Kaushik, Brahamchari yet to repay bank loans
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 11
Contrary to their image, state BJP Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik, who is contesting from Haridwar (city), and his rival Congress candidate Satpal Brahamchari are still to pay their bank loans amounting to Rs 15 lakh and Rs 6 lakh approximately.

Further, though Kaushik has movable property worth Rs 11, 44,864, immovable worth Rs 1,90,760 and 0.926 acres of agricultural land in Imlikheda village, surprisingly he doesn’t possess a vehicle, using the red beacon state government Ambassador car only.

Satpal Brahamchari, too, has taken a bank loan of Rs 6.76 lakh for a car and a residential plot in Dehradun, having total property worth Rs 40 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in cash.

Bahujan Samaj Party’s veteran leader and party candidate from Piran Kaliyar, in his submission to the Election Commission has shown Rs 2.15 lakh cash, a 1991 model Mahindra jeep, 1.70 hectare agricultural land worth Rs 13 lakh as per current market rate a residential plot worth Rs 70 lakh.

He also owns two commercial shops taken on lease from the municipal committee, Roorkee, and lives in his ancestral family house in Loh Bali village.

Similarly,BSP candidate from Lakshar Hazi Tasleem has Rs 1,25,000 cash, a 2001 model motor cycle, Armada jeep and a Scorpio SUV. Also, he has a Rs 48 lakh worth residential plot, a 3.975-acre agricultural plot worth Rs25 lakh and has taken a loan of Rs 8,97,000.

Another saint, Swami Yatishwaranand, terming him as social activist in the affidavit, who is contesting on the BJP ticket in Haridwar rural segment, has cash worth Rs 48,000, a Scorpio car, 7 gram gold ring, a 0.247-acre agricultural plot and has no bank loan to his name.

Rebels hard nut for Cong to crack
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
The Congress finds itself in a piquant situation on the issue of stemming the rebellion by party leaders who had been denied party ticket for the coming Assembly elections.

Despite several appeals by party general secretary and in charge Uttarakhand affairs Birender Singh to such rebels to refrain from contesting against official party candidates, supporters of the party rebels have swelled.

Mantri Prasad Naithani, a former Congress minister and ticket aspirant from Devprayag Assembly segment, was the latest to quit the party. He announced to contest the poll as an independent candidate against the party decision to give party ticket to Shoorveer Sajwan, another senior party leader who unsuccessfully contested the 2007 Assembly poll from Rishikesh.

Interestingly, despite the backing of Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj, Mantri Prasad Naithani could not get party nomination from his own constituency.

According to party sources, it was Birender Singh, party general secretary in charge, who had his say in the ticket distribution which has kicked off a revolt in the party.

From the Rudraprayag Assembly segment, two senior leaders, Bharat Chaudhary and Virender Bisht, have been ignored and a reluctant Harak Singh Rawat, leader of the Opposition, has been sent packing to Rudraprayag to take on Uttarakhand minister and senior BJP leader Matbar Singh Kandari, his close relative. Bharat Chaudhary and Virender Bisht are expected to fight as independent candidates.

Godavari Thapli, a ticket aspirant from Mussoorie who was denied party ticket, has quit the party along with her husband Upender Thapli and announced to fight as an Independent.

Similarly, in the neighbouring Dhanolti Assembly segment, a Jot Singh Bisht, a close confidant of Union minister Harish Rawat, was denied party ticket. He has quit the Congress and announced to fight elections as an independent.

From the Doiwala Assembly segment, the Congress has given ticket to former minister Hira Singh Bisht, who was denied party nomination from his home constituency of Raipur.

This has infuriated SP Singh, another Harish Rawat supporter, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate. In Haridwar, prominent rebel candidate, including Ambrish Kumar, was brought to the Congress with much fanfare and a promise of a party ticket from the Ranipur Assembly seat. After being denied party ticket, he has announced to fight as an Independent.

However, efforts are on to win back the rebels with senior party leaders exerting pressure on the rebel candidates. There were even promises to take care of their political interests, if the Congress comes to power. Suryakant Dhasmana, a senior BJP leader who was also a ticket aspirant from Dehradun Cantt, has been made a vice-president of the party after being denied party ticket.

BJP fields Hema from Champawat
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, January 11
The BJP today gave ticket to Hema Joshi from the Champawat seat, ending all speculation. “The letter from the state party headquarters regarding the grant of ticket to Hema Joshi was handed over to her by the Champawat district president of the BJP. She is likely to submit the letter to the returning officer tomorrow,” said a party spokesman at Champawat.

The confusion over BJP ticket from Champawat had become the talk of the town after Hema filed her nomination papers from the seat on Monday.

In-charge of the state BJP campaign committee Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said there was now no dispute over the ticket fro the Champawat seat as the party high-powered committee had decided on the candidate. “The letter regarding the grant of ticket from the Champawat seat might have taken some time to reach Hema Joshi, but the decision was taken earlier,” said Koshiyari.

According to BJP sources, after the party repeated ticket to two women candidates in the Garhwal region, supporters of Beena Maharana started mounting pressure on the high command to give ticket to her again. “Due to this tussle, the party withheld decision on the ticket from Champawat though it had announced the name of the candidate,” said the sources.

They said Beena’s insistence on the grant of ticket from Lohaghat instead of Champawat had gone against her. The concentration of voters in the plains of Tanakpur and Banbasa in the Champawat constituency went in favour of Hema as she belongs to the area and had been active there for the past five years.

Hema Malini, Sidhu to campaign  for BJP candidates
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
BJP leaders Varun Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Hema Malini and Shatrughan Sinha will campaign for the party candidates in the Assembly poll in the state.

These star campaigners would begin canvassing as soon as the process of nomination ends. Besides, senior leaders LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Mukthar Abass Naqvi and Sushma Swaraj would also address election meetings and  rallies.

“The central BJP leadership has already submitted the list of star speakers to the Election Commission in New Delhi,” said Satish Lakhera, Uttarakhand BJP spokesperson. 

BJP faces weather blues in state
Neena Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, January 11
Inclement weather in the state is creating trouble for the BJP, more so after two of its senior leaders, Chief Minister BC Khanduri and state chief BS Chufal, faced fierce weather conditions while filing nominations in Kotdwar and Didihaat, respectively.

From the very beginning, Khanduri had raised objections to the January 30 poll date due to cold weather conditions. Even though the central leadership of the BJP has already met the Election Commission demanding that the January 30 elections be postponed due to inclement weather, the Uttarakhand Electoral office today stated that the elections would be held on schedule as the weather conditions are likely to improve in the coming days.

“The elections will be on schedule. I have submitted a report about the recent snowfall witnessed in the districts to the Election Commission. The weather is improving continuously,” said Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi.

The Uttarakhand electoral office would also be presenting another report to the Election Commission, 10 days before the polling date. During his recent visit to Dehradun, Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi had stated that while deciding the January 30, the Election Commission had taken into account the weather record of the past 30 years. It has also prepared a contingency plan for snow-bound areas.

However, weather experts say there is a lot of exaggeration about the exact nature of the snowfall that has taken place in the hills and in some areas sleet and hail has been reported as snowfall, especially in low-lying (3,500 ft) areas. Though for now only the BJP has been voicing objections.

“It is difficult to predict weather. But if you go by the weather record of the state for the past 42 years, only six or seven times the snowfall had taken place on January 30. Also between 2000-2002, there was hardly any winter rain. Besides, much would depend on the nature of western disturbances and how active these are on or some time before the poll date. Similarly, in the plain areas too, the probability of rainfall occurring is also high which is quite normal,” said Anand Sharma, Director, Meteorological Centre.

RSS leader joins URM
Rajendra to contest from Doon Cantt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
A senior functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in Uttarakhand, Rajendra Pant, joined the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha here today. He also announced that he would contest the Assembly elections from to the prestigious Dehradun Cantt seat.

Pant accused the BJP of ignoring dedicated party workers. He said the BJP had adopted the use and throw policy, particularly with the local leaders.

He said BJP leaders like Rajesh Sharma, Subhash Issar and Babbal Kalra, who had played an important role in promoting the interests of the party in Dehradun, were expelled from the party at the behest of a local leader.

Pant, however, added though he had joined the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha, he was still committed to the RSS ideology.

“The RSS is in my blood,” he said. He added he had left his government job to join active politics and would contest the Assembly elections from te Dehradun Cantt seat. 

Five rebels, 14 others file papers 
B.D. kasniyal

Pithoragarh January 11
Five rebel candidates - two belonging to the ruling BJP and two to the Congress and one to the UKD(P) - were among the 19 candidates who filed their nomination papers today in four districts, returning officers from these districts informed.

Kailash Sharma, a rebel candidate, today filed his nomination papers from Almora seat, amid a large number of supporters as an Independent candidate. Sharma, who had been a BJP MLA during 2002 to 2007, was a strong aspirant of the party ticket from Almora seat this time. “More than 1000 persons participated in the nomination procession of Sharma.The people belonging to the areas of Brechina, Seraghat, Khaspraja and Uchur Patti of the district have come on their own expenditure to attend the procession of Sharma,” said

Arvind Bisht, BJP district chief, who has since resigned from the party.

In Bageswar seat Kamaljeet Das, a rebel candidate of BJP, today filed his nominations as a UKD (P) candidate after the party denied him the ticket. Das, a son of former minister, has applied for the party ticket from the BJP.

Kunti Parihar, who had joined Congress Party and sought ticket from the party in Kapkot seat, also filed her nomination papers from Kapkot seat as an Independent candidate today after being denied party nomination by Congress.

The Congress is a divided house on Bageshwar seat as the party district chief Ummed Singh Majhila has already tendered his resignation over denial of ticket to him from Kapkot seat.

In Didihat seat of Pithoragarh district, UKD leader and organiser of Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti, Jodh Singh Bora, filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate as the party had given ticket to Gajendra Singh Jangpangi, a former student leader. “The party has ditched me despite that the fact that I was the only leader who kept the party alive by running the zila banao andolan against the BJP rule,”said Bora after filing the nominations.

A total of 19 nominations have been filed in Almora parliamentary constituency, including 10 in four seats of Pithoragarh, 5 in Almora district and 2 each in Bageshwar and Champawat districts.

Harsh Vardhan Singh Rawat, a Congress rebel in Champawat seat, filed his nomination papers from Champawat seat as UKD (P) candidate. Rawat, who is chairman of Nagar Palika Parishad in Tanakpur town, had sought party ticket on the basis of his work in Tanakpur area of the district.

Rebel GL Shah quits BJP 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
Sitting MLA from Pindar (Chamoli) GL Shah, who was at the forefront of the rebellion that manifested in a massive protest at the BJP state headquarters against the ticket distribution for the 2012 Assembly poll, has resigned from the BJP.

Shah was miffed with the BJP central leadership for denying him a ticket from Tharali (Chamoli) after his Pindar seat was hit by the new delimitation.

“I will hold talks with my supporters and decide on the future course of action whether I should stand as an Independent or join other parties,” said Shah.

As the Congress has already declared the candidate for the Tharali seat, chances of him joining the regional parties are higher.

Meanwhile, Cabinet minister and BJP sitting MLA from Dhanolti today deferred his decision to file his nomination from Rajpur (Dehradun) and will be holding a late night meeting with his supporters.

Khazan Das and another rebel Anil Nautiyal, the sitting MLA from Karnprayag (Chamoli), are being actively wooed by the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha.

Ambrish files papers as Independent from Ranipur-Bhel seat 
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 11
Despite efforts from Congress leaders to persuade former legislator Ambrish Kumar not to contest as an Independent candidate, an adamant Ambrish filed his nominations from Ranipur-Bhei segment today, giving shivers to the Congress camp.

With this, problems for official Congress candidate Balwant Singh Chauhan have only increased, as first priority of the dissident former legislator will be to make sure Chauhan loses, so as to teach the party

leaders, who denied him the ticket, a lesson. Even Haridwar parliamentarian Harish Rawat, on whose assurance Ambrish had joined the Congress two months back, tried to persuade him by sending his messengers.

This included Swami Rishiwaranand and two-three city party leaders, who have good communication with the dissident, and as per party sources, had offered Kumar a state-level party executive party post as well as prime red-beacon posts like state planning commission vice chairperson.

But Ambrish was adamant that he only wanted to contest the Assembly election and nothing else this time as he ‘was given solid assurance’ by party state leaders, including Harish Rawat, and was not obliged, and, hence, he felt cheated.

Even before moving towards Roshanabad district election office, Ambrish Kumar was contacted by city Congress party leaders, and as his cavalcade moved for nomination numerous times, he was contacted on his cell-phone, but all efforts went in vain as finally Ambrish filed his nominations as an Independent candidate.

Speaking to TNS Ambrish said: “Now the public will be deciding about my electoral fate as well as that of the Congress. Since I have been cheated by Congress leaders, the public will give them a reply by electing me from Ranipur BHEL segment.”

While Balwant Chauhan refuted that Ambrish was given the ticket assurance in lieu of his joining the Congress, saying that it’s working with the people and party workers at the ground level had fetched him the ticket, he said he did not fear Ambrish contesting as an Independent.

Aadesh Chauhan, BJP candidate, commented that he did not think that the Congress candidate and Independent Ambrish posed any threat to his prospects in this election, adding: “Even if both would have been together, then also I would have won as since the past 10 years I have been working in this segment, solving people’s problems, and I have worked with dedication.”

New front adds to confusion in poll scenario
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
The formation of a joint front by the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (D), the Uttarakhand Jan Manch and the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP) has created a confusion in the political scenario.

The parties are opposing to this unnamed front for adding to confusion to mar their political prospects.

Trivender Singh Panwar, president of the UKD (P), castigated Chief Minister BC Khanduri for using his close associate Rajan Todriya for playing spoilsport. “It is Khanduri who has brought in Todriya to constitute another front just to belittle the front floated by us.”

PC Thapliyal, spokesperson of the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha (URM) also blamed the Chief Minister for plotting against their outfit. “Khanduri has deliberately created another morcha to confuse people with the

name of our party. He wants to settle scores with our president TPS Rawat, who broke up with his party.”

Both leaders, however, seemed certain that the very fundamentals of the outfit were hollow. Not only this, the parties, part of this new front, themselves are confused to the highest order.

Todriya denied for being a Khanduri’s man saying, “I supported Khanduri in anti-corruption campaign when he was not the Chief Minister of the state as after taking over the position, he presented a weak Lokpal Bill.”

UKD (D) dissidents, led by officiating president Luxman Singh Chufal, are using the name of the party as UKD (D) with which they have quite recently announced to part ways and sent their resignation. Satish Semwal, party spokesperson, said: “It was unbecoming on the part of Chufal for not discussing the issue with the party president. A similar kind of front, floated in 2002 Assembly elections, was a failure”.

Candidates told to maintain poll expense registers
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
The Uttarakhand electoral office has issued directives to all the candidates standing in the 2012 Assembly polls to maintain expenditure registers that would keep an account of the expenditure incurred or authorised by them.

“Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is mandatory for every candidate standing in the election to maintain the expenditure register. The account of all expenditure incurred or authorised by him or by his election agent, between the date on which he was nominated and the date of declaration of the results of elections, both dates inclusive, will have to be kept.

The total expenditure should also not exceed the ceiling amount as prescribed for candidates standing for Assembly elections,” said Radha Raturi, Chief Electoral Officer (Uttarakhand).

The Election Commission puts the election expenditure in two categories. The first type is election expenditure, which is allowed under the law for electioneering, subject to it being within the permissible limit.

This would include expenditure connected with campaigning like on public meetings, posters, banners, vehicles, advertisements in print or electronic media etc. Another form of expenditure is in the form of surrogate advertisements, paid news etc, that, too, would be carefully watched by the Election Commission and accounted for in the candidates’ election expenditure. 

Relief for ‘victim’ poll officials hiked
Rajeev Khanna/TNS

Nainital, January 11
The Election Commission has enhanced the financial assistance amount to be given to the personnel involved in the polling exercise in case of any untoward incident that leads to casualty or disability.

According to District Election Officer, Almora, DS Garbyal, any casualty on account of an attack by anti-social elements or militants with the help of land mines or arms while the person is undergoing poll training or performing the duty for polling and counting would lead to a payment of Rs 10 lakh to next of his kin.

He said any permanent disability on account of the above mentioned reasons would lead to a payment of Rs 2.50 lakh to the victim.

According to information, if any personnel on poll duty dies of general causes like heart attack etc, his family would be given a sum of Rs 5 lakh and if a person suffers 45 per cent disability because of general reasons he would get Rs 1.50 lakh.

Garbyal has stated that the orders in this regard have already been given by the Chief Election Officer in the state. 

Margaret Alva grieves loss of lives in accident
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 11
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva has expressed deep shock and grief at the loss of lives in the bus mishap which occurred near Nainbag in Tehri district in which 13 passengers were killed this morning.

The Governor prayed for the peace of the souls of those who died in the accident and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. She also prayed to God to give strength to next of kin of the victims to bear the loss.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C.Khanduri has also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Poll snippets

Trinamool throws hat in arena
Dehradun: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday held a press conference announcing contesting poll in 50 Assembly seats of Uttarakhand. Trinamool Congress leaders claimed that they had successfully unseated the 35-year-old Left parties rule in West Bengal and would replicate the same success in Uttarakhand. It is strange that Uttarakhand that has been into existence for little more than 10 years has been ruled by both Congress and BJP in turns. Interestingly, the Left parties in Uttarakhand kept small pockets of influence and were just contesting 12 seats whereas the Trinamool would go for 50 Assembly seats in one go.

J&K Panthers Party also tries luck
Dehradun: With the election season in progress, there has been sudden emergence of number of political parties in Uttarakhand. The Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party has pitted candidates in a large number of Assembly seats in the state. The Panthers Party is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir and is headed by Prof Bhim Singh. Voters in Uttarakhand look perplexed over the role of Panther’s Party in the state.

Parties extra cautious on poll code
Dehradun: With the stringent Model Code of Conduct has come into being in Uttarakhand, parties have been forced to keep extra caution. While many contestants in Dehradun were forced to ask their supporters not to raise slogans while they filed their nomination papers, many wall graffitis have also been removed. One such Congress graffiti on the boundary wall of Mangla Devi Inter-College on EC Road was removed a day back so as to ensure that there was no infringement of the code of conduct.

A long walk to file papers
Pithoragarh: An Independent candidate, willing to file his nomination papers from the Dharchula Assembly seat in Pithoragarh district, began his 120-km-long journey on foot from his home at Madkot in the Munsiyari valley on Tuesday to reach subdivision headquarters in Dharchula. “I will reach the nomination office at Dharchula on January 12 after travelling 120 km on foot, and on same day will file my nomination papers as an Independent candidate,” said Jeewan Singh Danu. He said he had been awarded as progressive farmer during past years, adding that he was contesting the election on Rs 40,000 taken as a loan from his wife.

Poll staff told to keep mobiles on
Nainital: Deputy District Election Officer (Dy DEO) at Udham Singh Nagar Ranvir Singh Chauhan has ordered all Returning Officers (ROs), Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) and nodal officers appointed for poll duties to ensure that their mobile phones are switched on throughout the day. They have also been ordered to activate the call waiting mode on their handsets. Chauhan has stated that with the poll observers being deputed across the district, instant sharing of information will be required in the days to come and keeping the mobile phones switched off or busy will hamper this process. He has ordered that the orders should be followed strictly.

Awareness session on voting
Nainital: Director General of the Election Commission of India (ECI) Akshay Rout had a video conferencing session with the senior functionaries of the election panel at work in Uttarakhand on Wednesday. He took stock on the steps being taken by the government on generating awareness among the voters with regards to the importance of exercising their right to franchise. He called for a large-scale awareness drive aimed at securing 100 per cent voting in the coming elections. He also enquired about the programmes being planned on the occasion of National Voter’s Day which will be observed on January 25.

Filing papers a show of strength
Nainital: The filing of nominations by various candidates is turning out to be an occasion to show their strength. The processions being taken to the designated offices for filing the papers are huge and move at a snail’s pace to the accompaniment of drums and other musical instruments. Ironically, a large number of participants in these processions are children who are yet to attain the official voting age. A public address either at the beginning of the procession or after the filing of papers has also become a norm of sorts with the candidates.