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Constituency profile:
Faridkot
interview: VK
Singh, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab |
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campaign trail:
Sunil Jakhar
Young brigade in Punjab raring to vote for a positive change
state of parties:
Telugu Desam Party
Murmurs against Prithviraj get louder
Militant threat looms large over Assam
EC men videographing TMC bike rally assaulted; 2 held
With Modi at helm, nation
will witness riots: Maya
BJP candidate manhandled
Karnataka CM pulled up for calling Modi mass murderer
Parties’ vision for national security
75.8% vote in Assam repoll
LS poll in Mizoram today
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Constituency profile:
Faridkot Sitting SAD MP Paramjit pitted against Congress MLA Panjgrain, AAP’s Prof Sadhu Singh Balwant Garg Tribune News Service
Faridkot, April 10 From the Faridkot (SC reserved) parliamentary constituency, sitting SAD MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan is pitted against Congress’s Joginder Singh Panjgrain and AAP’s Prof Sadhu Singh. Ten years ago, Gulshan had taken premature retirement as a school principal to take a political plunge. Daughter of Dhanna Singh Gulshan, a freedom fighter, Akali leader and union minister in the Morarji Desai government, Paramjit Gulshan contested and won the first election from the Bathinda seat in 2004. Wife of a former High Court judge, Gulshan contested the second elections from Faridkot in 2009 after delimitation of constituencies made Faridkot a reserved seat and Bathinda a general Lok Sabha constituency. Confident of making a hat trick this time, Gulshan said she would emerge victorious with a huge margin. The AAP has fielded Prof Sadhu Singh against this former principal. Born in the family of a traditional weaver at Manuke village of Moga district, Sadhu Singh retired in 1999 from a local government college. In fray for the first time, he is known for his progressive and democratic thoughts. “His commitment to issues of community interest is above the stereotypes of caste-centric and self-serving politics or politicians,” said Kultar Singh, grandson of former president Giani Zail Singh.
Kashmir Singh of the CPI and Sant Ram of the BSP have also joined the fray from Faridkot. Both the parties have good electoral presence in this area. In the 2009 elections, Kaushalaya Bhaura of the CPI had bagged 19,459 votes and Resham Singh of the BSP had fetched 34,479 votes. The polling percentage in the constituency was recorded between 70 and 72 per cent in the last five elections when Faridkot witnessed a tough contest between Sukhbir Badal of SAD and Jagmeet Singh Brar of the Congress. However, with the emergence of AAP and increased awareness, political analysts expect increased polling percentage this time.
In the 2009 elections, Gulshan had got maximum votes in Gidderbaha. It is believed that it was due to Manpreet Badal, who was her campaign in charge at that time. However, this time, when the sitting Congress MLA and Manpreet have joined hands in Gidderbaha, the scale may tilt the other way. Taking a dig at Panjgrain’s “poor” educational qualification, Sukhbir Badal said, “Gulshan is a postgraduate and had raised a number of issues in Parliament related to people’s demands, what will Joginder Singh speak on as he is just a matriculate.” Before 2009 when Faridkot was a general Lok Sabha seat, it witnessed a tough fight between the Akalis and the Congress, particularly between Sukhbir and Brar. Earlier in 1992, Brar was elected from Faridkot when Akalis were boycotting the elections. In 1977 parliamentary elections, Parkash Singh Badal had defeated Avtar Singh Brar of the Congress. Avtar Brar, a veteran Congress leader, has now joined the Akalis four months ago. In 2004, Sukhbir again won the seat, defeating Karan Brar, daughter-in-law of former CM Harcharan Singh Brar.
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interview: VK
Singh, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab Sanjeev Bariana Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 10 What is the status of state preparedness for conducting the elections? We have adequate strength of approximately 2 lakh personnel for the smooth conduct of the elections. Each constituency has a team comprising 18 special poll observers. Five more will be provided to the constituencies marked as “sensitive” after the completion of the filing of nominations. There are 18 additional expenditure observers and three police observers for each constituency. Each constituency has three static, three surveillance and one flying squad teams. What is the strength of voters this time? Official figures reveal that the total number of eligible voters in January 2014 was 1.92 crore, including 1.01 crore males and 90.9 lakh females. We had organised special camps on March 9 and 16 when at least 2,05,526 and 14,485 forms, respectively, were received for making new voter ID cards. Besides having a voter ID card, each voter needs to check his name on the list. What are the arrangements for checking machinery and EVMs? We have been supplied with adequate number of EVM machines for 22,000-odd polling stations. Besides checking the working of each machine, a special care has been taken to keep adequate store of back-up batteries since these drain out by afternoon. Besides routine training, each worker assigned the machine will report at least an hour before the polling on the scheduled day and confirm working of all machines. What’s your take on the Opposition flooding the CEO with poll-related complaints? Each political party has a right to put forward their complaints and under any normal set up, these largely come from the Opposition. We have got more than 300 complaints out of which approximately 20 are under serious consideration of the office for a corrective action. The code of conduct is not a law and in any case we are not the decision making authority. All complaints are forwarded to the Chief Election Commissioner. The primary job of our office is to conduct the elections. We have duly forwarded all complaints to the authorities concerned in the ECI. Has the department put in any system to check the practice of paid news such as the Congress allegations against the PTC? Following receipt of the complaint, we constituted a committee to keep a tab on all news channels. Besides looking into a specific complaint against a particular channel, the committee, including officers from the Public Relations Department, will prepare a detailed report on the content of the programme and also on the expenditure. Besides random checks, the committee will pursue each individual complaint separately. What are the special efforts made on the front of voter awareness? Our office has carried out extensive activity to motivate voters to participate in the elections under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP). A wide range of activities, including songs, banners, cinema, mimicry artistes and street plays, were conducted. A signature campaign was also carried out for the voters, particularly in Amritsar district. “Run for Vote” programmes were also organised. We made extensive use of Facebook and held conversations with potential voters to have their feedback for improving our programmme.
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He plays development card, tries to impress voters
Archit Watts Tribune News Service
Ferozepur, April 10 He starts holding public meetings around 8am. He starts from his residence at Panjkosi village on the Abohar-Sri Ganganagar road and sometimes even prefers spending nights in other constituencies to save time. He holds last public meeting around 6.30pm. He meets people after that and later chalks out the strategy for the next day. He visits 12-15 villages in a day. Before starting his speech, Jakhar tries to strike a chord with all waiting for him saying: “Mere pyare satkaryog bujurgo” and “sathiyo”. He is welcomed in villages with garlands. At a border village, Baje Ke, in the Guru Har Sahai Assembly segment, he introduces himself as Chaudhary Balram Jakhar’s son. However, in the same breath, Sunil says he does not want to sell his father’s name to get votes, but for the development of area. He said the SAD MP neglected the area.” “Bahut saare pind hai te mere ton shayad dubara nahi aaya jana. Main tuhanu ikko gall dassni chanhunda haan ki chona vich khadan di tayaari taa Sodhi sahib (Guru Har Sahai MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi) di hi si, par high command ne menu khada kar ditta. Main tuhanu bharosa duana haan ki hun vi ehi tuhade MP banange te ehi tuhade MLA rehange... matlab two-in-one. (There are so many villages in this constituency and I may not be able to come to you again to seek votes. So, I want to inform you that Rana Sodhi was prepared to contest, but the party high command fielded me in the fray. If I am elected, he will have all the powers of an MP and MLA. He will work as two-in-one)," says Jakhar. He targets sitting SAD MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, who is again in the fray this time, saying: “He failed on every front in the past five years. He didn’t raise his voice in the Lok Sabha. What can one expect from him? He is just a dummy candidate and power lies with the Badals.” Fully charged, Jakhar trains guns on Badals for their alleged nexus with sand and gravel mining mafia in state and their failure to fulfil the promises made in their poll manifesto in 2012. He targets Parkash Singh Badal saying: “Badal Sahib is now saying that Jaitley is the voice of Punjab. I am surprised. If Jaitley is Punjab’s voice, then what is Badal Sahib?” He concludes his speech with “Jai Hind” and goes to next village Megha Rai in Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi’s Montero vehicle. In every village, he spends nearly 40 minutes. The Tribune team travelled with him in a few villages and observed that he did not mention the name of PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa anywhere, showing the signs of infighting with the Congress.
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Young brigade in Punjab raring to vote for a positive change
Jalandhar, April 10 Irked with corruption, communalism and unemployment, the youth brigade is all geared up to bring a positive change by casting vote for a candidate, who has a vision for all-round development. “This election is the golden opportunity for the youth to come forward and vote for a candidate, who is the best among all those contesting the elections,” is the general sentiment prevailing among the youth. Punjab has 1,92,07,230 voters and there are five lakh first-time voters. More than 50 per cent of the electorate is below 40 years of age. Over 98 lakh youth voters is expected to play a decisive role in the Lok Sabha elections. Therefore, sensing the importance of the young voters, all political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo them.
According to Nalin Kaushik, who is pursuing electrical engineering from Thapar University, Patiala, the youth’s problem is which party to choose. “A man who would “MODIfy” (Narendra Modi) the nation or a man who is claiming himself to be the “Cleaner” (Arvind Kejriwal) of the system or a 45-year-old man (Rahul Gandhi), who calls himself to be the young leader of the country," said Kaushik. A considerable section of the youth says in the absence of a strong political alternative in Punjab, they are forced to decide between the Congress and the SAD-BJP. “However, with the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in this election, the young voters may drift away from the two main parties in Punjab,” feels a first-time voter, Aakansha Bhardwaj. Interestingly, the high-voltage campaign by the BJP projecting Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate has influenced the youth in Punjab. “The way Gujarat has progressed in the past one decade, I will definitely cast my vote for the saffron party,” says Atul Sharma, a young entrepreneur based in Hoshiarpur. However, for 27-year-old unemployed youth Rajat Kapoor, it is the other way round. “Promises made by the Badal-led Punjab Government of providing employment have proved to be farce. I will definitely cast my vote against the SAD-BJP combine that has betrayed thousands of unemployed youth in Punjab,” says Rajat. Rupali Narula, a student of Punjabi University, was, however, all praise for AAP. “We have seen AAP’s efforts made in a short span of time and also the efforts of other ruling parties. So, why not give a chance to the new party and see the change it brings? The party comprises all learned people who may work for our better,” she added. Ravleen Kaur, a student pursing BBA from DAV University, Jalandhar, was critical of all main parties. She said, “The UPA is led by Rahul Gandhi - a politically inexperienced leader, while the prime ministerial face of the NDA Narendra Modi is mired in the shadow of the 2002 Gujarat riots. The AAP with Arvind Kejriwal in the saddle had instilled a hope that he would ensure social welfare, but he too failed to live up to their expectations, as he gave up in New Delhi soon after forming the government.” For Amrinder Gill, MBA student from Punjab Institute of Management, Kapurthala, candidates with clean record are a must. “There is a need to reject the political parties fielding candidates with criminal background. Time has come when the youth must increase its participation in the election process and cast vote for the party that envisages plans for generating employment,” he said.
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state of parties:
Telugu Desam Party After ruling Andhra Pradesh for 16 years, the party is perceived as a marginal player in Telangana Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, April 10 The regional party, which had ruled the state for 16 years, has now become a marginal player in the imminent Telangana state because of its flip-flops in the past on the statehood issue. In Seemandhra, it is battling a formidable opponent in the YSR Congress Party headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. It is this existential dilemma that forced the party to take a Right turn at the crossroads and return to the NDA fold after a gap of over a decade by forging an alliance with the BJP.
Faced with steady erosion of its support base, particularly in Telangana, and emergence of the YSR Congress as a dominant player in Seemandhra, the three-decade-old party is keen to “piggyback” on the perceived popularity of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to boost its prospects in what is widely seen as a “do or die” battle ahead. However, there are doubts over the success of Naidu’s latest political strategy. “The problem is that people in Seemandhra are angry over the division of the state. They hold the Congress and the BJP responsible for the bifurcation. By aligning with the BJP, the TDP may also have to face the public wrath in the elections,” warned political analyst C Narasimha Rao. By reviving alliance with the saffron party, the political pendulum of the TDP has swung from Left to the Right. In the 2009 general elections, it had a tie-up with the Left parties — the CPI and the CPM. Naidu, once a toast of the national media, was a key national player during the NDA regime with his party providing crucial outside support to the BJP-led alliance from 1998 to 2004. However, he ended the alliance with the BJP after losing power in the 2004 Assembly elections. Since then, he has been attempting an image makeover by publicly expressing regrets for aligning with the BJP and had even apologised to minorities for committing the “biggest mistake of his life”. On several occasions in the recent past, Naidu vowed not to join hands with the “communal” BJP again. While the NDA can boast of bagging a formidable ally in a key southern state, the TDP has a lot of explaining to do for its volte-face. Addressing a convention of minorities on September 27, 2012, Naidu had admitted that his party’s alliance with the BJP in the past was the biggest mistake of his life and assured that such a situation would never arise again. He had apologised to Muslims in a public speech made at his party’s “Mahanadu” convention on May 28, 2011. In June last year, he made attempts to bring together regional parties to build a federal front as an alternative to the UPA and the NDA. However, by rejoining the NDA, the TDP hopes to replicate the results of the 1999 elections when it returned to power in Andhra Pradesh for a second term. It had contested elections in alliance with the BJP. Some observers, however, attributed the outcome to the Vajpayee and Kargil factors. Since then, the TDP lost two general elections in 2004 and 2009 and several rounds of byelections. This decade-long rough patch, coupled with new political dynamics in the wake of the state’s division, has put pressure on Naidu to reverse the trend. As a result, the 2014 elections has become a make-or-break battle for his party. The TDP’s vote share had plunged from 44.1 per cent in 1994 to 43.8 per cent in 1999, 37.6 per cent in 2004 and 28.12 per cent in 2009. After YS Rajashekar Reddy’s death in September 2009, the state witnessed 42 byelections and the TDP failed to win even a single seat. Worse, it lost deposits in 21 of them. Despite being the main opposition party in the state, the TDP failed to benefit from a strong anti-incumbency wave against the Congress government. Instead, the fledgling YSR Congress Party reaped rich electoral dividends and made a near clean sweep. Unlike in the past when the Congress and TDP were locked in straight contests, the emergence of new sub-regional and regional players and fierce identity politics taking deep roots have complicated the matters. The strength of the TDP, which had 92 MLAs after the 2009 Assembly elections, has now been reduced to 70, following a string of migrations to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the YSR Congress Party. By heavily investing in the political craft rather than cultivating an emotional connect with people, particularly in rural areas, Naidu seems to have divested the TDP of its umbilical cord. Though a significant section of the urban middle class view him as the best bet to develop the new state of residuary Andhra Pradesh because of his experience as an efficient and reforms-savvy administrator, he lacks credibility among rural masses because of the pro-rich image that characterised his rule from 1995 to 2004. Make-or-break battle
This decade-long rough patch, coupled with new political dynamics in the wake of the state’s division, has put
pressure on Naidu to reverse the trend. As a result, the 2014 elections has become a make-or-break battle for his party. Tricky situation
Unlike in the past when the Congress and the TDP were locked in straight contests, the emergence of new
sub-regional and regional players and identity politics taking deep roots have complicated the matters. Flip-flops
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AAP to champion gay rights
Mumbai, April 10 “Mumbai is special (in itself),” activist-turned-politician and AAP’s candidate from Mumbai North East seat Medha Patkar said. The “sankalp patra” was released at a press conference in the presence of AAP candidates, who are contesting from all six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party, which is contesting all 48 seats in Maharashtra, also promised repealing of Section 377 of the IPC if voted to power. “What we are doing in bedroom should not be the concern of the government,” said AAP leader Mayank Gandhi, who is contesting from Mumbai North West constituency. The AAP manifesto also promised “enacting and implementing the Jan Lokpal Bill in Maharashtra and implementation of all recommendations made by the Justice Verma Committee”. The committee was formed following the 2012 gangrape and murder of a paramedic student in Delhi. Other points mentioned in the manifesto include introduction of more women officers at all levels in the police force; ensuring collaboration in citizens to form neighbourhood watch groups so as to facilitate effective policing and zero tolerance towards violence against women. — PTI
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Murmurs against Prithviraj get louder
Mumbai, April 10 Several MLAs from the ruling front, including ministers from the Congress, want Chavan replaced by a “decisive” leader. Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra later this year. Chavan is seen as a slow decision maker whose reputation for sticking to the rules “prevented” several major projects in the state from taking off.
Ashok Chavan, who still enjoys support among Congress MLAs and even a section of the NCP, has been given the Lok Sabha ticket from his home turf Nanded. After being left in the cold since his ouster, Chavan was rehabilitated before the Lok Sabha elections when he was seen sharing the dais with Rahul Gandhi. The buzz in the party is that Ashok Chavan will take over as the Chief Minister shortly after the new government is sworn in at the Centre in June. With Ashok Chavan working the levers of power, another CM aspirant Industries Minister Narayan Rane has also jumped into the fray. “The Congress has not fully used my potential,” Rane told reporters at his constituency Sindhudurg on Saturday. The Shiv Sainik-turned-Congressman said he had already conveyed his opinion to the party’s central leadership. Rane had broken away from the Shiv Sena to join the Congress, but the top job in Maharashtra was denied to him. He was the Chief Minister for six months when the Shiv Sena-BJP government was in power between 1994 and 1999. Rane was miffed when Ashok Chavan was made the Chief Minister in 2008. He was, however, pacified after being suspended from the Congress for a short while.
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Militant threat looms large over Assam
Guwahati, April 10 The polling was held in five constituencies in Assam in the first phase on April 7. The KPLT insurgents had called for an indefinite bandh from April 8, demanding political parties who have fielded candidates in Autonomous District comprising Assembly segments of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao hill district, to give an assurance that they would strive for the creation of an autonomous state. With no political party responding to the demand, the bandh in Karbi Anglong district continues creating fear among poll officials. Poll officials were not able to leave for remote polling booths from Diphu, the headquarters of Karbi Anglong district due to the bandh. A total of 38 candidates are in the fray in the second phase of polling in Assam. Congress candidate Biren Singh Ingti, who has been representing the Autonomous District seat since 1971, is facing stiff challenge from BJP candidate Joyram Engleng. The two other constituencies - Silchar and Karimganj - that are going to the polls in the second phase are located in underdeveloped Barak Valley in South Assam bordering Bangladesh. In both the constituencies inhabited by Bengali-speaking population, underdevelopment is a major election issue. The Congress has fielded MLA Sushmita Dev (42), daughter of former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, from the Silchar constituency. She is posing a challenge to veteran BJP leader and sitting MP Kabindra Purkayastha (84). Purkayastha can take heart as over two lakh people gathered in Narendra Modi’s rally in Silchar, while Rahul Gandhi’s rally failed to generate much enthusiasm among people when he came to campaign for Sushmita. A total of 17 candidates are in the fray in Silchar. There are 15 candidates in the fray in the Karimganj constituency. Congress candidate and sitting MP Lalit Mohan Suklavaidya, Radheshyam Biswas of the AIUDF and Krishna Das of the BJP are locked in a triangular contest.
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EC men videographing TMC bike rally assaulted; 2 held
Malda/Kolkata, April 10 Malda Superintendent of Police Rupesh Kumar said two persons, Sheikh Kalu and Bipin Bihari Mondal, were arrested in connection with the incident. As bike rallies are prohibited during election campaign under EC rules, the poll panel had taken a serious note of the incident and asked the district administration to submit a report on the incident by the evening, EC director Dhirendra Ojha said in New Delhi. Following this, the DM and District Election Officer Sharad Kumar Dwivedi lodged FIRs on the basis of which the arrests were made, the SP said. Two FIRs have been lodged under various IPC Sections like 186 (obstructing public servants in discharging public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from their duty), 182 (false information with intent to cause public servant to use their lawful power to the injury of other person). OSD in CEO’s office Amit Roy Chowdhury said the EC’s directive was immediately conveyed to the DM who already submitted a preliminary report to the CEO. The preliminary report said that two EC personnel were taking the video footage of the rally when it approached Khayertala of Manikchak when some people from the crowd manhandled them. "As soon as the final report on the incident reaches us, we shall send it to the Election Commission in Delhi," Roy Chowdhury said. "The entire issue is under active consideration of the Election Commission." — PTI Attacked on duty
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BJP copied Congress manifesto, says Rahul
Jhunjhunu (Raj), April 10 "The Congress started work on poll manifesto six months back and we went to poor, farmers and labourers before drafting our manifesto to know about their problems and issues and incorporated their suggestions in the manifesto, but what the BJP did is they removed Congress symbol and pasted their symbol on our manifesto," Rahul Gandhi said. "We want to associate the people but the BJP wants to run government of big businessmen. This is the difference between the Congress and BJP," he said, addressing a public meeting here. "The Congress wants to give the nation right of health. Our (former) government in Rajasthan took this initiative and now we want to introduce it at the national level if our government is formed. We have also made promises with regard to old age pension, right to roof, among others," he said. Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP has made promises for such works which have already been started by the Congress government. "They talk about one rank one pension in defence forces but Congress has already done it. The Congress has started work on an industrial corridor and the BJP says that its government if formed would start work on that," he said. Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP in its manifesto mentioned that it would take steps against corruption, but what steps would be taken has not been cleared. "They talk about corruption, but when their leader goes to Karnataka, he sits with the most-corrupt Chief Minister who has been to jail on corruption charges. He cannot see mining mafia in Chhattisgarh, cannot see corruption in Madhya Pradesh," Rahul Gandhi said, targeting Narendra Modi. — PTI
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Modi counters Sonia’s magician barb
Siliguri/Jamshedpur, Apr 10 Addressing a series of election rallies in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, the BJP prime ministerial cadidate escalated the attack on the Congress-led UPA government, calling it a "handicapped regime" run by remote control and said the country does not need another one like it. "Madam Soniaji is desh ko magician ka dar nahi hai, hamara desh toh dar hain black magic se. Hum pichle dus saal se UPA sarkar ke black magic ko dekh rahe hain (Madam Soniaji, our country has no fear of magicians, our country is afraid of black magic. For the last 10 years, we are seeing the black magic of the UPA government)," Modi told an election rally in Siliguri in West Bengal. Without naming Modi, Sonia Gandhi had said at a rally in Karnataka's Kolar yesterday that he was being projected with his 'true face' hidden behind a mask and as a 'magician who could cure all ills of the country'. "This is such black magic that has ruined the country. This black magic has destroyed avenues of income for the youth of the country," Modi said, adding "Yeh black magic walo ne kisano ka jina mushkil kar diya (these black magicians have made it difficult for the farmers to survive)." "The country has to be saved from the hands of these black magicians, who have blindfolded the people and ruined the country," Modi said. Sonia Gandhi had also made a stinging attack on the Gujarat model of development being touted by him. "The country does not want a deaf and dumb, handicapped government, run by remote control, at the Centre. The country wants a 'sevak' (worker) to lead it to new heights," Modi said at a rally in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. — PTI
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With Modi at helm, nation
will witness riots: Maya
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), April 10 Addressing a rally here, Mayawati cautioned the people against electing Modi. "The BJP has announced Modi as its prime ministerial nominee in whose regime in 2002 Gujarat witnessed the country's worst-ever riots in Godhra... If such a person is voted to power at the Centre, the whole nation will witness riots," she said. Attacking her arch-rival Samajwadi Party, she said the "rule of law has vanished" in Uttar Pradesh since the party came to power in the state and only "goondas" and "mafias" are ruling the roost. "Murder, theft, dacoity, rape and riots have become the order of the day," she said.
—PTI
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Baghpat, April 10 Satyapal Singh had gone to Malakpur polling booth in Badaut police station area to take stock of the ongoing voting process. As he objected to certain activities at the polling booth, one of those present manhandled him leading to a clash, SP Jitendra Kumar Shahi said. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson in Lucknow Vijay Bahadur Pathak alleged that Rashtriya Lok Dal workers indulged in heavy brick-batting which damaged Satyapal Singh's vehicle. "Satyapal Singh continued to ask for security but it was not provided to him. The Congress and its alliance partner RLD have carried out the attack out of frustration," he said. — PTI
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Karnataka CM pulled up for calling Modi mass murderer
New Delhi, April 10 The Commission rejected the explanation offered by Siddharamaiah on the use of language against Modi and asked him to be "extremely careful" in the future. "Your explanation relating to the use of the word against the leader of a major political party has not been accepted, as that explanation has been specifically used to criticise Narendra Modi personally and not by way of criticising his government policies. "Now, therefore, the Commission has decided to admonish you for the derogatory word used by you against Narendra Modi and has further advised you to be extremely careful in the future," the EC order
said. Siddharamaiah, while campaigning in Mysore on March 23, had termed Modi as a
"narahantaka" (mass murderer). "...actually he is not Narendra
Modi, he is a narahantaka," he had said according to the EC order. The Commission while serving a notice on him had observed that his statement prima facie violated provisions of the poll code. — PTI
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Parties’ vision for national security
Chandigarh, April 10 The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have broadly promised to revamp the Defence apparatus, enhance military capabilities and ensure ex-servicemen’s welfare. The BJP, however, is the most explicit in spelling out its intentions that cover a vast range from nuclear policy down to micro matters directly affecting individuals. In its manifesto, the BJP intends to follow a two-pronged independent nuclear programme for the civilian and military purposes, study and revise India’s nuclear doctrine and maintain a credible minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing geostrategic realties while also investing in a thorium technology programme. While AAP is silent on the nuclear front, the Congress has said on the strategic front, it will continue to maintain credible deterrence and second strike capability. While claiming that the Defence outlay was hiked from Rs 60,000 crore on 2003 to Rs 2.03 lakh crore in 2014, the Congress has promised to ensure efficient and transparent procurement of the finest equipment and rapid development of the Defence industry. This, however, comes in the backdrop of Defence modernisation virtually grinding to a halt over the past decade or so, with most major acquisition programmes lying in a limbo. Many Defence experts have opined that the annual increase in the Defence budget barely covers the inflation. All three parties talk about transparency in procurement, organisational reforms, indigenisation, and modernisation, but BJP and AAP go a step ahead in saying that it would involve Defence personnel in the decision making process concerning national security matters and ensure better coordination between the military, intelligence, bureaucracy and the political leadership. While both BJP and AAP have promised to implement one rank, one pension (OROP) scheme, this aspect is absent from the Congress manifesto. Though the Finance Minister had announced in his Interim Budget speech in February that the principle of OROP had been accepted and that Rs 500 crore have been budgeted for the same, the implementation orders are still to be issued. What’s their stand
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75.8% vote in Assam repoll
Guwahati, April 10 Jorhat registered 74 per cent turnout, Dibrugarh 74.8 per cent and Tezpur 74.6 per cent with the voters peacefully exercising their franchise. —
PTI
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Aizawl, April 10 The polling was originally scheduled for April 9 but the Election Commission postponed it to tomorrow after Mizoram-based civil society bodies called a 72-hour bandh in the state from April 7 in protest against its move to allow Bru refugees to vote in Tripura. The organisations had demanded that the EC should allow the refugees to cast their vote in Mizoram, which was turned down. The Bru voters, who are in camps in Tripura after being thrown out of Mizoram following ethnic violence with the Mizos in 1997, had exercised their franchise through postal ballot from April 1 to April 3. The triangular contest is among the ruling Congress, AAP and United Democratic Front (UDF), which is an alliance of eight Opposition parties — the Mizo National Front, BJP, Zoram Nationalist Party, Mizoram People's Conference, Maraland Democratic Front, Hmar People's Conference, Paite Tribal Council and NCP. — PTI
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Defntn of secularism seems 2 b evolving in new dirns - politicize army, rape is a mistake by boys etc - new glue for 'secular parties'? — Rajeev Chandrasekhar The "seculars" wants Hindus to be divided and Muslims to be united. Don't like it vice versa. — Subramanian Swamy Naujawano ko rozgar ka sapna dikhane waale Rahul Gandhi ne Amethi mein rozgar kyu nahi diya? Kyu 10yrs mein 200 se zyada factory bund huin? — Smriti Z Irani ...To achieve that,I will fight against the most powerful, richest and most corrupt people. But i can't fight alone. We will fight together. — Arvind Kejriwal Chit Fund scam robbed the poor off their hard-earned money. Urged people to bless NDA so that we can punish those who cheated the poor. — Narendra Modi Modi accepts his Marital Status. Can Women of this Country trust a Man who stalks a woman, deprives his wife of her right? Vote against Modi. — Digvijaya Singh
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‘Golden man’ Bappi Lahiri’s wife owns more gold VK Singh calls Shazia Ilmi ‘anti-national’ HC dismisses PIL against AAP
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Two educationists and a labour union leader with conflicting political ideologies are out to challenge each other in this parliamentary constituency.
From the Faridkot (SC reserved) parliamentary constituency, sitting SAD MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan is pitted against Congress’s Joginder Singh Panjgrain and AAP’s Prof Sadhu Singh.
Chandigarh, April 10
Dressed in his trademark starched ban collar kurta pyjama with sleeves rolled up and supported with a Nehru jacket, CLP leader Sunil Jakhar starts his public address by reminding people the contribution of his father Balram Jakhar to the constituency. He had successfully contested the 1980 elections from this constituency.
With voters in Punjab all set to exercise their right to franchise on April 30, the state youth is expected to play a crucial role in the elections.
Irked with corruption, communalism and unemployment, the youth brigade is all geared up to bring a positive change by casting vote for a candidate, who has a vision for all-round development.
Hyderabad, April 10
The Congress has fielded Joginder Singh Panjgrain against these two educationists. Sitting MLA from Jaitu, he has been groomed from a labour union activist into a political leader. Joginder joined the mainstream politics in 2007, contesting from the Panjgrain Assembly seat on the Congress ticket. He had defeated Gurdev Singh Badal, a stalwart Akali leader.
Gulshan is also facing differences within the party after Akali rebels, including three-time MLA Seetal Singh and former MLA Gurdev Singh Gill of the Dharamkot assembly segment, announced that they would contest as Independents.
Once seen as a key player in the national coalition politics, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, finds itself at political crossroads in the changed dynamics created by the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
“We have decided to join hands with the BJP in the national interests to rid the country of the corrupt Congress and to develop the two new states of Telangana and Seemandhra,” Naidu said, justifying his tie-up with the BJP whom he had dubbed as “communal” till recently.
The Maratha lobby is pushing for bringing in former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who had to resign three years ago following his alleged involvement in the controversial Adarsh Housing Society scandal. He was replaced by Prithviraj Chavan.
