Kashyap promises better roads in apple belt

A bureaucrat -turned-politician, Mr H.N. Kashyap, quit the state administrative service to contest from the Shimla Lok Sabha seat as an BJP candidate. He feels that his varied experience an a administrator will benefit him in his new role. “Bureaucrats have to interact with politicians and the people at various levels. They can discharge the responsibilities of a politician more effectively as they know the working of the administration and can also feel the pulse of the people,” he says.

Entering the fray from the Shimla seat has an added advantage as he had served mostly in the district. He is aware of the problems of the people, he says. Extension of road network in the apple belt will be his main priority, besides implementing special schemes for the socio-economic uplift in the people in the interior pockets of Shilai, Pachhad and other areas of Sirmour district. He also plans to get central funds for the upgradation of civic amenities in the growing towns of Shimla, Solan and Nahan. Irrigation scheme and a rail link for the Paonta region and encouraging vegetable cultivation and dairy farming in the most backward Trans-Giri belt also form part of his agenda.

Shandil counting on past laurels

Dr D.R. Shandil, who won the Shimla seat as an HVC candidate in 1999, is contesting the poll on the Congress ticket. He is satisfied by his performance as an MP over the past five years. “I have managed to visit over 90 per cent of the 768 panchayats over the period but I could not make it to a few far-flung areas which I would try to visit now, he says.

He said he had fulfilled the election promise to upgrade the Shimla Doordarshan centre that had been functioning with skeletal staff earlier.

He had raised several issues concerning the development of the state like the construction of a rail link from Parwanoo to Daralghat via Kunihar and Arki and another to link Ghanoli, Nalagarh and Baddi, besides a helipad at the Bari Ki Dhar to promote tourism. He had laid special emphasis on roads and took up the construction of new roads. He said more than 50 per cent of development works initiated by him had been completed and he needed a second term to complete the rest.

CM disputes NDA govt’s claim
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 13
Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, today alleged that the NDA government had failed to fulfil the promise of providing five crore jobs and its economic policies resulted in a negative growth of employment during the past five years.

Addressing a series of election meetings in Kinnaur district in favour of the Congress candidate, Mrs Pratibha Singh, he said the NDA government had in its election manifesto promised to provide one crore jobs every year, but it miserably failed to do so. He said that due to its indifferent attitude, the youth felt cheated and unemployment increased as never before.

The Chief Minister said instead of providing employment the NDA regime sold off various public sector undertakings in the name of disinvestment rendering thousands of persons jobless. He said the creation of a Disinvestment Ministry at the national level spoke volumes about the economic policies of the government.

He said the NDA government was known more for financial scams than sound economic policies. The Rs 25,000 crore UTI scam, the share market scam, the coffin purchase scandal and bungling in disinvestment were its major achievements. He said no effort was made to construct the Ram temple at Ayodhya during its five-year term and as soon the parliamentary elections were announced the issue was raked up again to exploit the religious sentiments of the people.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the people of the state were misled on the issue of kisan pass books, the regularisation of encroachments on government land and the creation of new districts by the Dhumal government. Development activities had come to a grinding halt in the state and the funds borrowed in the name of development were misutilised elsewhere.

BJP well placed in Jhalawar
Girja Shankar Kaura
Tribune News Service

Jhalawar, April 13
It could not have been easier for Mr Dushyant Singh, the BJP candidate from this constituency dotted with urban and rural areas. Not only is he the son of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje but is fighting from the constituency which has now for years remained a stronghold of the BJP and more importantly of his mother. The BJP is hopeful of a cakewalk here as not only is the Chief Minister’s prestige at stake but also this is the only constituency in which the BJP had emerged easy winners in all eight Assembly segments in the assembly elections held just four months ago.

Confidence is overflowing in the BJP camp. As evidenced in the last Lok Sabha elections, which Mr Vasundhara Raje won, the Congress had been in the lead in five of the eight Assembly segments. However, the BJP is confident of an easy win this time.

Besides, there is dissidence in the Congress over the candidate selected by the high command to oppose Mr Dushyant Singh.

The Congress has named Sanjay Gujjar in a bid to pit two candidates from the same community against each other and also to attract the community’s vote, which has made the local unit of the party unhappy.

The local unit wanted another candidate and is now upset over Mr Sanjay Gujjar being foisted on them. The differences have come out in the open and local leaders are blaming each other as well as the party’s central leaders for this.

Mr Dushyant Singh is sure to get a piggyback ride into the central political arena.

Congress workers are unhappy as this time too the nominee, Mr Sanjay Gujjar, well known, not even among his own community. Moreoever, he is facing a candidate from the royal family of the area in which the BJP has been able to maintain control for more than a decade and a half.

Ludhiana traders not to contribute to poll kitty
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, April 13
Come elections and parties rush to this industrial hub to collect funds for poll activities. This time, however, industrialists might not oblige the parties as there is an overwhelming feeling among businessmen that politicians only let them down.

So far leaders of major parties have not approached them for the funds but they are expect to them visit soon.

After a gap of over 20 years, Ludhiana witnessed labour unrest. The strike in September was allegedly sponsored by the Congress-led INTUC and for about 15 days, the production was badly hit in two major cycle manufacturing units.

In February again there was a strike in some bicycle parts and cycle manufacturing units. There was also a strike in a tyre manufacturing unit. These strikes were sponsored by the Shiv Sena and the Left parties.

According to Mr Onkar Singh Pahwa, Managing Director, Avon Cycles, production worth about Rs 25 crore was hit in their unit alone in one month.

These industrialists feel that no party came to their rescue.

Small-scale industrialists are sore at the Central and state governments over their failure to check the hike in steel prices during the past year.

Mr Joginder Kumar, president of the Ludhiana Electroplaters Association, alleged the NDA government did not need funds as steel producers had made huge “donations” to it.

Mr Tulsidas Jaitwani, president of the Punjab Beopar Mandal, was of the view that the state government did not fulfil its promises to abolish octroi and had rather introduced the exim form. No relief had been given as far as the sales tax was concerned, he said.

Mr P.D. Sharma, president of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the government had not released subsidy to small sector units for the past six years.

First-phase poll to decide UP bigwigs’ fate

Lucknow, April 13
Battle lines have been drawn for the crucial first-phase polling in 32 Lok Sabha constituencies in eastern UP with the end of the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli), her son Rahul (Amethi), former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar (Ballia), former Chief Ministers Mayawati (Akbarpur) and Ram Naresh Yadav (Azamgarh), Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand (Jaunpur), UP Assembly Speaker Kesharinath Tripathi (Macchlishahar), former Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma (Kaiserganj), former Governor Mahavir Prasad (Bansgaon) and state Congress President Jagdambika Pal (Dumeriaganj) have locked horns among the 423 candidates in the fray for the April 26 first-phase poll in the state.

The Congress, which had only bagged three seats — Amethi, Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh — in the 1999 LS poll, was aiming to increase its tally with the maiden entry of Rahul Gandhi in electoral politics.

However, the BJP, which won the highest 13 seats in this belt followed by the Samajwadi Party’s 10 and the BSP’s five in the last LS poll, was sparing no pains to increase their number this time.

Former Prime Minister and Samajwadi Janata Party candidate Chandra Shekhar was comfortably poised to win the sixth time in a row from Ballia, where he was facing no stiff challenge.

All eyes are now on the election trial of Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. However, experts claim that he was comfortable against his rival candidates and his winning margin was the only curiosity for the people. Similarly, in Rae Bareli, Ms Sonia Gandhi has an edge over her rivals.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been campaigning in her mother’s constituency in the absence of the Congress President, who is engaged in other parts of the country.

BSP supremo and former Chief Minister Mayawati has chosen the Akbarpur (reserved) seat for the third time in a row. The seat is expected to return the self-styled “Dalit ki beti” to the Lok Sabha.

Congress candidate and former Chief Minister Ram Naresh Yadav was once again contesting from Azamgarh and being challenged by sitting BSP candidate Ramakant Yadav, who won the seat in 1999 on the SP ticket. The Congress candidate won this seat in 1997 on the Janata Party ticket.

In the Jaunpur LS seat, Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand is contesting as a BJP candidate and has been challenged by “don-turned-politician” Dhananjay Singh, a Lok Janshakti Party nominee and sitting MLA. Mr Damanjay Singh’s candidature has been supported by the Congress, which has turned the election into an interesting one.

UP Assembly Speaker Kesarinath Tripathi has also jumped into the LS poll fray for the first time from Macchlishahar. Mr Tripathi would take on sitting SP candidate C.N. Singh and BSP’s Umakant Yadav.

Former Governor Mahavir Prasad (Congress) has been pitted against sitting BJP candidate Rajnarain Pasi from the Basgaon seat. Mr Prasad won the seat four times in 1977, 1980, 1984 and 1989 on the Congress ticket.

An interesting contest is being witnessed in the Kaiserganj LS seat in the first phase of poll on April 26 when sitting SP candidate and former Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma would take on BJP’s Arif Mohammad Khan.

Mr Khan, a former union minister, had recently joined the BJP leaving the BSP and would be the only Muslim candidate of the party in the state. Mr Verma won the seat in the 1996, 1998 and 1999 elections. — UNI

LS poll bad news for political families

New Delhi, April 13
Dynasties are an integral part of Indian politics, but the forthcoming general election will probably be remembered more for the number of political families it has broken. For every son or wife following in the footsteps of their fathers or husbands, there is an equal number of relatives contesting against their kin in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The Assembly poll debacle in Madhya Pradesh brought more than one bad news for former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. While on the one hand he lost his rein of 10 years and on the other his brother, Laxman Singh, defected to the BJP.

Laxman Singh would now contest on the BJP ticket in the coming poll.

While in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Uma Bharti’s brother; Swami Prasad Lodh, continues to throw tantrums over not getting BJP nomination for the parliamentary poll, the Ghosi constituency in UP is witnessing the wife-son duo of former Union Minister Kalpnath Rai battling it out with each other for the second time in a row.

Uma Bharti has dismissed her brother’s tirade against her saying that she is against ‘dynastic’ politics making Lodh backtrack from his threat to join the Congress.

For Sudha and Siddharth Rai though, who are contesting on the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket, respectively, it will be a repeat of their earlier “face-off” probably allowing their opponent to romp home comfortably, like last time.

The story of family feuds would probably be incomplete without any discussion on India’s first family in politics — the Gandhis.

The coming elections 2004 would for the first time see members of the family campaigning against each other’s party. While late Rajiv Gandhi’s son, Rahul, will make his political debut from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, his cousin Varun Sanjay Gandhi is the BJP’s star campaigner.

Varun’s mother Ms Maneka Gandhi, would contest on the BJP ticket from Pilibhit.

Former Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gomang’s wife, Hema Gomang, got the Congress ticket from the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency of the state, much to the annoyance of Mr Gomang, who had won this seat eight times in the past and had given over to her for “safe-keeping” when he took over the reins of the state.

Hema though had to give up the seat amid reports of her husband threatening divorce, but not before attributing his rage to the “popularity” she had gained in the constituency over the years.

Earlier, Karnataka strongman S Bangarappa’s son Kumar, changed his party twice within a week. Junior Bangarappa first quit the Congress along with his father to join the BJP and then quickly switched back to the Congress after being denied the ticket. He blamed the BJP for “destroying our family.” — PTI

Babbar’s magic is not working here
L.H. Naqvi
Tribune News Service

BASAI GAON: This village is not on the tourist map of Agra. It leads a quiet, low profile existence, literally under the shadow of the Taj Mahal. Most of its inhabitants belong to the Miraasi community. In the evening the village comes alive when young girls put on gaudy make-up and ill-fitting “mujra” costume for the dwindling number of patrons.

The Samajwadi Party candidate, Mr Raj Babbar, would be surprised to know that he does not enjoy the same level of popularity in Basai Gaon as he does in the Agra Lok Sabha constituency. It is his Bollywood connection that is responsible for it. “We belong to a community of entertainers. Babbar sahib could have used his clout to get us work in Mumbai”, is the general complaint of the dancing girls of this village.

Seema is the only who has managed to find work in Mumbai and because of her, several other girls from the village have found roles in group dances and item numbers.

Inhabitants of Kinari Bazaar, in the heart of old Agra, on the other hand are unhappy with themselves and angry with all politicians and bureaucrats. They belong to the oldest profession because of which they are shunned by politicians and harassed by the police. Munni was a toddler when she was bought by a madam. She has no memory of the family she comes from or the place and date of her birth. Unlike most other girls, who are brought to Kinari Bazaar under some kind of an exchange programme between the nationwide brothel networks, she at least has a vote. Last time it had gone to Babbar sahib. She has yet to decide whether she would vote in this election. “Hamari baat to koi suntaa hi nahi hai. To hum vote kyon dalein?”

The keeper of a kotha, Ladli, says that “we have made several representations to the government for legalising our profession. As licensed sex workers we would escape police harassment. We would be obliged to provide safe entertainment to our clients. A team of medical experts could examine our girls for AIDS and other diseases.”

C.P. Thakur has an edge in Patna

Patna, April 13
Amid strong possibility of a sharp polarisation of pro-RJD Muslim and Yadav votes against him, Union Small-scale Industries Minister C.P. Thakur is pitted against his RJD rival, Mr Ramkripal Yadav in a straight contest for the prestigious Patna Lok Sabha constituency.

Mr Thakur’s electoral fortune largely hinges on the upper caste votes of Kayasthas, Brahmins and bhumihars which together account for around 55 per cent of the total votes in this constituency.

Mr Yadav, on the other hand, is heavily dependent on the votes of Muslims, Yadavs and Dalits who together constitute around seven lakh votes.

Desperately trying to make the contest triangular is Laloo’s friend-turned-foe and Sampoorna Vikas Dal president Ranjan Prasad Yadav. Being a teacher, Ranjan Yadav is hopeful of getting support of intellectual Muslims and Yadavs.

Around 17 lakh voters would decide the electoral fortunes of 16 candidates in the fray. Of the six Assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency, Patna (East), Patna (Central) and Patna (West) are represented by BJP heayweights — Nand Kishore Yadav, Mr S.K. Modi and Mr Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha.

Bihar Minister of State for Energy Shyam Razak and RJD leader Ramanand Yadav are the ruling party MLAs from Phulwarisharif and Danapur, the only two segments from where Mr Ramkripal Yadav had led in the last Lok Sabha elections.

“It is due to my efforts that 18 tubewells were installed in my constituency, Rs 12.5 crore was sanctioned for drinking water supply and another Rs 12.5 crore for augmenting drainage in the Patna municipal area, Mr Thakur says claiming credit for inclusion of Patna under a centrally sponsored accelerated rural water scheme for which a Centre was providing Rs 50 crore every year.

He also takes credit for setting up of the proposed 100-bed hospital on the pattern of the AIIMS Delhi, a trauma centre at Bikram, besides several railway projects, NIT status to the Bihar College of Engineering and the Ganga Action Plan for bringing the river close to Patna.

His traditional rival Mr Ramkripal Yadav, however, charges Mr Thakur with misleading the people by making false promises.

Mr Thakur is a master in the art of befooling people, he says adding that the Bihar College of Engineering got the status of NIT because of the state government, AIIMS branch is proposed to be set up with the efforts of Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and the credit for sinking tubewells for augmenting the drinking water supply in Patna should actually go to the state government which provided Rs 8 crore for the purpose. — PTI

Jammu, Poonch cold to poll fever
M.L. Kak

Jammu, April 13
Though for the first time in five years posters and banners have appeared in remote border villages, poll fever is yet to grip the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency where over 15 lakh electorates will cast their votes on April 20.

Since the Kargil conflict in 1999, scores of villages situated along the LoC and the international border had remained out of the purview of electioneering because of firing by Pakistani troops.

Most border villages had turned into ghost hamlets with 80 per cent people having migrated to safer places. However, with the enforcement of ceasefire along the LoC since November a major section of migrants has returned and is motivating candidates.

The BJP, the Congress and the National Conference, have been organising four to six rallies and roadshows every day but the response from people to these rallies continues to be marginal.

Political leaders have been seen addressing small gatherings and only those from Delhi have attracted sizeable crowds.

Field reports indicate that the people are disinterested in the poll process following confusion with regard to poll issues.

A cross-section of voters say: “No party has offered a concrete economic programme which could reduce the level of unemployment in the state.”

“We do not have much interest in the elections because promises dished out to us in the past elections have not been fulfilled.”

They said migrants had been promised land and money for constructing their houses but so far nothing had been done.

Kashmiri Pandits are disillusioned with the elections. Though many of them are no it going to respond to the poll boycott call given by some Pandits’ organisations, they say that “our votes will be cast by proxy as had been the case in the past,” adding that “the postal ballot paper facilities will be misused again by the political parties.”

Another cause of disinterest is the widening of rift among ruling coalition partners. The Panthers Party, which has four MLAs and two of them are in the Council of Ministers headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has fielded its candidates against the wishes of the main coalition partners, the Congress and the PDP.

The CPM which supporters the government from outside, has also fielded Mr M.Y. Tarigami from the Anantnag constituency and the Congress has refused to withdraw its candidate, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, from Baramula where the PDP has nominated Mr Nizam-ud-Din.

Cong in damage-control mode 
Sridhar K. Chari
Tribune News Service

Bangalore, April 12
A couple of weeks ago, it seemed the Congress would retain a majority in the state, though it would lose quite a few seats in the 224-strong Assembly. The party now appears to be in a damage-control mode as it battles the BJP blitz on Bofors and Ms Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, and contends with rebel candidates.

Opinion polls show it hover around the 113 figure needed to retain the majority and even falling short of it.

The party recently expelled about 20 rebel candidates and more are expected to follow suit.

Congress general secretary (Karnataka affairs) Vilas Rao Deshmuk said here yesterday that in spite of everything, the Congress was confident of a majority in the state, and that it was not considering any alliance. He conceded that damage control was an

important part of what was happening in the state. “The rebels have to be told to check their activities, or face expulsion,” he said.

Those expelled included Mr Venkatashiva Reddy, an MLA who joined the BJP after being denied ticket, and MLA Anasuyamma Ramaiah.

“The issues that are being raked up are not touching people at all. Why is the BJP not willing to accept the court verdict wherein Rajiv Gandhi was found not guilty” he asked.

Ms Sonia Gandhi would be visiting the state on April 16 and was scheduled to speak at Bijapur, Gulbarga and Kolar.

The Congress won 132 Assembly seats in 1999 while the BJP won 62. Chief Minister S.M. Krishna is the most popular candidate and the Congress is strong in the Old Mysore region. It is still believed to “the party of the poor” and there is widespread belief that Mr Krishna has done well for the state.

412 nominees in triangular contests

Mumbai, April 13
Altogether, 412 candidates are in the fray for the crucial 14th Lok Sabha elections in the 48 constituencies of Maharashtra which go to polls in two phases on April 20 and 26. As many as 210 contestants will lock horns in the first phase, while in the second phase, 202 candidates will fight the electoral battle.

A cursory look at the final lists of candidates shows that even though the Congress-NCP-JD(S)-RPI has managed to forge an alliance to counter the Shiv Sena-BJP, almost all constituencies are witnessing triangular fights with the BSP and Samajwadi Party putting up candidates against both the Congress-led and BJP-led coalitions.

Even though, the BSP had put up 16 candidates in the 1999 Lok Sabha poll, all of them had lost their deposits, while the SP contested two seats and forfeited deposit in one of the seats. The BSP polled 0.32 per cent votes, while the Samajwadi Party polled 0.35 per cent of votes.

In the past five years, both SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati have made several trips to Mumbai to consolidate their positions in the city. It now remains to be seen whether the presence of these two parties affects the prospects of the Congress-led alliance in Maharashtra which is looking to improve its seats tally. — UNI

Muslims pray for Mulayam’s victory
V.J. Bandopadhaya

Bareilly, April 13
In a move, which can have political ramifications, over 500 Muslims offered special prayer for the electoral success of the Samajwadi Party in the elections. Over 500 Muslim clerics of Uttar Pradesh, a majority of whom are from the Barelvi sect offered the prayer.

The Rohilkhand region where Bareilly lies, has high Muslim presence and the minority community has the potential to influence the elections.

The Samajwadi Party, the BSP and the Congress are vying for the Muslim votes. To influence the Muslim voters, the Cognress has aggressively been campaigning that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was in league with the BJP.

The BSP too is accusing the SP of having a tactic understanding with the BJP. The SP has been saying that Ms Mayawati is hobnobbing with BJP leaders.

Jethmalani has Rs 2 cr assets

Lucknow: Mr Ram Jethmalani, fighting from the prestigious Lucknow Lok Sabha Constituency against Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a millionaire with Rs 62 lakh and of 55,000 pounds in banks, Rs 50 lakh invested in mutual funds and shares, besides a house worth Rs 1.25 crore in Mumbai.

According to an affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers filed here yesterday, the eminent laywer had cash amounting to Rs 5 lakh, SBI bonds worth Rs 6.75 lakh, an investment of Rs 40 lakh in mutual funds and shares worth Rs 10 lakh. Mr Jethmalani owns books valued at Rs 40 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh, besides a flat in Mumbai valued a Rs 1.25 crore. — PTI

SDF, Cong locked in straight fight

Gangtok, April 13
The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) is locked in a straight contest against the Congress which has been strengthened following the merger of former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari’s Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP).

The Lok Sabha and Assembly poll will be held simultaneously in Sikkim on May 10. The state has one Lok Sabha and 32 Assembly seats.

In the last Assembly poll, the SDF won 23 seats, and the SSP the remaining nine.

Unlike other states, none of the parties in the state is entering into any alliance or seat sharing. However, the CPM and the Congress have said that they might have seat arrangements. — UNI

BRIEFLY

DMK not to support BJP
Coimbatore: The DMK, a former ally of the NDA, on Tuesday categorically ruled out extending support to the BJP-led alliance in case of a hung Parliament after the Lok Sabha elections. A cryptic “Never,” was the reply when reporters asked DMK chief M.Karunanidhi whether his party would support BJP to form a government at the Centre in the case of a hung Parliament. — PTI

Babloo from Sitapur
Sitapur: Gangster Shreedhar Om Prakash Srivastava alias Babloo Srivastava on Tuesday filed his nomination for the coming Lok Sabha elections from Sitapur in UP. The gangster, who is lodged in a Bareilly jail on charges of murder, was taken to Sitapur under police escort for filing his papers on court orders. He will contest as an Apna Dal candidate, sources said. — PTI

Sonia Sandesh Samiti floated
New Delhi: After the constitution of an “Atal Bihari Vajpayee Himayat Committee” by some Muslim intellectuals in support of the Prime Minister, some Muslim youths have floated a “Sonia Sandesh Samiti” to promote the cause of the Congress President during the coming Lok Sabha poll. The samiti will campaign against the “anti-people policies” of the NDA. — UNI