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Key Constituency Azamgarh
Key
Constituency Almora (uttarakhand) |
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The rise of ‘Power Star’ in Seemandhra
Campaigning ends
Jaitley targets Priyanka for her ‘arrogance’
Campaign trail: Anurag
Thakur
Campaign trail:
Ramesh P Nishank
Twitterati
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Not a cakewalk for Mulayam Singh Yadav
Experts say caste equation this time may not go in favour of Samajwadi Party’s top boss Shahira Naim Tribune News Service
Azamgarh, May 5
Days after BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi announced his decision to contest from Varanasi, SP's prime ministerial candidate Yadav decided to be the party's candidate from Azamgarh. Ostensibly the reason was to keep the Modi effect under check in Purvanchal and positively influence the neighbouring seats of Lalganj, Ballia, Ghosi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Gorakhpur. Incidentally, in 2009, the SP won the Ballia seat and the BJP the Gorakhpur seat. The BSP won all other seats the SP chief now hopes to influence by contesting from Azamgarh. In 2009, of the 18 seats that go to polls in the last phase on May 12, the SP had won six, the BJP managed to win four, the Congress three and five seats went to the BSP. Though Azamgarh SP youth wing president Rajesh Giri is confident that netaji would win from Azamgarh with a record margin of at least three-lakh votes, his confidence is not shared by a large section of people. Once an SP supporter, DAV Inter College teacher Vinay Singh, said, "Netaji aakar phans gaye" (Netaji is stuck in Azamgarh). According to him, the caste equation this time is not to Yadav's advantage.
Following Muzaffarnagar riots, the Muslim vote is no longer solidly behind him. Observers believe that between 40 and 60 per cent of the approximately 2.75-lakh Muslim voters have shifted loyalty towards BSP candidate and Mubarakpur sitting MLA Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali. Caste politics
Sitting BJP MP muscleman Ramakant Yadav has successfully managed to wean away a section of the approximately 3.5-lakh Yadav votes vas well. The Modi effect is seeing a section of the non-Jatav Dalit vote shifting towards the BJP as well as the urban middle class. The pradhan of Belakol gram sabha in Jehanaganj in Mubarakpur, Balroop Saroj, a Passi himself, is going to vote for Modi as according to him Modi has promised reservation in promotion. ‘Modivad vs
jativaad’
Sitting in his RTO road residence surrounded by his cows and supporters, Ramakant Yadav declares that this time it is a fight on Modivad and not "jativaad". He claims that Mulayam Singh Yadav should forget about other seats and focus on Azamgarh, which he is going to lose. The BSP candidate, who considers himself to be in a direct fight against Mulayam, also echoes the same sentiment.
Mulayam pleasing second wife, says Mayawati
"There is a dispute going on in Mulayam's family. He is contesting from Azamgarh to please his second wife and pave way for their son Prateek Yadav," she said. Insiders do not rule out the Yadav clan's internal fighting as one of the reasons for Mulayam nurturing Azamgarh and contesting from here. A sizeable part of the last two consecutive state Budgets had been earmarked for projects in Azamgarh, rasing eyebrows at singling out of Azamgarh for the SP government's largeness much before Modi announced his candidature from Varanasi. If Mulayam manages to win the Azamgarh seat, he is believed to continue from here and vacate
Mainpuri in the family's pocket borough for younger son Prateek Yadav, sending one more member of the family to Parliament, point out insiders.
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Key
Constituency Almora (uttarakhand) * BJP’s Ajay takes on Congress’ sitting MP Pradeep * The seat will test the popularity of Rawat, Modi BD Kasniyal Tribune News Service
Pithoragarh, May 5
To beat the “Modi wave” and the alleged anti-incumbency against the Congress-led governments at the Centre and the state, Rawat, a native of the segment, is urging voters to save "his prestige by voting for his candidate". The seat had remained a Congress bastion till 1991 when Jiwan Sharma of the BJP wrested it.
14 assembly segments
Of the 14 Assembly segments, eight are with the ruling Congress. The anti-incumbency and the aggressive campaign by BJP workers have put the Congress on the defensive. The BJP is seeking votes in Modi's name and accusing the Congress government of graft. His emotional appeal is reportedly paying dividends in the rural and hilly areas where voters, particularly of his own Thakur community, are getting swayed by him. "If the Congress is defeated in Almora, Harish Rawat will have to suffer. It will be a setback for the entire Kumaon region," said Navin Bora, a voter in Almora. A few political observers also agree that top priority of some voters in the region will be to save Rawat's "political prestige". However, Navin Bisht, a journalist based in Almora, said, "Despite an emotional appeal by Harish Rawat, the issues of rising prices, corruption, besides local issues of water, electricity and health facilities, will impact the voters." Recently, Modi addressed a well-attended election rally in support of the BJP candidate at Almora, while senior party leader LK Advani addressed another poll meeting at Pithoragarh. "Modi wave is sweeping the entire Kumaon region and nothing can help the Congress candidates," claimed Prakash Pant, a former Uttarakhand BJP minister and the party's state general secretary. Rawat, though, is confident that people at his native place will repose faith in him and the Congress.
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The rise of ‘Power Star’ in Seemandhra
Hyderabad, May 5 A self-proclaimed fan of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he has been addressing a string of NDA rallies across the region for the past few weeks with a clarion call "Congress hatao, desh bachao". Seemandhra, which accounts for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats, will become a new state on June 2 along with Telangana. The region is witnessing a straight contest between the YSR Congress, headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the Telugu Desam Party, led by former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Fondly called "Power Star" by his fans, Pawan Kalyan has emerged as the crowd-puller at NDA rallies with loudest cheers being reserved for him. His aggressive speeches, replete with filmy punch dialogues targeting both the Congress and the YSR Congress, evoke rapturous response from gatherings, mostly comprising youth. Addressing rallies in Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and other important towns, Modi made a particular mention of Pawan Kalyan, to the delight of the actor's fans, and narrated how he was touched by the star's passion and selfless commitment to the people's welfare. Pawan Kalyan, who floated the Jana Sena Party on March 14, surprised the political circles by announcing that his party would not contest elections this time. Apparently, he is keen on meticulously building the party organisation to make it battle-fit by the 2019 elections. Though his initial plan was to extend support to the BJP to see Modi as the Prime Minister, the actor has agreed to campaign for the TDP candidates as well. While making a strong pitch for Modi as the PM, Pawan Kalyan has been somewhat subdued in his support for the TDP. This is probably because he wants to emerge as a formidable regional player himself over the next few years. The TDP, waging a do-or-die battle to capture power after successive electoral drubbing in 2004 and 2009, is using Pawan Kalyan as its trump card and is confident that he can swing the tide in its favour. At the joint public appearances with Chandrababu Naidu, the actor has been drawing more crowds and getting better response than what the TDP chief could manage. Pawan Kalyan's political foray has brought him in direct conflict with his elder brother and megastar of Telugu cinema Chiranjeevi, who is on the other side of the battle line. As a chief campaigner of the Seemandhra unit of the Congress, Chiranjeevi is fighting what many call a losing battle as the ruling party finds itself in a pathetic situation. A virtual "star war" has broken out in Seemandhra with the two brothers, with equally strong fan base, locked in a political slugfest. However, Pawan Kalyan refrains from making any personal attack on his brother during the election rallies. "I love my brother. He has been a pillar of support to me and he has nurtured me. My fight is against the Congress and I will not rest till it is completely wiped out," Pawan Kalyan says. With a quintessential middle-class background from West Godavari district of coastal Andhra and no family connection with the film industry, Chiranjeevi and his actor brothers Nagababu and Pawan Kalyan represent a close-knit family and never miss an opportunity to express their mutual affection and love. The rise of Chiranjeevi, in an industry that is traditionally dominated by a handful of families, was akin to the action-filled blockbusters that he has been associated with. The star brothers, however, have contrasting lifestyles. Chiranjeevi (58), a veteran of 149 films, has been a mass hero, in the mould of late NT Rama Rao, and his image is one of a do-gooder, shy, kind-hearted and a loving family man. Pawan Kalyan, on the other hand, is known for his quirky temperament, rebellious streak and aloofness. He is the reigning star of Telugu film industry now with a string of mega hits under his belt, including the recent blockbuster "Gabbar Singh", a Telugu remake of Salman Khan starrer "Dabangg". "I am a restless person, disgusted with the political system around me and sometimes tormented by self-doubt. Call me maverick, but I will chart my own course and will not care about what others think of me," Pawan Kalyan says. Not many in the film industry and political circles understood his motive behind launching a party, just weeks ahead of the General Election and his decision not to contest. None of the members of Chiranjeevi's family, including his actor-son Ramcharan Tej, brother Nagababu and nephew Allu Arjun, also an actor, is backing Pawan Kalyan in his political endeavour. Chiranjeevi had publicly disapproved of his younger brother praising Modi. "I do not agree with his views on Modi and strongly disapprove of his meeting with Modi in Gandhinagar. However, everybody is free to chose his path," Chiranjeevi said. The differences between the brothers had cropped up when Chiranjeevi had decided to merge his three-year-old Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) with the Congress in 2011.
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Campaigning ends
Hyderabad, May 5 A total of 333 candidates are in the fray for the 25 Lok Sabha seats, while another 2,243 will lock horns for the 175 Assembly seats. The region is witnessing a straight fight between the YSR Congress, headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the Telugu Desam Party-BJP combine. Although some pollsters had given the YSRCP a clear edge in the early days of electioneering, the TDP, which has made development its main poll plank, appears to have gained a lot of ground in the past few weeks, flaunting party president N Chandrababu Naidu's track record as a 'performing' Chief Minister during his nine-year tenure from 1995 to 2004. The alliance with the BJP, the Modi factor and the support from popular film star Pawan Kalyan have boosted the confidence of the regional party. Often described as the CEO of Andhra Pradesh for his aggressive approach towards development, particularly in Hyderabad, Naidu has been harping on the point that he alone has proven capabilities of developing Seemandhra and its new capital once the bifurcation takes effect on June 2. For Naidu, it is a do-or-die battle for political survival after two successive losses in 2004 and 2009. On its part, the YSRCP has been harping on its pro-poor and pro-minorities image by playing up the various welfare schemes launched for the downtrodden by Jagan's father
and former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy during his tenure from
2004 to 2009. Promising to continue with all welfare schemes launched by his father, Jagan, playing the sympathy card, has vowed to bring back "Rajanna Rajyam," referring to his father's rule. Traditionally, caste loyalties have been playing a key role in the outcome of elections in this region. As a result, both YSRCP and TDP-BJP combine have been aggressively wooing various communities
to swing the vote in their favour. Unlike Telangana, where statehood sentiment was the key poll issue, development is the main campaign theme in Seemandhra with the key contenders for power promising to build an ultra-modern capital city and ensure rapid progress in the new state.
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Jaitley targets Priyanka for her ‘arrogance’
New Delhi, May 5 Irani has challenged Congress vice-president and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi in his constituency Amethi, which is going to polls on May 7. In his blog, Jaitley recalled the 1967 Lok Sabha elections in which George Fernandes was pitted against the then strong man in Mumbai politics, SK Patil. "Fernandes had a challenging task of changing Mumbai's (then Bombay) mindset. His initial slogan was - 'Patil can be defeated'. This was written on the walls and stickers pasted outside each building apartment/jhoparpatti. When questioned about the prospects of being defeated, Patil, with Mrs Vadra's style of smugness, announced: Only God can defeat me. George Fernandes immediately retorted - God does not vote, only you do. Only you can defeat Patil," he wrote. Jaitley recalled the result of that poll in which Patil was defeated and George entered Parliament for the first time. He said: "Mrs Vadra's query on Smriti Irani questioning her existence reminds me of the Patil-George confrontation." Priyanka, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during a road show in Amethi on May 4 was asked about Irani hitting back, but before the reporter could complete the question, she asked, "Who"? When the reporter repeated, "Smriti Irani," she said with a grin, "Oh". She was campaigning for her brother Rahul. Jaitley, who is trying to enter the Lok Sabha for the first time from Amritsar, said Amethi challenge has become stiff because of a strong anti-incumbency factor. "Coupled with extensive campaigning done by Smriti Irani, a strong anti-incumbency against the Congress and the Gandhis for non-development of Amethi and the desire to puncture the arrogance of those who feel that they own Amethi, have all the potential of making Amethi challenge stiff," he claimed. Jaitley hoped that "If Amethi goes the Smriti Irani way it will be good for Amethi and may be in the long run good for the Congress too." — PTI
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He connects with people, tries to shed the ‘inaccessible’ leader’s tag
Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Bilaspur, May 5 Beating the heat and dust, he tries to combat the Congress onslaught by keeping his campaign simple. He lays thrust on small corner meetings. Clad in a blue cotton kurta and white pyjama, he steps out of his room for campaigning in villages of the Bilapsur (Sadar) Assembly segment. It is his 74th day of campaigning. Till now, he has addressed 497 election meetings. In a sharp contrast to conventional leaders, the tech-savvy young leader, who has carved a niche for himself at the national level, takes feedback from his teams in Delhi and Hamirpur. Also the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), he keeps in touch with its members elsewhere in the country on phone and internet. Trying hard to change his image of a “high profile” socialite and dispel the notion that he is seen more in the company of film stars and cricket bigwigs, he speaks fluently in the Hamirpuri dialect with local workers and voters. "Whatever my opponents may say, I am very much at home here with my people, except that I miss my sons, aged 10 and four, since they are studying in Delhi," he says, dismissing the Congress propaganda. At 9.30 am, he gets into his Fortuner. "There is a clear wave in favour of Modi ji which will ensure that the BJP will form the next government," he says while travelling with three-time former MP Suresh Chandel. His first stop is at Talwara village. With a brief address touching local issues, including a rail link and opening of a hydropower engineering college, he makes it a point to take out time for women. He goes and squats with them on the floor. "Amma apne munnu jo jitana hai, Modi jo pradhan mantri banana hai," he tells them. He assures them that he will try to set up industrial units here so that the youth do not have to go out in search of jobs, leaving the elderly behind. He touches the feet of the elderly and hugs children as he leaves for the next meeting at Kashol village. He tells people that it is their son who has been ranked among the top 10 parliamentarians for their attendance and active participation in Parliament debates. He may be facing severe criticism from the Congress, but many youngsters appreciate him. "I have specially taken leave to be able to campaign for Anurag as India needs politicians like him," says Gaurav Prashar, a pilot with SpiceJet and a resident of Santokhgarh in Una. He credits Anurag with creating a world-class cricket stadium at Dharamsala. In his speeches, the angst against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is more than evident. "For him, money grows on trees for which he was quizzed by the CBI. Robert Vadra's wealth grew from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 350 crore, but the Congress tries to frame others in false cases," he says. He lists the issues raised by him in Parliament, including introduction of new trains and extension of rail links to Himachal, One Rank, One Pension for ex-servicemen, setting up of premier technical institutes and a central university, extension and maintenance of national highways and the need for a National Board for the Development of the Himalayan states. He takes a 10-minute break for an informal interaction under a banyan tree in the compound of the Community Bhawan at Kasohl. Giving a patient hearing, especially to the elderly, he moves on to Badi Bhagot village under Talyana Panchayat where 90 per cent of the audience is women. At 4 pm, he stops for a lunch at a party worker's house. "I enjoy the local cuisine. I drink warm water to save my throat," he says. He also carries two small containers of gur (jaggery) and chana (roasted gram) with him to maintain his energy level. His last meeting gets over around 11 pm, but he calls it a day not before 1am.
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Campaign
trail: Ramesh P Nishank Sandeep Rawat Tribune News Service
Haridwar, May 5 Even young party activists fail to match Nishank's inimitable campaign style, stamina, speed, agility and on-foot campaigning, which is yielding desired results. After becoming a Shishu Mandir school teacher in Pauri Garhwal, Nishank's hometown, the former CM says that he has been following a routine that begins even before the sun rises with a maximum of five-hour sleep. After having breakfast at his rented house in Vishnu Garden, Kankhal, Nishank discusses with his party workers the 16 rallies-cum-meetings he is scheduled to attend in four Assembly segments. His first meeting is scheduled for 10 am in Roorkee and the last one for 7:30 pm at Mangalore. Thereafter, he plans to meet his party leaders at a Haridwar hotel. His daughter Arushi, an exponent of classical dance, puts "tilak" on his forehead and offers him sweets before he steps out of the house. Nishank terms the 16th Lok Sabha elections as one of the toughest as the Congress has fielded two opponents, officially Renuka Rawat and unofficially her husband Chief Minister Harish Rawat. "The entire state machinery is working in favour of the CM's wife as the Congress knows it's a clear victory for the BJP in Haridwar. The model code of conduct is being violated repeatedly by the Congress and lakhs of rupees are being spent on campaigning," said Nishank, who is currently a legislator from the Doiwala Assembly segment. Nishank also plays down Aam Aadmi Party's Kanchan Bhattacharya, former Director General of Police, saying that policing and politics are two different fields. He doesn't forget to mention his 24 years of active political experience. The five-time MLA, who represented three Assembly segments, says the tough hilly life he lived in his native district of Pauri has made him stronger, which helps him cover the 14 Assembly segments easily. "Unlike me, my rivals are totally relying on vehicle-bound roadshows as the temperature is touching 40 deg C here,” he says. About allegations levelled by the Opposition parties regarding his involvement in the Maha Kumbh-2010 Budget scam when he was the CM, Nishank says the accusations are baseless and being made to malign his image. "Maha Kumbh-2010 was successfully managed as more than six crore people from across the country came to take a holy dip in Ganga and see the world's ancient and biggest conglomeration of people at a single place. The world acknowledges the fair for its crowd management, security and religious faith. It deserves a Nobel Prize, but the Opposition is falsely propagating the non-existent scam," Nishank says.
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Ready to be Gujarat CM if party wants, says Nitin Patel
AHMEDABAD: With the Lok Sabha elections drawing to a close next week and poll predictions favouring Narendra Modi as the next PM, the clamour for chief ministership in Gujarat has already begun with senior state minister Nitin Patel saying that he is ready to take up the job if the party extends him an opportunity. There are many others in the race, including senior minister Anandi Patel, UP BJP in charge Amit Shah, who is also an MLA from Gujarat, another minister Saurabh Patel and party leader Purshottam Rupala for the Chief Minister's post.
"I am ready to be the Chief Minister if party asks me to take up the
job," Patel said. "If you ask this question to any MLA that are you
ready to be the Chief Minister, he will reply in positive. If you ask Virat
Kohli that would he like to be the captain of Indian team, he will not say
no," Patel added.
— PTI
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Didi can be a partner to keep Modi out: Bardhan BJP says SP, BSP, Cong creating fear TDP surrendered to BJP for seats: Jagan
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Was
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's decision to contest from
Azamgarh as well as his traditional seat of Mainpuri truly to contain communal
forces in Purvanchal?
With the
Congress virtually converting Hamirpur into a battlefield to corner him,
cricketer-turned-politician Anurag Thakur is waging a battle against the
Opposition that tagged him as an “inaccessible” leader. As it is Anurag’s
third successive election, he is facing anti-incumbency. He and his father,
former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, are trying hard to win the people's
confidence in Hamirpur, a BJP bastion which the Congress is desperately trying
to wrest.
Haridwar,
May 5
Whatever may be the real reason to jump into the electoral fray in Azamgarh, the SP patriarch is facing a tough triangular battle with his fate completely at the hands of a fragmented Yadav and Muslim vote bank.
When pointed out that in fact Mayawati is a supporter of reservation in promotion, he looks confused. Prompted by his young son, he says that he would still support Modi as he has promised to secure the country's boundaries!
During
her public meeting in Azamgarh two days ago, Mayawati observed that Yadav was
contesting from Azamgarh just to please his second wife.
Rawat
is doing whatever he can to woo voters. He has been appealing that
"a vote for the Congress would mean a vote for him, and if his
candidate stands defeated, it would be difficult for him to hold on to
the Chief Minister's chair". 
As
a part of the pre-poll alliance, the TDP has allotted four Lok Sabha and
13 Assembly seats to the BJP. The ruling Congress has been reduced to a
virtual non-entity following its decision to split the state. In the
changed political dynamics, there is a widespread public anger against
the Congress.
