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Guidelines for police officers to monitor expenses of candidates
Anti-AAP movement held
Voters urged not to vote AAP
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Campaign trail
North West BJP candidate takes on political rivals
Voting out Vajpayee was a historic blunder: Vardhan
Mayawati demands action against BJP for manifesto
Public holiday on April 10
Taxi driver dies after beaten by 10 men
Woman, 3 associates held for robbing bizman
Two held with gold worth
Rs 1 cr at IGI
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Guidelines for police officers to monitor expenses of candidates
New Delhi, April 7 The booklet called the: "Election Expenditure Monitoring Handbook for Field Staff", is ready reckoner has been printed by the Delhi Police. The handbook provides details on the type of election expenditure of a candidate and the legal penalties for election related incidents, for instance giving bribes to voters and promoting enmity between different communities. It also gives guidelines to police officers on taking action in such incidents. And gives details on methods of bribing voters and spells out assembly constituencies that are vulnerable to distribution of money and liquor. According to the police, about 15,000 such handbooks have already been distributed in the 11 police districts in Delhi. Explaining the concept behind creating such a handbook, a senior police officer, who is a part of this project, said, "The Election Commission has given us volumes of material on the upcoming Parliamentary elections. But what is the use of this material if it does not reach our ground staff. The information should percolate to the field formations. So, we have compiled those documents given to us by the Election Commission as this handbook, which we thought would be useful for the field staff." The handbook has details written in Hindi and English. A Delhi Police officer deployed in election duty told The Tribune that the handbook has been helpful. "The constabulary usually do not know the minute details regarding elections and so when an incident happens they do not know what to do. The handbook provides details on what action should be taken," said the officer. It also gives details on the two types of expenditure of candidates during election expenditure permissible under the law, which includes public meetings, posters and banners and illegal expenditure such as distribution of money, gifts, liquor and items that are meant to influence voters. According to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, the election expenditure for a candidate for the Lok Sabha is Rs 40 lakh. In a section of the handbook called "Recorded Methods of Bribing Voters" some such methods are cash in envelopes given with the morning newspapers; cash given through community feasts under the plate or banana leaf; cash given to persons of a locality to contest the elections to divide the votes of rivals; cash given to rival political parties to not seriously campaign in the elections; cash given to the village headmen for ensuring votes and cash given to journalists to write positively on a candidate. The distribution of liquor and drugs among the voters is also another form of bribe during the elections. The handbook has listed some of the modes of the transportation of cash as inside ambulance vans, in the bonnet of a car, in police vans and helicopters. It has also named about 25 places in East Delhi that are vulnerable to the distribution of liquor and cash to voters.
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Anti-AAP movement held
Voters urged not to vote AAP
New Delhi, April 7 It criticised the "dictatorial attitude of the AAP leadership" and questioned the AAP for fielding outsider candidates throughout India. It urged voters not to fall prey to the "hollow claims and tall promises" of the party. Protestors staged demonstration at the Nirman Vihar Metro station and later marched in a procession to the Laxmi Nagar Metro station, holding banners and placards. According to them who claimed to be members or volunteers of the AAP, they kept quite till now thinking the party leadership would mend their "arrogant attitude and limit their hunger for more power to do justice with people of Delhi, but instead they have been indulging in regular run of the mill politics by introducing outsiders and celebrities and running away from their responsibilities leaving the real aam aadmi outside the fence". The activists said that they feel cheated by the party leadership and have decided to create awareness among the voters all over India asking them not to vote for a party that left their original mass base in lurch. They said that they were with the party since the days of Anna Hazare movement with a hope for relief to common man, but with the AAP leaders coming to power they forgot their roots and converted the party from public organisation to a "private limited company" with a few of the close people of Arvind Kejriwal as its directors. They said that there was growing resentment within the party that the AAP was forgetting its own manifesto and ideals by indulging in the Congress and the BJP style politics by giving tickets to celebrities and promoting their own set of people.
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Last leg of campaigning by North East candidates
Himani Chandel Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 7 "First thing people ask me is to sing a song in Bhojpuri," said Tiwari, BJP's North East Delhi candidate. "It is always different as to how they treat politicians and actors," he said. He admits that people in the constituency used to have a sceptical feeling about him as they questioned the certainty that he will stay and not run away to the film industry. "I assure them that I have come to serve people and this is my only aim in life," he said.
He is leaving no stone unturned to gel with the people most of which still consider him an outsider. "I have bought a flat in Bhajanpura now where I meet people and listen to their problems," he said. He campaigns around 17 hours a day . He starts his day at 7.30 am by 10 pm returns to the party office where I have dinner and meet the party workers," said Tiwari. Support from teaching fraternity
A large number of teachers and student communities are giving back hand support to Prof Anand Kumar, JNU professor and North East Delhi candidate of the AAP and are campaigning for him day and night to seek votes. The teaching fraternity is extending their support to Prof. Kumar by accompanying him in his padyatras, road shows, and attending his public meetings in the lanes and by lanes of the constituency. He is backed by the student supporters who have divided themselves in a group. They are campaigning door-to-door in the backward areas. "I have been campaigning for him since the day he filed his nomination," said a professor. He starts campaigning from 7 am and stretches his day till 4 am the next day. Prof Kumar also has noted journalist Kuldeep Nayar campaigning for him. "People like Prof Kumar do understand the diversity of the country. Such people are required to get into Parliament and then only all sections of people in our country will be elevated. For the Past five years the Congress and the BJP stopped development of the North East constituency," said Nayar. Campaign a family affair
Fighting an anti-incumbency wave in his Lok Sabha seat, North East Congress candidate JP Agarwal is campaigning extensively in his area. Campaigning extensively during last leg of the trail, he starts his campaign by 9 am which continues till 11 pm. He has held more than 30 public meetings and padyatras in past 10 days. Toiling hard from dusk to dawn, he is also accompanied by family members, including his wife, sister, daughter-in-law. "We are daily campaigning in different assembly constituencies. All of the family members are attending 25-30 corner meetings in a day. We are trying to reach out to maximum number of people as the constituency is very large, so we started campaigning in the second week of March," Ekta Agarwal, daughter-in-law of Agarwal. "My husband is looking after the social media and other PR campaign," she said. Agarwal is one of the few MPs who has used the entire provision of MPLAD for development projects in his constituency. Of the total entitlement of Rs 21.89 crore, he has booked Rs 21.40 crore for development projects of the constituency. |
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North West BJP candidate takes on political rivals
New Delhi, April 7 According to him, the concerned section of voters who backed the Aam Admi Party during the assembly elections have been disenchanted with it due to its "false promises" while the 10-year "misrule and rampant corruption" of the Congress has resulted with a quantum jump in the BJP's position in his constituency. This is evident given the support his candidature is receiving, he asserted. On the other side the two woman contenders AAP candidate Rakhi Birla is confident of wresting the power from Krishna Tirath who, in turn is hoping to defeat the anti-incumbency wave within her constituency as well as the country. His belief stems from the fact that in the past three days he claimed hundreds of office-bearers and workers of the AAP, Congress and the BSP have joined the BJP to back him. "There is despair on all fronts and people are feeling helpless and choked. It is only the BJP which respects the feelings of all the sections of society and will give emphasis to the problems of the youth of the country to make them capable to handle their social and family problems. The Congress' only goal is to be glued to power," he said. Taking on the sitting Congress MP, Krishna Tirath, he said this area is quite backward, even though it is a part and parcel of Delhi. "Work on the Metro rail commenced in this area for the first time 12 years ago, but this line has not been extended further. There is neither government transport from the Metro station to the rural areas nor proper private transport system. Not only high schools and colleges, but even the primary schools in the area are in a very bad shape. There is only one government hospital and even there modern facilities do not exist. The crime graph has gone very high here," he said.
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Voting out Vajpayee was a historic blunder: Vardhan
New Delhi, April 7 "The 'Modi wave' that sweeping the country has its roots in the national resolve to revive the era of progress and positivity which abruptly ended when the Communist-backed UPA came to power in 2004. The people of India will not repeat the blunder," Dr Vardhan said. Addressing a press conference, Dr Vardhan said that there is ample evidence that the common man was better off in 2004 than now. In the decade that followed corruption, price rise, flawed policy-making and communal politics has ended up dividing the nation between the rich and the poor and between communities. He stated, "History is replete with examples of irrational democratic mandates which the people later reversed. In 1945, the British people voted out Winston Churchill even though the great Prime Minister had led them to victory in World War II. The most famous recent example is George W. Bush's arguable victory over Al Gore in 2000 which the American people now regret. The same is true about India in 2004. Still, the BJP accepted the verdict and carried its responsibility as an opposition party." Dr Vardhan also promised of good governance and economic growth based on the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh models. The BJP's concept is the most inclusive because poverty has been lowered in its ruled states, the condition of the Muslims is best, education is better, people are healthier and there is greater social security in these states. The BJP has promised total transparency through e-governance. It has also backed the Jan Lokpal Bill. The AAP slogan is baseless. The party has insulted the people of Delhi by introducing bogus power subsidies and non-existent free water. The saffron party is the only party which has assured the people of freedom from fear of Pakistani and Chinese intrusions. The BJP does not compromise on the integrity of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian union unlike the AAP which speaks with a forked tongue on the subject.
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Mayawati demands action against BJP for manifesto
New Delhi, April 7 Addressing a rally at Sultanpuri in outer Delhi, which falls under the North West (Reserved) constituency, she said: "The BJP considers itself above law and the Constitution...by releasing their manifesto on the polling day...The Election Commission should take stern action in the matter." The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister termed the BJP manifesto a "chhalawa" or fraud on the people, saying the party was "selling dreams" to common people just like the Congress did. "If even 50 per cent of what these parties had promised was implemented, the problems of poverty, inflation, corruption and unemployment could have been solved," she said. — IANS |
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Public holiday on April 10
New Delhi, April 7 The holiday is being granted as per the provision of Section 135 B(i) of the Representation of People Act 1951. "No deduction or abatement of the wages shall be made on account of above holiday and if any person is employed on the basis," PC Jain, Special Secretary of General Administration Department of the Delhi government, while giving details of the Act. Jain clarified that any contravention of the above provisions by an employer is punishable as per the Provision Act. However, this section shall not apply to any elector whose absence may cause danger or substantial loss in respect of the employment in which he is engaged, as per the Act. Jain informed that the Election Commission of India has clarified that all establishments and shops, including those which work on shift basis, shall be closed on the day of poll in the constituency where a general or bye-election is to be held. However, if a person who is registered as an electoral, and is serving or employed in an industrial undertaking or an establishment located outside the constituency having a general or bye-election, in such a situation even those electoral would be entitled to the benefit of a paid holiday The daily wage or casual workers are also entitled for a holiday and wages on poll day as provided in section act, said Jain.
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Taxi driver dies after beaten by 10 men
New Delhi, April 7 The victim was attacked over regular arguments and scuffles between taxi drivers in West Delhi on taking passengers. The police have arrested two of the attackers, Vinod and Rahul. The victim has been identified as Naushad, who was a resident of Shiv Vihar JJ Colony. The police said that he drove a Maruti Van between Shiv Vihar and Balaji Chowk in Ranhola. A police officer, close to the case's investigations, said that taxi drivers like Naushad would make about eight trips and earn Rs 500 in a day by ferrying passengers. They would charge Rs 10-Rs 30 from a passenger. "The main contention between the taxi drivers is always over passengers. These drivers often indulge in heated arguments leading to scuffles for taking passengers on their vehicles. Naushad was involved in many such scuffles," said the officer. Yesterday at 11.30 pm, eight-ten men went to Naushad's house to allegedly beat him. He was severely beaten. The accused had fled. Locals informed the police after hearing the commotion. Naushad was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in West Delhi. "He succumbed to his injuries this morning," said the officer. Naushad's family have told the police that he reportedly had personal enmity with some neighbours, who run cabs on the route that he took.
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Woman, 3 associates held for robbing bizman
New Delhi, April 7 Zoya, her boy friend Sunil Kumar Gupta (23) and their associates Sunil Kumar (28) and Rinku Sharma (25) were nabbed from South Delhi for robbing Deskyong Namgyal on April 1. Namgyal said that on the intervening night of March 30 and 31, he met Zoya at a discotheque of a reputed five-star hotel in South Delhi where they exchanged their mobile numbers. "On April 1, Zoya called him, asking him to meet her in South Delhi. She then took him to a DDA flat where her associates forcibly took away his wrist watch, iPhone and debit card after assaulting him," DCP P. Karunakaran said. — IANS
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Two held with gold worth
Rs 1 cr at IGI
New Delhi, April 7 The accused were intercepted by customs officials after their arrival here yesterday. "They were carrying four gold bars, each weighing a kilogramme," a customs official said. The gold bars, totally weighing 4 kg, valued at Rs 1.01 crore, he said. Both the accused were arrested and the gold bars were seized, the official added.
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