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Candidates of LJP, SP in
police dragnet
Rabri is Raghopur women’s favourite
Repoll in 114 Bihar booths
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It’s ballot under bullet’s shadow
EC turns heat on JD(U)
UPA jittery as Mulayam eyes Bihar
Sonia meets party leaders from J&K
Floods in South, East; toll in TN 40, WB 13
Environment clearance to river-linking project
Foreigner held for streaking at Pushkar, gets bail
Mau MLA Ansari surrenders
Foreign Secy defends Iran
Onion prices ease a bit
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Candidates of LJP, SP in
police dragnet
Patna, October 25 Gupta was arrested when he came out of the district collectorate at Darbhanga in a procession in which loudspeakers were used in violation of the model code of conduct, sources said. Yadav was arrested in connection with a criminal case in which a non-bailable warrant was pending against him as he stepped out of the office of returning officer for Supaul after submitting his papers, sources said. Meanwhile, an FIR was filed today against Dhanha Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ramadhar Yadav and two SP MLAs of Uttar Pradesh — Ramadhar Yadav and Radheshyam Singh. DIG Champaran range Arvind Pandey said here today that the FIR had been filed in connection with the SP MLAs escaping with their vehicles by giving a slip to the police who had impounded their vehicles yesterday. Mr Pandey said the SP candidate from Dhanha and SP MLAs had been charged with violating the model code of conduct and disturbing poll process. They had also been charged with disobeying prohibitory orders under Section 144 of IPC and causing disturbances in official work. Meanwhile, local administration has also banned the entry of two MLAs and a minister of Uttar Pradesh into West Champaran district following their reported involvement in the Bagha DSP case. West Champaran District Magistrate Rahul Singh said they had taken Bagha DSP Kaleshwar Paswan into captivity when the latter had gone to Kushinagar to attend a meeting of police officers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Also former Bihar minister and Lok Jan Vikas Dal President Dadan Singh alias Dadan Pahelwan was remanded in the judicial custody after he surrendered before a district court here in a case relating to assault on an RJD leader and a journalist. Pahelwan, accompanied by his lawyer, surrendered before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Krishna Kumar Dwivedi. Mr Dwivedi rejected his prayer for bail and remanded him in judicial custody for a fortnight. A warrant of arrest was issued by the court today in connection with a case registered with the Dumraon police station in Buxar district against Dadan Pahelwan for alleged assault on a local RJD leader Ramji Yadav and a journalist Arun Kumar Vikrant at Dumraon yesterday. Dadan contested elections from Dumraon and would also vie for Shahpur seat where RJD national spokesman Shivanand Tiwari is in the fray.
— Agencies |
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Rabri is Raghopur women’s favourite
Raghopur(Bihar), October 25 But Ms Rabri Devi was quick to react,
"Chunao ka mausam hai, lok ate jatein hain, kuch farak nahin parega " (It is poll season now, people come and go, it makes no difference). For the people of Raghopur in general and the women in particular, Ms Rabri Devi is the ultimate symbol of empowerment of Dalits and the backward women of Bihar, irrespective of the NDA effort to lampoon her as a "proxy" of Mr. Lalu Prasad. A large number of people, who have been electing Mr Lalu Prasad and Ms Rabri Devi from here for the past 15 years are indeed dejected that despite being a VVIP constituency they did not enjoy special treatment like Amethi or Lucknow. But they are content with the fact that the problems of road, health, electricity, deteriorating law and order are common to almost all parts of the state. “Driving in Raghopur is not
possible because a pantoon bridge has not been completed yet and country boats are what people are forced to use. Rabri Devi promised a transformer to improve the power situation before the February polls which was installed but remained non-functional .The proposed girls college is yet to come up,” the list of complaints of Sushil Yadav was unending. But Rama Devi quipped,
"Woh hamara ghar ka bahu hai.Woh Chief Minister bani. Hamlog bahut khush
hain.” (We are happy that she has become the Chief Minister). Ms Rabri Devi is also aware of the element of anti-incumbency. In her roadshows she is projecting herself like the next-door neighbour
."Kaa haal baa? Sab thik banu?" (How are things? Everything all right?) Wherever she stops women come out with “sarees and
sindoor” as a mark of love and respect for her. That is the USP of Ms Rabri Devi. Out of over 2 lakh voters, there are about 90,000 Yadavs, followed by 35,000 Rajputs, 20,000 Daltis and 15,000 Muslims. In the February polls Ms Rabri Devi had defeated her nearest LJP candidate, Mr Rajiv Ranjan, by a margin of over 25,000 votes. This time Mr Ram Vilas Paswan has changed his candidate by fielding his 'driver’ Pramod Kumar Singh. The
JD(U) which finished poorly in 2005, has fielded Mr Satish Kumar Yadav, a local rebel of the RJD. The RJD workers hope to recreate the 1995 magic with the slogan, “Lalu nahi aandhi
hai, Bharat ka dusra Gandhi hai." But at least in Raghopur, it is Mr Lalu Prasad who piggybacks on Ms Rabri
Devi. Raghopur will go to polls on Wednesday during the second phase. Ms Rabri Devi won from this seat in 2000 after Mr Lalu Prasad vacated the same for her. |
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Repoll in 114 Bihar booths
Patna, October 25 Bihar Chief Electoral Officer N.K. Sinha today said the repoll had been ordered by the EC following a report submitted by its special advisor K.J. Rao. The repoll at 114 booths would be conducted on October 29 along with seven constituencies — Suryagarha, Kharagpur, Sarairanjan, Dalsingsarai, Samastipur, Kadwa and Barsoi where polling had been deferred due to security reasons. Elections in these seven constituencies were slated for tomorrow.
— PTI |
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It’s ballot under bullet’s shadow
Vaishali, October 25 Voters are going to exercise their franchise in 62 constituencies, spread over 11 districts tomorrow and out of these districts,
Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Khagaria, Lakhisarai, Nunger, Shekhupura and Begusarai are the areas where poll violence has been witnessed in the past. The clever criminals and their political masters, in view of heavy deployment of the Central Para-Military Forces
(CPMF), have reportedly revised their strategy, sources said. An official of the Home Department confirmed that reports have been received from Patna about the new strategy which some of the gangs have adopted. The reports indicated that criminals were going to prevent electorate to exercise their franchise by attacking the inhabitations rather than focussing only on polling stations and booths. Localities and villages were going to be their targets, official sources said. An indication of their planning came yesterday when the police seized arms and
ammunition in Jandaha which falls in the Vaishali district. Similarly, a truck laden with explosives and 60,000 detonators was seized by the authorities in Begusarai yesterday, officials said. Naturally, the cost of carrying out such operations in face of the risks involved has also gone up. The current rate for creating trouble at one spot was said to be between Rs 3 to 5 lakh, sources close to a booth capturer said. The
administration and the Election Commission is taking every possible step to prevent any mishap but the hide-and-seek battle between criminals and authorities is on and only tomorrow will tell who emerges victorious. |
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EC turns heat on JD(U)
Patna, October 25 The District Magistrate of
Beguserai, Mr Mihir Kumar Singh,said Ananta Singh was known for his “muscle power”.“Even though the polling in Mokama will take place in the fourth phase, Mr Ananta Singh was capabler of creating trouble in Beguserai where polling will be held tomorrow,”, he said. In another development, the administration at Lalganj has been asked by the higher authorities to attach the property of Munna Shukla, the
JD(U) candidate. Munna Shukla is known for his criminal antecedents and has cases pending against him since the February poll related to poll violence. The Election Commission also lodged a case against
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav for violating the code of conduct by canvassing for his party`s candidate,Satish Kumar, in Raghopur even after the deadline for the campaign was over yesterday. The LJP, too, was at the receiving end with its controversial MP,Surajbhan Singh, being barred from entering Beguserai till October 31. |
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UPA jittery as Mulayam eyes Bihar
Barauni, October 25 While there was nothing wrong in Mr Yadav's efforts to win seats for the Samajwadi Party (SP), the manner in which he was doing so was only hurting parties which were fighting against communal forces, said RJD MP Vijya Krishna. Mr Yadav had fielded 200 candidates in the February elections while his party managed to win only three seats. But all winning candidates deserted him and either joined other parties or formed their own party like the then state unit President, Mr Dadan
Pehalwan, said Mr Krishna. This time, the SP has going to contest 175 seats and Mr Yadav has spread his net wide to catch rebels from other parties, particularly from his bete noire Lalu Prasad's RJD. Any leader, who was denied a ticket from the RJD, was sure to get not only a ticket from the SP but also full financial assistance for the ongoing Assembly elections, revealed RJD leader Santosh Yadav. Mr Yadav had instructed his general-secretary Amar Singh and the ministers in his cabinet to ensure that the SP registered four per cent popular votes so that the Election Commision accepted it as a national party, said a minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav's government, Mr Balram Singh Yadav. Mr Amar Singh, in company of Lok Sabha MP and film star
Jayaprada, has been addressing public meetings and crisscrossing the state in a helicopter. The SP supremo has fielded candidates against every other political party but made an exception in the case of the CPM. This town, boasting of a petroleum refinery and which has been a stronghold of the Communist Party of India since 1962, has no SP candidate. Interestingly, the CPI and the CPM are contesting the Barauni Assembly seat against each other. |
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Sonia meets party leaders from J&K
New Delhi, October 25 Ms Gandhi had called senior leaders from the state to get their views on the power-sharing arrangement in the state and progress in relief operations in quake-hit areas.
Among those who met her today were state PCC chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Assembly Speaker Tara Chand and ministers
G.A. Mir and Taj Mohiuddin. Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma is expected to meet Ms Gandhi tomorrow. Party general secretary Ambika Soni also met the Congress MLAs from the state, most of whom have come to the Capital. They had one-to-one interaction with Ms Gandhi and a decision on change of guard in the state was expected “shortly”. The leaders told Ms Gandhi about the desire of party workers to fully implement the power-sharing agreement with the PDP, under which the Congress is to have its Chief Minister from November 2 for three years till the end of six-year term of the state Assembly. Independent MLAs associated with the Congress have also favoured a change of guard. Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh today went a step further in demanding that the next Chief Minister should be from the Jammu region. The JKNPP has four MLAs in the Assembly, two of whom are ministers in the coalition government in the state. Mr Bhim Singh accused the Congress for behaving like a “super master of coalition” and not ascertaining wishes of other partners. He said it had been agreed earlier that the next Chief Minister would be from Jammu. |
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Floods in South, East; toll in TN 40, WB 13
Chennai, October 25 Erode district witnessed floods after 44 years with River Cauvery in spate following the surplussing of Mettur reservoir, from which over two lakh cusecs of water was released leading to the submerging of many low lying areas of Bhavani, Erode and Kodumudi. Beside evacuating people from villages along the Cauvery banks, the authorities also stopped vehicular traffic on three bridges across the river at Erode, Bhavani and Kumarapalayam as water was gushing at a level just three feet beneath the roads. Flood alert was sounded in Cuddalore district, too, as the Cauvery water, flowing through Coleroon river, is expected to reach the district by tomorrow. Besides the warning issued in Chidambaram, Kattunamarkoil taluks, the authorities are also keeping a watch along the bunds of rivers Vellar and Coleroon and the Veeranam lake, which, too, is fast filling up with a steady inflow of 1,200 cusecs of water through the Vadavur canal. The expected deluge in Coleroon had also led to the issue of a warning in 11 flood-prone villages of Nagapattinam district, where emergency measures have been taken to meet any eventuality. Elsewhere in the state, in districts untouched by the Cauvery, too, the monsoon wreaked havoc, besides bringing cheers to many. Palar riverbed, which had been parched for the past six years, saw a torrent of water gushing through it following heavy rains in the catchment areas in Karnataka, and the level in Vaigai dam near Madurai rose by seven feet in just two days in view of the copious showers in Theni district. The other dams around Madurai that has seen considerable increase in their storage position are: Periyar, Sothuparai and Manjalaru. Most of these dams have either surplussed already or fast filling up. Many parts of Krishnagiri district went under a thick sheet of water and the Kaveripattinam bridge that connects Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri has been submerged, leading to trafic dislocation. The four-lane modern highway, constructed recently under the ambitious Golden Quadrilateral project, has been damaged between Krishnagiri and Soolagiri, paralaysing traffic on national highway 7. Two boys were killed a 15-year-old when his house collapsed in Bargur and a seven-year-old who was washed away by floods at Veppanpalli - and many people have been evacuated from them homes and lodged in kalyana mandapams. In Chennai, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa held a detailed discussion with the senior officials at the Secretariat to review the overall situation and instructed that all steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the people. Bangalore: The incessant rain during the past two days has brought the infrastructure woes of Bangalore to the fore once again on the eve of the government sponsored IT conference which is aimed at selling the city as a “pan - Asia” destination. The rains claimed three lives today in the city. Two persons were washed away while wading thru water near Silk Board Junction. It is the IT sector which has taken the maximum battering. This is because this area, situated in southern Bangalore, has witnessed mushrooming of hundreds of illegal layouts and commercial establishments. Most of the areas affected by the rain were neither developed by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) nor approved by it. Due to the high pressure on land in the IT corridor, a large number of water holding bodies have vanished in recent years. This meant flood waters could not flow out from the affected parts. Besides closing of natural drainages, choking of storm-water drains with silt and garbage has not helped matters. Hosur road, on which offices of around 150 IT companies are situated, has been the worst affected. Traffic on this road has been severely hit with only buses able to negotiate the road today. The local police has pressed boats into service in some areas adjoining the area . Besides this more than 15,000 persons in Bommanahalli were moved to safer places today. Three lakes on the periphery of the city at Puttanhalli, Nagawara and Begur have over flown. This has resulted in flood waters entering Hebbal, JP Nagar and Jakkur. Even highrise buildings in posh areas lake of Jaya Nagar are threatened with the Yediyur lake threatening to overflow into the localities. Ponds and other water bodies have already overflown at many places resulting in fishes moving in the water on few roads in the city. Other towns which were affected by the heavy rain include Kolar, Mandya, Chamrajnagar and Hosur. Janata Dal (Secular) President H.D. Dewe Gowda visited parts of Mandya district to check on the relief measures being taken by the government. WEST BENGAL: The current wave of floods, triggered by week-long rains, claimed 13 lives and affected 30 lakh population in seven West Bengal districts, with situation in worst-hit East and West Midnapore districts continuing to be grim today, state’s Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said. Reviewing the flood situation at a high-level meeting attended by Relief Minister H A Sairani and Irrigation Minister Biswanath Chowdhury among others, Mr Dasgupta said that the total flood damage in the affected districts was estimated at Rs 525 crore as standing crop was destroyed. East Midnapore bore the brunt of the floods that claimed six lives, followed by five in South 24-parganas, one each in West Midnapore and Howrah, Mr Dasgupta said. Flood waters, he said, had not yet receded in East and West Midnapore districts, as reports of flood damage were received from Egra, Pratappur, Tamluk and the sea-resort of
Digha. |
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Environment clearance to river-linking project
Hyderabad, October 25 Besides, the Rs 13,500 crore project would also link the mighty Godavari River with Krishna by diverting 80 tmc of its waters. The Chief Minister, Mr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who made the announcement here today, termed the occasion as a ‘historic moment’ for the state. The mega project, named Indira Sagar, envisages construction of a dam at Polavaram in West Godavari district with 181.50-km-long Left Main Canal and 174-km Right Main Canal. The project would also generate 960 MW of power and provide drinking water to the port city of Visakhapatnam and 540 villages en route. Mr Reddy disclosed that the project would be completed within five years. Meanwhile, Medha Patkar of National Alliance of Peoples Movements today presented a joint memorandum to the Chief Secretary demanding that construction of Polavaram be stopped, as 1.50 lakh people would be displaced. Allaying these apprehensions, Mr Reddy said his government was planning to spend Rs 4,361 crore for environmental management, including resettlement and rehabilitation. He said half of the total project cost was earmarked towards resettlement and rehabilitation. “Our rehabilitation package is the best in the country and had earned the appreciation of the Centre,” the Chief Minister said, adding that only 47,900 families would be displaced by the project. Asked about Medha Patkar’s concerns, the Chief Minister said he was confident she would appreciate the rehabilitation package. |
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Foreigner held for streaking at Pushkar, gets bail
Ajmer, October 25 She was let out on bail yesterday after she furnished a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and was asked not to leave the town till the case proceedings were over. Erica on Saturday took a dip in the holy Pushkar lake after undressing herself completely and then walking nude through the market right up to the hotel where she had been lodging. When local residents objected to her act of obscenity, she not only pleaded that it was part of a spiritual ritual but also alleged that a local “purohit” had inspired her to do so. She, however, had apologised “if it had hurt the feelings of anybody”. After two days’ lull, the state government directed the district administration to take action under the Indian Penal Code following a hue and cry by a section of local pandits. The world-famous Pushkar fair is going to begin from November 9. Earlier, a strip-dance by Israeli girls, mutual kissing by a foreign couple at the time of their wedding according to Hindu customs and the presence of wine and woman at the Brahma temple had sparked off resentment among the Pushkar citizens. However, some of the witnesses to the act said Erica suffered from mental illness and was intoxicated when the incident took place. |
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Mau MLA Ansari surrenders
Lucknow, October 25 He surrendered in the neighboring district, as the court was yet to start functioning in Mau, said his brother and Samajwadi Party MP from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari. Speaking to The Tribune, his brother said Mukhtar had decided to surrender so that peace could return to Mau. “Normalcy in Mau had become synonymous with his arrest. No one was bothered if relief work was progressing or when the inquiry would commence. The decision to surrender was to pre-empt the designs of fascist forces like Mahant Adityanath Yogi”, he said. Demanding an inquiry into the reportedly false complaint lodged by Jitendra Yadav, Afzal Ansari said an inquiry should establish whether Yadav had been forced to lodge that FIR or was he under pressure to withdraw it. On 18 October soon after the new district administration team took over, an FIR was filed against Mukhtar Ansari under Section 302 of the IPC on a complaint by Jitendra Yadav. The complainant had charged Ansari with killing his younger brother during riots. He was also wanted for reportedly inciting communal violence which claimed eight lives. However, three days later, the complainant met Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav demanding action against the local police for lodging a false case against Ansari on the charge of killing his younger brother Ram Pratap Yadav. On Sunday morning, the police had swung into action and had raided four of Mukhtar Ansari’s residences across three districts. The MLA, however, had remained elusive. |
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Foreign Secy defends Iran
New Delhi, October 25 Mr Saran, in his lecture on “Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security” at India Habitat Centre here said: “With respect to the Iran nuclear issue, we welcome Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA in accounting for previously undeclared activities, but it is important that remaining issues which involve the Pakistan-based A.Q. Khan network are satisfactorily clarified as well. We see no reason why there should be an insistence on personal interviews with Iranian scientists but an exception granted to a man who has been accused of running a global ‘nuclear Wal-Mart’. These aspects must surely be considered for an objective assessment on this question.”
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Onion prices ease a bit
New Delhi, October 25 However, in Maharashtra, where the commodity was being sold in the retail market in the range of Rs 18 to 30, traders maintained that the prices would not drop before November 15, when fresh stocks were expected.
— PTI |
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