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Oppn set to turn heat on govt
Lobbying on as Cong struggles to find Uttarakhand CM
Difficult for BJP to come to power in 2014, says RSS
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BSP not to contest UP urban body polls
Mayawati
M’rashtra former minister arrested
Kingfisher pilots to go on strike from today
Mamata Banerjee not to attend swearing-in of Badal, Akhilesh
Mamata Banerjee
Won’t campaign for party candidate, says Yeddyurappa
16 TN fishermen hurt in ‘attack’ by Lankan navy
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Oppn set to turn heat on govt
New Delhi, March 11 Having suffered a humiliating defeat in the just-concluded Assembly polls, the Congress finds itself in an unenviable position on the eve of the crucial session, which will begin with President Pratibha Patil’s address to a joint sitting of the two Houses. The outcome of the Assembly polls has already given rise to speculation about the possibility of a realignment of political forces, leading to the formation of a Third Front to take on both the Congress and the BJP. Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, enthused by his party’s spectacular win in Uttar Pradesh, is learnt to have already initiated moves in this direction. Congress managers were confident that the Opposition would support the ‘people-oriented’ measures proposed to be undertaken by the UPA regime during the Parliament session. The first part of the Budget session will conclude on March 30. The second phase will start from April 24 after a three-week recess during which Parliamentary Standing Committees will deliberate on proposals of different ministries. The session is expected to conclude on May 22. The Rail Budget will be presented on March 14 and the General Budget on March 16. The Economic Survey will be placed in Parliament on March 15. The budget session, which generally starts in the third week of February, had to be delayed in view of the Assembly polls in five states. As the UPA chalked out the strategy it would adopt on the floor of the House, a senior Congress leader said the ruling coalition was ready to discuss any issue the Opposition was keen on raising in the House. He was hopeful that Parliament would be allowed to function smoothly by the Opposition since the budget and several important bills were slated to be passed during the session. The BJP, on its part, indicated that it would leave no stone unturned to put the government in the dock on the floor of the House. The main Opposition party also suggested that it was not averse to further expansion of the NDA. "If there is any such suggestion, we will discuss it there (NDA meeting)," BJP leader S S Ahluwalia said after a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party Executive when asked to comment on Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar's suggestion to expand the NDA. The CPM Polit Bureau also took stock of the current political situation and said “the poor performance of the Congress Party in the recent state Assembly elections indicates the people’s discontent about the policies of the UPA Government at the Centre, especially its failure to curb price rise and corruption at high places. In such a situation, the Manmohan Singh government should stop adopting measures which are detrimental to the interests of the people and the country.’’ The Left party said the people of the country were looking for urgent relief and the government should not adopt measures in the forthcoming Union Budget which would further burden the people. So fragile is the situation of the ruling coalition that it can no longer take its own allies like the Trinamool Congress for granted. Nobody in the ruling coalition has forgotten how West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined hands with non-Congress chief ministers in opposing the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). An all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar last week had seen Opposition leaders raising a variety of issues, including repeated "attacks" by the Centre on the federal structure of the Constitution, demand for white paper on black money and violation of the Model Code by several Union ministers.\
Congress on sticky wicket
Having suffered a humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls, the Congress finds itself in a tight spot ahead of the crucial session. A senior party leader said the ruling coalition was ready to discuss any issue the Opposition was keen on raising. So fragile is the situation of the coalition that it can no longer take for granted even its allies like the Trinamool Congress.
Opposition belligerent
The BJP indicated that it would try to put the government in the dock on the floor of the House. It suggested that it was not averse to further expansion of the NDA. The CPM Politburo said poor performance of the Congress in the recent state Assembly elections indicates the people's discontent about the policies of the UPA Government, especially its failure to curb price rise and corruption at high places.
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Lobbying on as Cong struggles to find Uttarakhand CM
New Delhi, March 11 Congress Central observers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Chauhdary Birender Singh are learnt to have submitted their report to party Chief Sonia Gandhi. Over a dozen MLAs are already in Delhi to step up consensus for their choice. Union Minister Harish Rawat and Party MP Vijay Bahuguna, today held separate meetings with Azad and Chaudhary Birender Singh. Both are said to be in contention for the Chief Minister’s post. They are also believed to have suggested their respective candidate for the coveted post in the event of the Congress president deciding that the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would be an MLA as is widely expected. Rawat said he had met the central leaders to convey his views on government formation in the state. “I have put my views to him. We are not only making an attempt to form a government but to run it as well. I had requested him for a meeting because I could not meet Azad when he went to Uttarakhand.” Azad and Birender Singh had ascertained the views of party MLAs from the state yesterday in Dehradun. Bahuguna said, "Our views were sought. It is not about formation of government but challenges will come after that as well. Our opinion was sought on this. We have given it and we hope that the Congress president will be apprised of our views." He indicated that the leadership issue might take a day or two. Uttarakhand PCC President Yashpal Arya had also earlier met Azad and a number of party MLAs also talked to Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel on the issue.
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Difficult for BJP to come to power in 2014, says RSS
New Delhi, March 11 In the editorials of its mouthpieces Organiser and Panchjanya, the sangh has asked the BJP as to why it could not be the choice for voters despite having an organised structure and cadre in the state. "In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP will have to think about the bigger army of leaders than workers," it said. The BJP has performed poorly in the elections and could manage only 47 seats-four less than it secured in 2007 poll-in the 403-member UP Assembly. Asking the BJP to look into the election results, the RSS said, "The election results in UP have posed several questions and their solutions have to be found well in time, otherwise 2014 General Elections can become "agneepath" for it and crossing it to reach the centre of power can be difficult." The RSS alleged the BJP was suffering from "Congress patch" in the state and was disconnected from the people. "In UP, the BJP also suffers from a Congress patch - disconnect with its voters. So, it has lost half of its vote share in the last one decade," it said. The RSS said with the kind of casteist and communal politics dominating UP, the BJP's weakening there will strengthen the fundamentalist forces as has been proven by the elections. — PTI
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BSP not to contest UP urban body polls
Lucknow, March 11 Among the first decisions it has taken after relinquishing power in UP is not to participate in the upcoming urban body elections, citing its fear of return of 'goonda raj' wherein the ruling Samajwadi Party may target its candidates. Addressing a national workers’ convention at the BSP headquarters where party MLAs, MPs and MLCs participated, the party’s national chief Mayawati announced the decision not to participate in the urban body elections. Hardly having a hold in the urban areas, BSP had performed poorly when the elections were last held in 2006. Even then, it had officially not contested the polls, citing apprehensions of infighting among its cadres on the eve of the 2007 Assembly elections. Still, it allowed its members to fight on their own and later took credit for their victories. BSP did not win even one of the 12 mayor seats in the state. According to a BSP release, under the SP’s rule, there was no question of free and fair elections being conducted for the forthcoming local bodies elections. “There is also apprehension of large-scale violence and loss of lives of our men, which I cannot tolerate,” the BSP supremo stated, justifying her decision to refrain from contesting the polls. She ruled out the BSP’s participation in any election in the state in the near future which is not held directly under the supervision of the Election Commission with the assistance of central forces.
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M’rashtra former minister arrested
Mumbai, March 11 Jain, Shiv Sena MLA from Jalgaon district, was arrested shortly after midnight from Dharangaon, the police said. Jain has been booked in connection with a 2006 case involving a housing project in Jalgaon. Jain and around 90 other persons are accused of causing losses to the tune of Rs 29 crore. The accused allegedly floated tenders inviting people to apply for houses even before the land was acquired for the project. A number of prominent persons from Jalgaon are already in jail in this case.
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Kingfisher pilots to go on strike from today
Mumbai, March 11 The pilots had sent a letter to senior Kingfisher Airlines officials, including chairman Vijay Mallya about their intention to strike work. It is, however, still not clear if all the pilots will go ahead with the strike. The airline does not have a union and pilots are meeting informally to decide on the issue, sources said. According to aviation sources, around 100 of the 500 pilots employed with Kingfisher Airlines are in the managerial cadre and they are expected to fly. With the airline operating only a part of its fleet the airline's schedules many not be affected for the first few days, say sources.
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Mamata Banerjee not to attend swearing-in of Badal, Akhilesh
Kolkata, March 11 "I just spoke to Mamatadi. She was keen to make the trip to Chandigarh and Lucknow, but now, she will be in West Bengal on the opening day of the Assembly for the Governor's address," Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien said. She has asked West Bengal Tourism Minister Rachpal Singh to represent her in Punjab and Union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed in Uttar Pradesh. Making known its disapproval of her attending the functions, the Congress reminded her that any interaction with NDA allies “beyond the normal boundaries of social courtesy, will become immoral” and she should not cross the ‘Laxman rekha’ of ‘coalition dharma’. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had accepted invitations from SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav to attend their oath ceremonies to be held on March 14 and 15 respectively. (With PTI inputs)
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Won’t campaign for party candidate, says Yeddyurappa
Bangalore, March 11 “I don't want to be an obstacle in Gowda (Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda) and Eshwarappa's (Karnataka BJP chief K S Eshwarappa) endeavours to help the party candidate win the bypoll”, he said sarcastically. Talking to reporters at Hubli, where Yeddyurappa’s loyalists are organising a show of strength in support of their leader, Yeddyurappa said: “Though I had decided to campaign for the party candidate, I have decided against it in the wake of Gowda saying I have eight pending cases against me. In these circumstances my presence will have an adverse impact on the outcome of the poll result”. Yeddyurappa also said that his demand to the party high command for his reinstatement as Chief Minister was a closed chapter. He was also not interested in state party presidentship anymore, he added. “It is true that I had asked for reinstatement as the CM for I desired to present a Rs one lakh crore budget. Now I don’t want anything. That is a closed chapter”, he said. The Hubli meeting, described as Yeddyurappa’s birthday celebration, is being attended by about 12 loyalist ministers from north Karnataka.
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16 TN fishermen hurt in ‘attack’ by Lankan navy
Rameswaram (TN), March 11 Lankan naval personnel yesterday attacked the fishermen with wooden logs, stones and bottles, resulting in a fracture to a 25-year-old youth and serious injuries to others, the police said. Mathiazhagan, who suffered a fracture, has been admitted to a government hospital here. “It was a brutal attack by the Lankan navalmen. They surrounded 25 of our boats and damaged them, snapped the fishing nets and lashed out at us with logs and pelted stones," he said. Several other fishermen received weals and bruises on their backs and were being treated at private hospitals. Local fishermen association leaders Sesu and Devaraj said the Lankans, who had come in a Naval ship, intimidated and frightened the fishermen. They slammed the Centre for remaining a “mute spectator” to recurring attacks on the fishermen of Tamil Nadu. Referring to the prompt action taken after the recent killing of two fishermen off the Kerala coast by marines on board an Italian oil tanker and the hit-and-run case involving a Singapore flagged ship, the fishermen association said, “Why is the government silent even after 300 fishermen have been killed by Lankan Naval men (over the recent years)?” — PTI
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Parrikar as Goa Chief Minister good for film buffs
When Cong was left red-faced
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ISRO refuses to share details on Nair’s complaint
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Opposition is likely to turn the heat on the Congress-led UPA government on a plethora of issues, including corruption and federalism, during the Budget session of Parliament that gets under way tomorrow.
Lucknow, March 11
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today decided to skip the swearing-in ceremonies of Chief Ministers in Punjab and Lucknow, citing business in West Bengal. She will send two Trinamool leaders to represent her.
"I just spoke to Mamatadi. She was keen to make the trip to Chandigarh and
Lucknow, but now, she will be in West Bengal on the opening day of the Assembly for the Governor's address," Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien said.
Now that the BJP has come to power in Goa, the buzz about the annual International Film Festival of India (IFFI) being shifted out of Panjim has gathered momentum once again. The UPA government has been toying with this idea for the past few years following complaints about the inadequate infrastructure in Goa. However, it could never take the plunge and move the festival out as it has become an emotive issue and it was felt such a decision would not go down well with the people. In fact, the authorities concerned did decide on changing the venue last year but backtracked because of the Assembly polls. Since the Congress has now been routed and BJP's Manohar Parrikar is back as the Chief Minister for another term, it will certainly make it easier for the Centre to take a quick decision. It was at Parrikar's insistence that the festival was moved to Goa during the NDA regime and he had personally supervised the arrangements for the programme. In case the Centre goes ahead with its plans, movie buffs in Delhi and other major capitals will, once again, get an opportunity to soak in the ambience of an international film festival.
As the results of just-concluded Aassembly polls trickled in last week and it became abundantly clear that the Congress was faring poorly, television channels were quick to report that the party headquarters at 24 Akbar Road was deserted as no senior leader had shown up to talk to the Press. As soon as the first such story was put out, Janardan Dwivedi, AICC general secretary and media department chief, made a point to come to his office and was available to journalists through the day. Dwivedi was, however, saved from addressing the media as Rahul Gandhi himself interacted briefly with mediapersons when he took responsibility for the party's dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh A notable absentee was none other than the redoubtable general secretary Mohan Prakash who had been holding forth virtually everyday through the elections, publicly declaring that the Congress would win upto 100 seats in UP. Mohan Prakash was even asked by his senior colleagues to be present at the party office but he chose to remain underground.
