Chandigarh, March 10
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always been a president driven organisation - be it at the Centre or at the state-level.

But of late, the party is seeing a gradual shift in its Punjab unit where it is riddled with factionalism with many leaders becoming individual powerhouses.

The division within the BJP has never been as stark as it is now. Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma does not see eye to eye with top leaders in the party, including sitting MLAs. The differences between state the BJP president and the party's lone Member of Parliament from Punjab Navjot Singh Sidhu, who represents Amritsar, are well known. This is the reason why the party leadership is not keen on fielding Sidhu from Amritsar, the constituency that he represented thrice.

Navjot Singh Sidhu has indicated that he might not contest the elections this time. Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna can be the BJP’s choice from Amritsar, which was represented by Sidhu. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Som Prakash is the frontrunner for the party ticket from Hoshiarpur.

Even the 12 BJP MLAs in the state are at daggers drawn with each other. Many party leaders have not been given the charge of boards and corporations in the state following factionalism within the party.

The BJP, which has an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, will field its candidates from three out of the 13 Parliamentary seats. These include Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. The candidates are expected to be announced on March 13.

The difference of opinion between party leaders cannot be termed as factionalism. It is just that people are ambitious and are competitive to reach the top in the organisation. Ours is a democratic party and each person can air his views. There is no rebellion in the party, even in cases where sitting MLAs were denied tickets in the 2012 Assembly elections. Kamal Sharma, punjab bjp president

Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna can be the party's choice from Amritsar as Navjot Singh Sidhu has given indication that he will not contest this time. Sarwan Salaria and former MP Vinod Khanna are vying for the party ticket from Gurdaspur while Chief Parliamentary Secretary Som Prakash and Vijay Sampla are the frontrunners for the party ticket from the Hoshiarpur constituency.

A senior BJP minister said factionalism could cost the party dear. Referring to the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he said the party lost the Hoshiarpur seat by a thin margin of 300 votes owing of factionalism. "The party's central leadership is trying to put its house in order," he said.

BJP leaders also admit that the party's urban vote bank, especially traders, are not happy with the imposition of taxes. "We are trying to woo our urban voters. The government was forced to impose taxes due to financial constraints. If the BJP comes to power at the Centre, we will get more financial packages for the state," said Kamal Sharma, state BJP chief.

New Delhi, March 10
Suspense over former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal being fielded again as the Congress candidate from Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat deepened today when Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the party should not field tainted candidates.

Tewari is believed to be seeking a shift to Chandigarh Lok Sabha segment from his current Ludhiana seat. Tewari said: "The Congress should not get into legalities of the matter and should not field candidates who are tainted." He recalled the Congress resolution passed at its Burari session where Congress president Sonia Gandhi had given a stern message against corruption.

The names of Bansal and Tewari were not announced and the suspense continues. Bansal is so far clear in the cash-for-railway-jobs scandal in which the CBI had nailed his nephew. The CBI probe is on but Bansal's role has not been established so far.

Chandigarh, March 10
Even as the mainstream political parties struggle to shed their 'tainted' image, the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) is banking on its clean image to make a difference to Haryana's caste and corruption-ridden politics in the April 10 Lok Sabha elections.

Haryana, which is notorious for corruption, especially due to the alleged irregularities in the change of land use (CLU) cases, dynastic politics and nepotism in government jobs, offers a fertile ground for a new party to replicate its Delhi success in the khap land.

With the youth, women and Dalits dissatisfied with the existing mainstream political parties, the AAP's casteless electoral agenda may appeal to the voters in the forthcoming polls.

Corruption, dynastic politics, nepotism in government jobs and good governance are major issues in Haryana. Over the years, the mainstream political parties have failed to address these issues. People see a hope in the AAP to provide a corruption-free and good governance. Rajeev Godara, chief spokesman, aap, haryana

With a strong base of over 10 lakh members, especially youth, the AAP is in a position to upset the applecart of the mainstream political parties in case of a multi-cornered contest. Strong anti-incumbency against the Hooda Government and failure of the opposition to forge a 'grand alliance' could stand the rookie party in good stead in the forthcoming elections. A number of AAP volunteers, credited for its stupendous success in the Delhi Assembly elections, hail from Haryana.

The AAP made its intentions of fighting corruption and dynastic politics clear on February 23 when its convener Arvind Kejriwal launched the party's nationwide campaign from Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's home turf Rohtak through an impressive rally.

Hooda's son Deepinder Hooda is battling anti-incumbency and allegations of skewed development in the state in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Corruption is the major poll issue in Haryana. While the Hooda Government is in the dock with a number of its senior functionaries being accused of demanding bribe for grant of CLUs, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala and MLA Ajay Chautala are in jail for their role in the JBT recruitment scam.

Kejriwal was the first to flag the issue of alleged favours by the Hooda Government to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in CLU cases in Haryana. This had paved way for the cancellation of the mutation of Vadra-DLF in Gurgaon by whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, bringing embarrassment to the Hooda Government and Vadra.

Besides corruption, the AAP wants to leave the stranglehold of caste and religion on the electorate in a bid to provide an alternative system of governance to the people. As Kejriwal and Yogendra Yadav trace their roots to Haryana, the party would naturally like to capitalise on this issue.

While the AAP is upbeat over people's response to its different style of politics, Hooda had gone on record claiming that the 'aam aadmi' was with the Congress and new political outfit comprised of 'kuch khas aadmi'(certain special people). Interestingly, senior INLD leader Abhay Chautala had already welcomed the emergence of the AAP in Haryana hoping that it would damage the electoral prospects of the Congress and its predominantly rural Jat vote bank would remain by and large untouched by the new party.

Although major political outfits dismiss the AAP as not much of a threat in the public yet in private, they acknowledge its presence apprehending that the party with its new brand of 'people' politics may spring a surprise as it did in the Delhi Assembly elections.

Advantage
Promises corruption-free and good governance
Clean image of its leadership and its cadre
Kejriwal and Yogendra Yadav trace their roots to Haryana
Strong anti-incumbency against Hooda
Dynastic politics practised by all major political parties
Overwhelming support from the youth

Jammu, March 10
After deciding to contest the Lok Sabha elections in alliance, the Congress and the National Conference have announced to share three seats each in the total six Parliamentary segments of Jammu and Kashmir.

Though in 2009 Lok Sabha elections the coalition partners had won five seats, this time the situation is different. Fissures between the two parties have surfaced due to difference in opinion of the leaders on various issues.

The Congress, which is contesting Jammu-Poonch, Udhampur-Doda and Ladakh seats, requires support of the National Conference, which has a stronghold in some pockets, to ensure victory of its candidates.

Keeping in view the differences among workers, the Congress has mooted the idea of constituting block-level coordination committees comprising workers of both the parties to ensure smooth transfer of votes.

Sources in the Congress leadership said such committees should be formed at grassroots level for better coordination among workers of the two parties.

"We will try to improve coordination among workers of both the parties to ensure victory of coalition candidates," said Ravinder Sharma, spokesman for the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC).

He said a proposal had already been put up to set up such committees at district and constituency level. "Leaders of both the parties have already directed their workers to gear up for polls," he said.

Sources said during the three-day visit of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz to twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri from March 13, all National Conference workers, including legislators, would be involved in the rallies. "In the constituencies, which are represented by the National Conference MLAs, the sitting MLAs should be entrusted the responsibility of ensuring victory of coalition candidates," a source said.

Sources in the Congress said a strategy in this regard would be formulated at a meeting on March 11 under the leadership of Saifuddin Soz. "Soz being the chairman of the Coalition Coordination Committee would take up the proposal before his National Conference counterparts so that such coordination committees are formed at the grassroots level," a source said, adding that the Congress leadership had realised that the NC's support was must to ensure victory of party candidates in both the Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province.

Purnea (Bihar), March 10
"Rahul Gandhi is behaving as if he has come from Mars," BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said today, taunting the Congress leader for accusing others instead of accounting for his party's 10-year rule at the Centre.

Addressing a rally here, Modi also attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying the arrogance of Kumar, who claimed to be the "most suitable" and "able" candidate for the PM's post, was higher than that of the Mt Everest.

Referring to Rahul as "shehzaada" (prince) numerous times during his address, Modi said: "He is moving around the country giving sermons and lectures. Should he not give an account of the 10-year rule at the Centre?"

Modi accused the Congress vice president of not answering any questions posed to him on corruption, unemployment, price rise and lack of development under his party's rule. "The Prince levels allegations but is not ready to answer any question," Modi said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister said: "Shehzaadeji, you claim to give them mobiles, but does India have electricity to charge them? Please answer. I want to ask you how much are you interested in India's future," Modi said, adding that only 2 per cent schools in Bihar had computers.

Modi said Assam had seven per cent computers in schools, Haryana 40 per cent, Maharashtra 45 per cent, Rajasthan (which till now had a Congress regime) 22 per cent and Uttar Pradesh, where laptops were distributed to gain votes, had only 10 per cent. He said against the national average of 22 per cent, Gujarat, "which was being attacked every day", had 71 per cent computers in schools.

Taking a jibe at Kapil Sibal, he questioned: "Where have the Akash tablets gone? Are they lost in the sky? Where has the money gone?"

On the Third Front, Modi said it was a group of leaders who were either former Prime Ministers or PM-hopefuls.

"It is a toli (group) of ex-prime ministers and more than a dozen PM-hopefuls who wake up with the bugle of polls and go to sleep again. They will again wake up when the next elections will approach," he said. Where were such leaders when River Kosi was flooded and people were in misery. "When Kosi was in spate, did the Third Front come? Where were they when people were dying?" he asked.

Lauding the NDA steered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi said it was only such a coalition led by BJP that would keep all together and treat all as partners.

Modi said that there were three kinds of alliances -- 'gathbandhan' (coalition) represented by the NDA under Vajpayee, 'brashtbandhan' (grouping of corrupt persons) and 'lathbandhan' (alliance of those indulging in violence). — PTI

New Delhi, March 10
In the newfound love between Raj Thackrey of the MNS and BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi, the Congress today saw a conspiracy on part of the saffron brigade to divide the country on linguistic lines.

The ruling party said it found the BJP-MNS poll understanding in Maharashtra strange considering the BJP has deep electoral interests in the Hindi heartland while the MNS political existence is courtesy Hindi heartland bashing. "After trying to divide the country on the lines of religion, the BJP has got down to divide it on linguistic lines. Narendra Modi is today touring Bihar and making speeches in Hindi to seek votes. On the other hand, he has gone and forged a tacit understanding in Maharashtra with the MNS which owes its political standing to anti-Hindi tirade," Shakeel Ahmed, Congress general secretary and spokesperson, said reacting to the latest developments in Maharashtra where the Congress is contesting 26 seats in alliance with the NCP.

The Congress is wary of the thaw between the MNS and BJP which will help latter's chances in the western state here the Congress-NCP considers itself a formidable force. The Congress currently holds 17 of the 49 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"How can Modi explain an understanding with someone who targets north Indians, especially people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh? This is sheer duplicity on part of the BJP. We hope the people will see through their designs and hypocrisy," Ahmed said.

The Congress also accused the BJP of two-timing Raj Thackrey and his cousin Uddhav Thackrey, who heads the Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena has been hit politically with the development, being seen in political circles as a quaint skill of keeping two enemies on one's side.

Asked if they did not see it as Modi's political skill to have both the estranged Maharashtra parties on their side on the poll eve, Ahmed said: "What kind of a skill is this. Everyone knows that the MNS has been targeting all outside communities in Maharashtra. It has a demeaning slogan against South Indians recently by saying 'Bajao pungi, bhagao lungi...". Later, they started abusing people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. If it is a skill to beseech Hindi voters on the one hand and ally with anti Hindi people on the other, I do not know what to say."

New Delhi, March 10
The Election Commission today defended in the Supreme Court the existing mechanism under which the defence personnel and their families cast their votes in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

In a note submitted to a Bench headed by Justice RM Lodha, the EC said the defence personnel were enrolled as voters in their respective places of posting if the tenure was for three years or more. Those posted in forward areas or for less than three years would have to exercise their franchise either through the postal ballot or proxy voting.

The Bench posted the hearing on a PIL for March 14. EC's senior counsel Meenakshi Arora said there were practical difficulties in treating all defence personnel as general voters. In any case, the candidates and political parties contesting elections would not be able to campaign in forward areas, she said. About one-third of the service personnel are enrolled as regular voters and the voting percentage among them is close to the national average. Treating even those personnel subjected to frequent transfers as regular voters in their place of posting will result in their voting in several Assembly elections. "Not a single soldier or officer should be denied the right to vote. You have to achieve this," the Bench told the EC at the last hearing.

"No excuses. You have to look at the convenience of the service voters. They are posted in the border areas and their families are somewhere else. We as a court have to protect their voting right. We don't like to impose our direction on you. It is your obligation to make all efforts," the Bench clarified.

The Bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Neela Gokhale, wife of an Army Colonel, pleading for letting the service personnel to exercise their franchise from their respective place of posting.

Another SC Bench also posted for hearing a similar petition filed by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a RS MP, for March 14.

Patna, March 10
Rebel Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Ramkripal Yadav today said he would contest the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat, from where party chief Lalu Prasad has fielded his daughter Misa Bharti.

"I will contest from Patliputra," Yadav, who was a close aide of Prasad and had resigned from all party posts on Saturday after denial of ticket from the seat, told reporters on arrival from Delhi here. The Rajya Sabha MP, however, did not elaborate whether he would enter the fray as a nominee of any party or as an Independent.

He said he would announce his decision in a day or two.

There is speculation that both the ruling JD(U) and BJP are in touch with the sulking RJD leader, who had lashed out at the RJD at the selection of Misa Bharti from Patliputra and had spurned her attempt at rapprochement. CM Nitish Kumar is reported to have talked to Yadav. There were also reports of Yadav being in touch with BJP leaders.

New Delhi, MARCH 10
Sitting Congress MP from Delhi (North-East) constituency Jai Prakash Agarwal may have won the last election with a huge margin but the same may not be the case this time round.

While Agarwal claims he did "all he could do" for his segment, his opposition leaders maintain the MP is facing a "strong anti-incumbency factor".

The constituency comprises 10 assembly segments — Burari, Timarpur, Seemapuri, Rohtas Nagar, Seelampur, Ghonda, Babarpur, Gokalpur, Mustafabad and Karawal Nagar.

Of these, the Congress could only win two (Seelampur and Mustafabad) in the recent assembly poll. Five were bagged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and three by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Though AAP has taken the lead in announcing its candidate, Anand Kumar, the Congress and BJP are yet to shortlist their names.

Jai Prakash says if his five-year performance is taken into account, "he should be winning the seat comfortably again". He says he facilitated a number of development works in his constituency. He claims getting the Delhi Metro connected to his segment was one of his biggest achievements as an MP.

He says among his other achievements are the Gokalpur-Saboli railway station, a central school, sanctioning of Rs 200 crore from the Union Government for covering drains, releasing power connections, construction of a community centre and a school in Badarpur Khadar.

Jai Prakash says among his other projects that are under construction comprise 200-bedded hospital in Burari, three flyovers on the Ring Road between Burari and Timarpur, Mansarovar-Khera underpass on the GT Road. An amount of Rs 4 crore has been released for CGHS dispensary, a sports academy in Timarpur, development of Waizirabad Road and regularisation of unauthorised colonies, he claims.

According to the Sachar Committee report, Delhi (North-East) is a minority-dominated constituency, which has a special provision for developmental work in pockets where Muslims are in a majority. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs had sanctioned Rs 23 crore for opening educational institutions, sanitation work, providing water facility, housing projects, etc. The government had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the local MP. But this amount remained unspent. It was sent back to the Centre," says RTI activist Dr Faheem Baig.

where he stands
Party Congress
Current profile MP from Delhi (North-East)
Electoral record Three-time Congress MP
Entered Lok Sabha in 1984
In Parliament
Participated in debates 128
Questions asked 874
Supplementary questions 3

MPLADS funds
Entitled: Rs 19 crore
Utilised: Rs 16.69 crore

Opponentspeak
Development projects started by the NDA were stalled by the UPA Government when it came to power. It was during the NDA regime that a project of construction of a bridge parallel to the Old Yamuna Bridge was passed for which Rs 600 crore was earmarked. The work had started but when the UPA came to power, the project was stopped. The air-conditioning of the community hall at Shastri Park in North-East Delhi was also stopped
Lal Bihari Tewari, former bjp mp

VOTERSPEAK
The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs sanctioned Rs 23 crore for opening educational institutions, sanitation work, providing water facility, housing projects, etc. But this amount remained unspent and was sent back to the Centre.~
Dr Faheem Baig, rti activist

Agarwal has failed to bring big projects to the constituency. The MP only concentrated on small issues such as streetlights, ornamental lights in parks, roads and community halls. The MP never thought of constructing flyovers to decongest traffic
local resident

Jhajjar, March 10
With the Lok Sabha polls around the corner, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are vying to get the party ticket from the Rohtak seat that covers Rohtak and Jhajjar districts.

At least three BJP leaders are staking claim to the ticket with each one standing an equal chance of getting it. BJP's national spokesman Capt Abhimanyu, BJP Kisan Morcha national president Om Prakash Dhankar and Haryana vice-president Naresh Malik are the main contenders for the ticket.

Abhimanyu had unsuccessfully contested the seat in 2004 and 2005. He had also contested the Assembly polls from Narnaud (Hisar) in 2009, but was rejected by voters.

Sources in the party said Abhimanyu was also trying to get the Sonepat ticket from where Kishan Singh Sangwan had won twice.

Naresh Malik has served as the Hasangarh MLA from 2005 to 2009 after facing a debacle as an Independent in his debut poll in 2001. Malik had also contested the Assembly polls from Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar) in 2009, but lost.

Om Prakash Dhankar, state convener for Iron Collection Drive for statue of unity, is considered to be close to the BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi. He had begun his political career as an ABVP worker.

BJP state General Secretary Manish Grower said the ticket for Haryana candidates was likely to be announced on March 13.

New Delhi, March 10
The BJP's plans for the eastern parts of the country received a boost when two senior leaders of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) joined the party today.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) pledged support to BJP candidates in West Bengal, including the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. The National People's Party's PA Sangma and his daughter Nationalist Congress Party MP Agatha K Sangma, who was part of the UPA Government, also offered support to the NDA. The entry of former AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary and former minister Hitendra Nath Goswami into the BJP has weakened the Assam-based party and has put a question mark on the possibility of any AGP alliance with the NDA. The two AGP leaders joined the BJP in the presence of BJP president Rajnath Singh.

In Assam, the BJP has already declared five candidates, including three sitting MPs, for the 14 Lok Sabha seats. Patowary is expected to contest from the Barpeta constituency.

Meanwhile, GJM chief Bimal Gurung also announced to support the BJP in West Bengal. He was accompanied by morcha's general secretaries Raju Pradhan and Vinay Tamang. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the GJM had supported senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling seat.

The GJM's support to the BJP comes at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress nominated footballer Bhaichung Bhutia from the Darjeeling seat. The GJM, whose support is a deciding factor in the hills, has decided not to support Bhaichung.

Gurung had recently claimed that the GJM support would be the deciding factor not only in the Darjeeling LS seat, but also in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Lok Sabha seats.