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Constituency
profile Fatehgarh Sahib
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interview
mangat ram pasla
Campaign
trail Harsimrat Kaur Badal
State
of parties YSR Congress Party
Modi’s Cong rival faces 9 criminal cases
Chinks in TDP-BJP alliance; Naidu feeling ‘stifled’
No politics in Rajnath wearing skull cap: BJP
From farmers, youth, women to Dalits, Congress woos all
Minister gets EVM direction changed to suit ‘vastu’
Modi, Rahul rallies in Assam’s Nagaon on same day
Irom Sharmila not allowed to vote in Manipur
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Constituency
profile
Fatehgarh Sahib 15 candidates in fray; Akali Dal’s Kulwant Singh takes on Cong’s Nabha MLA Dharamsot Sanjay Bumbroo Tribune News Service
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17
Rift within Akali Dal
Focus on development Both Kulwant and Dharamsot are contesting elections on development-related issues. They have resorted to door-to-door canvassing and have been holding “nukkar” rallies. Manpeet Badal's People's Party of Punjab's (PPP) support to Dharamsot has given a boost to the Congress. But the silent undercurrent of AAP supporters may throw up a surprise keeping in view the response the party's convener, Arvind Kejriwal, received during his road shows in Punjab. Libra switches loyalty Sitting MP Sukhdev Singh Libra, a Ramdasia Sikh, who had been praising the Congress before he was denied the ticket, has started accusing it of corruption. He said the Congress had betrayed the four lakh members of the Ramdasia community in the nine Assembly segments of the constituency by denying ticket to him. 2009 voting trend In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the SAD-BJP alliance got lead from four Assembly constituencies — Bassi Pathana (89 votes), Samrala (458 votes), Sahnewal (2,871 votes) and Payal (1,276 votes). The Congress got lead from five Assembly constituencies — Fatehgarh Sahib (12,628), Amloh (7,404 votes) Khanna (9,758 votes), Raikot (1,607 votes) and Amargarh (7,596 votes).
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On a high: Liquor, drugs worth Rs 350 cr seized so far
Patiala, April 17 Since the model code of conduct came into effect, the state election officials have seized drugs and liquor worth Rs 350 crore. Besides, cash amounting to Rs 4 crore was also seized, which was being carried illegally. Sources say in the poll season, many liquor vends in the state are running dry due to liquor smuggling, which has led to shortage of supply of various brands. “In a state where a majority of liquor vends are in the direct or indirect control of politicians, there are ample chances that it would be used as a medium to woo voters… The modus operandi has changed due to stringent checking as instead of vehicles such as cars, trucks and four wheelers, scooters and even rickshaws are used to ferry liquor cartons to dodge the authorities," they say. The police and the state Excise Department have seized over 2.65-lakh litre of liquor to date in the state. The excise authorities have seized around 1.65 lakh litres of country-made liquor in different parts of the state since the model code of conduct came into effect in the first week of March. Around 0.75 lakh litres of Indian made foreign liquor, which was allegedly meant to be used for voters, has been seized. Earlier this week, the Ludhiana police recovered 1,084 cartons of illicit liquor from a truck abandoned near Jalandhar Bypass. The Patiala police have registered 64 cases and arrested 75 persons to make recoveries of over 275 boxes of liquor in addition to recovery of raw material used for preparing illicit liquor. "You see I will not use money to woo voters but when my opponent uses it, I will be left with no choice but to follow suit. After all, I am here to win," says an adviser to a candidate contesting the polls. Police and security agencies are holding nakas with video-graphers to check vehicles. Besides liquor, the police have a record seizure of drugs, including synthetic products. These include 12,693 kg poppy husk (valued at Rs 2.53 crore), 68.35 kg heroin (Rs.340.17 crore), 109.82 kg opium (Rs.50 lakh) and 1,540 gm smack (Rs.10.78 lakh). A recent home ministry report put heroin seizures in Punjab in the three years ending March 2013 at 813 kg, which may be worth Rs 40,000 crore. Interestingly, heroin seizure in Delhi was only around 180 kg during the same period. Punjab has more seizures of heroin than all states put together and accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the all-India seizures. While all candidates do touch the drugs issue time and again, they are silent when it comes to distribution of liquor. Though the AAP has said many times that they will oppose and ensure no liquor is distributed during these polls, the ground reality is that liquor and opium still continue to top the chart when it comes to luring voters. "It will be used in abundance in the last five days before polls and though the police and EC observers are on the prowl, stocks are there," claims a close confidante of an MLA who has been actively involved in the electoral process. EC arrangements A senior official, part of the EC-appointed team, said surveillance teams drawn from Indian Revenue Services and other central services have been deputed in all Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies and they are reporting cash seizure instances since the polls were declared. The EC has also deployed IPS officers as observers in constituencies to ensure that the police are not biased in dealing with complaints against the ruling party.
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interview
mangat ram pasla GS Paul Tribune News Service
The CPI has fielded candidates from Faridkot, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Patiala and Sangrur, while its alliance partner CPM has fielded two candidates in Anandpur Sahib and Ludhiana. The CPI-M (Punjab), a breakaway faction of the CPM, is contesting Amritsar, Jalandhar and Khadoor Sahib seats with the support of CPM (Liberation). CPI-M (Punjab) secretary Mangat Ram Pasla speaks to The Tribune. Excerpts: What changes will you bring in the system if voted to power? Zero-tolerance towards corruption is our main agenda. We have planned to launch a rigorous campaign against the shortcomings in the present administrative set-up. Ours is a fight for the masses. We may be devoid of money but we are determined to revamp the faulty system. Do you think this time voters will change the game? Senior citizens and youth can play the role of a game-changer in Punjab. There are 1.92 crore registered voters in the state. More than 30 lakh voters are above 60 years and nearly 13 lakh above 70 years. They have been devoid of enhanced social security pension dues. The common man is burdened with taxes. Industry could never be revived and the youth is offended due to lack of jobs and ignorance of merit. Farmers are dejected for being denied subsidy. All this has dimmed the chances of the SAD-BJP. Drug addiction is rampant in Punjab. How will you tackle it? Youth are falling in the trap of drugs due to shrinking job opportunities. Out of frustration or to make easy money, they adopt a path that is not socially viable. We need to channelise their energy in a positive direction. Don’t you think that the Sanjha Morcha break-up is your loss? Yes, I agree. Nonetheless, there were some political compulsions which resulted in the Sanjha Morcha getting split. Still, we have maintained our strong ideology in collaboration with the CPM to weed out corruption and work towards a clean governance. What made you support the Congress in Bathinda? The Bathinda seat was an exception. Our motto was to rout the SAD dynasty. There, the political equations demanded us to support the Congress candidate. If we had fielded a candidate against Manpreet Badal, equations would have changed. Besides Bathinda, are you planning to support the Congress in other segments? Not at all. The Bathinda seat could be taken as a symbolic support to the Congress. We will continue to oppose the Congress at the national level and other seats in the state. We don't have any hidden agenda.
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Campaign
trail
Harsimrat Kaur Badal Amarjit Thind Tribune News Service
Bathinda, April 17 The high profile "bahu" of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and wife of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal is locked in a tough battle with her estranged brother-in-law and Congress-PPP-CPI candidate Manpreet Singh Badal. As she settles in her SUV for a long day ahead, she interacts with this correspondent as to what makes her tick and the twinge of sadness at being away from her three children during her frequent visits to the constituency. "Initially, it was difficult but then I realised that since I have to be away from my kids, the best I could do was become part of a larger family — that of my constituency — and love it as my own. Now, my children have learnt to cope with my absences," she said. As her convoy halts for the first meeting of the day, she does not have to rely on notes or resort to rhetoric. The instant connect with the audience, especially women, is obvious as the latter lap up every word the MP speaks and in the end queue up to greet her and assure her of their support. As she settles down for the next meeting, she sips at her lemon tea and closes her eyes to listen to a shabad being played on the music system — “Mere sahib sun sun jeevan teri baani, tu deeven maan nemanian nu." Resuming the conversation after the shabad is over, she affirms that gurbani is her constant companion and source of inspiration. Amid allegations and counter-allegations flying high in the political arena, she takes refuge in "Gurbani" to resolve issues lingering on her mind so that they don't impinge on her peace of mind. "Believe me, it helps," she says. She says she loves her family. "Sukhbir is the man in the house who insists on spending quality time with the children on foreign tours and unwinds by watching the latest movie with the family. I am more of a home person and given a choice, I try to steal some 'me time' by designing my wardrobe," she says. About the fight in the battlefield, she says: "I have no qualms about contesting against Manpreet. In fact, I had told Sukhbir that I would not want to contest unless the opponents were Manpreet or former CM Capt Amarinder Singh. It's easy this time since the Opposition is combined, but Manpreet has been totally exposed." The hectic campaigning is taking toll on the health of candidates and she is no exception. "I am yet to zero in on the right food and beverages, but I do sip at lemon tea, water and lassi, have some chiwra and almonds. Normally, I nibble on what is on offer but mostly I am rushing against time," she says. After addressing around 20 to 25 meetings, her vocal chords are visibly strained at the end of the day. "There is nothing you can do about it," she says, while pointing towards a unani formulation she uses on her worse days. Recalling her interaction with young leaders of other parties during her tenure as the MP, she says the NDA coming to power will be a game changer for the country in general and Punjab in particular. She ends the day by quoting Robert Frost, “There are miles to go before I sleep.”
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Years of planning behind Modi’s rise
Modi, who single-handedly led the BJP's campaign in the last elections in the state, could manage 15 of the 26 seats in 2009, only one seat more than the 14 it won in 2004. That not only shattered the dreams of the then "prime minister-in-waiting" LK Advani but also made Modi's task to be projected at the national-level difficult. Doubts over ‘Modi magic’
It was particularly shattering for Modi because the BJP's performance in the state in 2009 was "worst-ever" in the last two decades, except in 2004 when the party had won one seat less. The past political scenario In the previous five parliamentary elections in Gujarat when Modi was not at the helm of affairs, the BJP had won 20 of the 26 seats in 1999, 19 in 1998, 16 in 1996, 20 in 1991 and the BJP and the then Janata Dal combine 23 (JD share of 11 seats) in 1989. The BJP's "poor" performance in the last parliamentary elections instantly drew remarks from the then state Congress president Siddhartha Patel that the "Modi era" was over in Gujarat and the party was certain to return to power in the state in the next Assembly elections. Modi not only frustrated the Congress in the 2012 Assembly elections but his third successive victory also catapulted him to the national political stage sweeping. ‘Unethical’ tactics of 2009 Even the marginal improvement to 15 seats in the 2009 elections was attributed to some "clever but highly unethical" move allegedly adopted by the BJP just before the polling. It transpired much after the election results were declared that the BJP had indulged in "bulk purchase" of the voters' identity cards of the Muslim voters to ensure that they did not cast their votes, which could have given a few more seats to the Congress. According to the allegations levelled by the Congress then, the BJP had specifically targeted some Congress bigwigs who were confident of retaining their seats. In a well-executed plan, the BJP allegedly set out to neutralise some minority votes by keeping their cards with the party in exchange for money to guarantee that they would not participate in the voting. The cards were allegedly returned after the polling was over. The entire plan was reportedly executed deftly just before the polling and through some of the Muslim leaders so that it did not lead to any hassles with the Election Commission and no complaints were lodged. Sources said nearly 68,000 voters' cards were "purchased" in the minority-dominated Panchamahals constituency alone from where former Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, who then was also the Union Textile Minister, was contesting. Managing Muslim votes Vaghela lost the seat by 2,081 votes even as the Congress had been counting it as the "number one seat" for the party then. Another reason attributed to Vaghela's defeat was the tacit support extended to a Muslim candidate who was "imported" from Madhya Pradesh by the Lok Janshakti Party, though the BJP was not in alliance with the LJP then. The LJP nominee had polled more than 23,000 Muslim votes, thus causing Vaghela's defeat. It was not clear whether the same plan was adopted in some other constituencies also, but the BJP managed to defeat the then Minister of State for Railways, Naranbhai Rathwa, in Chhota-Udepur, while Madhusudan Mistry, who this time is contesting against Modi in Vadodara, lost the Sabarkantha seat. Losses in Saurashtra Modi's leadership had also come under cloud due to the BJP's defeats in its traditional strongholds such as Rajkot, Porbandar, Surendranagar and Patan, which the party had been retaining in all elections before Modi. In fact, it was for the first time in the past two decades that the Congress made a big dent in the BJP stronghold of the Saurashtra region, capturing four of the seven seats. In all these seats, Modi had introduced "new faces" of virtual political non-entities or the Congress turncoats, but the experiment did not pay off. The BJP's then prime ministerial candidate, Advani, could retain his Gandhinagar seat but with a reduced margin of 1.21 lakh votes as against 2.17 lakh margin he had gained in 2004. But fortunately, for Modi there was no leader in the state BJP who dared question his moves. BJP pinned hopes on Advani Even though Advani was not considered son of the soil despite his family having settled in Adipur-Kutch after repatriating from Pakistan, the BJP last time also had hoped to kick up the "Gujarat pride" passion because one of its representatives was certain to become the prime minister if the NDA came to power. But surprisingly, voters in the state were not enamoured by the prospects of throwing up the next prime minister and refused to go all out with the BJP. But the less-than-expected results in the parliamentary elections neither dented Modi's confidence nor punctured his spirit. For Modi, the end of one election always meant the beginning of the next and without the knowledge of party's central leadership, he set his young brigade of information technology experts in the state to identify at least 300 parliamentary constituencies in the country that the BJP could hope to win in the 2014 elections with some efforts. Starting early Sources in the BJP confirmed that Modi's calculations were based on three categories — the constituencies that were under the BJP belt, the ones which were once won by the BJP but lost later, and the ones where the BJP had lost by a slender margin and could regain with a right kind of propaganda. He had also worked out in detail the profiles of these constituencies, the caste combinations prevailing and other factors that could be utilised to the benefit of the BJP in the elections. Armed with information, Modi bulldozed the party's central leadership in believing that Gujarat had turned the corner under his leadership and would be the right bet for the party to lead it into the 2014 elections to regain power in Delhi, holding the "Gujarat development model" as the main theme. He never had doubt that the BJP would comfortably win the third straight elections to the state Assembly in 2012 and was only waiting for the right time to declare his intention to promote himself to the national political scenario. The opportunity came when the Supreme Court returned the Zakia Jafri petition to the Ahmedabad metropolitan court without passing any order against him, as sought by the petitioner. Interpreting the apex court's stand as a "clean chit" absolving him of all charges of involvement in the 2002 communal riots in the state, Modi, through his "Sadbhavana Mission" fasts in September 2011, announced his arrival on the national political scene and staked his claim for the party's nomination for the top post, side-stepping his "political mentor" Advani. In less than two years after the BJP suffered reversal in the parliamentary elections in the state, Modi turned the tables on his critics both inside his party and outside to emerge as the unchallenged leader of the party.
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State
of parties
YSR Congress Party Party leads popularity chart in Seemandhra region, projects itself as inheritor of YSR’s legacy Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, April 17 For a party whose founder president spent 16 months in jail on corruption charges, the YSRCP surprisingly leads the popularity chart in Seemandhra and is seen as a dominant player in the region. Despite facing a CBI case into his alleged illegal assets, 41-year-old Jagan, an industrialist-turned-politician, enjoys mass support and his road shows evoke good response across Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions, jointly referred to as Seemandhra. He is leading the race for the Chief Minister's post in the new state of residuary Andhra Pradesh, which will come into existence on June 2. Ask him about corruption cases and his detractors' campaign focusing on his alleged dubious business deals, Jagan shoots back: "They are all trumped-up charges. I have been framed in a false and politically motivated case. If I had stayed in the Congress, I would not have faced any case." This young MP is popular among youth for his aggressive campaigning and a carefully cultivated pro-poor and pro-welfare image. His party is banking on the public sympathy for Jagan's father, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy (YSR), who died in a helicopter crash in September 2009. Jagan quit Congress and floated his own party in March 2011 after his bid for the CM's post was rejected by the party high command. He has since positioned himself as the sole inheritor of the YSR's political legacy. A string of populist and pro-poor schemes, including free power for farmers, health insurance scheme, fee reimbursement and housing for the weaker section, have created an aura around him. By promising to bring in "Rajanna Rajyam" (welfare state as envisioned by YSR), the YSRCP is projecting itself as a true inheritor of the former Chief Minister's legacy. Swashbuckling debut In the byelections held in June 2012, the YSRCP put up a stupendous performance by bagging 15 out of 18 Assembly seats where polls were held. And all of them belong to the Seemandhra region. Earlier, in the byelections held for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in May 2011, after he quit the Congress, Jagan was re-elected with a record margin of 5.43 lakh votes. Seen as the 'semifinals' before the 2014 General Elections, the outcome of the byelections was seen as a barometer for public mood. Since then, several opinion polls have projected the YSRCP in the lead position. However, in the recent weeks, the TDP, headed by former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, appears to have covered a lot of ground and its alliance with the BJP has further boosted its prospects. However, according to reports on Thursday, the TDP-BJP alliance, which was sealed only a few days back, appeared to be under strain. Altered dynamics By taking an unambiguous stand against the division of Andhra Pradesh, the YSRCP hopes to tap into the public anger sweeping across Seemandhra over the bifurcation. It was the first party to have asked all its MLAs to quit en masse in protest against the creation of Telangana. The move has cost the party dearly in Telangana where it is seen as an 'enemy' of the Telangana cause. The party had a head start in the campaign in Seemandhra, promising a string of populist schemes, including free education for poor children, loan waiver for women self-help groups, health insurance scheme, subsidised power at Rs 100 for 150 units of consumption per month and stabilisation fund for farmers. It has also promised to build an ultra-modern capital city for Seemandhra by roping in international consultants. Who is Jagan? Not many outside Andhra Pradesh had heard of Jagan till the news channels beamed the images of a grieving young man receiving mourners with folded hands on the day his father's charred body arrived in Hyderabad on September 3, 2009. Till then, he was a businessman on a roll, receiving a generous patronage from his doting father. From a small-time realtor, who used to occasionally help his father during poll campaigns, to a high-profile industrialist with interests in power, infrastructure, cement and media sectors, his rise had been phenomenal. So was his tryst with the controversies.
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Modi’s Cong rival faces 9 criminal cases
Varanasi, April 17 These are the cases where 42-year-old Rai has been made an accused and the courts have taken cognisance of the matter. However, there are no cases where Rai has been convicted by a court, according to the election affidavit filed by the Congress leader today. In the affidavit, Rai has also declared total assets worth about Rs 42 lakh in his name and about Rs 30 lakh in his wife's name, taking the total to about Rs 72.25 lakh. The pending cases listed by him in the latest affidavit include one 1995 case in Special Gangster Act Court in nearby Chandauli and another 2010 case before the Special Gangster Act Court in Varanasi. Other cases pertain to charges related to attempt to murder, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, criminal intimidation, rioting, rioting armed with deadly weapon, voluntarily causing hurt, mischief causing damage, and house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint. — PTI
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Chinks in TDP-BJP alliance; Naidu feeling ‘stifled’
New Delhi, April 17 “Everything is fine, everything is in order,” party spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi told mediapersons in response to queries about reported trouble in the NDA alliance after TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s “objection” to the saffron party fielding Congress defector D Purandeshwari from Rajampet in Seemandhra. “All is well,” BJP in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Prakash Javedekar told The Tribune. However, the sources confirmed “trouble” in the TDP-BJP marriage, though they added that it is “not so serious”. “The gains are too high for Naidu, particularly in the Seemandhra region. The BJP-TDP is in a position to form the government there,” claims a senior party leader. Apart from Javadekar who is camping in the state, party president Rajnath Singh has also been in touch with Naidu, the sources say. But they added that it was “unfair” on the part of the TDP to tell the BJP whom to give a ticket and whom to not. “The TDP cannot dictate terms to us. It is up to the BJP to decide who its candidate from a particular constituency will be. This (Naidu-Purandeshwari issue) is a case of a family feud. Often, warring factions within a family do not want members from the opposite sides to be in commanding positions,” they explain. Though seemingly, this is not the sole reason for Naidu’s annoyance with the BJP. The sources say Naidu is feeling “stifled” in the alliance. Faced with strong rivals like YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy in Seemandhra and TRS and Congress in Telangana, there are reports of consolidation of Muslim and Christian votes against his party. “The fact that the BJP backed the Congress in Parliament over the Telangana Bill has gone against him much more than he expected in Seemandhra, while in Telengana it is the TRS and the Congress which are walking away with all accolades. Narendra Modi’s decision to be the only star at his shows in Andhra has also not gone down well with him,” the sources add So in reality, an old family feud of Telugu superstar, former Chief Minister NT Ramarao, may not really be the sole reason for the BJP-TDP troubles. Facing a do-or-die battle in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP ticket to Purandeshwari may just be one of them. To make it simple, NTR’s sons-in-law Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Duggubati Venkateshwara Rao have been rivals for several years. All this while, Rao’s wife and Naidu’s sister-in-law Purandeshwari has been attacking her brother-in-law (Naidu) for walking away with her father’s legacy. Purandeshwari, a Union Minister in the Congress government, recently joined the BJP. Apparently, before striking the deal with the TDP, the BJP had promised Naidu it would not give ticket to her.
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No politics in Rajnath wearing skull cap: BJP
New Delhi, April 17 “It is a matter related to his (Rajnath’s) personal belief. It should not be linked with politics,” party spokesman Sudhnashu Trivedi said. On whether Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad’s comparison between Rajnath Singh and former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee was in any way a manifestation of the party’s plan B, Trivedi said the BJP had no control over statements made by leaders of other religions. However, coming on a day when images of party president Rajnath Singh wearing the traditional Muslim cap at a shrine in Lucknow triggered a debate in political circles, Modi remarks seem to have given a boost to Rajnath Singh’s quest for a moderate image.
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From farmers, youth, women to Dalits, Congress woos all
New Delhi, April 17 The party’s sub-manifesto, which goes beyond the main manifesto released on March 26, makes ambitious promises to everyone from farmers and youth to women, Dalits and backward classes. From subsidy on anti-snake bite and anti-electric shock gear for farmers to tax concessions for 18 to 35-year-olds, the sub-manifesto seeks to woo target voters. For the first time, the Congress has said that if voted to power it would work to provide job reservation for women in central and state government departments. Besides, it has given an assurance of enhanced cancer screening facilities for women, with All India Mahila Congress chief saying, “one in every six Indian women suffers from cancer.” The list is ambitious with the party saying that it would end the requirement of collateral security which SC students have to give for securing education loans and waive outstanding loans extended to the marginalized sections. There is also an assurance of setting up a dedicated ministry for other backward classes (OBCs). “If voted to power, we will provide SC students with education loans without collateral security or guarantors; set up a special capital fund to enable SC/STs establish educational institutions; waive outstanding loans advanced to BPL, SC/ST/OBC families by nationalised banks or state SC finance corporations,” states the document. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had promised to publish the paper separately as an extension to the party’s main Lok Sabha manifesto. Divided under six heads, the document deals in great detail with what the Congress would do if returned to power for a third time. The sections are “farmer welfare; minorities; SCs/STs/ OBCs, youth, women and panchayati Raj.” The Congress has also committed itself to extending SC status to all Dalit minorities. Currently SC status is not available to Muslim and Christian minorities though the same is extended to Sikh and Buddhist minorities. SC status for Muslims and Christian Dalits has been a long standing demand of the community.
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Minister gets EVM direction changed to suit ‘vastu’
Kolar (Karnataka), April 17 Changing the direction or position of the EVM is unlawful, he said. As soon as Muniyappa entered the polling centre to cast his vote, he was displeased to see the EVM facing south and placed it in north-eastern direction with the help of his supporters, Ravi said. "On receiving the information I shifted the election officer for carrying out Muniyappa's instructions," the Deputy Commissioner said. Ravi, however, did not respond when he was asked the reason for not taking action against Muniyappa's supporters who changed the position of the EVM. "I will get back to you on it soon," he said. — PTI Official shifted
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Modi, Rahul rallies in Assam’s Nagaon on same day
Out of these six constituencies, both the parties have not fielded any candidate in Kokrajhar. In the last election, the BJP won Nagaon, Gauhati and Mangaldai constituencies while the Congress won in Barpeta constituency. The All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won in Dhubri. Both Narendra Modi of the BJP and Rahul Gandhi of the Congress are slated to address election rallies at Nagaon on April 19. The sitting BJP MP Rajen Gohain there is engaged in an electoral battle with Jonjonali Baruah of Congress, Mridula Barkakoty of Asom Gana Parishad and Dr Aditya Langthasa of All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). Rajen Gohain has represented the Nagaon constituency in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms. Narendra Modi, who earlier addressed several huge election rallies in Assam for the first and second phase of polling, will address two more rallies — in Mangaldai and Bongaigaon. Other senior BJP leaders, including LK Advani, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shatrughan Sinha, will also address rallies in the constituencies going to the polls on April 24. Sitting BJP MP Ramen Deka is facing a stiff challenge in retaining the Mangaldai seat this time because of Congress candidate Kirip Chaliha and Asom Gana Parishad candidate Madhab Rajbongshi who had earlier represented the constituency as a Congress candidate. Third phase in Assam
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Irom Sharmila not allowed to vote in Manipur
Imphal, April 17 "Under Section 62 (5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a person confined in jail cannot vote," an Election Commission official said. "Sharmila earlier submitted an application expressing her desire to cast her vote. But we cannot entertain her prayer as per law," he said. The 42-year-old Sharmila told reporters in Imphal recently: "I never voted as I had lost faith in democracy, but the rise of the new anti-corruption party, the Aam Aadmi Party, changed my thinking." Balloting took place on Thursday for the second Lok Sabha seat from the state - Inner Manipur - while polling for the tribal reserved Outer Manipur seat was held April 9. Sharmila has been on an indefinite fast since November 4, 2000, demanding repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, (AFSPA). She was charged with attempting to commit suicide. Under this charge, she can be kept in custody for one year at a stretch. — IANS
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Today I will write to Mof CA to file a FIR against BC son of PC for possessing six DINs!!! He owns 15 companies!! Modi wants to send all criminal Netas to Jail but continues Babu Bhai Bokadia a convicted Neta in his Cabinet. Wah re Modi ! — digvijaya singh For the first time those in power have been so visibly dwarfed and over-topped by the mind-blowing presence of a leader in opposition. Madam came to Kanyakumari & said UPA works for safety of our fishermen. I asked people if they believed her & the unanimous answer was 'No.' Polls are about ideology not party.How can we trust a leader to provide security to 126 cr Indians if he could not do so for 6 cr Gujuratis? — Raj Babbar
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Raje govt misusing machinery: Jaswant Modi ‘love’ for Muslims
a show-off: Akhilesh Sonia to address rally
for Rahul in Amethi Didi unhurt after fire breaks out in her hotel room
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Fatehgarh Sahib, April 17
Bathinda, April 17
Experts say the four-time Nabha MLA, Dharamsot, who belongs to the Baazigar community, has an edge over SAD's Kulwant Singh. Reason: The SAD is a divided house here and Kulwant is considered as an outsider. Also, the local SAD leaders have failed to sink their differences despite warnings from Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to put up a united front. 
Amritsar, April 17
Ahmedabad, April 17
Besides, it re-opened the then unanswered question about Modi's acceptability among people outside the state. The party's poor show also raised doubts about the "Modi magic" that worked in the previous two state Assembly elections but failed to create much impact on voters in the parliamentary elections on his home turf despite being given a free hand from selection of candidates to managing the campaign machinery in Gujarat.
Guwahati, April 17
