SRINAGAR, MARCH 24
As Jammu and Kashmir gears up for the Lok Sabha elections, the first major assignment for security agencies — who think that militants might infiltrate into the state once the US troops withdraw from Afghanistan — would be to ensure peaceful polls.

Keeping in mind the extensive security drill, the Election Commission (EC) had announced five-phased polls in six Parliamentary seats of the strife-torn state. All militancy-hit constituencies of the Valley will go to polls on three days.

After the election dates were announced, two Pakistani militants of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), a militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad hailing from Pakistan, and an 85-year-old man, whose son was associated with the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were killed in separate incidents.

Besides, two policemen were killed and an Army Colonel of elite counter-insurgency unit survived a militant attack earlier this month.

Though there has been no indication so far that militants will target the upcoming polls, the security agencies said militants in the past had always tried to disrupt the poll process in the state and this time, too, they would create disturbance. They said the separatists' call for poll boycott might be another reason for militants to disrupt the poll process.

"The militants may try to attack soft targets to instil fear in voters, but the security agencies have been asked to be on their guard to ensure peaceful polls," said an official.

"Militants usually become hyperactive when the elections are around the corner. Their commander from the PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) may have also asked them to step up attack on security forces," the official said.

To counter the looming danger, the J&K police and other security agencies have decided to mobilise the manpower from the existing anti-militancy grid comprising the J&K police, Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Besides, the state government has sought help of the paramilitary forces from the Union Government for the smooth conduct of polls.

In the days to come, the forces would have to ensure the security of polling personnel, voters at polling stations and material to be used in the process. Security personnel would be deployed at various places prior to the polls to instil confidence in voters.

At present, there are 60 battalions of paramilitary CRPF in the state out of which 48, comprising nearly 50,000 men, are deployed in the Valley to tackle anti-militancy and law and order situation.

Twenty-three battalions have been deployed in Srinagar and the rest have been stationed in other districts of the Valley.

Officials of the CRPF, the nodal security agency to hold the LoK Sabha elections across the country, said they were prepared for the upcoming polls and would ensure the polling would be peaceful.

"Adequate forces are being marshaled to avoid any untoward incident during elections in Kashmir," said Nalin Prabhat, Inspector General (Operation), CRPF.

Prabhat is part of the State-Level Coordination Group (SLCG), which has been constituted for better coordination among the security forces during the upcoming polls. K Rajendra Kumar, Special Director General, J&K Police, is heading the high-level security group.

While the J&K police and other paramilitary forces are gearing up for polls, the Army's counter-infiltration grid and counter-insurgency battalion have been told to be vigilant. Sixty-two battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in the Valley are involved in anti-militancy operations.

"The RR battalions of the Army, which operate in the hinterland, have been asked to be vigilant," said a police officer.

The elections in the state coincide with the time when snow in the higher regions would melt and militants might try to infiltrate into Kashmir. The Army, which guards the Line of Control (LoC), claims that it was fully prepared for the polls.

"We are ready to ensure a secure environment for the upcoming polls," said Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps. He said the Army was prepared to provide environmental security for the two elections ahead.

The security forces this year have already launched a massive offensive against the militants and so far 21 militants, including some top commanders, have been killed in various operations.

"Despite tight security, we may not be able to ensure violence-free elections," said a senior police official.

New Delhi, March 24
Apprehending attempts by terrorists to disrupt the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP today accused the Centre of not doing enough to secure its leaders and expressed surprise at the Home Minister's remarks that there are no inputs of any threat to them.

The BJP alleged that the Centre was not initiating adequate steps to secure political leaders, notwithstanding reports that four IM militants arrested by Delhi Police had plans to target Narendra Modi.

The BJP also accused the Congress of "emboldening" terrorists with its statements aimed at vote bank politics.

"India cannot afford to lower its guard...it is surprising that the political establishment of the Home Ministry recently announced that they had no information about any threat to political leaders, particularly of the BJP during the election campaign," BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.

Home Minister SushilKumar Shinde had stated that his ministry has no information about threats to BJP leaders. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the report that the four terrorists were planning to attack Modi was an "extremely sensitive subject" and a challenge to the democratic system.

‘Terrorists targeting Modi'

Ara: Former Home Secretary and BJP leader RK Singh today said Modi was on top of the terrorist hit list and sought adequate security for him. "It’s not only today but even when I was the Home Secretary, Narendra Modi was on the number one position in the hit list of terrorists," the bureaucrat-turned-politician told reporters after filing nomination from the Ara seat. — PTI

Hyderabad, March 24
Contrary to the tradition of straight contests between the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Andhra Pradesh is now witnessing a political shift with the entry of multiple players and their attempts to build alliances.

The changing dynamics is triggered by the bifurcation of the state to carve out a separate Telangana state comprising 10 districts, including Hyderabad.

The simultaneous polls for the Assembly and the Lok Sabha will be held in two phases. The Telangana region will go to polls on April 30, while Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions, jointly referred to as Seemandhra, will have polling on May 7. The two new Assemblies will be in place by June 2.

After granting statehood to Telangana, the ruling Congress is facing a backlash in Seemandhra spread over 13 districts. The party, which gave 33 MPs in the 2009 elections, the highest contribution by any state to the UPA-II kitty, is facing the prospect of a total rout in Seemandhra, which accounts for 25 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats and 175 MLAs in the 294-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Even in Telangana, which has 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats, the ruling party received a jolt ahead of the elections with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) going back on its promise to merge with the Congress once a separate state was formed. The TRS, a dominant player in the region which has been in the forefront of statehood movement for the past 13 years, has also refused to have any alliance with the Congress and decided to fight the elections on its own.

As a result, Telangana is witnessing a battle between the Congress and the TRS over who should get the credit for fulfilling the statehood dream of the region.

Despite being the main Opposition party in the state, the Telugu Desam Party has been reduced to a marginal player in Telangana because of its flip-flops in the past on the statehood issue. It is on the verge of forming an alliance with the BJP, which also has only marginal presence in the region.

The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a key player in Hyderabad, is expected to forge seat adjustments with the TRS.

It is the Seemandhra region that has emerged as a cynosure of all eyes as a new alliance is taking shape in the region, which is expected to have a profound impact on the electorate.

Popular Telugu film star Pawan Kalyan, who recently entered the poll fray by launching his party "Jana Sena", met BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and extended support to him. The 43-year-old actor, who is the younger brother of super star and Union Minister K Chiranjeevi, is expected to be a star campaigner for the NDA in Seemandhra. Already, negotiations between the TDP and the BJP for an electoral tie-up have reached a decisive stage and a formal announcement is likely anytime this week.

The BJP-TDP-Jana Sena trio is expected to be a formidable force in Seemandhra to take on the YSR Congress Party, headed by Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, which has been ahead so far in terms of popularity rating.

Another player set to join the new alliance is the Lok Satta Party (LSP) headed by civil servant-turned-politician N Jayaprakash Narayan, who is keen on contesting from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat.

Pawan Kalyan's political entry has electrified the election atmosphere as he has a huge fan following among the youth and is expected to influence the outcome in Seemandhra where the "Kapu" community, to which the actor belongs, forms a significant chunk of the electorate. Pawan Kalyan, a mercurial star who has acted in 29 films, finds himself pitted against his elder brother Chiranjeevi who is now a key player in the Congress besides being the chairman of the party's campaign committee in Seemandhra.

Mumbai, March 24
The Congress in Maharashtra is under pressure from the Maratha community to field former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who had to quit after his alleged involvement in the Adarsh Housing Society scam, from Nanded.

After Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Manikrao Thakre endorsed Chavan's candidature from Nanded last week, several leaders from the Maratha community have rallied behind the former Chief Minister.

Thakre had earlier told reporters that there was no evidence against Chavan for the misuse of power. "Since the land, on which the Adarsh Society was constructed, belonged to the state government and not to the Ministry of Defence, there was nothing wrong in admitting civilians to the society," Thakre said.

He, however, said the former CM had erred in allotting flats to his relatives.

Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had indicated Chavan's rehabilitation when the two shared the dais at a function at Aurangabad.

Thakre said the Central Election Committee of the Congress would decide the candidate from Nanded any time now.

To keep Chavan happy, the Congress had decided to field his brother-in-law and sitting MP Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar. However, Khatgaonkar bowed out of the race on Saturday.

Senior Congress leaders here felt that the party should either field Chavan, a major leader of the Maratha community, or his wife Amita from Nanded.

The former CM is seen as a resourceful leader who managed to keep his base intact among both Maratha and Muslim communities, which account for the bulk of the population in six of the eight Lok Sabha seats in Marathwada.

MPCC chief Thakre said the party had no senior leader except Ashok Chavan from Marathwada and should field him from Nanded.

Following the death of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Congress is banking on Ashok Chavan to shore up its fortunes among the Maratha community.

Observers say the Congress is worried about the implications of fielding Chavan for the LS polls. While Governor K Sankaranarayanan refused to grant permission for Chavan's prosecution, the Bombay High Court did not permit the CBI from dropping his name from the list of accused in the Adarsh scam.

Patna, March 24
The BJP today flayed Lalu Prasad for calling LK Advani a "Pakistani refugee" and said the RJD leader would himself become a "political refugee" after his party's "humiliating" defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"Lalu Prasad seems to be in awe of using the word refugee nowdays... He called LK Advani a Pakistani refugee...but he does not know that he himself will become a political refugee a few weeks from now after humiliating defeat in the polls," leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav told reporters here.

Yadav also criticised Prasad for calling the BJP "communal", saying the RJD chief himself has joined hands with the Congress, which he alleged, was responsible for the 1989 Bhagalpur communal carnage.

Mocking at Prasad's claims of winning the polls, the senior BJP leader said: "The state has moved from the politics of caste, lathi and lantern (RJD's symbol) and people are not impressed with the RJD chief's campaigning knowing he could neither become an MP nor an MLA for the next few years." — PTI

Gurgaon, March 24
The political arena of Gurgaon Parliamentary constituency has undergone a major change since the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009. The Congress, which swept the last elections with a thumping majority, is tattered.

One of its strongest pillars, sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh, who has for ages sworn by his unbreakable ties with the Congress, will be contesting against it, representing its arch-rival the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Inderjit not just consistently bashed Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his government for their "indifferent" attitude towards all constituencies except Rohtak, but also highlighted the alleged builder-friendly policies of the government.

Inderjit's induction into the BJP fold turned the first elected Municipal Corporation of the city saffron and gave an unprecedented upper hand to the party in the upcoming elections.

However, the candidate to watch out for these elections would be psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who is out to face the acid test following the party's win in the state elections of Delhi.

If not more, Yadav is surely being credited for introducing new array of issues a fresh breath from usual Ahir-Yadav-centred promises.

Ironically, while the political arena may have undergone a sea change, the ground realities, promises and expectations of local voters remain the same.

In the city, more than 2 lakh people, who live near the IAF ammunition depot, are still awaiting water supply, sanitation facilities and proper roads and their counterparts in the unauthorised colonies are yet again being promised legal rights this year as well.

The constituency is often called the Millennium City that is considered to be ahead of the rest in the state, but voters, till date, are waiting for improved basic infrastructure.

Water scarcity tops the chart of voters' woes. The city needs around 90 gallons of water daily, but is supplied only 50 MGD. The groundwater is depleting at an alarming rate and if experts are to be believed, the city would go dry in three years. The reason: unchecked urbanisation.

The scenario is just the same for power and roads. Despite several pompous announcements and promises by political leaders, residents are forced to hit the streets once a month against unscheduled power cuts, potholed roads and lack of drainage system.

Besides infrastructure, this time voters are expecting the leaders to address issues such as women security, corruption, especially in urban development departments, poor transport system, extension of Metro to the old city and better traffic management on the Expressway.

Mewat, which has a major chunk of voters, is in poor state. Though just a few kilometres away from glitzy Gurgaon, Mewat is completely another world that reeks of neglect.

Local residents, majority of whom are farmers, are still waiting for an irrigation system so that agriculture ceases to be rain-fed and becomes more profitable. The Meo-Muslim dominated area is in dire need of proper health and education facilities, railway connectivity and uplift of women who have been identified as among the "most-oppressed" across the world. Besides the regular infrastructure woes, alleged dubious acquisitions of land will be a major issue this time.

The constituency has maximum number of women voters, but neither has any party fielded any woman candidate nor highlighted issues concerning them in their manifestoes so far. Though maximum voters in the constituency are either first-timers or below 30 years, their expectations and demands have failed to catch the candidates' attention so far.

New Delhi: Stepping up his election campaign, BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi will address 185 rallies across the country from March 26. The first of the "Bharat Vijay Rallies" will be held at Udhampur in J&K. BJP V-P Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Modi would address rallies in 295 constituencies. — PTI

Expelled from BSP, Nandi gets Cong ticket to polls

Lucknow: After weeks of rumours of his joining the BJP, former minister in the Mayawati government Nand Gopal Gupta, 'Nandi', was on Monday declared the Congress candidate from Allahabad. On March 11, Nandi and his wife and Allahabad mayor Abhilasha Gupta had been expelled from the BSP for anti-party activities. — TNS

Infosys ex-executive files papers as AAP candidate

Bangalore: Infosys former top executive V Balakrishnan filed his papers on Monday as an AAP candidate from Bangalore (Central). Balakrishnan was Chief Financial Officer of Infosys when he resigned. —TNS

Poll complaint: Naik wants Nirupam to apologise

Mumbai: Ex-Petroleum Minister Ram Naik on Monday hit out at Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam saying that a "fake" complaint of breach of the election code had been filed against him. He said Nirupam should apologise. — PTI

Mumbai , March 24
If pollsters are to be believed, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is all set to receive a drubbing in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Reasons put forth are many: allegations of corruption, poor governance and arrogant behaviour of Pawar's nephew Ajit, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

However, none of these seem to matter to dissidents from the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which are flocking to the NCP.

Last year, Dhananjay Munde, nephew of senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, joined the NCP. The Pawars promptly rewarded him with a seat in the upper house of the Maharashtra legislature.

Thanks to the younger Munde, the NCP has managed to improve its performance in the local body elections in Beed, the stronghold of the senior BJP leader.

Encouraged by his success with Munde, Ajit Pawar has been aggressively wooing dissidents in the Shiv Sena, the BJP and even his ally, the Congress.

From the Shiv Sena, Pawar has drawn former MP Anand Paranjape in Kalyan-Dombivli and former spokesperson Rahul Narvekar who is fielded from Maval.

Even Mohan Rawale, Bal Thackeray's bodyguard-turned-leader, is now with the NCP. From the BJP, Ajit Pawar poached Dhananjay Mahadik, who will be the NCP's candidate in Kolhapur. In Amravati, the NCP has nominated Navneet Rana, whose husband Ravi is an Independent MLA. Congress leader Rajiv Rajale is the NCP candidate from Ahmednagar.

Rival parties say the NCP is using its clout in Maharashtra to lure strong candidates from other outfits such as the Shiv Sena while keeping its own cadre happy. "There are many in every party who want to be close to the powers that be. Such people will always join the party in power," Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said.

"Sharad Pawar does not have capable candidates in his party, so he is encouraging defection from other parties," Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray told a newspaper here.

However, the NCP insists that leaders from other outfits are joining it because of its "winnability" factor. "Many leaders from the Shiv Sena and the BJP are sending us feelers because they see our alliance doing well in the Lok Sabha elections," NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said.

The party is now wooing the Shiv Sena's sitting MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly to press home its advantage.

Observers say the NCP is desperately trying to improve its performance from the eight seats it won in the 2009 elections. The party is contesting 21 seats, leaving 27 for the Congress.

Apart from wooing rivals to his fold, Ajit Pawar has also had some success in splitting his rivals. The Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), which enjoys some following in the Raigad constituency, has announced that it would contest the Lok Sabha elections. For good measure, the party said it would ally with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena as well. In the last elections, the PWP extended outside support to the Shiv Sena-BJP combine.

The PWP is seen cutting into the Sena's votes in Raigad and Maval constituencies. The NCP has fielded former Shiv Sena spokesman Rahul Narvekar from Maval.

The Pawars have also brought out their heavy artillery for the Lok Sabha elections by asking senior NCP ministers in Maharashtra to contest the elections. While Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya will contest from Baramati, former Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil has been fielded from Madha, the seat vacated by the NCP supremo. Other heavyweights in the field include Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare from Raigad and Chhagan Bhujbal from Nashik. Union Minister Praful Patel will contest from his old seat Bhandara-Gondiya.

Sonepat, March 24
While rebel BJP leader Pradeep Sangwan filed his nomination as an Independent from Sonepat on Saturday, BJP nominee Ramesh Kaushik alleged that Sangwan filed his papers at the behest of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as his "prestige" was at stake here.

However, both Pradeep Sangwan and Congress candidate Jagbir Malik denied Kaushik's allegation.

Talking to The Tribune soon after filing his nomination papers, Sangwan said, "The BJP has virtually turned into the Congress in Haryana as it has allocated a number of tickets to former Congress leaders, ignoring its own senior partymen, including former Union minister ID Swami and Sudha Yadav."

Having resigned as the BJP state secretary after showing his resentment over "unjust" allocation of tickets a few days ago, Sangwan said, "The party has done injustice to me as I was denied the ticket despite the assurance from the senior central leadership. I have been working for the party for the past 17 years."

Stating that he decided to contest as an Independent at the behest of residents of Sonepat, he said if elected, he would support BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and work to resolve local issues.

Rubbishing Kaushik's allegations of playing into Hooda's hands, Sangwan said this time, the BJP had sold its tickets in Haryana and Ramesh Kaushik had paid a huge amount to get the ticket from Sonepat.

Terming Sangwan's allegation as baseless, Kaushik alleged Sangwan was playing into Hooda's hands and would soon join the Congress. He said, "Sangwan's decision to contest as an Independent against me is proving to be a blessing in disguise for me as non-Jat votes will polarise in my favour."

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Jagbir Malik said, "Hooda has nothing to do with Sangwan's contesting as an Independent. Everyone knows he was agitated over ticket denial by the BJP. The division of BJP votes will be beneficial for me."

After his father Kishan Singh Sangwan's death last year, Pradeep was confident of getting the BJP ticket. Though Kishan lost the 2009 elections, he represented this constituency thrice, in 1998 on the Samata Party (now part of the INLD) ticket and in 1999 and 2004 on the BJP ticket. Following the denial of the ticket to him, his agitated supporters protested at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on March 18.

They claimed that a section of BJP leaders was deliberately fielding "unpopular and weak candidates" to ensure that Modi missed the 272-plus target.

The BJP list of candidates from Haryana includes three former Congress leaders. Former Union Minister in the UPA government Rao Inderjit Singh, who recently joined the BJP, has been fielded from Gurgaon.

Ahmedabad, March 24
The Dehgam town of the Ahmedabad (East) Lok Sabha constituency today observed a total bandh in protest against the denial of ticket by the BJP to the seven-time sitting MP Harin Pathak.

A former Union Minister of State for Home and Defence in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Pathak, considered to be a loyalist to LK Advani, was replaced by Bollywood actor Paresh Raval to contest from Ahmedabad (East).

Pathak said he was "deeply hurt" by the party parliamentary board's decision to field an "imported outsider" in his place and he would take a decision on contesting as an Independent after "consulting" his supporters.

Apparently at his behest, his supporters organised a total bandh in Dehgam to demonstrate his strength. Later, three senior party leaders reached Dehgam and pacified Pathak's supporters who withdrew the bandh in the evening.

Pathak, however, after having a conversation with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on phone yesterday, had agreed to "try to convince his supporters" to work for the new BJP candidate. 

Lucknow, March 24
Accusing the top BJP leadership of sidelining Brahmins, the Samajwadi Party today made a last-ditch attempt to cut short Brahmins' return to the BJP fold.

Addressing the media, senior SP minister Manoj Pandey accused BJP national president Rajnath Singh and party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of indulging in what he described as a "conspiracy" against the Brahmins.

"The way senior BJP leaders such as Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Misra and Kesrinath Tripathi have been sidelined indicates a bigger conspiracy against the Brahmin community by the BJP leaders," Pandey said.

He said if the BJP did not take corrective action in time, it would become a victim of factional fights and lose the electoral race. — TNS

Chandigarh, March 24
An online petition is doing the rounds in cyberspace to campaign for the soldiers’ right to franchise. The petition, addressed to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, has been floated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a member of the Rajya Sabha from Bangalore. He had earlier also filed a petition before the SC on the same issue and the same, along with another such petition filed by the wife of an army officer, is being heard by the Apex Court.

A spokesperson for Chandrasekhar said the petition had received about 80,000 signatures so far both from citizens in India as well as people residing abroad, along with their comments and opinions, out of which over 68,000 were online signatories and the rest in the form of missed calls or hard copies. Chandrasekhar, accompanied by several veterans, today submitted it to the EC.

Mumbai, March 24
The Election Commission today said NCP chief Sharad Pawar had “prima facie” violated the Model Code of Conduct by his “ink” remark and asked him to explain his stand by Thursday evening failing which a decision will be taken without asking him further.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan at an election rally in Satara, Maharashtra, on Monday. PTI

In response, the NCP said it would abide by the instruction of the EC and respond to it in the stipulated time.

The EC had asked for audio and video footage of the speech made by Pawar yesterday where he allegedly asked a group of mathadi (head loaders) workers to vote twice in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

EC officials said they had asked for the footage for scrutiny. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya today approached the Election Commission and sought action against Pawar under the Representation of People's Act (RPA).

He also met Special Inspector General of Police Deven Bharti in relation to the case. “Pawar should also be removed as Union Agriculture Minister immediately,” Somaiya told reporters later. The NCP has, however, accused Somaiya of indulging in a publicity stunt with his complaints against Pawar.

“Kirit Somaiya wants publicity and this is way of doing this,” Bhaskar Jadhav, president of the Maharashtra unit of the NCP, said. In his speech at an event of mathadi workers, Pawar told them that elections were being held in their home town of Satara on April 17 and in Mumbai on April 24.

They should take advantage and vote twice after erasing the indelible ink put on their fingers, Pawar said. The NCP leader later clarified that the speech was made in a satirical vein. 

New Delhi, March 24
Accused by critics of making Narendra Modi the sole point of its campaign, BJP president Rajnath Singh's two consecutive tweets gave a new angle to the party's internal politics. On a day the BJP announced the launch of largely Narendra Modi-oriented election campaign — Bharat Vikas rallies on March 26 at Udhampur - the party seemed to mark a subtle shift, thanks to two tweets by the party president.

Singh first tweeted: "Time For Change, Time For BJP. Abki Baar, Bhajapa Sarkar (This time BJP government). He followed it up with another tweet: "Time For Change, Time For BJP. Bahut Hui Mehngai Ki Maar, Abki Baar Modi Sarkar." While the earlier tweet was accompanied by his photograph, the second one had Modi's face on it. Both the tweets generated much confusion at a time when the party is fighting internal feud over Modi's rise.

The question was whether Rajnath did a "U-turn" after being checked by Modi or was it a much contemplated effort to demonstrate that there were others in the BJP, besides Modi. It also gave credence to the fact that the BJP indeed had a Plan B in case Modi could not deliver.

BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi justified the "flip-flop" saying that whether it was BJP or Modi in the slogan it meant one and the same thing. "The Narendra Modi government means Rajnath Singh's government and vice versa," he said.

Guwahati, March 24
While the Congress has chosen Assam for its president Sonia Gandhi to kick start her countrywide electioneering, the BJP has assigned its battery of top-notch campaigners to hit the campaign trail in the state.

Congress sources said Sonia was likely to launch her first election campaign rally for the party in Lakhimpur on March 28, while party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will rallies in different areas in the state.

Singh is scheduled to address the first election rally in Assam in Tezpur on March 29 while Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to start campaign with a rally in Dibrugarh on March 27 next. Rahul Gandhi’s two-day visit to Assam last month had evoked overwhelming response from party workers which prompted the Congress think tank to choose Assam as the state for the party president Sonia Gandhi to launch her nationwide poll campaign.

The BJP has assigned its top-notch campaigners to hit the trail in Assam. BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi, senior leaders LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Murali Manohar Joshi, Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhera Raje, Mukhter Abbas Naqvi, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shahnawaz Hussain and others will campaign in Assam. 

New Delhi, March 24
With the elections drawing closer, the level of political discourse fell even lower today as the Congress went all out to attack BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as anti-women.

Citing BJP’s “Har har Modi, ghar ghar Modi” slogan, Congress’ women leaders raised anti-Modi pitch ahead of elections. “Do wives and daughters of this country want Modi to enter their households? They must answer this question,” they said.

The charge was led by All-India Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza, who cited Modi’s involvement in a recent snooping scandal involving a young woman to drive home her point of his bias against women. Oza did not even hesitate to dwell in detail on Modi’s personal history; she made clear references to his failed marriage.

“Modi has never been answerable to women, personally or politically. He has been involved in a snooping controversy and has a certain personal history. Everyone knows he is anti-women. So women must think whether they want Modi as the PM,” Oza said. She also turned Modi’s “Congress-free India” line at its head, saying Modi had already ensured “BJP-free India” by consciously obliterating all references to the party in his election campaign.

“Modi’s centralised way of working has percolated from Gujarat to the national scene. So much so that senior BJP leaders are feeling suffocated and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has become the Leader of Opposition in her own party. Modi’s dictatorial attitude is taking its toll,” Oza said.

For the Congress, Modi’s latest projection as anti-women is a firm strategy that they will build on in the days to come. A perfect setting for its launch came yesterday when the BJP first included and then expelled Karnataka-based Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik from its ranks. Muthalik is notorious for having ordered the “moral policing” of girls who visited a bar in Mangalore in 2009.

But the Congress thought little of the BJP’s timely realisation. “By expelling Muthalik, the BJP made a failed attempt at masking its anti-women prejudice,” Oza said. Faced with tough elections, the Congress hopes to gain tremendously from its new line considering half of the voters in the country are women. 

Moradabad, March 24
A five-cornered contest in the Muslim-predominant western Uttar Pradesh district of Moradabad has made it tough for pollsters to guess which way the wind blows.

Moradabad district, home to the famous brassware artisans whose dazzling craftsmanship is much sought after at home and abroad, was till recently also well known for its famous parliamentarian, former cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin of the Congress.

This time, the Congress denied a ticket to Azharuddin, much to his chagrin, though he had toured the district a few weeks before nomination and indicated he would be chosen.

The Congress has fielded Begum Noor Bano, who has relinquished her Rampur seat in favour of her son Kazim Ali Khan. The party would be expecting Bano's historical legacy, being a scion of the local princely estate of Rampur, to hold sway on the voters.

"Azharuddin let down the people of Moradabad who voted overwhelmingly for him. He barely visited the constituency. He came around 10 times in the first two years, and did not care to visit after that," Mohd Javed, a local property dealer, said.

"He never came for party meetings. Lakhs of people voted for him, but he let them down," said Shah Alam, another resident.

In February 2013, locals held a protest against the cricketer-turned-politician and even torched his effigy for his alleged neglect of the constituency. The Congress has now fielded Azharuddin from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Thakur Sarvesh Singh is the only Hindu among the prominent contestants.

Sarvesh Singh, who belongs to the Thakurdwara-Bilari royal family and is a legislator of Thakurdwara, has been re-nominated for the seat. He had lost to Azharuddin by about 50,000 votes in 2009. — IANS