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Battle of separation set to redefine Andhra
uttarakhand
STOCK-TAKING: Manish Tewari ludhiana |
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STOCK-TAKING: kuldeep bishnoi hisar
Sharmila for Gurgaon? Cong weighs options
A first: Rahul meets young leaders on manifesto
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Battle of separation set to redefine Andhra
With rebellious Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy resigning in protest against the division, the state is headed for President's Rule. As the ruling Congress is bitterly divided on regional lines, there is no scope for convening a meeting of the Legislature Party to elect a new leader. Kiran, who has refused to continue even as caretaker Chief Minister, is widely expected to float Changing scenario The political dynamics are set for major changes ahead of the simultaneous elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha in April/May this year. It is still not clear whether or not the Assembly polls will be held for the combined state or separately in Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh. New political alignments, desertions and migrations on a large scale are expected, particularly affecting the Congress. A calculated gamble Though the Telangana statehood demand has been hanging fire for several decades, the UPA leadership has put the issue on a fast-track in the recent months in what is seen as a calculated political gambit. The decision came in the wake of reports of the Congress' stock falling across the state and a bleak outlook staring at its face ahead of the elections. By carving out Telangana state, the ruling party hopes to sweep the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, which accounts for 17 out of the total 42 seats in Andhra. By forging an alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a dominant player in the region, it hopes to win elections in the new state. In the 294-member AP Assembly, Telangana accounts for 119 seats. The Congress bagged 33 LS seats in the 2009 elections, the highest contribution by any state to the UPA kitty. UPA’s target Ten years into the government, UPA is grappling with a strong anti-incumbency factor and desertions from its ranks. The death of charismatic chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy in a helicopter crash in September 2009 had created a leadership vacuum in the state unit. By creating Telangana state, the Congress hopes to neutralise two of its main rivals, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, whose ambivalence on Telangana issue led to erosion of his party's support base in the region, and YSR's son Jagan Mohan Reddy whose fledgling YSR Congress Party is seen as a formidable force in Seemandhra. Ever since the Congress Working Committee (CWC) announced its decision on July 30 in favour of statehood for Telangana, the Chief Minister, who hails from Rayalaseema, has been openly opposing the move. He was also instrumental in getting the Assembly to reject the draft Telangana Bill. The BJP factor Despite the vertical split in the party over dividing the state and the prospect of an electoral rout in Seemandhra, the Congress has decided to play the Telangana card since the BJP, its main rival at the national level, had already promised to grant statehood in the event of NDA coming to power in the next elections. The Congress is keen on taking the credit for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Telangana region and reaping electoral dividends. For the TDP, which has been waiting in the wings to capture power, the bifurcation could prove detrimental to its interests. The YSRCP, on the other hand, is expected to capitalise on the public anger in its stronghold, Seemandhra, in the next polls. Ever since losing power in 2004, the TDP's support base been steadily eroding. It is now warming up to BJP for an electoral alliance. The strength of the TDP, which had 92 MLAs after the 2009 Assembly polls, has now been reduced to 80 following a string of migrations to TRS and YSRCP. Thanks to its flip-flops on the Telangana issue, the TDP has been reduced to a marginal player in the volatile region. New players Unlike in the past when Congress and TDP were locked in straight contests, the emergence of new sub-regional and regional players and fierce identity politics taking deep roots have complicated the electoral dynamics further. The creation of Telangana state will be a major victory for TRS which has been in the forefront of the statehood movement since its inception in 2001. However, it now faces a dilemma over the issue of merging with Congress. TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao had earlier promised to merge his outfit with the ruling party if statehood was granted for the region. However, he is now under pressure from the party leaders to opt for electoral tie-up with congress instead of merger. UPA’s game plan
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Congress
TDP
YSR Congress
BJP
TRS
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Muslims hold key in Haridwar, terai
Modi, riots in neighbouring Muzaffarnagar may alter voting pattern of community that has 12% share SMA Kazmi Tribune News Service
The community -- which has a sizeable population of 12 per cent in Uttarakhand -- could prove crucial in at least two Lok Sabha seats of Nainital and Haridwar. After the September 2013 communal riots in villages of Muzaffarnagar district, tension mounted in villages of Haridwar bordering Muzaffarnagar that have sizable Jat and Muslim population. Both communities began night-long vigils and the administration and police remained on their toes.
The communal situation in Haridwar district and its handling by the administration and police has led to political realignment of voters in the district. The Haridwar Lok Sabha seat is represented by Harish Rawat, who won it for the Congress in 2009 after a gap of more than 25 years by a margin of more than one lakh votes. Muslims voted overwhelmingly for him. Rawat who was till recently Union Minister of Water Resources has taken over as Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Out of more than 15 lakh voters in Haridwar Lok Sabha seat, nearly 30 per cent of the electors are Muslims. Although Rawat and his state government have not done much for the community's welfare, it doesn't have much choice. The prevailing communal situation and emergence of Narendra Modi as the possible Prime Minister in case BJP the wins would swing Muslim voters in favour of Congress. "We are hopeful Harish Rawat would take the community along and work for its welfare. Nothing much has been done for the community in the state in 12 years. It is suffering due to want of education, employment and even bank loans. We hope and pray that a leader of the stature of Harish Rawat would look into the demands of the community as elaborated in the Sacchar and Ranganathan reports," said Haji Naim, spokesperson of the Congress Minority Cell at Haridwar. Although the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party have considerable influence amongst Muslim voters and have fielded Muslim candidates from Haridwar , the main contest would it expected to be between the Congress and the BJP due to the recent polarisation of votes. Rawat's elevation as Chief Minister is expected to sway Haridwar voters in favour of Congress. With an eye on Muslim voters, Chief Minister Harish Rawat had in the Budget announced to start Urdu and Persian academies at Piran Kaliyar near Roorkee. He has also announced a grant of Rs 51 crore for the development of infrastructure around the sufi shrine besides improving the condition of madrassas. While the Congress is making an all-out attempt to woo Muslim voters, BJP is not far behind. Last week, its minority cell held a convention at Piran Kaliyar and accused the Congress of betraying the faith of the community. The BJP leaders urged the community to vote for Narendra Modi, who would ensure their well being and welfare. "The Congress has been befooling the Muslims for 60 years and for 12 years in Uttarakhand. They have done nothing for the community as is evident. Given a chance, the BJP would work for the real economic and social uplift of the community under the leadership of Narendra Modi," said Shadab Shams, a spokesperson and organiser of the Piran Kaliyar conference. "We would be organising similar conferences in all districts with a Muslim population." Arshad Khawaja, vice-president of the Jwalapur Mandi Samiti in Haridwar, said, "The community needs help to grow in the field of education and employment. We need girls' school and colleges in Muslim-dominated areas and sincere implementation of welfare schemes for minorities." Suhail Qureshi, a Youth Congress leader from Ranipur area of Haridwar, said, "The Muslim community should get its share in development and governance. The Muslim youth of Uttarakhand are hopeful that the state Congress government would do something substantial for the community rather than mere lip service." The Nainital Lok Sabha seat has a Muslim population of 17 per cent. The Tehri Garhwal seat has more than one lakh Muslim voters, while Pauri Garhwal has nearly 80,000. The big picture
CM on a mission
CM Harish Rawat announced setting up of Urdu and Persian academies at Piran Kaliyar near Roorkee in the state budget. He also announced Rs 51 crore for the development of infrastructure around the Sufi shrine besides improving the condition of madrassas.
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STOCK-TAKING: Manish Tewari ludhiana Though praised for his oratorical skills, people in his constituency say he lacks appeal to connect at the grassroots level Minna Zutshi Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 20 Tewari (who in 2009 defeated SAD candidate Gurcharan Singh Galib by a margin of over one lakh votes) has been strident in his criticism of the state government. Last October, he had lashed out at the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, terming it as a "total failure" that has left the city residents without even basic civic amenities such as clean drinking water. Projects and grants During Tewari's tenure, Ludhiana, the commercial capital of Punjab, got a slew of Centre-sponsored projects, schemes and grants (some of which triggered a credit war, with the state government claiming its share of the "credit"). These include Rs 100-crore grant for Punjab Agricultural University, Rs 50-crore grant from the Planning Commission to clean Buddha Nullah, daily Ludhiana-Delhi Shatabdi, passport suvidha centre and a FM radio station in Ludhiana, the fifth after four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Ludhiana also got Rs 66 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for the City Bus Service apart from Rs 100 crore for rural road networks and broader footbridge connecting various platforms at the Ludhiana Railway Station.Flights from Ludhiana (Sahnewal) Airport were also resumed, following the installation of the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range device for better visibility. All is not well The financial worries of the PAU are far from over, while the cleaning of the Buddha Nullah has been reduced to finger-pointing with no respite for residents, who continue to drink the deadly concoction of toxic wastes flowing from the nullah. The FM Radio in Ludhiana is yet to go fully local. In case of the City Bus Service as well as the road connectivity in rural areas, SAD has stolen the Congress’ thunder. The Lakkar Bridge Project that was to connect the old city with the new areas has been delayed inordinately, despite Tewari's "personal intervention". Started in 1997, the project cost has escalated to over four times. Still the blame game between the state and the Centre doesn't seem to end. On the economic front, the state has accused Tewari of not watching the interests of industries in Punjab. Statistically speaking Of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds of Rs 19 crore that Tewari has been authorised to spend during his five-year term, Rs 16.83 crore was, according to the MP, spent on rural healthcare, education, sanitation and drinking water. When Tewari became the MP in 2009, for the first two years he got Rs 2 crore each. From his third year, the grant was increased to Rs 5 crore per annum. The proposals for the remaining Rs 2.17 crore have already been finalised and approved. According to Tewari, the cheques would be issued when the money is credited into the MPLADS account by the Centre. LS performance Tewari asked 310 questions in over three years (prior to becoming the minister). This is against the state and the national average of 130 and 250 respectively. He took part in 31 debates in the House, which again is more than the state average of 19.5 and the national average of 28.5. In the House, he raised the issue of violence in Ludhiana in December 2009, the plight of Punjabis on death sentence in Sharjah (who were later released), the crop failure in Punjab and the demand for compensation (April 2010), expeditious paddy procurement in Punjab (November 2010). Tewari also sought the resumption of kerosene quota to Punjab in April 2012, direct compensation to farmers from the Food Corporation of India to reduce corruption. Other issues that he has raised are one rank one pension, prisoners of war, package for farmers, debt burden on Punjab, drug abuse, Metro Rail in Ludhiana, uranium contamination of groundwater in Punjab and kisan credit cards. A cerebral politician Tewari has been frequently criticised for not being the leader of the masses and for being too urbane to appeal to the grassroots-level electorate. The MP has had detractors who, while giving him the credit for his impressive oratorical skills, ironically hold that he is not a charismatic leader. To his critics, at the best he lacks the insistent streak of a street-smart politician and at the worst he's out of sync with the needs and aspirations of the masses. "He may care but he does not care to show that he cares," says an observer. The MP has his admirers who give him credit for engaging in politics that's refreshingly cerebral than many leaders' shrill waffle. What he says "Performance is a continuous process. During my five years as an MP, I have tried to give my best to the people. In fact, ever since I contested the Parliamentary elections for the first time in 2004, I have ensured that the people here get maximum benefits from the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre. But a lot more needs to be done. My work will go on with accelerated vigour and enhanced energy," Tewari said. About his chances of success in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said: "I have given my best to the constituency. Naturally, my chances are bright. At the end of the day in a democracy, it is the people who are the final arbiters in the people's court. I leave it to them after presenting my case."
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STOCK-TAKING: kuldeep bishnoi hisar Though he frequented his home town Adampur, residents of other segments say he is not accessible Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service
Hisar, February 20 He sailed through by defeating Indian National Lok Dal's Ajay Chautala, riding a wave of "sympathy", enetering into an alliance with the BJP and the then Team Anna's onslaught against the Congress.
Bishnoi has been actively attending political meetings of the HJC and its alliance partner BJP. He led a 52-day yatra to 90 Assembly segments last year and has been holding meetings statewide. But before going to the crucial Assembly polls, he has to face the test in the Lok Sabha elections and he is likely to be re-nominated to contest from Hisar. Though he has been a frequent visitor to his home town Adampur, besides making occasional appearances in Hisar and Hansi, residents of other segments complain he has not been accessible and, at time, even ignored ing their interests. His decision to install CCTVs in markets following law and order problems was appreciated. He is said to have spent around Rs 60 lakh from his personal account on the project. His plank of non-Jat politics and accessibility to limited segments has also drawn criticism in the rural areas. Non-utilisation of MPLAD funds is also a problem area. What he says Bishnoi alleged state authorities deliberately delayed implementation of development works announced by him under the MPLADS, which has resulted in non-utilisation of funds. “I have announced funds for works worth Rs 22 crore and projects worth Rs 16.5 crore are underway. The grants are not being utilised due to faulty estimates and delay in floating of tenders. It's a conspiracy of the state government to blame me for not utilising funds granted to me to carry out development works,” he alleged. Hisar Additional Deputy Commission AK Garg, however, denied Bishnoi’s allegations. He said the administration had completed the entire process within the time limit. "Everything is on record. We did not delay any tender process or prepare wrong estimates," he said. On the issue of his image of a polarising non-Jat force in the state, he said: "It's a compliment for me to be projected as a non-Jat leader, but I don't believe in caste politics. In fact, I have been opposing the Hooda government on the issues of caste and regional bias. Hisar has 39.7% Jat electorate and we have been getting their support for a long time." In Parliament The MP claimed to have asked over 300 questions related to Hisar and Haryana in the House. He said he had urged the government to set up a Dalit regiment besides highlighting the concerns of Gorakhpur farmers where a nuclear power plant is being set up. He said he had demanded tractor loans for farmers and ‘industrially backward area’ status for Hisar, Bhiwani and
Karnal.
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Sharmila for Gurgaon? Cong weighs options
New Delhi, February 20 Discussions on Sharmila’s name took place at a closed-door meeting of the Congress Screening Committee late last night. The panel comprising chairperson PC Chacko, AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana Shakeel Ahmed, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar had assembled to strategise on candidate selection for three Haryana Lok Sabha seats not currently held by the Congress. These are Gurgaon (vacant after Rao Inderjit joined the Bharatiya Janata Party), Ambala (vacant after Kumari Selja moved to Rajya Sabha) and Hisar (held by Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi). Exclusive information with The Tribune is that central Congress leaders have asked Hooda to speak to Sharmila Tagore and explore the possibility of her candidature. Sharmila’s name was proposed by some senior leaders from Gurgaon considering she is the wife of late Nawab of Pataudi, Mansur Ali Khan, and can command influence in the segment of which Pataudi is an important part. The segment has considerable presence of Muslim voters. Congress sources said they needed a very strong contender against Rao Inderjit in Gurgaon. “Sharmila Tagore is a Hindu married to a Muslim. Gurgaon has close to three lakh Meo Muslim votes. Also, Sharmila’s star appeal can’t be overemphasised. If she contests, we can rope in her son Saif Ali Khan and daughter-in-law Kareena Kapoor and other actors to campaign,” said a senior Congress leader. Importantly, the Nawab of Pataudi also dabbled in politics though not successfully. After he was replaced as India's cricket captain in 1971, Mansur Ali Khan fought the Lok Sabha polls from Gurgaon on Vishal Haryana Party’s ticket but lost. Later, in 1991, he contested for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket and lost. Officially, there are three names on the Congress short list of probables for Gurgaon, where the Congress is also considering a Yadav candidate. These are Haryana minister Ajay Yadav, his son Chiranjeevi Yadav and minister Aftab Alam. Brainstorming on
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A first: Rahul meets young leaders on manifesto
New Delhi, February 20 For the first time in party history, a freewheeling discussion took place between Rahul and these young leaders on what policy and programmes to adopt in order to project it as the most viable and progressive option for the country on poll eve. Rahul met groups of SCs/STs, women, youth, farmers, panchayati raj leaders and industrialists separately to know their wish-list for the manifesto. "With the input from young party leaders working on governance areas, the input received from civil society groups will be given a broader focus. That would help us present the policy in a more concerted and focused manner in the party manifesto," Congress sources said. Attendees included young ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasad and Jitender Singh; PCC chiefs of Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana — Arun Yadav, Arvinder Lovely and Ashok Tanwar, respectively — and young MPs such as Jyoti Mirdha and AICC secretaries. Today's meeting will be followed by another with Congress Working Committee members tomorrow. 2.31 cr youth voters
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Snapshots
New Delhi: Tribal activist Soni Sori, a school teacher who was "tortured" by the Chhattisgarh police for her alleged links with Maoists, has joined the Aam Aadmi Party with an aim to transform the system. Keen to contest from Bastar Lok Sabha seat (den of Maoist activist), Sori wants to become the voice of the poor tribals who have been jailed on false charges by the Raman Singh-led BJP government of Chhattisgarh. — TNS
EC reviews security, hints at 7-phase poll New Delhi: A meeting was called by the Election Commission with chief secretaries and police chiefs of all states to review security and other arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls amid indications that the massive exercise may spread across seven phases. Sources said the polls would be staggged over six to seven phases as a lot of force mobilisation would have to be done from one place to another. — PTI ‘One note one vote’ campaign begins in Haridwar
Haridwar: The women unit of the BJP today started "one note-one vote" campaign in Haridwar. Party workers said they had met more than 750 voters on the first day of the campaign. Led by district unit president Sanjana Sharma, women activists are seeking vote and financial support for the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. — TNS Congress stalwart Gegong Apang joins BJP
ITANAGAR: Congress stalwart Gegong Apang, who has been the second-longest-serving Chief Minister in the country with a record 22 years, has resigned and joined the BJP. Apang, in a letter to Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president on February 17 resigned from the primary and active membership of the party, party sources said. He joined the BJP in New Delhi during the day in the presence of senior party leaders, Arunachal Pradesh BJP unit president Tai Tagak said here today. — PTI Bihar Assembly passes vote-on-account
Patna: The Bihar Assembly today passed the vote-on-account for Rs 43,136.52 crore towards the state government's expenditure for four months between April and July this year, during the period general elections are due to be held. The House passed the Bihar Appropriation Bill, 2014 by a voice-vote after Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary put it for voting by the members at the fag end of the business of the day. — PTI Ahead of LS polls, EC reviews situation
New Delhi: A high-level meeting was called by the Election Commission today with chief secretaries and police chiefs of all states to review security and other arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls amid indications that the massive exercise may spread across seven phases. During the meeting, security situation was discussed with all directors general of police along with their state home secretaries while logistic issues were discussed with the state chief secretaries. — PTI BJP preparing strategy in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Office-bearers of the BJP's Odisha unit have gathered at their state headquarters here to discuss the party's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Senior BJP leader Surama Padhi said the meeting of 2,000 office-bearers was aimed at preparing them for holding a door-to-door campaign covering 30 lakh families. — PTI |
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Hyderabad, February 20
Dehradun, February 20
Later, an inter-faith marriage in a neighbouring village of Saharanpur district around two months ago resulted in communal tension in and around the Roorkee area. There were attempts by right-wing Hindu groups to hold a khap panchayat in Haridwar district, but were prevented by the local police and administration.
Being the lone opposition MP from Haryana — nine out of 10 seats belonging to the Congress — Bishnoi has a natural advantage of not facing anti-incumbency. But he faces a tough challenge of balancing the aspirations of his electorate and strengthening his party foothold in the state. He is now the chief ministerial candidate of the HJC-BJP coalition.
