New Delhi, February 24
It is said the election results in Delhi were the reflection of the possible results in the country. The mandate given by residents of the national capital would reflect the position of the Congress in the forthcoming general elections.

Despite Congress' efforts to infuse confidence among the disheartened and dispirited cadres of the party by including Rahul Gandhi in campaigning, the race all but seems to be over for the party in Delhi.

Not only has the emergence of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) created a major hurdle for the Congress, but the policy logjam and scams that hit the Congress-led UPA-II has shifted the focus on better governance and action-backed government at the Centre.

The AAP, which seeks equality for all, may prove to be the main reason for the downfall of the Congress in Delhi. It may also create hurdles for the BJP by emerging as the main Opposition party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Although the AAP made a stunning debut in the recently held Assembly elections, people's aspirations to have a strong, action-based government at the Centre has catapulted the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP into the forefront in the state.

Recent surveys show the BJP having an edge over the nascent AAP with the Congress being decimated in all seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi.

This would not come as a surprise for the Congress, as the Delhi Assembly elections had clearly pointed to the voters' disenchantment with the Sheila Dikshit government in the national capital, which not only saw electricity and water charges going through the roof, but corruption levels touching an all-time high.

Although the AAP performed well in the Assembly elections, it is way behind the BJP in the vote share. The AAP defeated the BJP by a narrow margin on a number of seats. however, the margin was huge on seats won by the BJP.

The 70 Assembly segments in Delhi constitute seven Lok Sabha seats, with each Lok Sabha constituency comprising 10 Assembly segments.

According to votes polled by the BJP, AAP and Congress across all 10 Assembly segments in each Lok Sabha constituency, the AAP was in the first place in the Chandni Chowk and New Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies. Chandni Chowk is currently represented by Law Minister Kapil Sibal and New Delhi by Ajay Maken, head of the Congress's communications department.

In the Assembly segments of the remaining five Lok Sabha seats — North-East Delhi (represented by Delhi PCC chief JP Agarwal), East Delhi (Sheila Dikshit's son Sandeep Dikshit), North-West Delhi (Union Minister Krishna Tirath), West Delhi (Mahabal Mishra) and South Delhi (Ramesh Kumar) — the BJP garnered maximum votes.

The Congress was not even in the second place in any of these constituencies. The only solace for the Congress was it had come a close third in the North-East Delhi (behind AAP by 3,191 votes) and East Delhi (behind AAP by 4,410 votes) Lok Sabha constituencies.

While the AAP was ahead of the BJP in the Chandni Chowk area by less than 7,000 votes, it had a lead of over 40,000 votes in New Delhi. The BJP, on the other hand, enjoyed a wider margin — from 38,000 votes in East Delhi to over 1.5 lakh votes in North-West Delhi.

The lack of performance by the AAP government during its 49-day rule might also hurt the prospects of the party. The party's attention towards the Parliamentary polls and treating Delhi only as a stepping stone also hurt its supporters.

Analysts point out that the haste shown by Arvind Kejriwal to resign from the office over the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill was an exit door sought by the AAP and its leaders to work for greater gains.

Since Kejriwal is not an alternative to the Congress at the Centre, votes against the Congress are likely to be deflected from the AAP to Narendra Modi during the Lok Sabha polls.

Besides, the issues in the Assembly elections are different from those in the Lok Sabha polls and this is where the BJP may emerge stronger.

Moreover, there was a miniscule loss of votes for the BJP in the Assembly elections despite the emergence of the AAP, which may give the final push to the BJP.

For the Congress, the script could not have been worst. From being a majority party for three consecutive state polls to being a party with single digit MLAs in Delhi, clearly reflects the future for the Congress. The party would need nothing less than a miracle to emerge from the abyss it is in not only because of the emergence of the AAP and the Modi-led BJP, but due to its own policy and action paralysis.

In 2009 LS polls, the Congress made a clean sweep in Delhi by winning all seven seats Congress’ four sitting MPs — Ajay Maken from New Delhi, Kapil Sibal from Chandni Chowk, Krishna Tirath from North-West Delhi and Sandeep Dikshit from East Delhi — retained their seats Jai Prakash Agarwal defeated BJP's BL Sharma from North-East Delhi Congress MLA from Dwarka, Mahabal Mishra, defeated three-time BJP MLA Jagdish Mukhi In South Delhi, Sajjan Kumar's brother Ramesh Kumar defeated BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri

New Delhi, February 24
Over 10.75 crore voters have been added to polling lists countrywide since the 2009 general elections. This accounts for a 14 per cent increase in the number of electorates.

As per the rolls finalised by the Election Commission on February 14, the number of eligible voters has increased to 81.45 crore from 71.69 crore in 2009, thus making a biggest jump in voters' numbers between two successive elections.

The second best increase in absolute numbers was witnessed between 1985 and 1989 polls. The Rajiv Gandhi-led Government had then reduced the age of voting to 18 years from 21 years. Over 40.03 crore voters were enrolled in the lists during the 1985 elections. In 1989, the number had become 49.89 crore, with an increase of 9.85 crore.

Between September 1999 and 2014, the number of voters has increased by 31.2 per cent — 19.5 crore voters have been added to the list. A total of 61.95 crore voters were eligible in 1999, now after 15 years, 81.45 crore voters can vote.

Among the 28 states and seven union territories, Dadra & Nagar Haveli at 53.9 per cent registered the highest rate of growth in electorate size from 2004 to 2014, next followed by Puducherry at 39.1 percent. Among states, West Bengal registered the highest rate of growth at 31.7 per cent.

Ferozepur, February 24
As the Lok Sabha elections are nearing, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya is leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. It goes to his credit that he has been able to utilise over 95 per cent of the MPLAD funds. But, the Opposition alleges that the funds spent show a major ratio favouring rural areas.

As a result, the basic development has taken a backseat with no worthwhile project being added to the city other than an announcement of a satellite facility of the PGI a few months ago, allege his opponents.

This is not to say that the rural areas fare any better, but that the neglect of the city in the last four years has been too pronounced to be corrected in just one term of any MP.

The MP has also been accused of nurturing Jalalabad, the constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, more than other segments. So much so that Ghubaya was dubbed as the “MP from Jalalabad”, and not from Ferozepur. Accused of having “varied business interests”, Ghubaya is officially listed as an agriculturist.

There is also a perception that he has allegedly not been working diligently after a candidate he was promoting was denied the SAD ticket in the last Assembly elections.

Nevertheless, it goes to the credit of Ghubaya that he has been able to utilise most of his funds. He used over 95 per cent by the end of his term. However, the spending shows a skewed ratio favouring rural areas. Of the cumulative amount of Rs 19.5 crore availed, most of the amount has been spent on providing mobile water tankers, community centres and aanganwadi centres in villages.

In all, around 1,200 development projects were sanctioned during the last five years, out of which 700 works were related to the provision of water tankers and construction of drains and paving/laying of streets.

As an afterthought, some amount has been spent on installation of traffic lights in the town but the city residents term it as a case of “too little, too late”.

Rivalspeak

The major grouse of the people with the exception of Jalalabad is that he has never visited other areas of his constituency.

Jalalabad has proved to be their bane, rues Rajinder Sharma of Bazidpur village. “Ours is one of the biggest villages of the constituency, but the MP has not paid even a single visit till date and going by the indications, he will not even come in the coming days,” he said.

“He has no personal contact with the masses and prefers to work through his intermediaries. All his time has been spent pampering his hometown and his community, which ensured his victory in the previous polls,” says MS Bhullar of Satyawala village.

If Ghubaya won this time as well, it would not be on the basis of his performance but due to the strength of his community, he points out.

"The MP should ensure development of both rural and urban areas cutting across party lines. Urban pockets should also not be ignored," says Surinder Bajaj, an advocate.

Social activist Ranjan Sharma says though the MP was accessible to the people, he had not been able to bring any major developmental projects for this constituency.

Similarly, Inder Singh Gogia, president of the NGOs Coordination Committee, is of the view that nothing has been done to revive the economy of the area other than taking up the plea of starting more trains from here. The reopening of the Hussainiwala border for trade and transit was never on his agenda, he says.

Deputy Commissioner Manjt Singh Narang says he had asked for funds for a few developmental projects, out of which Rs 17 lakh was received for installation of traffic lights in the town. However, he did not elaborate on other projects for which funds had been sought by the administration.

Skewed development

While the MP does not agree that rural areas have benefited more from his largesse, but a close look at the statistics reveals that he has splurged Rs 4.3 crore on the provision of mobile water tankers alone, besides Rs 6.5 crore has been spent on construction of drains and streets in the villages. The urban people have been left high and dry.

On the infrastructure front, about Rs 6.5 crore had been allocated but most of these projects were again linked to construction of community and aangadwadi centres in the villages. No amount was earmarked for any other activities in the rural areas around the city. The condition of these centres in the city is a cause for concern for the past many years.

Ironically, despite tall claims of Sukhbir Badal for the promotion of sports, especially in the drug-hit border belts, only around Rs 35 lakh has been spent here. Another sum of Rs 30 lakh was allocated for some irrigation projects during this term. But hardly any money was earmarked for vital sectors such as healthcare and education. The shortage of teachers has been a perennial problem over the decades with the worst sufferer being border area schools.

MPLAD Funds

Ghubaya justifies the distribution of the funds saying the same has been utilised while balancing the needs of both rural and urban areas. "There are over 1,600 villages in my constituency, which cannot be ignored," he says. "I have not allowed any funds to be either misused or siphoned off… A lot has been spent on creating infrastructure for colleges and schools," he says.

He says he has been vocal in the Lok Sabha on the floor of the House and raised several issues concerning the welfare of his constituency, besides those concerning the state. "I am a grass-roots worker and there is no doubt that the people of my constituency shower their affection on me and will re-elect me. I am not involved in any controversy and am committed to see the execution of all projects initiated by me," he said.

The systematic neglect of the border areas is a cause for concern and a lot still needs to be done there, he says. One term is not sufficient to do justice and redress the grievances of the people or create the necessary infrastructure at the grass-roots level, he points out.

The MP, who belongs to the predominant Rai Sikh community in this constituency, has been able to spare Rs 15 lakh for the construction of a Rai Sikh Bhawan in the city. Another Rs 15 lakh was spent on construction of road and laying of sewer lines along Ichewala Road outside a local dera with a considerable devotee following ahead of the polls.

In higher education, an amount of Rs 7 lakh each was allocated to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Technical Campus and Dev Samaj Institutions

Dehradun, February 24
Caste and not religion will be a major player in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand. The change of guard in the state is likely to have a bearing on caste equations in polls.

Recently, Harish Rawat replaced Vijay Bahuguna as the Chief Minister of the state. Rawat, a Rajput from the Kumoan region, who is a Lok Sabha member from Haridwar, took over the reins of the state on February 1.

The elevation of Harish Rawat has not only cheered the dominant Rajput community of the state but has also motivated the Congress workers across the state.

Although, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, another Thakur leader of the BJP remained the Chief Minister during the period of the interim government for nearly three months from November 2001 to February, 2002, it was for the first time that a 'tall' Rajput leader has taken over as the Chief Minister of the state.

The Rajput community comprises nearly half of the population of the state, but except for a brief spell when Koshiyari took reins replacing Nityanand Swami, the first Chief Minister of the state, none of the Rajput leaders could make it to the top position.

Harish Rawat, who worked hard for the Congress' victory as the state party chief in the first Assembly elections in February 2002, was ignored and veteran Congress leader ND Tewari, a Brahmin, was handed over the reins.

Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd) of the BJP was elected as the second CM of the state after the Congress defeat in February 2007.

During the BJP regime, Khanduri was replaced by Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and again Khanduri was made the CM in September 2011. Both, Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank are Brahmin leaders.

Harish Rawat was again ignored following a razor-thin victory of the Congress in the January 2012 Assembly polls and Vijay Bahuguna, Tehri-Gharwal MP and son of former Uttar Pradesh CM Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, took over the reins of the state. Bahuguna is also a Brahmin.

Although, communities do not tend to vote uniformly, but with Harish Rawat becoming the CM, it was expected that it would help the Congress garner Rajput votes. Rajputs comprise nearly 50 per cent of the state's population.

Brahmins have a population of nearly 20 per cent and Dalits 19 per cent. Muslims form 12 per cent of the population, particularly in the Terai regions of the state, including Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Muslims and Dalits had traditionally voted for the Congress. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Dalit-Muslim combination voted in favour of the Congress and it won all five Lok Sabha seats in the state.

New Delhi, February 24
The Supreme Court today sought the response from the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) within two weeks to a petition seeking voting rights for defence personnel and their families at their respective places of posting, instead of allowing them to exercise their franchise only through postal ballots.

A Bench comprising Justices AK Patnaik and FMI Kalifullah issued a notice to them on the contention of the petitioner, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, that the Defence Ministry had acknowledged in a communication on November 16, 2007, that the participation of service personnel and their family members in the election process was “very poor” due to the “inherent delay” in the postal ballot system.

The EC had issued a notification on March 20, 1995, allowing registration of service personnel as “service voters” at their actual place of residence -— the cantonment area. However, the EC put a rider on December 28, 2008, offering this facility only to those who had been posted at any place for more than three years.

The three-year condition was against “all constitutional and statutory requirements” as no other class of migrants was being subjected to such restrictions, the petitioner contended, challenging an August 22, 2013, judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The HC had dismissed a PIL filed by Brig Hardeep Singh Ghuman, seeking ordinary voting rights to service personnel at the place of their posting. Rajeev was not a party to the PIL and was only a proforma respondent.

Jammu, February 24
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress intentionally kick- started its campaign on February 8 from Akhnoor town as this belt comprising two Assembly segments — Akhnoor and Khour — will be a deciding factor for it.

Situated on the bank of the Chenab, Akhnoor is the home town of party’s sitting Lok Sabha member from the Jammu-Poonch seat Madan Lal Sharma, who is confident of making a hat-trick on the basis of his own performance and achievements of the UPA Government.

Sharma has a reason to stake claims to retain the seat for the third time in a row as he braved a strong pro-BJP wave during the 2009 Lok Sabha to defeat Leela Karan Sharma (a BJP candidate), who led the 60-day agitation held following the Amarnath land-row controversy.

Leela was the then convenor of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti (SAYSS) and in the forefront during the Amarnath land-row controversy.

His victory was hailed much as the BJP had done well in the 2008 Assembly elections which were held just before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2004 when there was a pro-Congress wave, Sharma had won the election by a narrow margin of 17,000 votes because the BJP had fielded a "much-clean" candidate Dr Nirmal Singh against him.

Banking on revolutionary policies

Apart from his own achievements, Sharma hopes that revolutionary policies of the Congress will yield encouraging results in the elections.

“We will seek mandate of the people on the performance of the UPA Government,” Sharma said, adding that “The UPA Government has opened the gates of treasures, especially for Jammu and Kashmir. We will popularise the pro-poor decisions of the UPA Government — the Food Security Bill, Protection for the Street Vendors and Land Reform Bills etc.”

Sharma said the Food Security Bill would provide subsidised ration to 75-80 per cent people of the country.

“The Congress is the only party which can move nation forward with secular image and credentials,” he said.

Boasting about his “achievements”, the MP said during his 10-year tenure, he has tried to address the aspirations of the people from all communities without any discrimination and he would continue to work for the development of his constituency.

Eyeing refugee votes

Sharma has been trying to consolidate refugee vote bank which is also one of the deciding factors in the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat.

“Being a representative of the people, I along with other Congress leaders have raised the problems of refugees with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other senior ministers at the Centre,” he said.

“Due to the efforts of the Congress, some steps have been taken to address grievances of refugees, including those from west Pakistan,” he said.

As discrimination with the Jammu region would be an issue in the Lok Sabha elections, Sharma trying to project himself as a "champion" of Jammu's cause. Recently, he has demanded a regional council for Jammu.

MPLAD funds

Diversifying funds into various sectors, Sharma claims that he has treated 20 Assembly segments equally while sanctioning the development funds.

Rivalspeak

His opponents, however, said the Congress leadership had done nothing to address grievances of the people of the Jammu region.

“Being the B team of the Kashmir Centric National Conference, the Congress leadership has bartered Jammu's aspirations to remain in power,” said Jugal Kishore Sharma, BJP state president.

He said barring “hollow” promises, nothing has been done to solve the problems of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Chamb refugees. Furthermore, the Congress leadership has ditched the refugees from west Pakistan who have been agitating to get citizenship right.

Sharma, who is also staking his claim on this seat, said, “Elections will be held on the basis of the performance of the UPA Government but there is a strong anti-Congress wave in the country.”

Leela Karan Sharma, who has withdrawn himself from politics and is heading a religious organisation, said, “The sitting MP has failed to explore potential of this belt which offers various avenues in tourism, horticulture, agriculture and dairy farming sectors.”

New Delhi, February 24
The Congress’ unique experiment of conducting the primaries (internal elections) to select Lok Sabha candidates in 16 segments will end on March 13.

The party finalised a schedule of nominations and elections and opened voter registration and membership for the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday.

The constituency, currently represented Congress general secretary in charge of communications Ajay Makan, will go to polls under the primaries on March 6.

Makan will file his nominations for the primaries on February 27.

When contacted, he told The Tribune, “It will be a victory of democracy when party workers pick their favourite candidate from this seat for the upcoming elections.”

All Congress workers related to the party organisation in the New Delhi segment will be valid voters for the New Delhi primaries for which the electoral college will be formed.

Sources said it would be interesting to see how many Congress men file nominations challenging Makan.

So far, the Congress' Primaries have been conducted for two Lok Sabha seats - Guwahati and Kolkata (Uttar). Manash Borah, son of a sitting Assam Cabinet Minister, bagged the Guwahati seat amid allegations of money and muscle power being used.

In Kolkata (Uttar), only one nomination was filed by Somendranath Mitra who became an evident candidate for the seat. Mitra, a veteran leader, had earlier quit the Congress to join the All India Trinamool Congress and later came back to the Congress fold.

The Mandsaur constituency in Madhya Pradesh will also see the direct selection of candidates by Congress workers. Here, Rahul’s aide Meenakshi Natarajan is the sitting MP. Nominations for the Mandsaur Primaries have been invited on February 25 and elections will take place on March 3.

Elections for the Indore segment under the primaries will happen on February 26.