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Monday,
February 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Shanta
projects Dhumal as CM State on
brink of bankruptcy: Cong
Cong campaign
negative: Naqvi
NCP slams BJP on
Ayodhya issue Voters
‘fed up with policies’ Candidate attacked |
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KEY CONSTITUENCY —
BILASPUR KEY CONSTITUENCY —
SOLAN DISTRICT
ROUNDUP — MANDI ISSUES & TRENDS
— CORRUPTION ‘Bhajji’
on political pitch Budget session to be
stormy Snowfall in HP Narcotics
seized Soldier
cremated with military honours
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Shanta projects Dhumal as CM Chamba, February 16 Speaking about rural development, Mr Shanta Kumar said the Centre was contemplating to increase the current years’ budget of Rs 22,000 crore, giving priority to rainwater development, wasteland development and strengthening of panchayati raj institutions. He said the Centre was providing adequate funds for rural development. He said out of these funds, Rs 14,000 crore would be spent on rural development and foodgrains and Rs 8,000 crore would be distributed among the states. Mr Shanta Kumar said 1.6 lakh villages would be linked by road under the Rs 7,000-crore Prime Minister Gram Sarak Yojna by 2007. He said under the Gram Swarajya Scheme, panchayats were being empowered with financial powers to carry out their development works keeping in view their own needs. Panchayats would be given Rs 5 to 10 lakh as assistance under the scheme. Mr Shanta Kumar announced that in order to provide drinking water in all villages, the Prime Minister launched Swajaldhara on December 25. Under the scheme, all villages would have drinking water by 2004. He underlined the need of people’s participation in this scheme. |
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State on brink of bankruptcy: Cong Mandi, February 16 Talking to newspersons, he said the BJP had made “hollow and false” promises like “har hath ko kam den ge” in its manifesto in 1998 which had remained unfulfilled. It could not provide jobs to the unemployed youth whose number had soared to 11 lakh. He ridiculed its claim on development by alleging that 4,000 industrial units had been closed down and instead of generating employment a large-scale retrenchment was resorted to by the government. When a correspondent asked who was responsible for lowering the level of criticism, Mr Sharma said we had placed the bare facts before the people regarding corruption in the state which was also the main issue of the Congress. “Our charges were the same as levelled by four ministers and three MLAs of the BJP itself against the government”, he said. The Subordinate Service Selection Board had become a den of corruption and jobs were being sold. It was born out by the records that the Himachalis were ignored and outsiders were being accommodated in government services, he alleged. He alleged gross discrepancies and irregularities in signing MoUs of power projects, adding that the Congress, on coming to power, would review all MoUs and cancel them wherever necessary. |
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Cong campaign negative: Naqvi Shimla, February 16 “The cultural nationalism (BJP’s
version of Hindutva) will drive out pseudo-secularism from the state,” BJP General secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told a press conference. The BJP General Secretary also tried to evoke the Punjab versus Himachal Pradesh debate by saying that the Congress had not confirmed who would be its candidate for the chief ministership and whether the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wanted to rule the hill state through a “remote control.” He said the Congress had lost the Goa and Gujarat Assembly elections due to a confusion in its ideology and leadership and Himachal Pradesh would also go the same way as this situation still prevailed. The Congress was resorting to a negative campaign and was making baseless and derogatory allegations, he alleged. He said if the BJP was to come down to the campaign level unleashed by the Congress, an unending debate on the corruption would continue. |
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NCP slams BJP on Ayodhya issue Kangra, February 16 Mr Pawar was addressing a press conference here. He said the BJP with the help of the VHP and other organisations, raised such issues when the elections were round the corner. He said BJP victory in Gujarat won’t be repeated in the state. He said, “ India is a secular country and will remain secular at any cost in future too”. In reply to a question that if the Congress was ready to sideline Ms Sonia Gandhi, would the NCP merge into it, Mr Pawar said no one in the Congress had guts to remove Ms Sonia Gandhi. He said there was no question of joining the Congress”. He said seven out of 14 NCP candidates belonged to the ex-servicemen community. National and international market for horticulture was to be developed to boost the economy of the state. The Centre should take steps to stop import of apple from Switzerland and Australia under the (WTO). He said there was an enormous scope for developing tourism industry and exploiting
hydroelectric potential in the state. Later, addressing a public meeting at Tehsil Chowk in the town General Dayal criticised the Dhumal Government for corruption in the state. Ms Pushpa Choudhary, NCP candidate, also addressed the meeting. |
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Voters ‘fed up with policies’ Bilaspur, February 16 Addressing a party rally in support of his three candidates — Gian Chand Rattan (Ghumarwin), Krishan Kumar Kaushal (Kotkehloor) and Baldev Singh Thakur (Bilaspur Sadar) in main market here yesterday, Mr Sukh Ram lambasted the BJP for declaring in its election manifesto for providing employment to 15 lakh people in the state during the next five years, and said it was the same BJP which had promised in its last manifesto to provide employment to five lakh people but actually could provide employment to only 65,000. Mr Sukh Ram said neither
the BJP nor the Congress had any plans to make Himachal self-sufficient and prosperous and also to provide employment avenues to 10 lakh of unemployed youths out of total population of 65 lakh. |
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Candidate
attacked Parwanoo, February 16 In her complaint to the police she has said that she was attacked with sharp-edged weapons resulting in injuries on |
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KEY CONSTITUENCY — BILASPUR BILASPUR: Will the Health Minister of the state, Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda, be able to create history by making it to the Vidhan Sabha for the fourth consecutive time? Locked in a close contest with a debutant, Mr Tilak Raj Sharma of the Congress, Mr Nadda faces three other rivals, including Mr Baldev Thakur of the Himachal Vikas Congress, Mr Dharam S. Chandel of the Lok Janashakti Party and Mr N.K. Pandit, who represents a substantially aggrieved section of the society, the unemployed, in this BJP stronghold. Tradition in most of Assembly constituencies has been to give turns to Congress and BJP candidates. The number of MLAs, who won three or more consecutive Assembly elections, is not very large. In the past three elections, Mr Nadda has always polled more than 50 per cent of the votes polled. He got 61.44 per cent in 1990, 51.87 per cent in 1993 and 55.99 per cent in 1998. The Congress candidate had polled 35.39 per cent in 1990, 45.27 per cent in 1993 and 34.72 per cent in 1998. But the past performance alone is not enough to get Mr Nadda
through. Though a new entrant to electoral politics, Mr Tilak Raj Sharma has been picking up rapidly. He is seeking votes on the basis of his clean image. For Mr Tilak Raj Sharma, the biggest relief came when a rebel Congress candidate, Mr B. Thakur, withdrew his papers making Bilaspur one constituency with no rebels. He has come in place of Mr Babu Ram Gautam, who had lost on two consecutive terms. In 1990, Mr Nadda had defeated Mr Shiv Ram. Mr Nadda, on the other hand, have to tackle three major issues raised by his opponents, including corruption and growing unemployment besides the oft-repeated charge of favouritism and nepotism both in transfers and new jobs. Though electors in this constituency admit that there has been “substantial development” in the area, their silence is indicative of a change. They do not speak openly in favour of their “tried and trusted legislator, holding a senior position in the state Cabinet”. All they say is that “fight is tough and anyone of the two can romp home.” Though “mittars” may not have been much of factor here in wheeling away the BJP cadre, yet some spillover influence from neighbouring Hamirpur Assembly segment can be felt. Bilaspur or Sadar, as it is known here, has 28,802 men and 28,155 women voters in general category and 239 men and 83 women in services category. Other than Congress and BJP candidates, others have been losing their security deposits. In the past three elections, none of other contestants could even enter the four-figure mark, except Mr Sada Ram Thakur of the HVC who got 2,195 votes in the 1998 elections. |
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KEY CONSTITUENCY
— SOLAN SOLAN:
Faced with rebels, both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are likely to face a stiff competition in this significant constituency. Rural voters comprising 37 panchayats, who have hitherto been decisive, are a divided lot and it is being felt that urban voters will play a crucial role this time. While BJP’s official nominee, Dr Rajeev
Bindal, faces challenge from Mr M.N. Sofat, a BJP rebel contesting as an Independent. All is not well in the Congress as its candidate Ms Krishna Mohini also faces a direct cutting in her vote bank for two other former congressmen being in the fray. The fact that no candidate has ever won twice from this constituency the going will be tough for both the Congress and the BJP which have repeated its candidates. The seat which was won by Congress candidate Ms Krishna Mohini in 1998 was later wrested by BJP’s Dr Rajeev Bindal in byelection in 2000 following a legal battle where the looser Mr
M.N. Sofat had challenged his 26-vote defeat. Denial of ticket to Mr Sofat led to his launching the ‘mitar
milan’ which have been attracting the rural masses. He was suspended for this campaign from the BJP. This further emboldened the suspended former minister, a staunch Shanta loyalist, and also his resolve to fight the injustice meted out to him by the party. His campaign which has spread to other parts of the state has become a cause of concern for the BJP. While he has attracted a sizable number of rural voters, he is optimistic of capturing back the seat which he had won in 1990. His message to the masses is terse two-point programme which enlists redressal of the injustice meted out to him by the BJP and a Cabinet berth for MLA from Solan. He feels this alone will bring overall development of the area. Ridiculing Dr Bindal he said tall claims made by him about development belied reality. Dr Bindal on the other hand considers large-scale development activities brought about in the area as his trump card. Blaming the former MLAs of having ignored the region, he expresses surprise that the same people are in the fray and they now talk of ignoring development. Describing the Congress as a divided house he said when two former Congressmen were also contesting from two different parties, the
division of Congress votes would benefit the BJP. Mr Mohinder Sharma is contesting on an HVC ticket and Mr Harminder Thakur on a Him Loktantrik Morcha ticket. While Mohinder Sharma is targeting the youth Mr Thakur is confident of polling some votes too as he had gained 9,739 votes in the last elections. His frequent defections from parties is going against him. It is also being felt that the cadre Congress vote which largely comprises Virbhadra supporters, peeved at party’s choice of the candidate, would vote for Mr Sofat rather opt for Sukh Ram’s HVC. Referring to Mr Sofat, Dr Bindal said the fact that he had lost in 1993 to the Congress by 11,594 votes, the highest so far, despite being a minister holding two crucial portfolios in 1990 spoke volumes about his public acceptance. He might not gain much from the division of Congress votes. Congress nominee, Krishna Mohini whose campaign is slowly picking up faces opposition from within the party. Relying on the cadre vote it remains to be seen whether the embittered partymen who had opposed her candidature and had avowed not to support the Congress in case the candidate was not changed would change their attitude. They had also fielded Mr Ramesh Thakur who was forced to withdraw following intervention by senior partymen. An anti-incumbency wave building up against the sitting BJP nominee in urban areas could be a decisive factor and it remains to be seen who benefits most from this divided situation. |
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DISTRICT ROUNDUP — MANDI MANDI: Mandi district has 10 Assembly constituencies and has had the proud privilege of electing many an MLA who went on to become ministers in the Cabinet. It is also one of the few constituencies in the country where women voters outnumber men. The district has a total of 6.23 lakh voters comprising 3.10 lakh women and 3.07 lakh men. Mandi district has traditionally been the stronghold of the Congress. But it has been electing MLAs belonging to other parties as well, including the BJP and the newly formed Himachal Vikas Congress, led by former Union Communications Minister Sukh Ram, besides Independents. Therefore, it has always managed to play a key role in the politics of Himachal Pradesh. Right from 1952, when the first election took place in Himachal Pradesh which was then a centrally administered area, Mr Karam Singh Thakur who was elected from Chachiot, became the first chairman of the territorial council of Himachal Pradesh. Later, when the state gained statehood, Mr Thakur was , however, outmanoeuvred by Dr Y.S. Parmar to become the first Chief Minister of the state. Others from the district who have managed to occupy the ministerial berths include Pt Gauri Parhad, Mr Sukh Ram, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Mr Mansa Ram, Mr Kaul Singh. MLAs like Mr Sukh Ram who was elected from Mandi Sadar, Mr Mansa Ram who represented the Karsog constituency, Mr Prakash Chaudhary who was elected from the Balh constituency and Mr Mohinder Singh who was elected from Dharampur became ministers in the Dhumal government for varying periods. Even Mr Gulab Singh, Speaker of the now dissolved Himachal Vidhan Sabha, belongs to the Jogindernagar constituency of the district. He was elected five years ago on a Congress ticket but later left the party when he was elected Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha with the support of the BJP which was desperately looking for ways and means of increasing its wafer-thin majority in the 68-member House. Mr Gulab Singh is seeking election on a BJP ticket. In the new House too, the district appears destined to play an important role. The HVC supremo, Mr Sukh Ram, hails from this district and regards it as his pocketborough. And for a good reason too. In 1998, the HVC fielded candidates in 62 out of 68 segments and won five seats, securing 9.43 per cent votes in the district. Later, during the mid-term Lok Sabha poll in 1999, HVC’s vote share increased to 12 per cent and its candidate won the Shimla seat, making it a force to reckon with in the state. This time the HVC has fielded candidates in 50 constituencies and is looking forward to an increase in its share of seats in the state Assembly and in the vote percentage. Most of it is likely to take place in Mandi district. In the 1998 Assembly elections, the Congress and the HVC won four seats each with the remaining two going to the BJP. Mr Mansa Ram (HVC) was elected from Karsog (SC) constituency, Mr Jai Ram Thakur (BJP) from Chachiot, Mr Tek Chand (INC) from Nachan (SC), Mr Roop Singh (BJP) from Sunder Nagar, Mr Prakash Chaudhary (HVC) from Balh (SC), Mr Rangila Ram Rao (INC) from Gopalpur, Mr Mahinder Singh (HVC) from Dharampur, Mr Gulab Singh (INC) from Jogindernagar, Mr Kaul Singh (INC) from Darang and Mr Sukh Ram (HVC) from Mandi Sadar. |
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ISSUES & TRENDS — CORRUPTION SHIMLA: Corruption has been a major issue in Himachal Pradesh and has now overtaken the BJP agenda of development to emerge as the main poll issue. Allegations have been levelled against Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, his Congress predecessor Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Vikas Congress leader Sukh Ram. It seems that the main contenders for power — the BJP, which is making an attempt to seek another term in office, and the Congress — have gone for reversal of their roles from the last elections. The Congress had to pay the price in the 1998 elections, coming under fire from the BJP for allegedly being involved in corruption and the then Congress government harping on development. The BJP has now picked the issue of development, challenging the Congress to compare any of its five best years with the performance of the Dhumal government. The Congress, without caring to engage in a debate on development has made corruption as the main issue, with Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and All-India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesman Anand Sharma preferring to level personal allegations against the Chief Minister by releasing a list of properties allegedly owned by family members of Mr Dhumal. The allegations have put the BJP on the defensive, with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani also having to defend Mr Dhumal and have snatched one of the main planks of the BJP that the image of the Chief Minister is also a USP of the ruling party. This is the first time that the election is witness to personalised attacks on the main leaders of the both parties, with the ruling party paying back the Congress in the same coin, digging up the old issues of land and tree-felling scams worth Rs 200 crore allegedly involving the main mass appeal leader of the Congress , Mr Virbhadra Singh. With the Indian electoral history replete with instances of the incumbent having to pay the price for allegations of corruption, the Congress had made out a case of corruption against the government two years back, releasing a charge sheet and promising to bring another, which never came to public notice. The allegations got strength from the division in the BJP, in which eight ministers owing allegiance to Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar resigning in November last over the allegations of corruption, only to withdraw these later to get back their ministerial berths. Though BJP insiders concede that the Dhumal regime had become “corruption friendly” with tainted ministers and officers going close to the Chief Minister, BJP spokesman Baldev Sharma says the people of Himachal Pradesh had been handing out punishment to the corrupt, but in this case the Congress has only levelled allegations without any documentary proof. He says the weakness in the Congress allegations is that these have been levelled by Capt Amarinder Singh and not substantiated by documents. Mr Sharma says contrary to it, in case of Mr Virbhadra Singh, the high court had given direction for a probe into the allegations of corruption against the Congress Chief Minister. AICC spokesman Anand Sharma says the allegations were those in the charge sheet and has demanded from the BJP to
fulfil its promise of declaring assets of party MLAs, which was never done. Allegations of corruption have been levelled against the former Congress Chief Minister, but will the people punish the party twice, after ousting the Congress from the seat of power on the issue of corruption in the last elections, remains to be seen. Many feel the allegations of corruption seem to be true and the government will have to come clean before the people. With caste politics, like in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where allegations against leaders have had no effect because of a solid support of the leaders’ caste, unknown in Himachal Pradesh, the leaders here have become vulnerable to allegations of corruption. Though there is appreciation for the BJP for making special development efforts in the road sector, the allegations of corruption seem to stick, providing the Congress an opportunity to link development with getting more commissions. The Congress is also cleverly linking the issue of unemployment to the Chief Minister’s penchant for setting up industries in Jalandhar, seeking to project how can the interests of the state be protected by a man who has set up industries in Punjab. The BJP is trying to give allegations a twist of Himachal Pradesh versus Punjab, with BJP General Secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi saying it seems Capt Amarinder Singh has been trying to extend his rule to Himachal Pradesh and punishing Himachalis, as seen in the raids. The reported raids on the industries of the family of Mr Dhumal certainly seemed to boomerang initially, with the raids raising the feelings of excess by the Punjab Chief Minister. The issue of corruption has now been linked to power generation, setting up cement plants, selling jobs (which largely people do not accept, but concede nepotism during the Dhumal rule) and payment of higher commission in availing of loans. These allegations had been levelled against the Virbhadra Singh government by the BJP. |
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‘Bhajji’ on political pitch Shimla, February 16 Well, if you don’t believe this, just look at the name of the Congress candidate in the Shimla constituency. It is Harbhajan Singh Bhajji. But don’t be alarmed. ‘Turbanator’ will not ditch the national team midway for campaigning ahead of the February 26 polling in the state. It is only his namesake who is contesting the seat.
UNI |
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Mankotia apprehends rigging State SJP merges into Cong BJP terrorising voters: Vora Cong poll office in Parwanoo |
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Budget session to be stormy New Delhi, February 16 The upbeat BJP, after a landslide victory in the Gujarat elections, along with a refurbished Union Council of Ministers, is likely to face the Opposition’s onslaught on the Ayodhya dispute in both Houses as the latter seems determined to put the issue to vote. Hoping to enlist the support of ruling National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, which are keen to project
themselves as “secular parties” and dissociate from the BJP’s
Ram temple agenda, the Opposition will attempt to make the DMK and TDP
atleast defensive on the issue. The DMK is already cut up with the BJP
leadership for lending tacit support to its arch-rival, AIADMK.
UNI
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Snowfall in HP Shimla, February 16 |
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Narcotics
seized Mandi, February 16 Mr S.P. Singh, SP said on search 195 kg of poppy straw and 500 gram was found. Gajjan Singh of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala was arrested. Another accused, Satnam Singh of Tarpur, Sultanpur Lodhi, got away. A case has been registered the NDPS Act. The Tata Mobile had hit a jeep near Narla and sped towards Mandi. The owner of the jeep reported the matter on the telephone to the police in Darang, which set up a naka. |
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Soldier
cremated with military honours Dharamsala, February 16 Wreaths were laid on behalf of the President of India, the Himachal Governor and the Chief Minister. The last post was sounded and a gun salute was given to the departed martyr, SDM, (Jawali)
M.I. Sharma and DSP Vimyukt Ranjan also laid wreaths. Kishan Kumar is survived by his wife Rama Devi and two children. His son Sohail lit the pyre. |
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