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Heavy security build-up for counting Bihar votes
Repoll ordered at six booths
Keep off Nehru, Gandhi trusts’ meetings, Sonia directs Natwar
Summons to Banerji panel for relevant data
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Iran N-issue: CPM-led front asks PM to clarify stand
Dead man resurfaces
in court
HC notice to Gaur in land scam case
BJP meeting for winter session
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Heavy security build-up for counting Bihar votes
Patna, November 20 There was a peaceful turnout of 47 per cent of the 52.7 million voters under intense security. Bihar Chief Secretary G.S. Kang said one company of Central Para -Military Forces will be deputed at each counting centre. He said jawans of the Bihar Armed Police and the District Armed Police will also be deployed at the polling booths. Section 144 will also be promulgated by the district administration in accordance with the requirement. State Chief Electoral Officer N.K. Sinha said all results were likely to be out by the evening. District Magistrate of Patna B Rajendra said jawans of the Special Service Bureau would be deputed inside the counting centres while jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) would be deployed outside polling booths in the state capital. He said status of counting would be updated every ten seconds and it would also be available on the internet. Prominent leaders whose fate would be decided includes former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and several other former Bihar RJD Ministers, state Congress president Sadanand Singh, former Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Shanker Dubey, LJP leaders Pashupati Kumar Paras and Ram Jatan Sinha, JD (U) leaders Upendra Kushwaha, Ramashryaya Prasad Singh, BJP leaders Ashwani Choubey, Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha, and Arun Sinha . The total deployment of forces to hold free and fair elections in Bihar, was more that forces used by US President George Bush in Iraq. Official reports published in the media during the Iraq war revealed that the USA had deployed about 90,000 soldiers in the Iraq War. Official figures
available with the state Election Commission reveal that 1,25,000 forces, including Central Paramilitary forces ,state armed police and other security
personnel, were used in the four phases of polls in Bihar which began on October 18 not only to limit the violence but also to ensure free and fair elections. The state Chief Election Officer, Mr
N. K. Sinha, however refused to admit the allegations put forward by some political parties that such huge deployment of security forces proved to be counter-productive creating a fear-psychosis on the minds of voters leading to comparative low turnout. Against 46.2 percent turnout in February
polls, in the current phase the average turnout in four phases has been recorded as 47 per cent as already being disclosed officially by the Election Commission. Mr Sinha sought to defend his stand by pointing out that there were large number of women voters in almost all poling booths in four phase and there was good participation by Backward and Dalit voters in remote villages. Sources in the Election Commission pointed out two reasons which might have contributed to the drop of poll percentage compared to that of previous polls. Firstly,
the names of about 18 lakh false voters were deleted for the voters list this time. Secondly, the unprecedented deployment of Central
para-military forces in particular, not only checked bogus voting but on the contrary, created a fear-psychosis in the minds of booth grabbers and
musclenmen, who did not dare to vitiate the poll process. Going by official
statistics, even the Congress regime before 1990 could register poll percentage as high as a little around 50 to 55 per
cent, which only had crossed over 60 per cent after the Mandal and Mandir episode in 1990s during the RJD rule in the past 15 years. |
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Toughest poll: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon has said holding elections in Bihar was one of the toughest challenge for the commission.
However, he strongly defended Special observer of the Commission K.J. Rao who has been criticised by the RJD-Congress led alliance for his alleged casteist remarks. "Conducting elections in Bihar was a challenge," Mr Tandon said in an interview to a private TV channel. Mr Tandon's comments come a day after the fourth and final phase of elections concluded in Bihar. The counting of votes will be held on November 22.Polling was held in four phases across a month for the 243-member Bihar Assembly. |
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Repoll ordered at six booths
Patna, November 20 Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Deepak Prasad said repolling at booth number 66 and 128 in Marhaura, booth number two, three and 25 in Islampur and at booth number 97 in Baikunthpur Assembly constituencies will be held tomorrow from 7 am to 4 pm. Twelve candidates are in the fray for the Marhaura seat with the main fight between Sheopujan Prasad Rai (RJD), Jitendra Kumar Rai JD(U) and Chulhan Prasad Singh (CPI). In Islampur, the RJD-led Secular Democratic Front (SDF) nominee, Kaushlendra Kumar (NCP) is being challenged by Ramswaroop Prasad of JD (U), Rakesh Kumar Roshan (CPI), Sunil Kumar (CPI-ML-liberation) and Vijay Kumar Ravidas of the BSP. In Baikunthpur Assembly seat the RJD candidate Deo Dutt Prasad is locked in a three-cornered contest With Manjeet Kumar Singh of JD(U) and Lal Babu Prasad Yadav of the LJP. Meanwhile, repolling was held at two booths (234 and 235) of Sitamarhi Assembly constituency today and a 46 per cent voter turnout was reported. Election in Sitamarhi was orginally slated for November 13 but was deferred to November 16 alongwith 14 other constituencies due to security reasons. Counting would be taken up on November 22.
— PTI |
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Keep off Nehru, Gandhi trusts’ meetings,
New Delhi, November 20 In view of this, Mr Natwar Singh, now a minister without portfolio, skipped a function of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust here yesterday. His absence was conspicuous as he was to sit on the dais. Besides, the Nehru Memorial Trust is organising a function here tomorrow where former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew will deliver a special lecture. Like the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Mr Natwar Singh is holding a high office in Nehru trust as well and thus he is required to attend tomorrow's function. He is expected to skip tomorrow's function too. The situation assumes
significance in context of Mr Natwar Singh as he has been close to the Gandhi family for decades. Natwar Singh detractors would like to project this situation as a demonstration of Ms Sonia Gandhi distancing herself from Mr Natwar Singh. This camp sees Ms Gandhi's comments at HT Leadership Summit a few days ago on Volcker report—where she said all those found guilty in the scam would be punished — as indication of the beginning of the end of Mr Natwar Singh's political career. On the other hand, those in the Natwar Singh camp see these developments as shrewd and mature political handling by Ms Sonia Gandhi who has seen from close quarters the plummeting of the Congress political graph in the wake of the Bofors scam. Mr Natwar Singh's supporters feel that there was nothing wrong in Ms Sonia Gandhi's remarks at the summit as the Congress president was not expected to say anything to the contrary than what she said. The Natwar supporters also point to the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still keeping the External Affairs Minister portfolio with him despite hectic lobbying for it within the party. Their argument is that the Prime Minister is keeping the seat warm for Mr Natwar Singh and he will return as minister as soon as he gets the clean chit. It is understood that Ms Sonia Gandhi is keen to pre-empt the Opposition from scoring any points or taking any political mileage on the Volcker controversy at a time when the winter session of Parliament is due to begin from November 23. Against this backdrop, tomorrow's function assumes a subtle political significance. |
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Summons to Banerji panel for relevant data
Gandhinagar, November 20 The commission noted that it was difficult to appreciate the long time being taken by the committee to respond to the request. It appears that the high-level panel is reluctant to provide all relevant papers. It is difficult to understand the delay in sending material, particularly when highly sophisticated technology is now available to make it possible.” The summons have been issued after the Banerji Committee for the third time expressed its inability to send reports of the railway authorities and other experts. It said the reports were voluminous and, therefore, it was unable to make copies and send the same to the commission. It reportedly cited legal issues involved. The Nanavati-Shah Commission asked for the reports after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad counsel made a plea for the same before it since it would assist the probe. While the Nanavati-Shah Commission is probing the Godhra train carnage and the statewide communal violence that followed it, the high-level Banerji Committee has been set up by the Union Railway Ministry to investigate the train fire. Meanwhile, the continuing impasse over release of correspondence exchanged between the then President K.R. Narayanan and the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on the issue under probe is sought to be taken to it’s logical end, with the commission seeking a clarification from the office of the President” whether he intends to produce the said letters before it. Earlier, Dr Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangharsh Manch had urged the commission to pass appropriate orders to ask the Chief Minister as well as ministers to file an affidavit in view of the subsequent notification issued by
their Government of Gujarat dated July 28, 2005, enlarging the scope of enquiry to be conducted by it. While the commission held that it could not force anyone to file such an affidavit, it directed the state government to produce the recommendations made and directions given by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the state government from time to time and the action taken by it
pursuant to these recommendations. |
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Iran N-issue: CPM-led front asks PM to clarify stand
Hyderabad, November 20 CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said that though the Iran nuclear issue was coming up before the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) for voting on November 24, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was still unclear about the government’s stand. The Prime Minister has said that he would take a decision only after going through the IAEA resolution, he added. As part of the national campaign against the UPA Government’s alleged pro-US stand, the UPA allies held a public meeting at Prakasam Hall, Gandhi Bhavan, here. The PM must clarify whether the government was in favour of referring the Iran nuclear issue to the UN General Council or not, he stated. CPI Central Council member S. Sudhakara Reddy, RSP General and Secretary Manoj Bhattacharya and SP General Secretary Amar Singh also asked the government to clarify its stand. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya called for a white paper on the entire issue. Karat and other leaders, however, made it clear that their demand was neither a threat nor an ultimatum to the government. Mr Karat said the alliance was not demanding anything more than what had been laid down in the CMP. The CMP, he said, had clearly stated that the government would follow an independent policy. “Our appeal to the government is to stick to it. Unfortunately, the UPA government, under US pressure, is dilly dallying the matter”, he charged. Refuting the Congress and the UPA claim that the US support was necessary for fighting terrorism and Pakistan, SP leader Amar Singh reminded how America had been pampering Pakistan. The RSP leader advised the Congress not to compel the Left and secular parties to reconsider their support to the UPA government. |
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Faizabad, November 20 Krishna Kant, a resident of Jhansi, who had been living in the Mani Ram Ki Chavni area in Ayodhya, had suddenly disappeared in January this year. The police later recovered a skeleton from a house and identified it as that of Krishna Kant and also arrested four persons on charges of murdering him, police sources here said. While three of the arrested persons were enlarged on bail later, one of them was still languishing in the jail, they said. Krishna Kant, during his visit to the temple town on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, went to his old residence where he was greeted with surprise by his neighbours. On being informed about the arrests, he approached the court yesterday shouting that he was alive and that he had left Ayodhya in January after having a brawl with some students. Taking the matter seriously, the court directed the investigating officer to appear before it on November 25 and explain how a living man was declared dead. — PTI
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HC notice to Gaur in land scam case
Bhopal, November 20 Soon after taking over as the Congress Chief Minister in December 1993, Mr Digvijay Singh had constituted a one-man committee to look into the land allotments made in urban areas by the BJP government of Mr Sunderlal Patwa between March 1990 and December 1992. Mr Jagatpati, a former Chief Secretary of the state, was appointed to head the inquiry committee. Mr Gaur was then Minister of Law and Urban Development. |
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BJP meeting for winter session
New Delhi, November 20 The meeting, held at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was attended among others by party president L.K. Advani, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha V.K. Malhotra. Emerging out of the one-hour-long meeting, Mr Jaswant Singh refused to elaborate on what strategy the BJP would adopt on the Iran issue, thus indicating that the main Opposition would like to wait and watch on what strategy Left parties would adopt on the floor of the House. |
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