major parties will play an important role. Ms Stokes who made a decision to contest from the constituency at the eleventh hour is no stranger to the area. She has been maintaining a good rapport with the electorate as the party chief. Her poll managers are confident that her stature as a political leader would see her through even though she may not be able to visit each and every village of the constituency. Mr Sandeep is banking on the development works carried out by the Dhumal government and Mr Chauhan is also taking credit for it, as his party had been a partner in the coalition. The wide possibility of undercutting by the disgruntled workers of the two main parties has brought in an element of uncertainty in the contest. The haze from the election seen will be lifted as campaigning picks up over the next week or so. |
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KEY CONSTITUENCIES NURPUR & DHARAMSALA Dharamsala:
The Nurpur and Dharamsala Assembly segments are all set to witness a battle royal as two Congress stalwarts — former HPCC chief Sat Mahajan and All-India Mahila Congress chief Chandresh Kumari — are fighting for their political survival as they attempt to make a comeback to state politics. The electoral battle for their BJP opponents — Mr Kishan Kapoor (Transport Minister) and young turk Rakesh Pathania — is equally crucial as they are backed by the intra-party rivals and their mentors, Union Minister Shanta Kumar and Chief Minister, P.K. Dhumal. In the Nurpur Assembly segment, it is a last-ditch battle for Mr Sat Mahajan, the aging warhorse of the Congress, popularly called “Field Marshall”. Having contested three Lok Sabha elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999 against Mr Shanta Kumar, he is making a desperate attempt to stage a comeback in state politics. It is by making an emotional appeal to the electorate of Nurpur that he is trying to ensure victory. “There has been rampant corruption during the BJP regime as transfers became a flourishing industry where employees had to face the brunt,” remarked Mr Mahajan. Rather it is the presence of his one-time loyalist and former Congress MLA Ranjit Bakshi in the fray, which is making the going tough for Mr Mahajan. Being Mr Mahajan’s traditional seat and the chances of his getting a prominent position in the case Congress returns to power could help tilt the scales in his favour. On the other hand, Mr Rakesh Pathania, the blue-eyed boy of the Chief Minister, is seeking votes in the name of development, for the second time. Though the promise of getting a district status for Nurpur still remains unfulfilled he is urging the voters to give him another chance as due to the delimitation process remaining incomplete the task could not be achieved. With Nurpur being dominated by rajputs, the caste factor too favours him. In the Dharamsala segment, her won partymen are creating problems for All-India Mahila Congress chief Chandresh Kumari. Apart from Mr Ram Swaroop, who was the nominee in 1998 contesting on the HVC ticket, others owing allegiance to the Stokes faction too are working against her. “The people of Kangra have had to pay a heavy price for Shanta – Dhumal rivalry, as the area was ignored in development works by the Chief Minister,” she alleges. With her proximity to 10 Janpath being an open secret, her supporters say that she would definitely hold a very important position in case the Congress succeeds in forming the government. Hailing from the Jodhpur royal family and married into the clan of Katoch rulers of Kangra estate, she has charisma and enjoys a special status. The Gorkha community which has almost 5,000 votes are backing Mrs Chandresh Kumari in a big way. Apart from this the Rajputs, who are close to 14,000 votes, could play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the candidates. Her BJP opponent and three-time MLA, Mr Kishan Kapoor, is on the contrary trying to hit out at her royal lineage. “Owing to her background she is unapproachable , whereas a politician should be at the service of the public all 24 hours,” he opines. Unable to deliver much as a minister, owing to the sidelining of Shanta loyalists by the Chief Minister, he has had to wage a battle for his political survival against his own partymen for the past five years. In fact, his rivals from the Dhumal camp are leaving no stone unturned to damage him with whatever little influence they enjoy in the area. Mr Kapoor, who spearheaded the revolt by Shanta loyalists against Mr Dhumal, is trying to cash in on the granting of ST status to the Gaddis of the newly merged areas last year. Belonging to the Gaddi community, who constitute more than 12,000 votes, this could be his major strength. He is harping on his unquestioned loyalty towards Mr Shanta Kumar who wields considerable influence in Kangra. As electioneering is still picking up, it is only in the coming days when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi will hit the campaign that a clearer picture will emerge in the two segments. |
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Vajpayee
govt ‘a failure’ Bilaspur, February 13 Addressing a Congress election rally in support of its Bilaspur (Sadar) candidate Tilak Raj Sharma at
Kandraur, near here, Mr Arjun Singh expressed surprise that those leaders who were in power in the Centre and were responsible for curbing terrorism and maintaining internal security were blaming the Congress. Mr Arjun Singh said its was for the first time that Indian forces remained on the border with Pakistan for as many as 10 months. He asserted that the country, required bold, courageous and decisive leaders. |
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17 documents approved for casting vote Shimla, February 13 Himachal Chief Electoral Officer Manisha Nanda said apart from these documents, ration cards issued on or before December 31, 2002, SC, ST, OBC certificates issued by a competent authority,
‘pattas’, registered deeds, arms licences, conductor's licence issued by the transport authority, pension documents, railway and bus passes, physically handicapped certificates, freedom fighter identity cards and domicile certificates issued by the government would also be acceptable. |
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Polling in 3 constituencies on June 8 Press workers protest BJP posters ‘being removed’ 31 polling booths hyper-sensitive Cong bid to end infighting EC urged to shift Prabhat Chauhan |
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4 killed in road accidents Shimla, February 13 Three persons were killed on the spot when a jeep overturned after colliding with a truck near Sungalmod, 7 km from Bilaspur yesterday, the police said today. The deceased were identified as Ravinder Kumar, Bangali Ram and Preet Lal. The two injured were admitted to the Zonal Hospital at Bilaspur. In another accident, one person was killed and three others were injured when a jeep fell into a gorge at Yol, near Dharamsala, in Kangra district last night. The police identified the deceased as Ravi Shankar. The injured were admitted to hospital at Dharamsala. The jeep was going from Palampur to Dharamsala.
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11
commandos hurt in mishap Mandi, February 13 According to official reports, the police van was carrying 25 commandos, who had gone to Kulu in connection with the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, yesterday.
PTI |
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