A veteran, Bhatia vows to boost economy

Veteran Congress leader R.L Bhatia who has represented this border constituency for a record six times in the Lok Sabha since 1972 is now contesting the election for the seventh term. The 83-year-old Bhatia passed the degree of law from Punjab University, Lahore.

He is among the senior Congress leaders who faced bullets during peak of militancy. He became president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in the turbulent days (from 1984 to 1986). He was elected general secretary of All-India Congress Committee from 1986 to 1989.

Apart from having a stint as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs during the Narasimha Rao government, Mr Bhatia remained Chairman of the Shipping Board of India and Civil Supplies Committee of Parliament .

Mr Bhatia has led delegations to Russia, Cuba, Poland, Bulgaria and Gulf countries a number of times. He has also represented India in the United Nations, Commonwealth Conference and Non-Aligned Conference.

Taking advantage of his experience in foreign affairs, the NDA government has appointed him Chairman of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for China, despite the fact that Mr Bhatia belongs to the Congress. Mr Bhatia is considered an expert in track-two diplomacy and held many talks with his Pakistani counterparts on behalf of the Central Government.

Mr Bhatia banks upon the Sikhs who constitute 64 per cent of the total electorate. He claims that due to his secular approach, Sikhs had been supporting him even after the infamous Operation Bluestar.

He promises the electorate that he would work for opening trade with Pakistan to uplift the residents of border belt. He said there was a lot to be done to bring the special border area package as businessmen, farmers and common residents had suffered a lot during peak of militancy. He said he would endeavour to strengthen people-to-people contacts for creating a permanent thaw in the region which was must for overall development of this border belt

Since the textile industry and overall business suffered a huge loss during heyday of militancy, Mr Bhatia has decided to revive the industry in this constituency. He said he would make efforts to bring sales tax and other taxes on a par with the adjoining states to boost industry in this belt. Mr Bhatia also promises to work for the expansion of International Airport Rajasansi so that farmers could take their produce to other countries and get remunerative prices.

To promote tourism, Mr Bhatia said that he would lobby intensively for getting the Golden Temple declared as world Heritage Site by UNESCO. He said he would also work for expansion of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial. 

Navjot Sidhu to focus on downtrodden

Navjot Sidhu was born and brought up in a family of politicians. His father Harbhagwan Singh and mother Nirmal Bhagwant Kaur have had stints as MLAs. During the Beant Singh government, his father became Advocate-General of Punjab. But he himself is a novice in politics. Born in 1963, Mr Sidhu did his schooling from Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, and graduation from Mohindera College, Patiala.

The celebrity cricketer-turned commentator-turned-politician enjoys a good command over the English and Punjabi languages. He had joined the Punjabi University to do law in 1983-84 when he was selected to play two Test matches against West Indies held at Ahmedabad and Chenai. He shot into limelight when he made five successive fifties in the Reliance World Cup ODIs in 1987 . He made his first century in 1988 while playing against the West Indies.

He had to quit cricket after being embroiled in a controversy in 1996. A high-level inquiry committee was formed to probe the charges after he entered into a verbal tiff with the then cricket captain, Azharrudin. He also faced charges of ‘match-fixing’ which could not be proved later. He is facing charges of murder and the case which is still pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A fact which is known to his close circle of friends is that he spends most of his spare time in performing ‘Path’ (reading holy hymns in Guru Granth Sahib) and has a grip over comparative religious studies.

Mr Sidhu is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time. He drew a big crowd of SAD-BJP leaders and cricket fans at the Wagah border when he reached Amritsar after the historic win in the Test match series in Pakistan a couple of days earlier.

Talking to The Tribune, he said he does not want to make tall promises which were normally broken immediately after the elections. He, however, made a solemn vow to remain in ‘Guru ki Nagri’ for the rest of his life and give up Patiala as his home in case electorate expressed faith in him.

He said his election as MP would provide him an opportunity to serve the border belt and he would focus on the downtrodden. He said he was aware of the fact the problems of the residents had not been resolved. He said improved relations between India and Pakistan and the feel good factor would be part of his electioneering. When asked that he was seeking election against a Congress stalwart, he quipped that being battle-hardy, he would put up a good show. 

BSP presence in Phillaur a concern for Cong
P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 19
The Phillaur (SC) Lok Sabha constituency is headed for a triangular contest. Defending her berth is Ms Santosh Choudhary of the Congress and pitted against her is Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal of the SAD and Mr Pawan Kumar Tinu of the BSP.

For Ms Choudhary the going may not be smooth this time because of the odds against her following internal politics of the Congress. So far, there is no cohesiveness in the campaign and MLAs nurse grudges against her.

This Lok Sabha constituency has four (SC) Assembly segments, highest in any single constituency, out of the nine segments that spill over Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur. While Bholath in Kapurthala and Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur are represented by the Akalis, the remaining Assembly segments are with Congress MLAs.

The presence of BSP candidate, Pawan Kumar Tinu is a cause of concern for the Congress. Unlike in 1999, when there were two BSP candidates, the BSP factions have closed their ranks. At Banga, Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri and Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, BSP leaders, were seen addressing a small meeting together before proceeding to open the election office of Mr Tinu.

The composition of voters is heterogenous in the constituency. At least, 40 per cent vote is of SCs. There are pockets of farmers in Sri Hargobindpur Assembly segment Sainis larger comprise the Nawanshahr segment, and Lobanas the Bholath area, besides Ramdasias, Adharmis and Balmikis. Since the BSP candidate from the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, belongs to Nawanshahr, the party will ask him to canvass for Mr Tinu in the Phillaur constituency.

The campaigns is yet to pick up but Akali candidate, Charanjit Singh Atwal, has completed a round of the constituency. If spending the entire MP Local Area Fund-even if it was only in the last year of her term is a strong point of Ms Choudhary, ignoring Congress MLAs and promoting her husband, Mr Ram Lubhaya, MLA from Sham Chauras (Hoshiarpur) is her weak point.

There is scarcely a family in this constituency which does not have a member abroad. These families will play an important role.

Constituency Profile: Baramula
Voters yet to firm up choice
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

Sopore (Baramula) April 19
As the polling day nears, candidates and their party leaders are intensifying poll campaign in the north Kashmir districts of Baramula and Kupwara comprising the Baramula constituency that goes to the polls in the first phase tomorrow. This despite an equal number of people attending the “anti-poll” rallies by separatist leaders across the valley.

There are six candidates in the fray but the main contest is among the National Conference, PDP and Congress candidates. Congress candidate Ghulam Rasool Kar, who joined the fray despite an agreement having been reached between two alliance partners — PDP and Congress — over the sharing the seats, banks upon his traditional vote bank. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 when the National Conference did not participate in the elections while the NC has been representing the seat ever since 1977.

The ruling PDP, which has fielded a prominent political figure from the constituency, has been harping on its promises of the healing touch policy, jobs to over 40, 000 youth as teachers and ex-gratia with government employment to next of kith and kin to the victim of militancy. On the contrary, the National Conference that was relegated to the opposition in the last Assembly elections has been critical of the ruling alliance on various fronts.

Voters in the apple rich town of Sopore are faced with a dilemma and have their fingers crossed. For many it is support for the Congress candidate, Ghulam Rasool Kar, who has earned goodwill for his role in the state government and as a Lok Sabha member in the late nineties. Many others, mainly the fruit growers, support the PDP-led government, which has taken a historic decision by abolishing toll tax payable at the Lakhanpur check post. The tax was being paid on each truckload of fruit exported from the valley over the past five decades, says Mr Hamidullah Rather, a fruit merchant in Sopore. Many others have bitter experiences of the “corrupt practices” of the National Conference regime over the past two or three decades.

But for many it is difficult to decide as the two separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Abdul Ghani Bhat, have influence in their home town. While Geelani, after parting ways from Abbas-led Hurrityat Confernce, has been actively leading anti-election movement, Abdul Ghani Bhat has, of late, asked the people to stay away from the elections as these were no solution to the Kashmir problem.

In Baramula district, which has 10 Assembly segments, the voter turnout was registered at 40.08 percent in the last Assembly elections held in 2002.

Kupwara district registered a turnout of 53.15 per cent in the last Assembly elections. Of the five Assembly seats in Kupwara district, four are represented by the National Conference while that of Handwara is represented by independent Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi, who is a Cabinet Minister in the Mufti-Government. 

Constituency Profile: Kangra
Shanta eyeing hat-trick
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 19
The former Union Minister and BJP leader, Mr Shanta Kumar, is attempting to make a hat trick as he is pitted against Mr Chander Kumar, who is trying to enter the Lok Sabha for the first time from the prestigious Kangra segment.

Although Mr Shanta Kumar got a headstart in the campaign as his candidature was certain right from the beginning, Mr Chander Kumar’s cause is helped by the fact that out of the 17 assembly segments falling under the Kangra seat, 15 are with the Congress.

The BJP stalwart, Mr Shanta Kumar, is trying to encash on his image as the tallest political leader from the lower belt of Himachal, once considered a BJP citadel. Although his supporters are trying to project him as the lone voice of the people of lower Himachal, it is intra-party fighting which he is having to contend with.

Having been the Chief Minister on earlier two occasions, he has contested the parliamentary elections in 1989, 1996, 1998 and 1999. It was only in 1996 that he lost to a former HPCC chief and Congress leader, Mr Sat Mahajan. Having won the Lok Sabha elections in 1998 and 1999, he is attempting to make a hat trick.

Mr Chander Kumar, who was initially a reluctant candidate, is endeavouring to put up a tough fight against the BJP leader. He started his political career unsuccessfully by contesting the assembly election in 1977 as an Independent candidate. Thereafter, he has contested six Assembly elections, losing only once in 1990.

As far as the caste break-up is concerned, it is the Rajputs and other backward classes (OBC), that form a sizeable chunk of the electorate in Kangra. It was for this very reason that the choice for the Congress nominee fell on Mr Chander Kumar, who is considered the tallest leader from the community.

Interestingly, it is Mr Shanta Kumar’s pet project of setting up the multi-speciality Vivekanand Medical Research Trust in his home town, Palampur, which is eventually turning out to be the biggest discredit and liability for the BJP leader. Levelling serious charges of nepotism and irregularities in the setting up of the medical institute, the Congress has made this the biggest election issue, trying to pin down the former minister.

Knowing very well that the going would not be too easy for him, Mr Shanta Kumar has tried to mollify the leaders who owe allegiance to the Dhumal camp.

The Kangra Lok Sabha seat comprises 17 Assembly segments, out of which four are in Chamba district and the rest in Kangra. During the last Lok Sabha election in 1999, Mr Shanta Kumar had trounced his traditional rival Sat Mahajan by over one lakh votes.

Though electioneering is yet to pick up, Mr Shanta Kumar has already toured the entire Kangra and Chamba districts. 

Constituency Profile: Hisar
Keen contest on the cards
Raman Mohan
Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 19
Known for springing surprisesn, the Hisar Lok Sabha seat is set to witness a keen contest. Two of the main contestants — Mr Surinder Singh Barwala (INLD), who has been representing the constituency since 1998 and his Congress opponent, Mr Jai Parkash Barwala, have many things in common.

Both began their political careers under the late Mr Devi Lal. They have both represented this constituency twice in the past. While Mr Surinder Singh won in 1998 and 1999, Mr Jai Parkash won from here in 1989 and later in 1996, when he was put up by the Haryana Vikas Party. They have both represented the Barwala Assembly segment at different times. While Mr Jai Parkash is the sitting legislator from Barwala, Mr Surinder Singh won from this constituency in 1987 and became the Education Minister in the Devi Lal ministry. Incidentally, Mr Surinder Singh is closely related to Mr Jai Parkash.

HVP nominee Kanwal Singh is a former minister who, too, began his political career under Mr Devi Lal. He is contesting the parliamentary poll for the first time. Earlier, he has represented the Ghirai Assembly segment on more than one occasions. The Ghirai constituency is one of the nine Assembly segments of the Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

Voters of the area are known for their penchant for humbling political heavyweights. Those who have met their nemesis here in the past include Mr Om Parkash Chautala, former HPCC chief Birender Singh, industrialist-turned politician Om Parkash Jindal, Mr Ranjit Singh, a son of Mr Devi Lal, and Mr Jai Parkash himself. The constituency is, therefore, not the stronghold of any political party. Since 1977 the Congress has won from here thrice. The INLD and its earlier avtars, including the Janata Party, have won four times and the Haryana Vikas Party once.

Significantly, Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala’s Assembly constituency, Narwana, falls in the Hisar parliamentary seat as do three other Assembly segments of Jind district, namely Jind, Uchana and Rajaundh. The Kalayat Assembly segment, which includes villages of both Jind and Kaithal districts is also a part of this Lok Sabha seat. Four Assembly segments of Hisar district — Hisar town, Barwala, Ghirai and Narnaund — complete the tally. So far as these Assembly segments are concerned Hisar, Barwala and Jind are currently held by the Congress. The rest are with the INLD though technically the Narnaund constituency is represented by an Independent.

Mr Surinder Singh’s nomination by the INLD came as a surprise. Despite his having won twice in a row, the INLD leadership had projected Finance Minister Sampat Singh as a likely candidate for this seat. To pave the way for him, Mr Surinder Singh was even appointed Chairman of a board. However, the party ultimately decided to field Mr Surinder Singh. Countering the anti-incumbency factor will require a lot of hard work on his part.

Mr Jai Parkash, too, had to cool his heels in Delhi for weeks before he was allotted the Congress ticket at the last moment. While the Congress dilly dallied, there were reports that he might walk over to the BJP which too kept its doors open for him. The delay has hurt both Mr Jai Parkash and the BJP. While the former will have to race against time to tour the entire area within the time available to him, the BJP had to opt for an ultra lightweight candidate in Mr Jaibir Godara. Factionalism in the Congress will certainly affect Mr Jai Parkash’s campaign. On this count, Mr Godara, too, will feel the pinch as senior party leaders of the area are sore about his selection.

Key Constituency: Kapadvanj
Modi’s prestige at stake
Satish Mishra
Tribune News Service

Kapadvanj, April 19
Former Pradesh Congress chief Shankarsinh Vaghela is defending his electoral honour against heavy odds as state Chief Minister Narendra Modi is using all possible means to defeat him.

Modi’s keenness to settle his old scores is evident from the fact that he ended his campaign in the old rival’s constituency yesterday. He has been to Kapadvanj 10 times in his effort to finish Mr Vaghela politically. In his rally, Mr Modi spared no adjectives for Mr Vaghela, terming him as a traitor who was siding with a foreigner.

Operation “Demolition Vaghela”, launched by Mr Modi and his men, is in full swing here as many of the Congress candidate’s loyalists are being lured away by promises of appointment as Chairmen of boards and corporations. There are almost 60 such boards and corporations and some of them are cash rich too.

Though the senior Vaghela is technically facing Liladhar Vaghela of the BJP, the real battle is between him and his bete-noire Modi. The animosity dates back to the mid-nineties when Mr Vaghela was denied the chair of Chief Minister and the RSS along with the BJP high command preferred Keshubhai Patel for the state’s top job.

Mr Modi, with his towering ambitions, then sided with Mr Keshubhai and ensured that Mr Vaghela left the party in 1996. Mr Vaghela succeeded in becoming the Chief Minister with the help of the Congress.

Mr Modi, who had successfully blocked Mr Vaghela’s return to the BJP recently, sees an excellent opportunity to finish his old rival’s political career now.

Mr Vaghela charges Mr Modi with using extra-legal methods to buy loyalties of workers and leaders in his area. Mr Modi is buying the loyalties of all those “who are willing to work against me” by offering the posts of Chariman of boards and corporation, Mr Vaghela alleges.

But BJP campaign chief Suresh Mehta dismissed these allegations saying that Mr Vaghela’s “outbursts are those of a frustrated man”. “We are resorting to all legal methods in electioneering in Kapadvanj. Vaghela is shaken because people are disappointed and need no inducement to desert him”, says Mehta.

Ground realities tell a different story. Former MLA from Kapadvanj Budhaji Chauhan, Sarpanch of Kathlal Bharat Patel, ex-MLA from Daskroi Fatehsinh Sodha, president of Dahegam city panchayat Jigar Amin, ex-MLA from Kathlal Dilipsinh Thakore and Thakoresaheb of Gabat have deserted their formal mentor and joined the anti-Vaghela operation. Mr Vaghela, however, puts up a brave face, saying that they have no value in their area. Of the seven Assembly segments in the Kapadvanj Lok Sabha constituency, four are with the BJP and three were won by the Congress. 

State of Parties: CPI, CPM
Left parties suffer big jolts
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19
All is not well with the Left parties — the CPI and the CPM — in Punjab. Both have suffered big jolts in the recent past. Two CPI MLAs, Mr Gurjant Singh Kuttiwal and Mr Nathu Ram, deserted the party about a year ago and joined the ruling Congress in the state. The defection, according to the top leadership of the CPI, has been engineered by the ruling party’s top leadership in the state.

It was an unprecedented happening in the decades-old history of the CPI, which is a cadre-based party. Its MLAs and MPs rarely defect.

This development had shocked almost the Left rank file not only in the CPI and but also in other parties having Left leanings. The CPI took up the matter with its national leadership which lodged the protest with the Congress high command, including Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

But forgetting that shocking treatment given to it by the ruling party, the CPI has again entered in an alliance with the Congress in Punjab. The Congress has re-allotted the Bathinda seat to the CPI where last time its candidate, Mr Bhan Singh Bhaura, had won defeating the SAD candidate, Mr Chittan Sigh Samaon, by a margin of over 60,000 votes. Mr Bhaura died a few months ago. The CPI has now put up his widow Kushal Bhaura as candidate from Bathinda. Mr Bhaura had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Bathinda seat twice.

Besides the defection of its two MLAs, its other former MLA, Mr Ajaib Singh Raunta, from Nihalsingwala, has formed a separate party.

Split in CPM: For the CPM, the past two years have been a bad period. It suffered a vertical spilt some months ago when Mr Magat Ram Pasla, one of its important leaders in Doaba belt, formed a seperete Left party. A lot of bad blood was created in the party before the split.

The CPM is also contesting the Lok Sabha election as an ally of the Congress in Punjab. The Congress has given the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat to it. The CPM had announced that Mr Darshan Singh Mattu, who was a known student leader in the 70s, would be its candidate from Hoshiarpur well before the Congress decided to leave this seat to the CPM for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The CPM, in alliance with the Congress, had contested the Sangrur seat where its candidate Mr Ajit Singh had lost to Mr Simranjit Singh Mann in the last Lok Sabha elections. However, this time, the CPM preferred to shift from Sangrur, which used to be its stronghold a few years ago, to Hoshiarpur. Mr Pasla has put up his candidate from Sangrur.

No candidate of the CPM has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Punjab in recent years though it has been putting up its candidates in these election as ally of the Congress. In 1977, Mr Bhagat Ram was elected on CPM ticket from Phillaur.

Both the CPI and CPM had become a strong political force in Punjab in the 70s and 80s. 

State of Parties: HVP
It has long-term aim to boost position
Tribune News Service

Rohtak, April 19
The Haryana Vikas Party is facing the Lok Sabha poll with a long-term plan. Having been dumped first by the Bharatiya Janata Party and later the Congress in 1999 which led to the fall of its government, the HVP is engaged in consolidating its position to try and win the Assembly elections due early next year on its own.

Having been out of power for about five years, it neither faces the anti-incumbency problem which is dogging the Indian National Lok Dal nor the infighting plaguing the Congress. Besides, it also has the advantage of having the least stakes in the parliamentary poll. Unlike its main rivals, the party does not stand to lose much if it does not fair well in the Lok Sabha elections, but it stands to gain immensely if it puts up even a fairly good show.

Yet, this does not mean the HVP is treading over a bed of roses. The lack of high stakes in the ongoing elections is a slight disadvantage too. While the diehard HVP supporter will overlook this factor and vote for his party anyway, it fails to give the undecided voter a strong incentive to support it.

The Haryana Vikas Party came into being after its supremo Mr Bansi Lal quit the Congress and launched his own political platform. Hard work combined with Mr Bansi Lal’s image of a strong administrator bore fruit and the party was swept to power in 1996 assembly elections in alliance with the BJP. But, the failure of the prohibition policy and the taxes imposed to offset the revenue losses made the HVP government highly unpopular.

Sensing trouble, the BJP, chose to ditch the HVP before the last Lok Sabha elections and joined hands with Om Parkash Chautala’s INLD. The INLD-BJP alliance won all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in 1999 reducing the HVP to a non-entity. However, the party leadership did not waste time ruing its political fate. Mr Bansi Lal immediately set about touring and holding rallies all over the state within months of quitting as chief minister.

Since then, the HVP has gained considerable ground and its leadership has been stressing on not having any alliance with any national party. There were reports that the BJP after severing ties with the INLD recently offered to renew its ties with the HVP but the party spurned the offer. Clearly, the party wants to show its strength and then bargain on its own terms if need be before the Assembly elections.

The party’s current campaign too clearly points to its Haryana centric strategy. It is focussing on issues pertaining to the state. The party’s campaign literature lists achievements of Mr Bansi Lal during his different tenures as chief minister and his plans for the future should he occupy that office again. There is hardly any mention of what the party’s stand would be in the post Lok Sabha poll scenario should it win several seats in the Lok Sabha. All that it has to say on this issue is that it is keeping all its options open.

The party’s strongest bet in the election is its general secretary Surinder Singh who is contesting the Bhiwani seat. Many of its other nominees are relatively new to parliamentary politics and campaigning on that big a scale. But they do enjoy the advantage of having launched their campaigns much earlier. — RM