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Cong lost in the land of Buddha Cong, BJP focus attention on Dehra
Cong, BJP neck & neck in Udhampur Bairagi mandal roots for Cong Land that produces rebels, martyrs Jatiya rides high on Kumbh success She campaigns with month-old son in arms Water shortage is major issue EC officials partisan: CPM Abhay refutes Jindal’s charges Shiv Sena to support SAD-BJP candidates
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Cong lost in the land of Buddha VIDISHA (MP): “At this ancient place known internationally for Sanchi housing Buddhist stupas, electioneering doesn’t seem to have really caught up with the people. With the mercury soaring, almost every village here gives a deserted look. Only one could see some bullock carts loaded with wheat bags heading towards “Anaj Mandi” (grain market). As one passes through villages here, a few posters and flags mounted on thatched houses along the barren fields reminds one about the May 10 Lok Sabha poll. While enthusiasm attached to the elections seems to be completely lacking here, there is a turnaround in the scenario as one enters the Vidisha township. Every street corner is dotted with huge banners and party flags fluttering atop houses here. The sheer
dominance of the BJP is glaring as one could hardly find the poster or flag of the Congress. If local people are to be believed, BJP candidate Shivraj Singh Chauhan, who is the party’s national General Secretary, has the clear edge over his Congress rival Narbada Prasad Sharma. Mr Chauhan, has been the sitting MP from here for the past four tenures and if he wins in the coming elections he would set the record of winning five consecutive elections here. Although many staunch BJP workers admit that Mr Chauhan had not done much for the constituency despite being elected four times in succession, he appears to be sitting pretty over the anti-Congress feeling among a majority of the electorate here. His other advantages include an effective party network and strong backing of the RSS. “I know he (Mr Chauhan) has not done much for the constituency and, of late, he has been more busy frequenting Delhi and Bhopal, but I will still vote for the BJP,” Gopal Katri, a cloth merchant said. However, the Congress nominee doesn’t seem to have given up Mr Sharma, who was the Chairman of the District Cooperative Bank, is holding padyatras, especially in the villages raising the issues of farmers and inflation. The desperation in the Congress camp is understandable as not a single central leader has campaigned for the party here nor there has been support from the party headquarters by way of resources. “We have been seeking rallies of Priyanka or Rahul Gandhi in our constituency for the past 15 days but there has been virtually no response from the high command. At the eleventh hour they have indicated that former Union Minister Arjun Singh will tour the constituency,” Mr Mahendra Verma, an Indian Youth Congress leader said. “There is an anti-incumbency wave against Mr Chauhan and things have changed considerably after the assembly poll. But we have not been able to take adequate advantage of these factors due to poor
management and lack of support from the party high command,” another Congress worker said on the condition of anonymity. Another roadblock in the way of the Congress is Chaudhary Munawar Salim, a local coloniser, who is contesting on the Samajwadi Party ticket.
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Cong, BJP focus attention on Dehra Jawalamukhi, May 6 Though the three Assembly segments of Jwalamukhi, Pragpur and Jaswan fall in Kangra district, these are a part of the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency. Sensing a strong BJP presence here as all three seats are currently with the BJP, the Congress is making all-out efforts to improve its position. With the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat witnessing a keen contest, both the BJP and the Congress are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a lead for the party candidate as the temple town of Jwalamukhi has become the centre for hectic lobbying and politicking. “With a votebank of over 1.65 lakh in these three segments alone, we cannot afford to take it easy as the BJP is in a stronger position here,” admitted a senior Congress leader. It was for this very reason that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh specially deputed Rural Development Minister Sat Mahajan, to camp in the area and bring all factions together to work unitedly for the party nominee. Mr Virbhadra Singh addressed unscheduled election meetings in the Jaswan Assembly segment. Sensing the importance of this belt dominated by OBCs and Rajputs the BJP had also planned an election rally to be addressed by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, which had to be cancelled at the last minute. The former IPH Minister and a staunch Shanta loyalist, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, who represents the Jwalamukhi segment has a good hold especially among the OBC community he belongs to. He also happens to be the Kangra district BJP chief. Similarly, Mr Naveen Dhiman, who won as an Independent from the Pragpur Assembly segment and has now been made an associate BJP member, is also working overtime to ensure a good lead for the party nominee, Mr Suresh Chandel. In Jaswan too, BJP MLA Vikram Thakur is campaigning vigorously for the party candidate. Though Mr Sat Mahajan has been able to bring various Congress factions to work unitedly for the party nominee, it is the support extended by former MLA Dalip Singh and the Chairman of the Dehra Panchayat Samiti, Mr Kishan Parmar, which had brought some cheer to the demoralised Congress camp. Apart from this the entry of former HVC leader Rumail Sing Bhadial into the Congress in Jaswan is likely to strengthen the party. Disinterest being shown in electioneering by former BJP MLA from Jwalamukhi Kashmir Singh Rana, is causing concern to senior BJP leaders.
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Cong, BJP neck & neck in Udhampur Kathua, May 6 Mr Lal Singh has made the going tough for Mr Gupta, who had won the past three Lok Sabha elections virtually hands down. The youthful Lal Singh was receiving a good response in villages and towns of the constituency. Although the Congress delayed the list of its candidates in the state, Mr Lal Singh lost no time in making a whirlwind tour of the remote areas of Doda district by trekking to certain places where Mr Gupta had visited earlier. It is pertinent to mention that no top leader of the Congress, who could be called a vote-catcher, has so far come here or at Udhampur to campaign for him, whereas Mr L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister, campaigned for Mr Gupta in Udhampur town and also at Hiranagar in Kathua district last week. Mrs Ambika Soni, AICC general secretary, and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, PCC chief, addressed some rallies around Udhampur yesterday. However, what was worrying BJP activists was the thin attendance in the public meeting of Mr Advani at Udhampur, known as a bastion of the BJP. The poor show the result of sharp groupism in the district unit of the party and the adamant attitude of Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, a senior party leader, and his supporters who were allegedly not allowing the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) and other splinter groups to come near. Even the RSS has reportedly failed to unite the warring factions of the BJP in the constituency. Whatever support Mr Gupta is getting is because of his personal contacts that he has established in the far-flung areas during his three tenures as a MP and a minister at the Centre. Although there are 20 candidates in the fray, the contest between Mr Lal Singh and Mr Gupta is neck and neck. The National Conference (NC) was campaigning hard for its candidate, Mr Khalid Najeeb Surawardhy, particularly in Doda district. The presence of Mr Bhim Singh, Chairman of the Panthers Party, in the fray was causing concern among the ruling coalition as he was bound to split the votes of the Congress. Mr Lal Singh belongs to Kathua district, a part of the Udhampur constituency. Many people come only to see him and appreciate the streamlining that he has done in the Health Department. He is the first Health Minister who has made doctors and para-medical employees follow the dress code on duty. Resisting pressure, doctors were despatched by him to the far-flung villages.
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Bairagi mandal roots for Cong Ludhiana, May 6 The 14-lakh strong community in Punjab has 7.5 lakh votes spread through various Assembly segments. Even though various important leaders of this sect have varied political affiliations, a decision has been taken to help the Congress, keeping in mind “its secular credentials,” says Mr Bawa. The mandal had, however, opposed the candidature of some individual Congress leaders like sitting Congress MP from Ludhiana Gurcharn Singh Galib, who the mandal says did not release the promised grant for a Baba Banda Bahadur Bhavan. The Bairagi sect was founded in the middle of the fourteenth century by the great saint Swami Ramanand whose disciples included Bhagat Ravi Dass, Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Dhanna, Bhagat Sadana, Bhagat Peepa and Bhagat Sain. Baani (religious writings) of these great saints has found mention in Guru Granth Sahib. Bairagi Baba Banda Singh Bahadur who chose to become a member of the sect is often referred to as the only saint, soldier, martyr and leader among his contemporaries, who dared to fight the atrocities of Mughals and liberated the peasants from feudal lords The Bairagi Maha Mandal Punjab organised the community under its banner in 1925 and since then the community has grown into over one crore in Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, UP and J&K and Maharashtra. It is for the first time that the Bairagi community has decided to exert itself as a pressure group to get what it calls “a commitment to get its long-pending demands fulfilled.” The demands include the setting up of a Banda Bahadur Chair, renaming of the road from Nangal Ghari to Mehrauli (ear Delhi) on which Banda Bahadur was taken to Delhi before he was killed to be named after him and allotment of land for Banda Bahadur Bhavan. Prominent Bairagis include granthis as well as priests of mandirs and leaders affiliated to the BJP, CPI, Congress and other parties. Mr Bawa, who was critically injured in a terrorist attack in 1989 has announced that the unity and integrity of the country was the first priority of the mandal. A meeting of the mandal leadership held recently felt that the Congress could serve the nation. The interest of the mandal could also be looked after best by this party, hence an appeal in favour of the Congress.
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Land that produces rebels, martyrs SHAHJAHANPUR: Tum khirad mund ho jiney ka hunar kya jaano, Jo kafan baandh kay nikley thhay wahi zinda hain. People believe that there is something in the soil of this city located on the bank of the Garra in Uttar Pradesh that produces rebels and martyrs. The Congress candidate for the Shahjahanpur Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Jitin Prasad, has revived memories of this glorious tradition. As he goes about from village to village, mohalla to mohalla, the elders pat the young candidate fondly on the back and remind him of the great burden that he must carry as the son of late Jitendra Prasada. A few months before his death Jitin’s father, fondly called Jiti Bhai, had made the most audacious move in the history of the post-Independence Congress. He along with Rajesh Pilot had dared to challenge the hold of the dynasty over the party whose democratic structure had produced a galaxy of leaders during the freedom struggle. Jiti Bhai challenged Mrs Sonia Gandhi for the post of Congress President. He lost the election by a huge margin but managed to make a very powerful point. Could it be the effect of 47 that Shahjahanpur keeps producing rebels for every cause? The city was founded in 1647. Three hundred years later it was in this year that India gained freedom from British rule. Shahjahanpur was ceded to the English by the Nawab of Oudh in 1801. During the Mutiny of 1857 it became the scene of open rebellion. The Europeans were attacked when in church; three were shot down, but the remainder, aided by faithful sepoys, escaped. Years later two Shah Jahan-e-Shaheed, Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan rekindled the flame of rebellion. The city is now called Shaheedon ki Nagri in their memory. As you move around the city mingling with the people you realise that the BJP candidate, Mr Suresh Khanna, is no pushover. He enjoys a fair degree of respect in certain sections for his upright image. However, prolonged exposure to how the people of Shahjahanpur pick their representative leads you on to another startling aspect. They are a very emotional people. They respect Mr Khanna but may end up pressing the button on the EVM for what a first-time voter called the New Congress. New Congress? He mentioned the names of Mr Sachin Pilot, Mr Naveen Jindal, Kumari Selja, Mr Murli Deoras’ son and, of course, Mr Rahul Gandhi. He wondered why the Congress did not adequately project this new and vibrant face of the party among the voters across the country. The first-time voter refused to give his name, but threw a broad hint that “you may see me in active politics if the New Congress wins”. Jitin has yet to prove his credentials in politics. Any conversation on the prospects of the Congress inevitably led to Jiti Bhai. He was a quintessential product of the Ganga-Jamani culture of Avadh. He was far too sophisticated to be identified with the run-of-the-mill Congressman. Old-timers admit that he had a few shortcomings, but his integrity and approachability helped him win more Lok Sabha elections than any other politician in Shahjahanpur.
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Jatiya rides high on Kumbh success Ujjain (MP), May 6 Mr Jatiya is looking for a victory in the Lok Sabha elections for the seventh time in the May 10 poll from Ujjain. It is a non-Congress stronghold known for the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple. He would have otherwise faced an anti-incumbency wave for not doing much development work in the constituency despite being a Union Minister. Thanks to the special Central grant of Rs 300 crore for the Simhasth Kumbh, which concluded here on May 4, there had been immense development in the area. The works done include relaying and widening of roads and improved power and water supplies. Moreover, the incident-free Kumbh has had a positive effect on the people in general and the RSS cadres in particular. The Kumbh, in which an estimated 1.50 crore pilgrims from across the country thronged Ujjain to take a dip in the Sipra river, has enthused the businessmen in and around Ujjain who posted good business. Though credit for the successful conduct of the Kumbh must go to Kailash Vijaywargi, Minister in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti’s Cabinet, who worked day and night to put in place the necessary arrangements for the mega event in a short span of three months, Mr Jatiya is going round the constituency taking credit for the successful organisation. He is also trying to project as if it was due to his and Ms Bharti’s persuasion that Vajpayee government had granted Rs 300 crore, which helped in furthering the development of the Ujjain constituency. Realising the stiff competition he faces from his main rival from the Congress, Premchand Guddu, Mr Jaitya is also seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is trying to impress upon the people on the need for a stable government at the Centre under the leadership of Mr Vajpayee. Mr Jatiya, who had won the last Lok Sabha poll in 1999 by about 80,000 votes, had been the MP from Ujjain in 1980, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998. In 1984, he lost to the Congress by 43,000 votes due to the Congress wave. The Congress candidate, who won the Alote Assembly seat in the recent polls despite the Congress getting a drubbing in the state, appears to be giving a good fight here. Realising that the Kumbh factor could help Mr Jaitya, the Congress candidate is focusing on the non-performance of Mr Jatiya as an MP of Ujjain. In his public meetings and mass contact programmes in the constituency, Mr Guddu asks Mr Jaitya to furnish a report card of the developmental activities initiated by him during his tenure as an MP and as Union Minister. “He (Mr Jatiya) has been only fooling the people for over a decade,” he alleges. Beside, the Congress nominee is trying to push hard the issues of inflation, specially in edible oil, diesel, petrol, gas and the poor price farmers are getting for their bumper crop wheat. The Congress nominee seems to be benefiting due to this strategy as many people in the constituency do agree that Mr Jaitya has done precious little. “The good metalled roads and other developmental activities you are seeing now is not because of Mr Jaitya, it is because of the BJP leadership which pumped in lot of money here for the successful conduct of the Kumbh,” Mr Sarfaraz, a provision shop owner on the Circuit House road said. But Dr Suresh Kumar stated the obvious when he said “whether Mr Jatiya has done anything or not here, the BJP is bound to gain as the Kumbh has brought about some noticeable development in Ujjain.” Another positive development, which could perhaps be another factor helping Mr Jatiya is the improvement in power supply in both the city as well as villages, he added.
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She campaigns with month-old son in arms She carries her newborn in her arms as she addresses the electorate in Tamil Nadu. For her it is not only a question of getting elected to the Lok Sabha, but also to survive in a man’s world, which killed her husband. She is Ms
Radhika Selvi, DMK candidate from this parliamentary constituency. Her husband, Venkatesa Panniyar, was reportedly gunned down by the police in an “encounter”. That was reason enough for the DMK to allot her a ticket because she belongs to the powerful Nadar community which is enraged over the incident. Her nomination was a surprise for many, including veteran DMK leader Aladi Aruna who quit the party and joined the BJP. She tells the electorate, “My fate should not befall anyone. I am not asking for your sympathy. I wish to complete the projects of the late Murasoli Maran, former Union Industry Minister, improve infrastructure and solve the problems of fishermen.” Voters talk of drinking water problem and bad road conditions and her reply is prompt, These will be my top priority.” It is very difficult to carry the baby everywhere, but what can I do? My mother accompanies me and at times she carries him and follows me in another car,” she says. At times I feel very scared. What happens if I get stuck in some remote place? or if the baby falls ill after so much of travelling, she adds. Her opponent is a veteran in politics since 1972 and an AIADMK nominee, T. Damodaran, who dismisses the sympathy wave. “The issues here are infrastructural development and generation of employment. The previous DMK MP Mr A.D.K. Jayaseeelan, has done nothing at all,” he says. If elected, I will spend my entire MP’s fund on the development of this constituency. I also promise a fish processing export unit here for the benefit of fishermen,” he says. In most of the rural areas she visits women instead of listening to poll talk, first perform aarti’ on the mother and the son. She has been a big hit with the rural Tamil women as well with the men of the Nadar community.
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Water shortage is major issue Hamirpur, May 6 These gram panchayats have 7000 voters. Issue of water shortage is also figuring in election meetings of the BJP and the Congress. Both parties blame each other for water shortage. Government taps in these areas have gone dry and people are forced to fetch water from wells and baolis in khuds after walking two to three kilometres. On a visit to the area women were seen standing on roadside near Chamboh Garhi village, a dalit basti for water. They were waiting for a bus as it was difficult for them to walk for water due to summer heat. Roshni Devi, (70) Kailasho Devi, Rajo Devi, Nirmla and Bulanda said they had been without water for days. According to them, the only well in the village with population of 200 does not meet their daily requirement of water. Every house gets only two pitchers of water from the well and they take bath only after a week. All women were unhappy with the present and previous governments for not solving their problem regarding water. Five schoolboys of Chamboh village Arbind Kumar, Amit Kumar, Rinku Kumar, Shashi Pal and Pankaj Kumar said they skip classes and their studies suffer due to lack of water. They said that they had to fetch water from distant places in early morning. One has to fetch at least three to four pitchers of water in the morning from the khuds for the family and cattle. Roshan Lal, Madan Lal and Rakesh Kumar of the nearby Bajroh area said that water shortage this time was acute due to early arrival of summer. They said though it rained for three days yet when the sun shone again, water shortage appeared. Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, former Congress MLA from Bamsan blamed the previous BJP government for water shortage in the area. The BJP government failed to implement the Kanda pattan water supply scheme formulated by the previous Congress government, he alleged. He assured that the Congress government now had framed another water supply scheme from Sachuhi village under which water would be lifted from Baker khud and put in the main reservoir at Awahdevi and then supplied to villages of Bamsan and Mewa. This project would cost Rs 65 crore. Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, local MLA and former Chief Minister blasted the Congress for water crisis in the upper Bamsan area. He alleged that the Congress didn’t pursue the scheme framed by his government for the Bamsan and Mewa areas. At his Samirpur residence, he said yesterday that the Congress was playing dirty game on the water issue. An officer of the Department of Irrigation-cum-Public Health said that they were seized of water shortage in the Chamboh area. The shortage was due to the drying up of water source of the Neri Chamboh water supply scheme. He said tankers would be deployed to supply water in these villages for which tenders had been invited.
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EC officials partisan: CPM Kolkata, May 6 Left Front Chairman Biman Basu who is also a CPM politburo member, has accused some EC officials in charge of the poll in West Bengal with being partisan in conducting elections in the state. He called upon the CPM cadres and other workers and supporters of the Left Front parties, to come out in the street and launch an agitation against the EC’s alleged discriminatory attitude towards West Bengal where the poll personnel have been brought from outside the state. The EC decided to induct 50 per cent of the poll personnel needed to run the elections in West Bengal from other states following apprehension of large-scale rigging by Opposition parties by CPM-controlled state government employees, who generally conduct the elections. The EC also summarily transferred three senior IPS officers and about 10 police personnel both in Kolkata and the districts from their respective posts who had been allegedly working in favour of the ruling CPM in the electioneering. The CPM, therefore, has targeted the EC as well as the BJP and TMC in its campaign. The party this time has changed its campaign strategy. Now the CPM’s main target of attack is the BJP and its allies and it has softened its attitude towards the Congress as per the party’s strategy on the formation of the secular front with Congress after the elections. The Congress, however, has been equally targeting the CPI and the BJP-TMC alliance and in most of the places the Congress is involved in a triangular fight against CPM and the TMC Ms Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress leader who so long had been busy in campaigning for alliance candidates (TMC and BJP alliance) elsewhere, has returned to her own constituency in South Kolkata, where she faces a tough fight against CPM stalwart Rabin Dev, sitting MLA.
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Abhay refutes Jindal’s charges Kurukshetra, May 6 Mr Jindal’s supporters were themselves outsiders and were misleading the electorate out of fear of defeat, he added. Mr Abhay Chautala alleged that Mr Jindal had got himself registered as voter in Chhattisgarh and Hisar as well, which was a criminal offence.
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Shiv Sena to support SAD-BJP candidates Phillaur, May 6 He said the announcement was made after the Shiv Sena chief’s decision to support the BJP. The party had withdrawn its candidates from Gurdaspur, Faridkot, Sangrur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur. The party will actively campaign for the SAD-BJP candidates. |
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TIRUCHENDUR: She is a rookie in politics, but she is probably the only candidate in India who is campaigning with a one-and-half-month-old son. 
