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Ex-servicemen trigger Cong, BJP race
Parties will have to count on NRIs in Doaba region
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STOCK-TAKING: Avtar Singh Bhadana
(Faridabad)
EC issues revised guidelines for political parties
Vajpayee’s niece takes a dig at Modi
Cong-RJD alliance on track
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Ex-servicemen trigger Cong, BJP race
Dehradun, February 27 The incumbent Congress has already taken an initiative to secure the vote bank by clearing the long-awaited one rank, one pension demand of retired defence personnel, which, the party feels, is likely to favour it. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was instrumental in clearing the one rank, one pension scheme, during his visit to Dehradun on February 23, made it a point to interact with ex-servicemen with an aim to incorporate their demands in the Congress manifesto. He also held similar interactions with ex-servicemen in Delhi and Chandigarh recently.
Already, the state Congress has decided to enhance the amount of financial assistance for gallantry award winners from Uttarakhand. It was BJP leader Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd), who after becoming the Chief Minister of the state after the 2007 Assembly elections, had substantially enhanced the gallantry award money, forcing other state governments to follow suit. The present Congress government has enhanced the award money to win over the ex-servicemen. Khanduri's entry in politics in 1991, as a BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Pauri Garhwal, led to the consolidation of ex-servicemen as a powerful voters' block in the state. The ex-servicemen, particularly in Pauri Garhwal, contributed to Khanduri's victory in 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2004 Lok Sabha polls. There is large concentration of ex-servicemen in the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency that comprises Paur, Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts. To counter the influence of Khanduri among ex-servicemen, the Congress brought Lt Gen TPS Rawat (retd), a former Director General of Assam Rifles, who remained a minister during the ND Tewari-led Congress government from 2002 to 2007. After differences with the Congress leadership, Lt Gen Rawat resigned from the Assembly in 2007, and joined the BJP. He contested the Pauri Garhwal by-election, necessitated due to the resignation of Khanduri, who became the Chief Minister after the 2007 Assembly polls. Lt Gen Rawat won the 2007 by-election, but lost the 2009 Lok Sabha elections to Satpal Maharaj of the Congress, his one-time mentor in the party. Lt Gen Rawat quit the BJP also to form his own Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha before the 2012 state Assembly polls with an aim to garner ex-servicemen votes. But his party suffered a crushing defeated. The Congress and the BJP both had used former Army generals to get ex-servicemen votes in the previous elections. Lt Gen MM Lakehra (retd), who aligned with the Congress, was later made the Lt Governor of Puducherry. Lt Gen Gambhir Singh Negi (retd), a former Commandant of the Indian Military Academy, who was also the chairman of the state Public Service Commission, campaigned for the party. The ex-servicemen of the state, who in the past had supported the BJP, are keeping their fingers crossed after the Congress announced implementation of the one rank, one pension scheme. "It is early to predict, but ex-servicemen are sceptical about the implementation of the one rank, one pension. We have suggested Rahul to form a high-powered committee to remove the anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission and implement it before the code of conduct is imposed," said Brig KG Behl (retd), president of the Dehradun Ex-servicemen League. Meanwhile, Maj Gen Bhuvan Chander Khanduri (retd) rubbished the announcement by the UPA government on one rank, one pension. He said it was a politically motivated move aimed at the LS elections. "It is immature move of the Congress to befool the ex-servicemen. They have been in power for the past 10 years, but did nothing and now without any budgetary sanction, they have announced it. There is no clarity or government notification on it. I think the ex-servicemen will not be befooled by this false propaganda and the Congress would earn more ill will than goodwill," Khanduri said. Col Parkash Thapliyal (retd), vice-president of the Purv Sainik and Ardh Sainik Sangathan, said, "We are not sure of the announcement. In the past also, Congress leaders had given assurances. We are not sure till the scheme is implemented with proper budgetary provision," he said. Numbers that count
Brig KG Behl
(retd), president, Ex-Servicemen League, Dehradun Col Parkash Thapliyal (retd), vice president, Purv Sainik and
Ardh Sainik Sangathan Maj Gen Bhuvan Chander Khanduri
(retd), former cm
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Parties will have to count on NRIs in Doaba region
Jalandhar, February 27 Having a capacity to fund the elections, the Indian diaspora has a strong influence among the locals here due to their network of friends and relatives. They fund sports tournaments and are also known for their social work. NRIs now play a significant role in the elections and the mainstream political parties in Punjab, including the SAD, Congress and BJP are making desperate efforts to woo them. More than 80 per cent of NRIs are from the four districts of Doaba, including Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. At least one member of a family from villages in the Doaba region is settled abroad. Also, NRIs have a good influence in Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib. The two-day NRI Sammelan organised by the SAD-BJP government last month was just an indication as to how crucial the NRI votes are for the parties. Political experts say NRI Sammelan was an attempt by the ruling combine to woo the NRI community ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to The Tribune, former media director, NRI Sabha, Punjab, Satnam Singh Chana said: Earlier, the NRIs’ influence in the elections was limited. But now, all political parties give prominence to NRIs. They come for campaigning even during the panchayat polls. Eminent NRIs are expected to come in groups for campaigning in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Chairman of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee NRI Cell and the president of the Indian Overseas Congress (UK Unit) Daljeet Singh Sahota said: "NRIs organise a football tournament at Barian Khurd in Hoshiarpur for the promotion of sports. They also hold health and eye check-up camps. NRIs carry a lot of weight in the region and villagers are likely to vote in favour of the candidate of their choice." "NRIs in the Doaba region have been instrumental in setting up hospitals and community centres in villages, besides undertaking development works, including laying of roads and construction of stadiums. Families having connections with those settled abroad vote for candidates who protect and promote the interests of NRIs," said Although voting rights to NRIs is a much publicised issue, only 15 overseas electors from the nine constituencies in Jalandhar have got themselves registered as voters. "Even if they are not registered voters, their influence cannot be ruled out on the voters in the region," said president of the NRI Sabha, Punjab, Jasvir Singh Gill. Former chief of the NRI Sabha, Punjab, Kamaljit Singh Hayer also echoed similar views. While the Congress is already having the NRI Cell and units of the Indian Overseas Congress, the BJP also constituted the NRI state unit some months ago. State president of the BJP NRI Cell Harkirat Singh Toor said they would launch a campaign to woo NRIs next week. "The NRI community holds the key, at least in the Doaba region. We will showcase the Gujarat model of development. Narendra Modi is popular among NRIs due to his industry-friendly policies. We expect that the NRI votes will go in our favour." PPCC NRI Cell chairman Daljeet Singh said that Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has its units spread across two-dozen countries and 250 leaders of the IOC would campaign in the polls for the party. Senior Akali leaders said the SAD-BJP government had done a lot for the NRI community and hope that NRIs would vote in their favour There are 2.5 million Punjabi NRIs but only 44 of them have registered themselves with the Election Commission of India. Of these, 15 are from Jalandhar.
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STOCK-TAKING: Avtar Singh Bhadana
(Faridabad) Says AAP has affected political scenario ‘quite a bit’, but the BJP candidate will remain his main opponent Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service
Faridabad, February 27 The changed political scenario and credibility of the tall claims of development, despite the city and the district still unable to get rid of the "poor cousin" tag of Gurgaon and Noida, will be the factors that the electors might consider while sealing the fate of political leaders.
Faridabad is the second largest contributor to the revenue kitty of the state economy. The total number of voters in the constituency has swollen to 11.49 lakh this year. Bhadana, who represents the ruling Congress, will complete his second consecutive term and a total of four terms of his political career from here. He had defeated BJP's Ram Chander Bainda in the previous elections and is expected to see him as the main rival in the upcoming polls as well. With the claim list of Bhadana quite long, his political rivals expect a complete rout of the ruling party in both the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls. Performance in Parliament
In the House, Bhadana raised several issues, including the need for a flyover at Badapur border, which had been a major traffic bottleneck at the main point between Faridabad and Delhi. He also raised the demand for the Metro Rail project in the city, which, Bhadana claims, was ultimately sanctioned by the state and the Union Government. "Inclusion of the city in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and six-laning of the National Highway 2 between Badarpur border and Hodal have also been a result of the demand raised by me," Bhadana said, adding that he had pushed sanctioning of Ranney well water project and the IMT. The projects
Bhadana said he played a vital role in getting sanctioned some of the major projects, including construction of Rs 2,500-crore Metro rail link from Badarpur to Faridabad, which was on the final stage of completion. He said he spent Rs 622 crore on the JNNURM project that aimed at improving the civic infrastructure in the city. The construction of the first medical college of the district and augmentation of potable water through Rs 498-crore Ranney well project were nearing completion, he said. The work on six-laning of the National Highway-2 started a few months ago. Bhadana claims that almost all major projects were launched or completed during his tenure as the MP and it spoke volumes of the work he did. Though he failed to reveal how many questions he raised in the Lok Sabha or the debates he participated, he said without his active role, Faridabad might not have got so many projects in the past 10 years. Describing his performance as "excellent", he rates his chances of getting re-elected as bright. Admitting that the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party had affected the political scenario a bit, he claimed that it was the BJP candidate who would be his main opponent. MPLADS funds
As per records, the MP received a total of Rs 19 crore under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund Scheme (MPLADS). He said he had utilised the entire fund allotted to him by the government. The MP claimed that he had carried out 275 development works of which around 80 per cent had been completed. The rival's take
BJP's Ram Chander Bainda said Bhadana had a habit of taking all credit for any development work that took place in the constituency in the past 10 years. He said Bhadana had failed to live up to expectations of people. "Faridabad is still lagging behind the neighbouring Gurgaon and Noida when it comes to overall development," he said. He said the industrial houses were either closing down or shifting elsewhere due to poor infrastructure, erratic water and power supply, poor roads and rampant corruption. Bainda, who had been elected to power thrice but lost to Bhadana in the last elections, said slow rate of progress and poor infrastructure had made the city suffer in the past few decades and all claims of the current MP were false and misleading, as unemployment and crime had grown by leaps and bounds. Where he stands Current profile Entered LS in 1991, re-elected in 2004, 2009 Constituency break-up MPLADS funds  Utilised: 100% Unspent: Nil
Opponentspeak Ram Chander Bainda, bjp Voterspeak
Sunil Bisla, Dayalpur village resident
Ajay Gaur, local resident
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EC issues revised guidelines for political parties
New Delhi, February 27 The EC had initially framed these guidelines in September last year, following which political parties were asked to send suggestions and comments before the EC brought these directions into force. The Commission, in its latest communication, has asked the political parties to send their comments or suggestions within 14 days. "If a reply is not sent by the parties, it will be presumed that they have no comments to offer and the measures will be formally notified," the EC said. One of the salient points mooted by the EC this time is that the parties, which desire to provide any amount to its candidates for their election expenses, "shall make such payment, not exceeding the prescribed ceiling, only through crossed account payee cheque or draft or through bank account transfer and not in cash." Among other suggestions is the EC's long-standing view that all political parties "shall submit a copy of the audited annual accounts with auditor's report for each financial year to it before October 30 of each year". These norms were prepared by the EC in consultation with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). "Treasurer of the political party or such person as authorised by the party, shall, besides maintaining the accounts at all state and local units, maintain consolidated accounts at the central party headquarters," said one of the guidelines. The EC has also written to the parties on procedures for making cash payments other than to candidates. "It is advised that the party shall not make any payment, in excess of Rs 20,000 in a day to any person or company or entity in cash, except where the payment made in a village or town, which is not served by a bank or the payment is made to any employee or party functionary towards salary, pension or for reimbursement of his expenses or in cases where cash payment is required to be made compulsorily," the EC said. The Commission also wants that all contributions or amounts received by parties in excess of Rs 1,000 shall be acknowledged with a receipt and the party shall maintain a record of the name and address of such individuals, companies or entities. The EC also reiterated its earlier guideline that any contribution in cash and more than Rs 20,000, made by a person or company to a party, should not be done other than by crossed account payee cheque or draft or through bank account transfer. The Commission said all contributions made to a party should be deposited in the party's bank account within a period of seven days. The poll watchdog, which has created an election expenditure monitoring cell and deploys tax sleuths to monitor cash funds for some years now, has stressed that all payments made to candidates for poll-related expenses should be done through recognised banking channels as mandated by the RBI. — PTI To ensure transparency
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Vajpayee’s niece takes a dig at Modi
New Delhi, February 27 Flanked by Congress veterans AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and party general secretary in charge Janardan Dwivedi, Shukla began her new journey by slamming Narendra Modi and his failings as a husband and as a Chief Minister. She said: "Someone who failed as a husband and a CM will fail as a PM too." She justified her crossover to the Congress citing a deep decline in the BJP since the illness of her uncle. Shukla was quick to laud the Gandhis in her speech marking a formal entry to the Congress at a time when the LJP has deserted the party. "Everyone knows what the Gandhi family has sacrificed for the country. "I thank Sonia and Rahul and hope secular forces will once again repose their faith in this party in the upcoming polls," she said describing the Congress as her new home. Shukla, who hails from Chhattisgarh, had quit the BJP ahead of the 2013 Assembly elections in the state over differences with Chief Minister Raman Singh on ticket distribution.
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Cong-RJD alliance on track
New Delhi, February 27 Although sources in the Congress indicated that the alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was still on track, they admitted that the palpable disinclination of Lalu to adjust LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan cost the proposed grand alliance of three parties dear. With this confession, the Congress lent credence to Paswan's assertions today that the RJD kept dilly-dallying on seat adjustment in the state and the Congress failed to play its role of a ‘big brother’. Party insiders did not appear worried over Paswan walking over to the BJP. "He has nothing to gain from this alliance. He will only lose. After all, he has opposed the communal ideology of the BJP for years," said a senior leader privy to developments on the Congress' alliance in Bihar. Meanwhile, leaders pointed out that the alliance with Lalu would materialise. Indications to this effect have already been given in private conversations by both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to reporters last month, Rahul had said that the alliance with Lalu would happen. Later, in his much talked about interview to a TV channel, Rahul had admitted that the alliance with the RJD would be like an alliance with an idea. He was trying to justify the tie-up in the wake of Lalu's conviction in the fodder scam. Sources said even the state unit of the Congress favoured an alliance between the Congress and the RJD. As for Paswan, he was being cold shouldered by both the Congress and Lalu as his space in Bihar (in terms of seats) was being squeezed. Paswan is keen to have safe seats for his son Chirag Paswan, said to have brokered the deal with the BJP. He would himself contest from Hajipur, which he had lost the last time. For his son, Paswan is seeking the Jamui LS seat. Seat adjustment has clinched the deal between the BJP and LJP though the latter would still have settled lesser share than demanded. The Congress for its part is banking on Lalu's Yadav OBC vote bank considering the non-Yadav OBCs (primarily Mahadalits) would go with the JDU after Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced several empowering policies for them thereby alienating the Paswans, who were left out of the scheme. With the Muslim-Yadav vote bank intact, the Congress hopes to make some difference in Bihar and improve its dismal performance of 2009 when it had walked out of the LJP-RJD alliance at the last moment. Cong eyes OBC votes
The Congress for its part is banking on Lalu's Yadav OBC vote bank considering the non-Yadav OBCs (primarily Mahadalits) would go with the JDU after Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced several policies for them.
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JD (U) expels four Lok Sabha MPs, Tiwari
VK Singh to join BJP Schemes for minorities a gimmick: Muslim leaders
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Political parties have been pulling out all the stops to woo ex-servicemen, serving defence and paramilitary
personnel.
With Lok Sabha polls round the corner, NRIs are expected to play a crucial role in the Doaba region of the state.
Faridabad, one of the most important Lok Sabha seats in the National Capital Region, is likely to see another battle of wits in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls this year.
The changed political scenario and credibility of the tall claims of development, despite the city and the district still unable to get rid of the "poor cousin" tag of Gurgaon and
Noida, will be the factors that the electors might consider while sealing the fate of political leaders.
Political parties have been pulling out all the stops to woo ex-servicemen, serving defence and paramilitary personnel, who form a sizeable chunk of voters in Uttarakhand, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
The state government figures reveal that there are more than 1.2 lakh ex-servicemen in Uttarakhand, while more than 1 lakh are currently serving the defence forces. Nearly 1 lakh people in the state retired from the paramilitary forces and more than 1 lakh are still serving. There are 34,675 widows of defence personnel in the state. So, these families constitute a major vote bank, which is being eyed by various parties.
It is early to predict, but ex-servicemen are sceptical about the implementation of the one rank, one pension. We have given suggestions to Rahul Gandhi to form a high-powered committee to remove the anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission and implement these before the code of conduct is
imposed. 
We are not sure of the announcement. Earlier too, the Congress leaders had given assurances. Unless it is implemented with proper budgetary provisions, we cannot
comment. 
It is a move of the Congress to befool the ex-servicemen. The party has been in power for the past 10 years, but it did nothing and now without any budgetary sanction, it has announced the one rank, one pension scheme. There is no clarity on it. Ex-servicemen will not be befooled by this propaganda and the Congress will earn more ill will than
goodwill.
NRIs organise a football tournament at Barian Khurd village in Hoshiarpur for the promotion of sports. They also hold health and eye check-up camps. They carry a lot of weight in the region and villagers are likely to vote in favour of the candidate of their choice.~ 
NRIs in the Doaba region have been instrumental in setting up hospitals and community centres in villages, besides undertaking development works, including laying of roads and construction of stadiums. Families having connections with those settled abroad vote for candidates who protect and promote the interests of
NRIs.
Faridabad, one of the most important Lok Sabha seats in the National Capital Region, is likely to see another battle of wits in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls this year.
It does not appear to be a smooth run for Avtar Singh Bhadana, who aims at seeking third consecutive term despite acute anti-incumbency and the visible "holes" in development claims.
Bhadana has failed to live up to expectations of people. Faridabad is still lagging behind the neighbouring Gurgaon and Noida when it comes to development. Due to poor infrastructure, industries have either closed down or shifted
elsewhere.
The MP has done tremendous work and has been accessible to almost everyone throughout his tenure. He has carried out lot of development in the area with a special focus on the rural
belt.
The MP has failed to bring any major industry to the city. A stiff resentment against the MP prevails in the area and his performance will get reflected in the upcoming
elections.
New Delhi: