Indian Election 2009

Tamil Nadu assembly by-election 2009

2009-08-14T19:18:00.001+05:30

By-elections to five state assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Bargur, Thondamuthur, Ilayankudi, Cumbum, and Srivaikuntam will be held on August 18 2009 ,Three political parties are boycotting the elections including AIADMK ,MDMK and PMK. ADMK leader J. Jayalalitha cited unreliability of Electronic voting machines as the reason for the poll boycott.Tamil Nadu Congress party leader K. V. Thangabalu said that ADMK chose not to contest polls for fear of losing them.

Bargur

The election was necessitated after the previous winner M. Thambidurai was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 election. After the initial rejection of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) candidate V. Chandran's candidacy, he was accepted to contest as an independent with Murasu as a symbol, which is the symbol of DMDK. Twenty four of thirty one nominations were rejected. Accepted nominations include K. R. K. Narasimhan (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), K. Asokan (Bharatiya Janata Party), S. Kannu (Communist Party of India), K. Padmarajan (Independent), Maheshwari Kannappan (Independent), S. Sakthivel (Rajini Fans Association) and A. Rajesh (Independent)

Thondamuthur

There are four candidated from recognised parties in contest in Thondamuthur constituency.Indian national Congress candidate M. N. Kandaswamy is contesting in Thondamuthur constituency.

Ilayankudi

Nine contestants are in fray in Ilayankudi constituency. They include three from major political parties, Suba. Mathiarasan of DMK, Azhagu. Balakrishnan of DMDK and P. M. Rajendran of BJP

Srivaikuntam

11 candidates are in competition in Srivaikuntam constituency. Candidates from major politicial parties include M.B. Sudalaiyandi of Indian National Congress, G. Thanalakshmi of Communist Party of India, S. Santhana Kumar of Bharatiya Janata Party and M. Soundarapandi of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Cumbum

15 candidates are contesting the election including four candidates representing political parties. the candidates include N. Ramakrishnan of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, M. Sasikumar of Bharatiya Janata Party, K. Rajappan of Communist Party of India (Marxist), R. Arun Kumar of Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam and G. Ramaraj of Uzhaippali Makkal Katchi.

Doublespeak Of The Leaders

2009-05-18T08:07:00.004+05:30

What Leader Spoke before the results and after the results
(Video from CNNIBN)

Indian Election 2009 FInal Tally

2009-05-17T08:23:00.003+05:30

CPI may lose national party status

2009-05-16T18:00:00.002+05:30

The Communist Party of India (CPI), the country's second oldest party founded in 1925, is facing the risk of losing its status as a
national party after its disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

The CPI, which contested in 57 seats in 23 states in the general elections, won only two seats and the tally may not go up to five when the full results are out. The party lost all three seats in Kerala where it had won last time.

The party had won 10 of the 34 seats it contested in 2004 with a vote share of 1.4 per cent.

According to the criteria set by the Election Commission, a 'national party' needs to contest from four states and get at least six per cent votes from at least four states or get two per cent of total seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three states or it should be a party recognised as a state party in at least four states.

"We are expected to retain our state party status in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Manipur and Jharkhand," CPI national executive Pannian Raveendran told reporters.

But he said he would be able to say anything further on the matter only after assessing the party's performance in these states.

The CPI has state party status in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu on the basis of its representation in parliament, while in Kerala and Manipur the party is recognised on the basis of its presence in the assembly.

The Election Commission had issued notice to CPI in 2004 to explain why its recognition should not be withdrawn. But the commission modified its guidelines in 2005 giving the national status to a party recognised as a state party in a minimum of four states.

With this relaxation, the CPI hopes its national status will continue.

Indian Election 2009 Results

2009-05-16T08:09:00.018+05:30

Winners Of Indian Election 2009

Update 5.15PM (IST)
UPA will form the next government in India

NDA == 165 (Leads +Win)
UPA == 257 (Leads +Win)
3rd Front == 79 (Leads+Win)
Others == 26 (Leads+Win) (SP , BSP , LJP & Others)

AP State Election Results

TDP == 70 (Wins)
Congress ==110 (Wins)
PRP == 11 (Wins)
Left ==5 (Wins)
TRS ==09 (Wins)
Others == 2 (BJP)

Nitish Kumar as PM ?

2009-05-15T07:09:00.002+05:30

With political parties and leaders feverishly working out permutations after what seems to be an election too close to call, there is a new story doing the rounds which sees Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as an unlikely "consensus" candidate for the prime minister's job.

In that case the third front will support the government from outside.

Even though this talk is doing the rounds , no one is coming out in open as yet. The final and full figure will come out only after 16th.

I think Nitish Kumar can do the job.

Madurai, Karur top voter turnout in Tamil Nadu

2009-05-14T12:47:00.002+05:30

Over 67 per cent of voters in Tamil Nadu exercised their franchise on Wednesday during the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, up by six per cent since the last general elections. Madurai, from where Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s son MK Azhagiri is contesting, witnessed 75 per cent polling, while Karur logged 80 per cent.

Addressing the press here, Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta pointed out that during the 2004 LS elections, the percentage stood at 61 per cent. “There is a distinct increase’’ this time around, he said.

The overall percentage might go up by another per cent as final figures were yet to arrive from various constituencies. In Chennai, the voter turnout hovered around 58 per cent. In Madurai, people turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. The polling was brisk right through the day. At the close of polls, the figure stood at 76.6 per cent, an all-time high in this seat.

Erode registered 71 per cent polling. Sources said the assembly segment-wise percentage is Komarapalayam 67, Erode West 76, East 73, Modakurichi 70, Kangayam 77 and Dharapuram 67. It was less than 67 per cent during the last LS polls.

An overall 68 per cent of polling was recorded in Thanjavur Parliamentary constituency comprising six Assembly segments. While the maximum of 75 per cent of polling was in Tiruvaiyaru segment, the minimum of 62 per cent was recorded in Mannargudi segment.

Pattukkottai witnessed 68 per cent polling, Orathanadu 72 per cent, Peravurani 66 per cent and Thanjavur 65 per cent.

In Pudukottai, it was 65 per cent. Earlier, the district comprised six Assembly segments. The delimitation exercise detached Pudukkottai and Gandharvakottai (SC) Assembly segments to Tiruchy LS constituency.

The CEO admitted that EVMs malfunctioned in various places. About 100 EVMs were set right by the technicians while 93 were replaced throughout Tamil Nadu, he informed.

When asked about the charge of AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa that the EVMS were not functioning properly and if the voter pressed for a symbol, the indicator in some other symbol was glowing, the CEO said two such EVMs were replaced in Chennai.

However, he clarified that the fault was detected when mock poll was conducted in front of the polling agents. As such, no vote was polled with the faulty machines. Responding to a query, Gupta said the decision on repoll, if needed in some booths, would be taken on Thursday after consulting the observors. (Hindu Report)

SC against NSA on Varun

2009-05-14T12:36:00.001+05:30

Supreme Court on Thursday directed Uttar Pradesh government to withdraw charges under National Security Act against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Varun Gandhi with immediate effect.

Varun, who is the BJP candidate from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency, had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court pleading that he should be heard if the Uttar Pradesh government approaches it challenging revocation of the NSA against him.

Exit Polls For Indian Election 2009

2009-05-14T12:26:00.001+05:30

TN will go Jaya way?

2009-05-13T17:53:00.002+05:30

If the huge crowds and exuberant mood at the rallies addressed by J Jayalalithaa (Amma), 61, in the past few weeks are anything to go by, the AIADMK alliance has a clear edge as all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu go to the polls.

Electoral arithmetic too is on her side with the PMK, the MDMK, the CPI and CPI(M) — all of which have pockets of staunch support across the state — having joined her bandwagon. The AIADMK is contesting only 23 seats, sharing the rest with these allies. Major caste groups controlled by these allied parties — like the Vanniyars in the North, or the Goundars to the West — are expected to back Amma.

Most of these allied parties were with the DMK during the last Lok Sabha poll, which the alliance then swept, without yielding single seat to the AIADMK. This time the ruling DMK only has the VCK, a Dalit outfit, and the Indian Union Muslim League on its side.

The DMK is seeking votes on both the UPA’s record of performance in the past five years at the Centre and its own performance in the state, harping upon the central loan waivers and the rural employment guarantee scheme, as well as the free colour TV and cheap rice schemes it introduced at the state level.

But the quality of the rice provided has appalled consumers, who also insist that man does not live by rice alone. “What’s the use of cheap rice when the price of everything else is spiraling,” said a 40-year-old in Nagercoil, 660 km south of Chennai, unwilling to be named. The blame for the power crisis, which has led to many small units shutting down and thousands of workers being laid off, is also being heaped on the DMK government.

Over it all looms the shadow of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, and the widespread feeling — specially in the region around Rameshwaram, which is closest to Sri Lanka — that the union government, of which the DMK is a part, has just not done enough for them. Also in the fray are the BJP and actor Vijaykant’s DMDK.

Leaders Of Indian

2009-05-08T10:23:00.005+05:30

Navin Chawla faces clerical error

2009-05-08T10:18:00.002+05:30

Clerical error did not spare even Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Navin Chawla, whose intervention did not stop his name from figuring in two voters’ lists.
But when he went to vote on Thursday, his name appeared only in one place.
Mr Chawla had written on February 6 last to the Delhi’s chief electoral officer pointing out that his and his wife’s names appeared at two booths in the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. He wanted their names to be removed from booth no. 85 of the list and retained in booth no. 86, both in Nirman Bhawan which has the offices of heath, rural and urban development and other ministries.
Following his request, the electoral registration officer (ERO) informed him that their names in booth no. 85 were deleted from the final rolls. However, still the names of Mr Chawla and his wife Ms Rupika appeared “inadvertently” in photo electoral roll showing their names in both booth no. 85 and booth no. 86, which was rectified later.
“It was a clerical error,” Mr Chawla said after the CEC, his wife and daughter cast their votes at booth no. 86. Mr Chawla, who took over the CEC on April 21, appealed to voters to come out and vote as millions of people had put in their effort for many months to make the electoral process possible all over the country. “Voting is not only about a candidate or a party, it is also a vote for democracy. Just as the ocean is made of drops of water, democracy is made of every vote. I hope every voter will come out and vote,” he said.

Every govt has misused CBI: Rahul Gandhi

2009-05-06T06:10:00.003+05:30

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday conceded that political parties tend to misuse CBI. “Every party in power can pressure institutions. Every government tries to push its people into such agencies. It is a fact, it is a reality of Indian politics,” Mr Gandhi said.

But one thing he forgets is that Congress was in power in center for most of the time then other parties , so is it a acknowledgment from the Congress that it has used "CBI" the most then the other parties?

"CBI" can be renamed "Congress Bureau of Investigation" because that is most abused agency in India.

What is your take?

Indian Election 2009 - Round Three

2009-04-30T06:47:00.002+05:30

Voters will cast their ballots Thursday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections to choose 107 Members of Parliament from among 1,567 candidates, including political titans Sonia Gandhi and L K Advani.

Over 14.4 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in polling in this phase to be held in 1.65 lakh booths across nine states and two union territories. Election would also be held Thursday to the 32-member Sikkim legislative assembly.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is seeking her first re-election from the Lok Sabha constituency of Rae Bareli. She had moved to this seat from Amethi in 2004 when her son Rahul Gandhi entered the election arena. Rae Bareli was represented by Sonia's mother-in-law late Indira Gandhi in 1980.

Advani, who has been named the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has represented Gandhinagar seat since 1991. It's the winning margin that is more important for poll managers of both these candidates.

The prominent candidates in the fray in the third phase include - former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa and union ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Polling for 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be completed at one go. Besides Gujarat, polling will be held in 16 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in West Bengal, 11 each in Bihar and Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Sikkim has 32 assembly seats, of which one is reserved for the Sangha monks, who number 3,058.

The results will be out on May 16. The five-round general elections began on April 16 and so far polling has been completed in 265 Lok Sabha seats.

Karunanidhi Fast For Lankan Tamils

2009-04-27T10:57:00.004+05:30

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr.Karunanidhi has started fasting until death for the cause of the Tamil's in Sri Lanka. The fast started with out any pre announcement. The reports coming inform that the CM has "requested" not to disturb the public lile (What a relief) , Why this fast , and why now? If any one can answer this please help me and leave a comment.

Update: 22.15 IST

Karunanidhi broke his fast on Monday afternoon after he was assured that the Sri Lankan armed forced have stopped their military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"I decided to stop my fast after I heard the news that the Sri Lankan government has decided on cessation of hostilities against the Tamils. I feel happy on hearing the news," said Karunanidhi.

BUT

Sri Lanka on Monday announced that "combat operations have reached their conclusion" and will immediately stop using air strikes and heavy weapons in the war zone, a statement India interpreted as cessation of hostilities in the ongoing offensive against the LTTE.

The Point

The Indian government was unofficial informed that the "combat operations" would be stoped on Monday.

This information was relayed to Mr.Karunanidhi on Sunday.He went to fast on Monday knowing that Sri Lanka would announce the "offensive against the LTTE" would stop

So, well knowing what the Sri Lankan government would do , he played a drama to gain some votes.

Sri Lankan Issue And Tamil Nadu Elections.

2009-04-27T08:19:00.003+05:30

Tamil Nadu elections have been hijacked by the conflict in Sri lanka , all the politic cal parties raise this issue and only this issue. But the people of Tamil Nadu are not voting for the Sri Lankan election but there are voting for the Indian Election and for the people who is going to rule them for the next "five years" , so why are these politicians are not raising the issue of development in the state. I am voter in Tamil Nadu and I am concerned about what is Happening in Sri lanka , but am I going to vote based on the issue of people in Sri Lanka "No"
People in south Tamil Nadu may have some strong felling about what is happening in Sri Lanka , but hat about the people in North Tamil Nadu who doesn't care much , so let us ask the politicians to deal with the issue of the people who are going to vote for them.

Manmohan Singh escapes shoe attack

2009-04-27T08:10:00.002+05:30

A man hurled a shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday, in what has become a way of mark of protest during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls campaign.

Security forces promptly detained the shoe-thrower and took himto Alicebridge police station.

According to reports, the incident took place barely three or four minutes into PM’s speech when an urbane looking youth, apparently in his early 20s, sitting in the front row hurled a shoe towards the dais.

The shoe, however failed to reach the intended target and fell short by a fair distance. The PM’s security immediately detained the miscreant after wrestling him to the ground.According to reports, the youth identified as Hitesh Chauhan and a student of Computer Engineering, is a resident of the city’s Bapunagar area. In his

The PM, meanwhile, forgave the youth and has asked authorities not to lodge any case against him.The PM was in the city to address a rally of select audience, including Congress party workers, intellectuals and business people.

1,473 voters in MP reject all candidates

2009-04-25T19:38:00.001+05:30

As many as 1,473 voters in Madhya Pradesh did not cast their vote during the first phase of elections on April 23 as they did not find a suitable candidate to vote for, said an election official on Saturday.

The voters came to the polling booth, got their name registered and then went out without voting for anyone when the state went to the polls for 13 parliamentary seats April 23.

The State Election Commission has for the first time in election history tabulated and found that 1,473 votes were cast under Section 49(0) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Section 49(0) allows a person to go to a polling booth, register his/her presence by signing and then not vote for any candidate. Such votes are recorded by the presiding officer and are considered rejection of all candidates in the fray.

The highest number of votes cast under section 49(0) were 712 in Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency which incidentally also recorded the lowest voting at 43.21 percent.

This was followed by 418 in Bhopal constituency, 189 in Chhindwara, 41 in Betul, 31 in Satna, 20 in Balaghat, 17 in Rewa, 15 in Vidisha, 14 in Shahdol, seven each in Jabalpur and Hoshangabad, four in Mandla and two in Sidhi.

The PM paradox

2009-04-24T17:11:00.001+05:30

By Balbir K. Punj

When the Congress’ top three leaders make the BJP leader L.K. Advani’s finding on their Prime Minister the centre of their verbal duel with their main opposition party it is more likely to be a case of their guilt gnawing at their conscience.
If their present Prime Minster, who is also their declared personage to lead the government in case the party is back in power after these elections, is strong enough for the post, the simple question is why is the Congress not fielding him in any of the constituencies across the country for the Lok Sabha?
After all, both Indira Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao were not members of the Lok Sabha when they first became Prime Minster but soon after they went through this test by fire they got elected to the Lok Sabha. In Narasimha Rao’s case the challenge was even more, he had moved out of active politics by 1991 when the general elections took place, when he was not even a candidate. Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination pitch-forked him into the leadership role. But since his own party had not gained a majority, getting elected to the Lower House was not a cakewalk for him.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has a history of being in power without getting directly elected. In 1991, when Narasimha Rao invited him to take over the finance portfolio, he was not a member of either House.
Though the Congress Party parades the fact that he is a Sikh, neither Narasimha Rao nor the present leadership has got him even into the Rajya Sabha through Punjab. In 1991, a place was found for him through Assam. But when he tried to enter the Lok Sabha in 1999 from an urban constituency of Delhi, his reputation as the father of economic reforms and eminent economist did not stand him in good stead.
He lost.
The Congress won a majority in Punjab in the 2002 Assembly elections, yet Dr Singh himself and his party did not dare to put him into the Rajya Sabha through that state. Even during the five years that he has been the Prime Minster, the party chose to play safe and again got him in through Assam.
Was that deliberate to keep him weak lest he gets elected directly and challenges the family’s heirloom?
That Dr Singh has no history of getting directly elected even though he is the leader of the government itself proclaims his weakness. In 2004, when he became the Prime Minster, it was not through the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) going ga-ga over him. In fact, it is on record that when the CPP got to know that Mrs Sonia Gandhi was not taking up the government’s leadership but wanted Dr Singh in her place, there was a virtual rebellion in the CPP and the arm twisting she had to do to get Dr Singh accepted was in all the newspapers of the day. That itself showed what support he had in the party whose government he was supposed to lead.
At no time in the past has the CPP chosen a nominee as the Prime Minster. Even when Narasimha Rao was chosen in 1991, he quickly showed who was the real boss and his authority was not questioned till the 1996 elections.
A defeated and dejected leader, facing several court cases for corruption was forsaken by the Congress subsequently.
Dr Singh has been underlining the weakness of his own position as the Prime Minster from day one to day now that he has been in power.
Mr Advani was only bringing this basic weakness of Dr Singh’s position as the Prime Minster to the public’s notice.
Even if it was a necessity for the Congress president to get on with a nominee Prime Minster in 2004, the question arises why is the party hesitant to end this diarchy between the ruling party president and the Prime Minster even after five years?
Scenes of officials and politicians bypassing Dr Singh and pilgrimaging to 10 Janpath to get their wishes fulfilled were enacted almost everyday during the past five years, each such event underlining that the real power is not with the Prime Minster.
This daily ritual of seeking Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s approval, by worthies including Union ministers, was all over our TV screens. What was the message these scenes were beaming?
Some critics who are aware of how that one family which “owns” the Congress tends to project its power would say that this display was deliberate, meant to underline the reality of power in the government led by the Congress. So the weakness of the Prime Minster was there for all to see, whether Mr Advani refers to it or not.
And then, Dr Singh himself proclaimed his weakness as Prime Minster. In 2008, when the UPA government managed to survive the Prakash Karat missile aimed at the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement and the Left withdrew support, Dr Singh expressed great relief, confessing that he was now released from being a slave of the Left that he had been for the last four years! Surely one who leads the government of this vast and most populous country cannot be a “slave” of anyone.
But here is its present Prime Minister, a self-confessed slave of the Left for four out of the five years he was its leader.
And yet, the same Dr Singh now says that he would welcome the same Left’s support in the formation of the next government. That is, he welcomes this slavery after having groaned under it for four years!
How much can people trust such a person to lead the country once again? Only a weak political figure could manage to make such a statement. Or maybe, the Congress is convinced of shrinking after this election and is, therefore, ready to welcome that very Left which ditched them, merely to return to power.
It would be difficult for Dr Singh, his party’s president and the “heir apparent” to deny a fundamental demand of our parliamentary system — the Prime Minister must get elected to the Lok Sabha. And the Congress president must answer why she wants this weakness on display for another five years?

Balbir K. Punj can be contacted at punjbk@gmail.com

Turnout In Jammu and Kashmir Low

2009-04-24T10:15:00.004+05:30

Security personnel outnumbered voters at polling stations in the predominantly mountainous Lok Sabha constituency of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir where the second of the five-phase parliamentary polls was underway Thursday.

According to election officials, only five percent turnout was recorded in the first three hours of polling, which began at 7 am.

Tight security was in place in this constituency that witnessed gunfights between separatist militants and security personnel till a day before.

"I was the first one to cast a vote but there was no one before or after me," said Riaz Ahmad, a resident of Kishtwar who went to vote at 7.15 a.m.

Some said they weren't interested in the ballot process.

"I was one among first to cast the vote in assembly elections in November last year. But I don't feel like voting now as I feel all the parties have cheated us," said Sham Lal, a tea stall owner near Tikri.

No tie up with Congress after election - Prakash Karat

2009-04-23T15:37:00.002+05:30

Three prominent non-Congress leaders in the UPA, including Sharad Pawar and Lalu Prasad, today sought to reach out to Left parties describing them as "our friends" whose "blessings" could be required in the post-poll scenario.
At the same time, NCP chief Pawar and LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan differed on the issue of UPA's PM candidate with the former saying that a decision will be taken later while the latter rooting for Manmohan Singh.

"I honestly feel that this time we require the blessings and support of the Left parties. That is why from the first day, I am consistently saying to all my colleagues in the UPA that let us keep good rapport with the Left," Pawar said.

Striking a similar note, RJD chief Prasad said doors were "still open" for a post-poll alliance with the Left in the event of the UPA not being in a position to form a government."We had difference with the Left only over the civilian nuclear deal and nothing else. We have been friends with CPI(M) for a long time," Prasad told reporters in Patna.

Paswan, who is contesting the elections along with RJD, sang the same tune asserting that the UPA was "not inimical" to the Left as they wanted them to be with secular forces.

However, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat sought to pour cold water on Congress plans to seek the Left support after the elections making it clear that "no government is possible with Congress".

Round II - Indian Election 2009

2009-04-23T08:40:00.002+05:30

The states to be covered are (Lok Sabha seats)
Andhra Pradesh (20), (UPA - 20 - 2004)
Assam (11), (UPA - 11 -2004)
Bihar (13), (UPA - 11 - 2004)
Goa (2),
Jammu and Kashmir (1),
Karnataka (17),
Madhya Pradesh (13),
Maharashtra (25),
Manipur (1),
Orissa (11),
Tripura (2),
Uttar Pradesh (17)
Jharkhand (8). (UPA - 8- 2004)

2002 still a political issue in Gujarat?

2009-04-23T08:32:00.002+05:30

The GPCC shied away from using the 2002 riots as an issue during the 2007 state assembly elections. It seems equally reluctant to claim the moral high ground on human rights issues. While P Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh have made repeated references to Modi and Advani's role in 2002 bloodshed, Gujarat Congress has categorically refrained from doing so. The Congress's strategy is to paint Advani as an administrator of communal divisiveness in the country and an unreliable leader, during whose stint as Union home minister hundreds of people were killed in Gujarat; and in the process, strengthening ties with the minority community.

BJP's minority bet for major gains

With some prominent Muslims, including former top cop AI Saiyed, joining the BJP in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party seems to have made serious efforts to broaden its base and reach out to minorities.

Sajjad Hira, president of Gujarat BJP Minority morcha, says he does not feel any dichotomy in supporting the BJP. "In the last seven years, the Gujarat government has brought about good development and Muslims in the state have benefited too," says Hira who joined the BJP's precursor Jan Sangh in 1977 when he was just 15 years old. "My father was associated with the Jan Sangh leaders and I too followed in his footsteps."

Rafiq Memon, the Ahmedabad city minority cell president, says the Muslims have seen through the Congress charade. "The Congress keeps harping on our minority status. They only use us as a vote bank. We are sick of this. We want to be part of the mainstream and Narendra Modi has brought us into the mainstream."

Myths about the Muslim vote

2009-04-21T10:19:00.005+05:30

There are five very common beliefs about the political behaviour of Indian Muslims. First, they vote in large numbers and participate more in politics, much more than the rest of the electorate. Secondly, they vote ‘en bloc’ for one candidate or party. Thirdly, Muslim voters are more ‘strategic’ in their voting and tend to hold back their decisions until the last moment. Fourthly, they are less autonomous in their decision making and more likely to be influenced by clerics or traditional community leaders, guided more by pan-Islamic or community issues rather than by quotidian interests. Finally, they are less supportive of democracy than the rest of the population.

The belief is that the Indian Muslim harbours a deep sense of alienation vis-À-vis the political system and feels excluded from the democratic mainstream.

This view assumes that Muslims are an extraordinary political community, distinct and internally monolithic. Some of these assumptions conflict with others. Yet, there is something about modern India and Islam that generates political myth making.

The supposition is that unlike other social groups, divisions of region, class, age, gender and caste either do not matter or play a very secondary role in shaping the politics of the Indian Muslims. These perceptions are shared by a wide section: Muslims and non-Muslims, political activists and laypeople. Like all stereotypes, they contain an element of truth which is distorted and blown out of all proportion.

Let us examine each of the five beliefs in the light of the available evidence. The impression that the community turns out in large numbers to vote stems from the fact that constituencies with a high concentration of Muslims (above 30 per cent) tend to have a higher turnout. But this is largely due to communal polarisation, a phenomenon that leads both Muslims and Hindus to vote in larger numbers. In any case, the number of such constituencies is very small. Muslims constitute 13.4 per cent of the country’s population, and perhaps make up a smaller percentage of the electoral roll. Most Muslims live in constituencies where they do not account for even 10 per cent of the electorate.

Election studies

The evidence gathered by the National Election Studies (NES) carried out by CSDS shows that the Muslim turnout is not very different from the rest of the electors. In the last four general elections, the turnout among Muslims was 59 per cent while the all-India figure was 60 per cent. In fact, the figures in 2004 suggest the turnout among Muslims was much lower than average.

When it comes to more active forms of engagement such as participation in election campaigns, there is virtually nothing that separates Muslims from Hindus or indeed from any other religious minority. Education and class are factors that play a role here, but not religion. Muslims are as likely to declare themselves members of a party or identify with a political party (though a little more likely to dislike a party) as Hindus.

The evidence on Muslim voting preference in general elections does not validate the image of Muslims as a ‘vote bank.’ In 2004, the Congress and its allies got 53 per cent of the Muslim vote while the BJP and its allies got about 11 per cent. The other big vote-getter outside these two was the Samajwadi Party at 16 per cent. That is hardly en bloc voting.

If we go down to the State level, we find that the Muslim vote tends to consolidate. Still, nowhere near enough to suggest they vote en bloc. Muslims resort to en bloc voting only in States such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi when faced with situations of no-choice, when the real competition is between the Congress and the BJP. The Muslim support for the Congress goes down in States such as Andhra Pradesh and Assam, where there is a third option. So does it in Kerala and West Bengal, where the BJP or its allies are not real competitors.

In general, the pattern of Muslim voting at the State level is similar to that of a large caste such as the Jats or Brahmins.

Again, there is little evidence to support the third and the fourth beliefs that Muslim voters are influenced by considerations that set them apart from others. Like everyone else, Muslim voters are first of all influenced by the party, then by the candidate, followed by such things as caste.

Muslim men and women are as influenced by clerics or others in deciding who to vote for as any other section of the population. As for making up their minds about who to vote for, Muslims are no more ‘strategic’ than others. Thirty-three per cent of Hindus surveyed said they made up their mind on the polling day or the day before that; the corresponding figure for Muslims was 31 per cent.

Finally, on the question of democracy, the voting pattern in India provides solid evidence against the prevailing Islamophobia.

Clearly, Indian Muslims are not opting out of democratic politics. There is no difference whatsoever between Hindus and Muslims in their stated support for democracy. This is borne out by the evidence from the NES 2004 and is supported by that in the State of Democracy in South Asia, a five-country comparison carried out by the CSDS.

The evidence showing up these five beliefs as myths should be placed along with two well documented set of facts about Indian Muslims. The first set was brought home starkly by the Sachar Committee Report. It showed that Muslims are the not merely disadvantaged, but are also often a discriminated minority when it comes to education, employment, housing and economic opportunity.

Muslim representation

The second piece of information has been unearthed by an impressive analysis of the Muslim MPs and MLAs by Professor Iqbal Ansari. His data shows that, barring 1980 and 1984, Muslim representation has been less than half their share of the population. At the State level too, the proportion of Muslim representatives has been around half or less of their population share.

The proportion improves in those States (Kerala, Assam, West Bengal) where there are concentrated pockets of Muslims or where there are parties that represent the community such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala, the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) in Assam and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh. The proportion drops dramatically in States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat where the Muslim population is dispersed and the BJP constitutes one pole of a bipolar political system.

Dovetail the five myths and these two facts about Muslim politics and we begin to see the political tragedy of the Indian Muslim. Like the African-American population in the United States, they are a neglected constituency. In that country, the Republicans are not keen to do anything to improve their lot as they know they won’t get the black vote. As for the Democrats, they don’t do very much either for they know they will get their votes all the same. The myth about a homogenous Muslim vote bank serves to keep the Muslim community as a political hostage — earlier one of the Congress and now one of the Congress and regional parties such as the SP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Against this background, the 2009 elections offer an opening for Indian Muslims. In many States, newer formations are coming up to challenge the monopoly of established claimants to the Muslim ‘vote bank.’ The AUDF in Assam is challenging the monopoly of the Congress, the Milli Council in Uttar Pradesh is challenging the SP, the RJD is faced with the rise of pasmanda (backward) Muslim politics in Bihar, and the IUML faces the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kerala.

True, much of this challenge comes from the quarter of what can be called regressive and communal politics. Many of these new formations may prove to be short lived and opportunistic.

But in a way, their existence and growth represent a desire in the community to break away from being treated like a political hostage and to address its economic backwardness.

Reported In Hindu

Paswan blames Cong for Babri demolition after Lalu

2009-04-20T15:04:00.003+05:30

Now LJP leader Paswan is blaming congress for the Babri demolition after Lalu did a few days back, I was thinking what the hell these two were doing for the past 5 years in the government. These two will sell there mother if they think they will get a few more "Minority" votes.

Taking a further dig at the Congress, which leads the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of which both Lalu Prasad and Paswan are key members, Paswan said about the political situation in his constituency Hajipur: "What is the Congress doing? When they know that they cannot garner even 2,000 votes in Hajipur, why did they put up a candidate against me? What strength are they trying to prove?"

The RJD and the LJP fell out with the Congress over the issue of seat sharing in Bihar -- a miffed Congress went ahead to contest Bihar on its own while the RJD and the LJP tied up with the Samajwadi Party to form an electoral alliance for the 120 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Widening the gulf with the Congress, Lalu Prasad had said on April 17 in Darbhanga in Bihar that the Congress was responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

"The Congress failed to protect the Babri Masjid as it did nothing to prevent it. Not only the BJP, the Congress is also equally responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya," he said.

A large mob converged in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and destroyed the 16th century mosque on December 6, 1992, claiming it was built at the very place where Lord Ram was born. The Narasimha Rao led-Congress government was then in power in New Delhi while Kalyan Singh presided over a BJP government in Lucknow.

While Congress wondered why Lalu Prasad had kept quiet about it so long, the BJP said the Congress, the RJD and the Samajwadi Party were playing politics on the Ayodhya issue to cater to a particular vote bank.

AIADMK May Go The BJP Way After Election ?

2009-04-18T07:17:00.003+05:30

Jayalalithaa indecated that she will not team up with the UPA after the election in the star-studded Third Front rally in Chennai, Jaya will make up her mind anly after the polls.

“You have got an opportunity to create history for Tamil Nadu. If you support and make AIADMK win this election then the next Prime Minister will be pointed out by Tamil Nadu,” Jayalalithaa said.

A month ago Jaya tried to break up the UPA in Tamil Nadu and offered a had to congress and now it seems that she has changed her mind.

Now making common cause with MDMK and PMK, parties swayed by the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, she has moved away from the UPA. There is renewed determination to defeat Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his Congress friends.

“We discussed on modalities to defeat the Congress-DMK combine,” MDMK leader Vaiko said.

While PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said, “Key issues will be the Sri Lankan issue and anti-incumbency.”

Bring Back Black Money

2009-04-17T18:44:00.002+05:30

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani on Friday demanded that the Government should make efforts to bring back the black money deposited by Indians in foreign banks and also raise the issue at an upcoming G20 meet.

Advani, who was unveiling a report of a four-member task force of the party formed to look into the issue of Indian black money in foreign banks, said it was more dangerous than the black money circulated inside the country.He said as the National Security Advisor himself had pointed out, the black money from outside the country finds way into the Indian market as "terror money".

He also demanded that the government should raise the issue of black money in the G20 meet scheduled on April 25.The four-member task force appointed by the BJP leadership to look into the issue comprises chartered accountant S Gurumurthy, Prof Vaidyanathan of IIM Bangalore, security expert Ajit Doval and lawyer and BJP Lok Sabha nominee Mahesh Jethmalani.

Horse Trading After Polls?

2009-04-17T18:39:00.002+05:30

Observing that the Congress and BJP would not be able to get a majority in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, a US think-tank has predicted an intense political horse trading following declaration of results next month as both the parties would compete with each other to win the support of smaller parties.

"Congress appears to have a slight edge over the BJP in key states, but neither party is likely to win a clear majority of seats," Stratfor, a think-tank based in Texas said in its analysis on Indian election released after the first phase of polls were conducted across India.Observing that the influence of these national parties has faded over the years while smaller regional and caste-based parties have proliferated, Stratfor said as a result, intense political horse-trading will ensue after the election."Both Congress and BJP therefore will need to throw all their efforts into cobbling together a coalition with smaller parties to have a chance at taking office June 2," Stratfor said, without explaining how it expected the new government to be formed on a particular date.

However, it said there is small chance that a Third Front could emerge in these elections should the communist parties link up with key regional parties to challenge Congress and the BJP.The left-wing front led by the CPI (Marxist) was vital to forming Congress' coalition in the 2004 elections, but became an annoyance as the ruling UPA sought to ink the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.Stratfor said there is unlikely to be change in the foreign policy of the country by a government led by either the Congress or the BJP. However, any government with the support of the Left Parties would experience pressure for change in the nation's foreign policy.

"The left-wing parties will use their political clout to try and sway the ruling party away from the United States, though they are unlikely to have much success in determining how New Delhi conducts its foreign relations," it said.

It said the larger national issues in foreign policy field or even economic status of the country is unlikely to impact the election results because of the very dynamics and nature of Indian domestic politics and electoral preferences."India presents a special case, however, in that most middle-class and business elite voters look down on politics and take little interest in voting," it said.

"As long as the lower classes are getting bags of rice, color televisions and electricity by the party campaigning in their neighborhood, the larger issues of the global financial crisis, relations with US or security threat from Pakistan are unlikely to be reflected in the final results," Stratfor said.

Notification for the final phase(5Th) of polls issued

2009-04-17T18:36:00.000+05:30

Electoral process for the fifth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls covering 86 constituencies spread over nine States and Union Territories began with President Pratibha Patil issuing a notification on Friday.

In the final phase, elections would be held on May 13 for 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in West Bengal, nine in Punjab, five in Uttarakhand, four seats in Himachal Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, one each in Chandigarh and Puducherry.The filing of nominations, commencing from Friday with the issuance of notification, would end on April 24.

The final phase will decide the electoral fortunes of several Union Ministers including P Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. All the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry will have a single phase polling on May 13.Other prominent contestants figuring in the last phase include Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit), his mother Maneka Gandhi (Aonla), cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin (Moradabad) and Jayaprada (Rampur) - all in Uttar Pradesh.

The counting of votes would take place on May 16.

Prakash Karat Blog on IBNLive --- Why the Third Front’s making Cong, BJP sweat

2009-04-17T12:49:00.002+05:30

With the election campaign for the first phase coming to an end, it has become clear that the 15th Lok Sabha election is a three-way contest. Contrary to what the Congress and the BJP hoped would be a contest between the two parties and their respective allies, the coming together of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties are challenging both the Congress and the BJP in a number of states. This is behind the increasing attacks on the Third Front by the Congress and the BJP leadership.

The Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been attacking the Third Front in her speeches during the election campaign. She has said that forming such fronts just before elections is not good for the country. Such a front has no policy or programme and would push the country to disaster. L K Advani while releasing the BJP manifesto, called the Third Front a "farcical illusion".

Thus both the Congress and the BJP are desperately trying to discredit the coming together of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties. The fact that the Left and six regional parties have entered into an electoral understanding in various states and posing a serious challenge to both the Congress and the BJP is the underlying cause for the stepped up attacks on the Third Front. If such a front is only an illusion or just a motley bunch of parties without a programme, why are the two parties so worried?

The answer to that must be found in the new dynamic of the election scene. In the 2004 parliamentary elections, the Congress polled 26.53 per cent of the vote and the BJP 22.16 per cent. Together, this constitutes 48.67 per cent, i.e., less than fifty per cent of the vote. If the two parties fail to rally a substantial number of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties to their side, their prospects are bleak.

The Congress party has now no electoral alliance with most of the UPA partners. It has only an understanding with the DMK in Tamil Nadu and a partial adjustment with the JMM in Jharkhand. As far as the NCP is concerned, the Congress is allied to it only in Maharashtra and Goa. The NCP is fighting the Congress in other states. The most trusted ally of the Congress, Lalu Prasad, has joined hands with Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar and is fighting all the seats, including the three sitting seats of the Congress. In Uttar Pradesh, another ally, the Samajwadi Party, is fighting the Congress in all the seats except those of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

As for the BJP-led NDA, it has not recovered from the blow it got when the BJD parted ways with it in Orissa. In contrast, the non-Congress, non-BJP combination has emerged with the Left parties having electoral alliances with the regional parties like the TDP and TRS in Andhra Pradesh, the AIADMK and PMK in Tamil Nadu, Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka and the BJD in Orissa.

Unlike the UPA which has fallen apart, there is already a pre-election alliance. This pre-election alliance will take a full-fledged shape after the Lok Sabha elections. But there is no doubt that the alliance of the Third Front parties is a reality.

Similar Manifestos

The Congress and the BJP have both released their election manifestos. They are accusing each other of "copying" their manifestos. It is irrelevant for the people who has copied whom. But what should be noted is that they are admitting that their manifestos are similar --the same promises and the same policies.

This stands out clearly when the BJP has withdrawn its opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal. The BJP had been demanding that the nuclear deal be re-negotiated. This was the stand that they took during the trust vote in Parliament in July 2008. However, in the election manifesto, the BJP has dropped this demand. Jaswant Singh, the former external affairs minister, has gone on record to say that governments cannot cancel international agreements arrived at. This underlines the fact that both the Congress and the BJP are one when it comes to pursuing a pro-American foreign policy.

This common approach extends to other basic policies. For instance, it is striking that neither the Congress nor the BJP election manifesto has even a reference to the implementation of land reforms. This must be the first time that the Congress has dropped land reforms in a parliament election manifesto. It shows the grip of neo-liberal policies that the two major bourgeois parties in the country do not consider it worthwhile even to make a mention of land reforms.

Both parties are not for the re-introduction of the universal public distribution system. Both want the continuance of the targetted system which has excluded the bulk of the people in the name of BPL category.

Both parties are against the principle of federalism. That is why their manifestos are silent about the need for restructuring centre-state relations.

Hostility to Third Front

It is these common policies that make both the Congress and the BJP hostile to any effort to pose an alternative policy platform. This explains the virulent reaction to the emergence of a Third Front.

The Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have attacked the CPI(M) and the Left in various speeches. One of their main charges is that the Third Front is dividing the secular vote and helping the BJP. This is patently false. In the first phase of elections, some of the states like Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Kerala are going to the polls on April 16 *. In these three states, the main fight is between the Congress and the parties belonging to the Third Front. The BJP has been effectively nullified in these states as they do not have any worthwhile ally. This has come about because of the alliance of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties. It is not the Congress party which can defeat the BJP in Orissa but the alliance of secular parties led by the BJD. So the charge that the third front is helping the BJP is baseless.

Dr Manmohan Singh, in his campaign in Kerala, has dredged up the usual anti-Communist propaganda about the role of the Communists in 1942. Coming from a person who showered praise on British rule in India as marked by "good governance", this is a bit rich. Dr Manmohan Singh had made a speech at Oxford University in July 2005 where he spelt out the beneficial consequences of British colonial rule in India. It is significant that this speech came a few days before his visit to Washington where in a joint statement with then US president George Bush, a global partnership for spreading democracy was declared. Probably, the American experiment in spreading democracy to Iraq inspired the Prime Minister. Dr Manmohan Singh knows very well that Communist leaders made great sacrifices and spent many years in jail fighting British rule. Being on the "right side of history", that is the United States, seems to have clouded his judgement.

The BJP prime ministerial candidate seems incapable of distinguishing between illusion and reality as far as the Third Front is concerned. Having seen his thesis of a bipolar polity going up in smoke, the BJP leader keeps harping on the point that no government can be formed without the Congress or the BJP. Behind this constant assertion is the tacit admission that neither the BJP nor the Congress may play a decisive role in the formation of a government. Having failed to convert the parliamentary election into a presidential style referendum, the BJP leader has taken the unusual and disturbing step of writing to one thousand religious figures. Advani has assured the religious leaders that they would be consulted in policy making. He has stated in the letter that, as prime minister he would seek on a regular basis the guidance of spiritual leaders "on major challenges and issues facing the nation" and for this "we shall evolve a suitable consultative mechanism". The letter has been sent to various sadhus and religious figures associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. It has also been sent to a sprinkling of pro-BJP leaders of other religions. This letter reveals the true outlook of L K Advani and the BJP. Here is a brazen invitation to religious leaders to interfere in matters of State and politics. It fully conforms to the goal of Hindu Rashtra.

The Congress party is also not above using religious leaders to meddle in political affairs and the elections. If in West Bengal some imams have been mobilised to appeal to the people to reject the CPI(M) and the Left Front, in Kerala, the UDF is blatantly using sections of the Church to appeal to believers to vote against the atheists. Such perverse use of religious appeal will only help the BJP and the majority communalists, who seek legitimacy by pointing to the interference of minority religious leaders in the sphere of politics.

Another disturbing feature is the massive amounts of money being ploughed into the elections by the Congress and the BJP. It has been reported that Rs 10.6 crore have been seized from a single constituency --Bellary in Karnataka. Both parties have brazenly given tickets to persons who have no other qualification but the fact that they have unlimited money power.

In the face of all such brazen and corrupt practices, the CPI(M) has put in its full strength and effort to bring the real issues before the people : the problem of growing loss of jobs, the distress caused by the agrarian crisis, the relentless price rise and the rampant corruption which deprives the people of the benefits of public expenditure. The party has put forward the alternative economic policies required to tackle the situation. The threat posed by the communal forces and the resultant growth of terrorism has to be fought through uniting the people of all communities. The struggle to protect national sovereignty and the need for an independent foreign policy is being highlighted only by the CPI(M) and the Left.

It is this alternative policy platform which is finding growing support among the people.

(This article was originally written for the party's mouthpiece, People's Democracy)

*(The first phase of polling in 124 constituencies was completed on April 16)

Varun Gandhi Comes Out

2009-04-16T20:39:00.002+05:30

After remaining behind bars for 20 days, Varun Gandhi was released from the Etah jail in Uttar Pradesh this evening hours after the Supreme Court ordered that the young BJP leader detained under the stringent NSA be granted a two-week parole on the condition he will not make any more inflammatory speeches.The reprieve for the 29-year-old estranged member of the Nehru-Gandhi family in the form of temporary bail was given by the Apex Court to enable him to campaign for Lok Sabha polls after it said he would not indulge in any conduct likely to disturb communal harmony.

Varun is contesting from Pilibhit in UP which goes to polls in the final phase on May 13 and April 24 is the last date for filing nominations.Dressed in a maroon kurta, a sober and restrained Varun briskly walked out of the Etah prison at 6.25 PM and got into a waiting black sports utility vehicle where his mother and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi anxiously waited for him.

He did not speak to waiting newsmen but greeted his supporters with folded hands and also waved at them.

Hundreds of supporters, who had assembled outside the jail since afternoon after Varun's release became imminent, raised slogans in his support.Shortly before he was released, a tough talking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati warned in Lucknow that even more stringent action would be taken against him if he violates his undertaking not to make inflammatory speeches.

Describing Varun as a "threat" to law and order, she said a close watch would be kept on the activities of Varun detained under the National Security Act (NSA).

Turn Out in Round One of Indian Election

2009-04-16T20:28:00.002+05:30

Chhattisgarh = 50%
Kerala = 59%
Andhra Pradesh = 65%
Nagaland = 57%
Orissa = 53%
Lakshwadweep = 86%

Will Update

Advani Gets The Shoe (Slipper) Now

2009-04-16T14:27:00.002+05:30

A slipper was on Thursday lobbed at BJP leader LK Advani by a former functionary of the saffron party during a public meeting in
Madhya Pradesh, the latest in the series of such episodes involving political leaders.

The slipper was hurled by former Katni district president of BJP Pawas Agarwal, who allegedly was aggrieved at the party leadership for being "removed from his post due to groupism within the party," police said.He threw the slipper shortly after Advani reached the dais, they said.

Soon after the incident, he was taken to the backside of the stage and then whisked away by the police.

The incident comes close on the heels of a journalist throwing a shoe at home minister P Chidambaram during a press conference in New Delhi and a retired school principal lobbing a footwear at Congress candidate in Kurukshetra Navin Jindal during a poll rally.

(Video Will Come Up)

Varun Gandhi Parole

2009-04-16T12:54:00.002+05:30

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted two weeks parole to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, who is in prison for giving "inflammatory" speeches in Pilibhit town of Uttar Pradesh. Varun, the BJP candidate in Pilibhit, will be released from Etah jail on Thursday evening. The UP government arrested and later booked him under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) in March for "inciting violence".

A bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishanan, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J M Panchal ordered Varun's release, pending a final decision on his lawsuit challenging his detention under NSA. IANS reports the bench ordered Varun's temporary release dismissing the Uttar Pradesh government's stiff opposition.

The court said Varun would be released on Thursday after submitting an affidavit to Etah jail authorities, swearing that he will not make provocative speeches during the poll campaign. He would be filing a similar affidavit later to the Supreme Court by Monday.The court order will enable to file his nomination papers and campaign for elections.

BJP leader Balbir Punj welcomed the Supreme Court’s order and said Varun would prove his innocence. “The BJP welcomes the decision. We are sure when at the next hearing, things will become clear. We have always believed that the UP government acted with vendetta and grossly misused the NSA against a political opponent,” said Punj.

“The decision on where he would go in the next two weeks depends on his schedule,” he said.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Supreme Court’s parole terms had put Varun on a “tight leash”.

"We are happy that by filing an undertaking Varun Gandhi has put himself on a tight leash. He has ensured and undertaken that he will not indulge in hate speech. All the bravado is gone; all claims to martyrdom are gone. This is nothing but an abject surrender for parole,” said Singhvi.

Congress against Lalu Prasad

2009-04-16T08:19:00.001+05:30

Congress on Wednesday announced its party candidate for Patliputra constituency of Bihar from where RJD chief Lalu Prasad is contesting.

The party has fielded former MP Vijay Kumar Yadav for the seat. This could well increase the trouble of Prasad, who is already facing a formidable Yadav candidate in Ranjan Yadav there. Ranjan Yadav, a friend-turned-foe of Prasad is contesting against him on a JD(U) ticket. Yadav left the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP after the party proceeded for an alliance with RJD. He joined Nitish Kumar's JD(U) vowing to defeat the RJD chief.With three Yadav candidates from the main parties in the state vying for the votes of the community, which comprise the maximum electorate
there, other communities would also become an important deciding factor now.

In Saran, the other parliamentary seat from where Prasad is contesting, BJP has fielded Rajiv Pratap Rudy.Candidature of a local businessman Salim Parvej from BSP is brewing further trouble for Prasad's Muslim-Yadav poll calculations there.

Indian Election 2009 - Round One

2009-04-16T07:45:00.003+05:30

The people of India will cast the vote in the first phase of the Indian Election 2009 today.

1. 124 LS seats.
2. 14.3 Cr. Electorate
3. 1715 Candidates.
4. 122 Female Candidates.
5. 1.86 Lakh Polling Stations.
6. 3 Lakh EVM's
7. 9 Lakh Polling staff.

Samajwadi Party manifesto

2009-04-12T17:02:00.002+05:30

I think Samajwadi Party could have added some more ot it's "manifesto"
1. Banning all automobiles (Lot of people will be employed as rikisha pullers)
2. Ban schools (no one will be educated and so one has to work)

If you have any more interesting ideas pleas share

Let us vote for Samajwadi Party

Sajjad Lone for polls

2009-04-12T10:14:00.003+05:30

Sajjad Lone, the poster boy of Kashmir’s freedom struggle, today decided to contest the general election, becoming the first secessionist in two decades to do so.
The 42-year-old, however, kept the azaadi word on his lips. “Fighting elections is a change of strategy, not ideology. I am, in my humble capacity, trying to re-orient our struggle and bring it in tune with existing realities as I perceive them,” he said at a news conference.
“I would like to announce People’s Conference to contest the polls with a commitment to use this mechanism… to represent the voice of the Kashmiri people and to take the strengths and merits of our cherished aspirations to the centre-stage of India — where it cannot be ignored…. I stand for every word, comma and full stop of what I have always stood for.”
The Telegraph broke the story that Sajjad would be participating in the elections two months ago.
Sajjad will contest from the Baramulla-Kupwara constituency, considered a People’s Conference stronghold. He is likely to face competition from the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party.
Sajjad had a tough time explaining his position to journalists at his Sanat Nagar home. “They (India) have erected certain barriers like I will have to take oath on the Indian Constitution (to enter Parliament). But I will do that with a heavy heart.”
The separatists were prompt in crying foul. “Even if angels come to fight elections we will ask people to boycott polls,” Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani said.Dukhtaran-e-Millat leader Asiya Andrabi added: “He has shown his real face and joined the camp to which he belonged.”

Sajjad said his decision had already strained his relations with elder brother Bilal, who is a member of the Hurriyat Conference’s top executive council.Sajjad had fielded some proxy candidates in the 2002 Assembly elections, inviting opposition from Bilal. The two were not on talking terms for a long time but had patched up two years ago.During last year’s Assembly poll, Geelani had blamed Sajjad for fielding proxies. Although his sister Shabnum had contested, he had disassociated himself from her and urged people to boycott the elections. Sajjad said the failure of the boycott call was one reason why he had a change of heart. “People did not heed my boycott call, so I have to prove my representative character.” Today he was heard telling the people: “Please vote for me. Don’t pre-judge me and pray for my victory. I will not represent India in Kashmir but Kashmir in India.”

Sajjad said his decision was not a victory for India and a blow to separatism. “Separatism is billion times stronger than me.”

Secular Media Dose It Again

2009-04-07T14:07:00.002+05:30

Srinivas, the President of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, has come under Election Commission scanner for allegedly delivering a hate speech.

Speaking at a rally in Nizamabad, Srinivas allegedly said that he would “severe hands of those who point a finger at minorities”. (He meant "Muslims") , What did the so called secular media do, nothing and the great CNN-IBN , played the video only 2 to 3 times , but when we look back at the Varun Gandhi speech , the same channel showed the video nearly 100 times non stop.

Let us come to the main issue "Secularism" , this word has been used nearly a million times by all the parties, so i decided to check what the heel it meant, and the following is list of definition I found on the Internet

Google Define : A doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

Answers.com : Secularism was the word adopted by George Jacob Holyoake in the early 1850s to describe a system of morals and social action shaped exclusively by this-worldly considerations, irrespective of religious beliefs. The word was derived from the secular education movement for the complete separation of religious teaching from other forms of education.

The Free Dictionary :
secularism :(Noun) : the belief that religion should have no place in civil affairs
secularism :

1. a view that religion and religious considerations should be ignored or excluded from social and political matters.

2. an ethical system asserting that moral judgments should be made without reference to religious doctrine, as reward or punishment in an afterlife

And I can go on and fill up the entire page with the meaning of that dame word.

No ware on the Internet it tells that "Secularism" means hitting the majority to get a few minorities vote , I think the word should be banned from usage in India.

Rabri Devi booked on charge of abusing Nitish Kumar

2009-04-06T14:34:00.003+05:30

This is what happens when you bring a ass in poultices , there was a line which every politician was not willing to cross when taking on the opposition, but it was breached in this election . long live India.

Tytler clean chit catches Congress napping

2009-04-04T07:02:00.002+05:30

The CBI's clean chit to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and the party high command's decision to field Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election has come as an untimely embarrassment for the Congress.

At a time when the party had started building up its campaign, the matter has come as a dampener and put Congress leaders on the back foot, giving the rival Akali Dal-BJP alliance a stick to whip around.

Upset over the development, former deputy speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and AICC member Bir Devinder Singh resigned from the party. Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said the clean chit to Tytler meant a "clean chit to all killers of thousands of innocent Sikhs, whom the Congress has decorated with party tickets for the parliamentary elections".

Badal suggested prime minister Manmohan Singh intervene even at this late stage to ensure that the CBI was not allowed to be used as a tool to shield the "killers of thousands of innocent men, women and children. The PM's silence at this hour could prove a historic failure to discharge his basic constitutional responsibility".

The chief minister said the clean chit to Jagdish Tytler was a shocking outrage against all norms of civilised society, jurisprudence and natural justice. Badal said the victims were being "killed a second time through this denial of justice even a quarter of a century after the crime took place".

In his letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Bir Devinder Singh has not only blamed her for committing the gravest error of fielding Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar and ignoring Sikh sentiments, but also of not adhering to "the basic postulates of secularism."

He alleged that the CBI investigations were "monitored and doctored by Jagdish Tytler with her (Sonia) full knowledge."

"As such the CBI has done great harm to the cause of Sikhs. Congress again has rubbed salt on the wounds... I am deeply hurt, especially the role of the Congress party, and my conscience does not permit me to stay in the Congress," Devinder said in his letter.

An embarrassed Punjab PCC acting president Mohinder Singh Kaypee said the allocation of party ticket to Tytler and Sajjan Kumar was a serious matter and could not be discussed in the open.

The high command would be told about Punjabi sentiments on the issue, he said.

Comparison of BJP, Congress manifestos

2009-04-03T19:31:00.000+05:30

Following are some of important comparisons in the manifestos of BJP and Congress:

Security:

BJP:

It calls for reviving of anti-terrorism mechanism that has been dismantled by the Congress. The party says it will improve upon POTA to ensure it is more effective as an instrument of deterrence.It says it will launch a massive programme to detect, detain and deport illegal immigrants. It says it will completely revamp the internal and external intelligence agencies.

Congress:

It says terrorism can be fought only by a united people, not by a people divided by religion. Religious polarisation that is intrinsic to the BJP severely erodes our capacity to combat terrorism.Our policy is zero-tolerance towards terrorism from whatever source it originates. More specialist battalions will be raised and positioned in key locations across the country.With the huge IT expertise available in our country, it is possible to provide every Indian with a unique identity card after the publication of the national population register in the year 2011.

Agriculture:

BJP:

The party says it will waive agricultural loans to farming community. It will set up a commission to study the entire gamut of farmers' loans and come up with an actionable solution to the deepening crisis within six months.To set a maximum ceiling of 4 per cent interest for agricultural loans to farmers from banks.BJP to introduce a pension scheme for aged and helpless farmers.

Congress:

The party says it will expand schemes for improving well-being of farmers and their families.

In addition to continuing the programmes that were launched over the past five years, the party promises that every small and marginal farmer in the country will have access to bank credit at lower rates of interest.Congress will implement comprehensive crop insurance schemes.

The Congress says it is committed to ensuring that farmers get, at a very minimum, market rates for the land that is acquired for industrial projects.

Education:

BJP:

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to be strengthened, extended and concertised further in quality, content and support system.Implementation of the mid-day meal scheme shall be revitalised on modern management lines.Universalisation of secondary education shall be speedily implemented. Special emphasis to be given on girls education at the secondary level.Institutions of higher learning to be given full autonomy coupled with accountability in real practice.

Congress:

Every year, over the next five years, Congress promises to add one more model school in every block.Congress says it will implement a nation-wide skill development programme.

Tax:

BJP:

Income tax exemptions upto Rs 3 lakh for salaried class. Women and senior citizens will receive an additional exemption benefit of Rs 50,000.

Get the BJP Election 2009 Manifesto English -- Hindi

Get the Congress Election 2009 Manifesto English

Varun in Etah

2009-04-02T05:56:00.000+05:30

What a pity , the 24/7 English "News" channels wasted nearly a week to portrait Varun Gandhi as a monster and Muslim eater and all sorts of debate was programed to show that only Congress has the right to rule this country and only Muslims are the citizens of this country and "majority" Hindus are a non entity in this country , but one stock of a Muslim underworld don changed all that, Varun who was slapped win NSA (i.e. he spoke against the Minorities) but we have people who have killed nearly 3000 people in 1984 walking free in this country and the party which supports them is secular. it is not only Varun Gandhi who feels what he has spoken , but most of the Hindus (I mean not the ones who show up in the news channels and debate what is good and what is bad for the country, but ordinary people who you meet on the road), it is not the fault of the minorities , but the so called secular media and the party's which have created the enmity between the section of this country.

DMK-Congress Finalises Seats in T.N

2009-03-31T08:57:00.000+05:30

DMK :Tiruvallur (SC), North Chennai ,South Chennai ,Central Chennai ,Sriperumbudur , Arakkonam ,Krishnagiri ,Dharmapuri ,Tiruvannamalai ,Kallakurichi ,Namakkal ,Nilgiris (SC),

Pollachi ,Karur ,Perambalur ,Nagapattinam (SC) ,Thanjavur ,Madurai ,Ramanathapuram ,

Toothukudi ,Kanniyakumari. (Total :21)

Congress : Kancheepuram (SC) ,Arani ,Salem ,Erode ,Tiruppur ,Coimbatore ,Dindigul ,Tiruchi,

Cuddalore ,Mayiladuthurai ,Sivaganga ,Theni ,Virudhunagar ,Tenkasi (SC) ,Tirunrlveli ,Puducherry. (Total:16)

VCK :Chidambaram (SC) ,Villupuram (SC) (Total :2)

IUML : Vellore (Total :1)

Jagdish Tytler To Be Let Off

2009-03-29T07:06:00.000+05:30

The man accused of engineering anti-sikh riots in 1984 might just get a clean chit. Sources Say that former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler is most likely to be let off by the CBI (Congress Bureau Of Investigation" in its final report. Lately Congress was feeling the heat for the 1984 Anti-sikh massacre from BJP and section of the Media , and wants to do away with it , the best idea was to use the "CBI" to clear the name of Mr.Tytler , So if no one is responsible for the massacre , then how did it happened, we have "N" no reports which tells that Congress leaders were responsible for the killing, What should we do with that report ? If BJP is responsible for 2000 riots then Congress was for the 1984 , so a pot should not call the kettle black.

Varun Gandhi in Custody

2009-03-28T13:42:00.000+05:30

Indian media has created a new leader for the BJP and for the Hinduithava factions , with out any help from the BJP, They have managed single handily made a big issue of a small speech give in a remote place to a national importance , and all the 24/7 English "News" channels has been covering "drama" from 8.00am . All the "News" channels are flashing that it is a drama , but one thing they are forgetting is that the drama was created by them and not by any one else , if any one in India have watched the "News" channels for the past 10 days would repeat the speech from heart , 5 days back the "Secular" CNN-IBN played back the video nearly 25 times in 3hrs. it was really funny , the way the Congress spokesperson was talking to a "News" channel , it clearly showed that he was frustrated,angry , and dose not know what to do (i.e. Helplessness). It was surprising that all the "News" channels were clamming that he was arrested , no he was not arrested you dumps , he surrender , there is a big deference between arrested and surrendering :). The media and the UP government did not expect the turnout (one estimate 10000 people), and was literally take back by the support Varun got.

TDP Announced 91 For Assembly elections

2009-03-26T11:13:00.000+05:30

As expected there was high voltage action in front of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence and at the Telangana Bhavan immediately after the first list of 15 names were cleared by the TRS on Wednesday. TDP activists threatened to end their lives and even obstructed the vehicle of party senior K Yerran Naidu.

Tempers ran high at the TRS office soon after its leader E Rajender announced the names of the contesting candidates. Several aspirants staged demonstrations at the Telangana Bhavan demanding either party tickets or allocation of certain Assembly seats to the TRS. Ramulu Naik and his followers from Boath in Adilabad district picked up argument with TRSLP leader E Rajendar. TRS did not clear the candiature for Boath Assembly segment.

Meanwhile, a large number of TRS activists from Parkal segment in Warangal district raised slogans at the TRS office demanding that Madhusudhana Chary should not be the candidate.

TRS cleared Chary’s name for the seat. When the candidature of Kallem Yadagiri Reddy was finlaised for Alair segment, sitting MLA K Nagesh insisted that he be accommodated in any other segment.

DAYAKAR, the ACHIEVER: After a late night drama at the politburo meeting at Chandrababu Naidu’s residence, the TDP announced the candidature of E Dayakar Rao for Palakurthy seat in Warangal district.

Though the TRS wanted the seat, the TDP informed the pink brigade that Dayakar would contest from there, as he was unwiling to face Konda Surekha of Congress in Parakal.

Meanwhile, Naidu held talks with Mahaboobnagar district TDP president P Ramulu, an aspirant for Achampet Assembly seat, to pacify him as the seat had gone to the TRS. Similarly, party leader Ravula Chandrasekhara Rao, who was keen on Wanaparthy seat, also lost out to the TRS. He too is being reportedly talked to by the party chief.

Report Express Buzz

News Media And Indian Election

2009-03-24T20:14:00.000+05:30

The 24/7 English News channels think that they can do any thing in the country and is some tells that what they are doing is working , then they all raise up stating that freedom of press is been violated, I think that they should also behave properly and have responsibility to have a right.If any one in this country as watched IBNLive , then you would have seen the Varun Gandhi "hate" speech nearly thousand times, is it necessary to so that many times? the speach was mad in a small town in U.P , now because of the "News" Channels , i think is one of the well known speech of the country for the time being. What the news channel did is more harm then what Varun Gandhi did in that small town, now they have debate , as whether Varun Gandhi should be given a seat by BJP or not , who the hell they think they are , are we in a country where a new channel will decide who should contest in election? Same thing happened when the people of Gujarat elected Mr.Modi as there C.M , the news channels behaved that there are the only people in the country with intelligence and the people who elected Mr.Modi are stupid. Can we do some thing about this , or are we going to let the news channels decide the fate of this country? if this goes on the we will be in a situation where this "NEWS" channels will tells that they will decide the MP's and MLA's of the country instead of us.

EC wants Varun out of the Election.

2009-03-23T12:26:00.000+05:30

The Election commission of India wants BJP to drape Varun Gandhi from the poll list.

Why is EC so harsh on Varun Gandhi , is it because of EC commissioner "Navin Chawla" ? I have never

seen EC taking a decision of this type action on any person, We have seen a lot to real "Hate Speech" from lot of leaders.

but no action on them , why? because there are from Congress , if any one talk against Muslim , it becomes "Hate Speech" and all the 24/7 English media will go up in arms , but any leader talks against Hindus , the speech become a not media event and some time it become a "Secular Speech" trying to reassure the minority community. Why is that so? Are Hindus not Indian's , don't Hindus have a right, any right at all in this country?

****************************************

Tanveer has commented that Varun can not call himself a Hindu/Gandhi/Indian , and has given some explanation for that , this is the reply for that.

If varun can not call himself as a Gandhi/India , then what would you call the so called secular Rahul ? at least Varun's Mom&Dad are Indian , look at Rahul a half Indian? no by your account he is 1/4 Indian?

Praja Rajyam (PRP) to use Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) symbol

2009-03-20T22:38:00.000+05:30

The symbol worries of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) seem to be nearing an end. The party has made considerable progress in borrowing the umbrella symbol from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).

The party is hopeful that the Election Commission (EC) will allow it to contest on this new symbol. Party leader and Chiranjeevi’s brother Nagababu told reporters today that the PRP would be contesting on a common symbol and that the efforts to secure one were nearing completion.

According to sources, the party has come to an understanding with the SDF headed by Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.

The SDF is a recognised party in Sikkim.

Though Chiranjeevi would get a common umbrella symbol, he would have have to, technically, be a leader of the SDF. In fact, all the PRP candidates will be contesting as SDF candidates and Chamling will have to authorise Chiranjeevi to issue B forms to candidates to fight the elections in AP on SDF’s behalf.

1984 Anti-Sikh massacre

2009-03-20T09:42:00.000+05:30

History

The 1984 Anti-Sikh massacre was triggered by the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by 2 of her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination itself was in retaliation for Operation Bluestar, in which the Indian Army attacked Sikh militants hiding in the Harimandir Sahib, the holiest Sikh shrine. Over the next four days, as many as 3000 Sikhs were killed in retaliatory attacks. The most affected regions were neighborhoods in Delhi. Many ordinary Indians of different religious dispositions made significant efforts to hide and help Sikh families. There are allegations that the massacre was organized, and that the government destroyed evidence and shielded the guilty.

I was kid then , but let me understand this , nearly 3000 people was killed in the massacre and no one is blamed for it. Why?

Why was no film was taken on this subject for a very long time, what happened to all those people who call themselves as Human Right Activists , dead ?

There are allegations that the then government destroyed evidence and shielded the guilty. The Asian Age front page story called the government actions "the Mother of all Cover-ups" There are allegations that the violence was led and often perpetrated by Indian National Congress activists and sympathizers during the riots. The government, then led by the Congress, was widely criticized for doing very little at the time, possibly acting as a conspirator. The conspiracy theory is supported by the fact that voting lists were used to identify Sikh families.

Imagine the scene , what would have happened now. Noting would have happened , because it was done by Crongress (INC)

Please read this BLOG , I dont have any thing to say , after that .

Sould we change the System?

2009-03-19T15:32:00.000+05:30

Most of the people in India should have asked this a no. of times to themselves. I am asking it aloud now. I know that no system is perfect in the world , but out system stinks unbearably. Look at the leaders of this country , no one has any moral grounds to rule this country but they are do this because no one else is coming forward.

Take the case of CPI and CPI-M , Prakash Karat of CPI-M as said that he will do business with congress (i.e support) after the election , what the hell that means, what about the people who have voted for the party thinking that they are different from congress , if they are willing to do business with Congress after the election , why can't they forum a alliance before the election so that the poor people of this country will have a clear picture about whom they are voting for and what will be the shape of the next government.

I think we should ban post poll alliance in India for the next 10 to 15 years ans see what happens. we will have a clear picture about the strengths and weakness of all the party and alliance. What do you think ?

Congress and Global Financial Crisis

2009-03-18T09:32:00.000+05:30

For India's Congress-led government, which presided over four years of scorching growth, the abrupt end to the country's economic party could not have come at a worse time as it seeks to win votes in the April 16 to May 13 polls.

Nineteen-year-old Souraj Thapa has never heard of the global financial crisis, but he's finding that his job chances are drying up.

"I've been to three companies but they're not hiring," said Thapa, a delivery courier in the Indian capital whose previous company went out of business and who is a first-time voter.

His problems echo those of millions, with potential voters looking ahead to India's elections which kick off next month.

The government is heading into the elections with an economy stumbling from bad to worse -- growing at its slowest pace since 2003 as it feels the heat of the worldwide financial crisis.

"All of this is going to have a powerful impact on the election," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"You are talking of more than 10 million unemployed between last October and this March... and the projections are that it will just get worse," Prasad told AFP.

Industrial output has just staged its first back-to-back monthly contraction in 16 years, deflation looms as consumption demand weakens, the rupee is hovering at lifetime lows, the stock market has crashed 57 percent from its all-time peak and business confidence is at a seven-year-trough.

The government had hoped to vaunt its strong run of nine percent growth in its campaign and says it has been caught in the headlights of the global recession.

In the lead up to the polls, it introduced three stimulus packages but the effects "have not kicked in," said India's chief statistician Pronab Sen.

In an interconnected world, "India cannot escape unscathed" from the global recession, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said. But it now faces opposition accusations on the campaign stumps of creating an "economic shambles."

"It has all suddenly gone badly wrong for the government after a really strong economic performance," Deepak Lalwani, India director at London-based brokerage Astaire and Partners Ltd, said.

A recent national poll conducted by Indian television outlet CNN-IBN found that 32 percent of respondents cited the economy as the key election issue compared with 21 percent who named security and terrorism -- even after the Islamic militant attacks on Mumbai last November that killed 165 people.

Policy-makers had believed India would escape the worst of the worldwide economic turmoil thanks to its massive domestic market of over 1.1 billion people and relatively small exposure to world trade -- its exports account for 14 percent of gross domestic product.

But a raft of figures have shown the economy fast losing altitude with most economists reckoning it will grow by at most seven percent this fiscal year to March 31, down from nine percent last year.

"Everyone had been in a bit of a state of denial but it's very clear now there's been no decoupling from the troubles of the rest of the world," D.K. Joshi, principal economist at Crisil ratings agency, said.

India has seen a big drop in domestic demand for manufactured goods, vehicles and property.

Next year economists expect growth to drop even further to around 5.5 percent -- though some economists see it slowing to as low as three percent.

Even that would be strong by current world standards but it's far below the level needed to raise the living standards of hundreds of millions of Indians who live in desperate poverty without proper housing, schools or medical care.

India requires sustained double-digit growth to eliminate mass poverty, economists say. About 80 percent of Indians are estimated to live on two dollars a day.

The very poor are just "concerned about meeting the day-to-day costs of electricity, transport, food," said Sanjay Kumar, a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi who tracks voting trends.

Ballot paper to be used in LS election

2009-03-18T09:27:00.000+05:30

Will the ballot paper and ballot box make a return to the polling booths during the Lok Sabha elections. They will, if a particular constituency has more than 64 candidates.

The EVMs, manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, has the capacity to include only 64 names and if the number exceeds, then the Election Commission will have to resort to ballot papers.

"Elections can be conducted through EVMs when the maximum number of candidates does not exceed 64. In case the number of nominees goes beyond 64, poll has to be conducted through ballot papers," a senior official said.

It was in 1982 that the EVMs were used for the first time in India during a by-election to North Paravoor assembly seat in Kerala for a limited number of polling stations. The EVMs were used in 50 polling stations then.

Twenty-two years later, the Lok Sabha election was conducted completely through EVMs.

Prior to 2004, polls used to eat up a huge quantity of paper with 1999 polls witnessing the use of 7,700 metric tonnes for printing ballot papers. The 1996 election saw use of 8,800 metric tonnes for the same.

The decrease in the quantity of paper used may be because of the drastic reduction in the number of candidates in 1999 compared to 1996. There were 13,952 candidates in 1996 while the number in 1999 plummeted to 4,648.

A single EVM, which runs on alkaline batteries, can record a maximum of 3,840 votes which far exceeds the number of voters assigned in a polling station.

The Commission will be using around 11 lakh electronic voting machines for the exercise to be held in over 8.28 lakh polling stations across the country in the elections to be held in April and May.

According to Election Commission, the Indian EVM is a far simpler machine than its counterpart in the United States.

Unlike in the US, the EVMs used here are stand alone machines which cannot be connected to any network and controlled through network or remote.

Its original programme contained in a burnt chip cannot be altered making it tamper-proof.

The Indian EVMs were used in Bhutan during the elections last year.

These machines were also used by Nepal for some constituencies during the last general elections in the Himalayan country.

According to a survey conducted by an NGO 'Centre for Study of Developing Society', about 97 per cent felt that EVMs were better than the marking system of ballot papers.

Sadhu Yadav in Congress

2009-03-17T22:01:00.000+05:30

Controversial brother-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Sadhu Yadav today met Union minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and expressed his desire to join Congress.

"I have put up certain conditions for joining Congress," Yadav told reporters after meeting Shinde but declined to reveal the details.

Yadav, an MP from Gopalganj seat in Bihar, was accompanied by former Union minister Jay Narayan Prasad Nishad as well as a senior RJD leader Ramai Ram when he met Shinde.

The trio huddled into an hour-long discussion with Shinde, who said he will convey their desires to join Congress to the party high command.

The development follows Prasad's announcement of seat- sharing with Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP in Bihar.

Yadav, whose Gopalganj seat had been converted into a reserved seat post the delimitation, hold a parallel press conference while Prasad was making the announcement.

Disapproving the RJD-LJP agreement, Yadav said he himself would contest from the two seats alloted to LJP.

Earlier, convicted RJD MP from Madhepura Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav also met Shinde, a day after he had gone to the AICC office here to meet the party's Bihar in-charge Iqbal Singh.

Singh was also present when Shinde met the rebel leaders.

BJP's Candidates for Election 2009

2009-03-17T21:15:00.000+05:30

BJP released the list of candidates for the coming election. Click hear to view the list.

The list has the names of the people contesting this election from different states.

BJP for Open Source Software

2009-03-17T16:29:00.000+05:30

BJP in it's IT vision document has said that it will support Open Source software if it come to power and will allow Internet telephony in the counter, this statement in the vision document has raided some eyebrows in the Indian industry , some of the telecom player in India dose not want Internet telephony in India, as it will eat in to there market share. Microsoft India spokesman refused to comment. Experts, however, feel that this move might not have a major impact on the software giant.

Sun Microsystem’s country director Jaijit Bhattacharya said: “We welcome the IT vision of one of India’s significant political parties. We believe the policy will help in improving IT industry in India through adoption of open standards and promotion of domestic web hosting industry. We hope other political parties will follow suit.” So what do you think about this?

BJP declares list for 7 seats in Assam

2009-03-17T13:19:00.000+05:30

After days of deliberations, the BJP today finally released the list of candidates for seven of the eight Lok Sabha constituencies, the party is contesting in Assam, leaving the Dhubri seat pending. The BJP’s list for the State had a last minute entry, with State president, Ramen Deka having finally made it. He is the party’s candidate for Mangaldai seat. He was also the part of the reason, which held up the release of the list. His name was cleared after BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, LK Advani, pressed for his inclusion. The party’s choice for Mangaldai seat was Ashok Singhal.

Sources said after BJP made up its mind to field Bijoya Chakravarty for the prestigious Guwahati seat, Deka softened his stand and reportedly showed his willingness to contest from Mangaldai seat. The party central election committee headed by national president, Rajnath Singh held a series of meetings with the in-charge for the State including SS Ahluwalia, Harendra Prasad and Chandrashekhar Rao to resolve the latest dilemma before releasing the names this afternoon.

The party, however, could not finalise the candidate for Dhubri seat, as it is still looking for a viable candidate. It had short-listed the name of Nilomani Rai Pradhan, Dhruba Sen and KC Boro but could not finalise any names, sources said hinting that it may be a strategy and party may be waiting for the Congress Party to name its candidate.

The Congress has also kept two seats of Dhubri and Lakhimpur pending till now.

As reported earlier, list of seven names include Bijoya Chakravarty (Guwahati), Sudhanshu Das (Karimganj), Kulendra Daulagaphu (Diphu), Rajen Gohain (Nagaon), Kamakhya Tassa (Jorhat), Ramen Deka (Mangaldai) and Kabindra Purkayastha (Silchar).

Reacting to her selection, Bijoya Chakravarty said that she was confident of wresting the Guwahati seat from Congress, if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are not tampered with.

Curiously enough both the alliance partners AGP and BJP have expressed apprehension that EVMs may be tampered and had even raised the issue with the Election Commission asking it to make it evaluated by neutral officers.

The BJP State president, who is being summoned to Delhi, however, could not be contacted.

Report : The Assam Tribune

Varun Gandhi's Hate Speech

2009-03-17T13:06:00.000+05:30

First things first , the speech was not made yesterday or day before yesterday , it was made on march 6Th or 7Th , so what was the News Channel (CNN-IBN) doing with the tapes for nearly 10 days.Waiting for the right time? Was the speech that bad , I don't think so, was was Varun telling people was that he would cut of the hands of the people who target Hindus, was that a bad thing.

I can understand the hue and cry of the media , because he was trying to protect Hindus which is a crime in India as per the NEW AGE INDIAN MEDIA. If any leader was told that he will cut of the hands for the Hindus , then this NEW AGE MEDIA would has project that leader as the saviour of the minorities in India. Hindus it is time to look for a new country to call us our own.

Negative voting

2009-03-12T21:14:00.000+05:30

Is the idea of negative voting really a bad idea or what ? Don't the people of India have the right to choose the right man to represent them , and if they feel that no one on the list given to them to chose dose not fit there bill , shouldn't they be given a choice to vote for no one. Most of the politicians and the political parties dose not want a negative vote , as they know the consequence of it.

There should be one more clause in it , that if a person has been rejected in the first round of election because of negative voting , he /she should not allowed to stand in that election in the election. How about that ?

Third Front For What?

2009-03-12T21:01:00.000+05:30

A few regional parties came together today to form a third front to fight in the General Election. The new Front comprises the Left--CPI-M, CPI, RSP, Forward Bloc--, TDP, TRS, JD-S and Bhajan Lal's Haryana Janahit Party. AIADMK and BSP supremos--Jayalalithaa and Mayawati, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister-- were not personally present at the launch of the combine spearheaded by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda at a poll rally in Tumkur district in Karnataka but send their senior representatives V Maitreyan and S C Mishra. The formation of the Front threw up several potential prime ministerial candidates with BSP's Mishra even saying their objective is to make Mayawati as the prime minister. "It is the aim of BSP to make Mayawati prime minister," said Mishra.

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu said the Front will have a meeting with Mayawati on March 15 to discuss issues like its prime ministerial candidate.

Left and Women Rights

2009-03-08T12:18:00.001+05:30

Like always, the Left Front in Bengal published its complete candidate list for the Lok Sabha polls ahead of all its rivals.

Yet, the coalition which has the loudest voice in Parliament for 33 per cent women's reservation has pitched only two women candidates out of the 42 Lok Sabha aspirants from the state.

That's down three from the marginally better 2004 figure of five women candidates, three of whom were winners.

The Left coalition's biggest partner CPM currently has about 30,000 women members in Bengal as opposed to nearly 3 lakh male members. The Front, however, boasts of an impressive women's representation at the state's three-tier Panchayat system that's higher than the aspired one-third reservation.

Yet in an atmosphere of a tough challenge from a possible united opposition, the Left Front isn't ready to take chances with women candidates who, it feels, may not win.

"It's unfortunate, question of winning the seat is also important. We will try to compensate them in assembly and panchayat elections," Left Front Candidate, Md. Salim.

The CPM aside, none of the other Front partners have managed to field a single woman candidate in the Lok Sabha out of their total strength of 10 candidates from Bengal.

Very few women leaders in the Front agree with the theory that chances of women winning seats are bleaker than their male counterparts. The figures in Panchayat and the success rate in the 2004 Lok Sabha are cases in point.

And if dearth of popular women leaders is truly a reality, it calls for serious introspection among those who demand freedom from gender bias.

All’s not well in BJP camp

2009-03-08T12:10:00.000+05:30

He’s getting a lot of attention, for himself but not the party as a whole, is what some senior BJP leaders felt after L.K. Advani’s election rally on Friday.

Some of the leaders even lodged a complaint with the BJP prime ministerial candidate at an introductory meeting held at Hotel Sonnet this morning.

BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Jamshedpur and former chief minister Arjun Munda, state party president Raghubar Das, party vice-president Dineshanand Goswami, Jamshedpur(W) legislator Sarayu Roy and other functionaries were present at the meeting.

Sources in the district BJP headquarters alleged that senior party leaders like Roy and Goswami felt marginalised by a faction led by state president Raghubar Das when it came to receiving Advani at the Sonari aerodrome. The former was particularly peeved, as he was not given any responsibility nor any importance during the rally.

“Roy has made his reservations clear to Das. Same is the case with other leaders who were reduced as mute spectators,” the source said.

Other leaders, who were found at the receiving end during Advani’s rally, included former MLA Dinanath Pandey, BJP (Youth) state vice-president Rajkumar Singh. Seraikela-Kharsawan district president Shailendra Singh and several others. Active involvement of activists of Bustee Vikas Samiti, a non-political organisation promoted by Das, at the rally also raised several eyebrows.

A senior party functionary, on condition of anonymity, said heartburn among a section of BJP leaders and factionalism in the party may have an adverse impact on the prospects of Munda in the parliamentary elections.

“It’s not a good sign, especially when the polls are not very far,” he added.

State party president Das told The Telegraph that there was no dispute among senior party leaders nor were they feeling marginalised. “We are united during the rally. There is no dispute among us. Advaniji has asked us to work hard for the party,” he stated.

Sources said names of Roy and Goswami did not find place on the list prepared to welcome Advani at Sonari aerodrome. They were included in the last minute, on the intervention of some senior functionaries, including Munda. Roy had even refused to go to the aerodrome.

“He went only after Munda persuaded him,” a source said.

Though Roy refused to comment on the matter, party functionaries close to him stated that the party MLA had even refused to propose a vote of thanks after Advani’s rally at Aam Bagan yesterday.

“A senior leader like Roy should have been invited to welcome Advani. It’s a grave insult to a leader, who is a legislator from the city where the rally was held,” a source said.

The faction led by Das even overlooked some members of the BJP state working committee when it came to handing over responsibilities. The Das camp, however, explained that some names must have been overlooked but it was not intentional.

Report : The Telegraph

BJD and Left alliance

2009-03-08T11:58:00.000+05:30

After parting ways with BJP, BJD is planning to join the left for the coming elections. The BJP & BJD split was over seat sharing, The BJP has withdrawn support for the BJD government in the state and is calling Orissa Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik to step down.

If BJD joins hands with left for the coming election, we need see on what basis they can contest the election. The left parties have heavily condemned the BJD government in the past for the communal violence in the state.

The alliance between BJP & BJD was for nearly 11 years, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Jay Panda told reporters that his party’s focus was on “win-ability” of seats and it could not agree with the BJP. "We unfortunately could not agree with the BJP. The focus was on winnability,” said Panda.

Gowda’s Third Front - Indian Election 2009

2009-03-03T14:41:00.000+05:30

In an apparent blow to the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda today announced formation of the Third Front — a conglomeration of eight parties, including the Left — to challenge the UPA and the BJP-led NDA in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

Interestingly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), headed by UP Chief Minister Mayawati, does not figure among the front’s constituents.

Deve Gowda, who will spearhead the front, made the announcement shortly before the declaration of the Lok Sabha poll schedule by the Election Commission of India and a day after the Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad visited Bangalore to take stock of the party’s election preparations. Electoral alliance with the JD(S) in Karnataka figured on Azad’s agenda during his two day visit to the state.

However, ending all speculations about the possibility of a JD(S) -Congress tie-up, Gowda declared that the Third Front would be launched on March 12 at a “mammoth rally” in Tumkur, 50 km from here.

The front would be an amalgamation of eight parties —- CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, Republican Party of India, Telugu Desam Party, Telengana Rastriya Samiti, AIADMK and JD(S) —- Gowda said. TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, CPM leader Prakash Karat, CPI leader AB Bardhan as well as the top leaders of the other parties would be taking part in the March 12 rally.

Notably, Gowda is said to have played a key role in bringing the parties together for formation of the alternative force even as his political opponents were of the view that the former PM had set himself upon an impossible task.

Gowda, who in all likelihood would be the prime ministerial candidate of the front in case it came close to the forming the government in Delhi, said there was no discussion as yet among the members of the front regarding the candidate for the PM post. On being asked whether the front would seek BSP supremo and UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s support, Gowda said no decision has been taken regarding it.

The political agenda of the front would be announced at the rally, Gowda said, adding that the focus would be on formulation of alternative programmes to rectify the damage done due to wrong policies of the UPA and its predecessor NDA.

Report from Tribune News Service

No symbol for Chiranjeevi's party - "Praja Rajyam"

2009-03-03T14:34:00.000+05:30

The Election commision of India has declined to give a common symbol to Chiranjeevi's party - "Praja Rajyam" as it is not a recognised political parties

In an order passed on Monday, the EC pointed out that a common election symbol cannot be granted to his "Praja Rajyam" party merely on the basis of membership.The Commission said that only recognised political parties are eligible for a permanent election symbol while "registered" parties will have to choose from the 'free symbols' available.

Indian Election 2009 Results

2009-03-03T14:31:00.000+05:30

The question I am asking may look silly at this point of time, and for some people it may even look like a stupid one, but hear it comes.

Will any party get a simple majority in this election, or at least any alliance?

I don’t think so, Indian people are so fragmented , that there are unable to see the larger picture , most of them vote based on there local issue in a national election.

If we will not have a clear winner in the election, then we can expect a great tamasha played on people of India.

We could have cleaned the system before going into election mode.

1. No post poll alliance.

2. No candidate standing in 2 places.

3. No one with criminal back ground.

Am I asking for little too much from the politicians of this country?

The Cost Of Indian Election 2009

2009-03-02T17:04:00.000+05:30

A survey conducted by Centre for Media Studies (CMS) pegs the estimated amount to be spent on the Lok Sabha elections 2009, which would determine the next government in the country, at about Rs 10,000 crore ($2 billion).

At a staggering Rs 10,000 crore, the Lok Sabha polls this summer would cost more than what Barack Obama and others spent in the US presidential race.

According to information available with the US Federal Election Commission, Obama and other candidates collectively spent close to $1.8 billion (nearly Rs 8,000 crore) in the 2007-08 Presidential Elections.

CMS survey does not include the cost of holding assembly polls in states like Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

While the cost of US elections was spread over a year, India would see the massive spending in a matter of months.

The estimated Rs 10,000 crore cost for the Lok Sabha elections includes about one-fourth or Rs 2,500 crore being spent through "unofficial money" or the cash to be paid to voters by the candidates, the CMS survey says.

The latest presidential elections in the US has been billed as the most expensive ever, with cost doubling from the previous elections held in 2004.

Similarly, the cost of general elections in India, according to CMS, is also set to more than double this year from about Rs 4,500 crore in last Lok Sabha polls and would be
the highest in the history of the country.

According to the CMS study, the government spending would be about 20 per cent of the total expenses, including about Rs 1,300 crore by Election Commission and about Rs 700 crore to be spent by various central and state government agencies for purposes like photo identity cards, EVMs and polling booth.

Various political parties are expected to spend about Rs 1,650 crore from their party funds, which would include about Rs 1,000 crore from the two main parties -- Congress and BJP alone.

In addition to spending by parties, candidates of the national parties are estimated to put in Rs 4,350 crore, while those from the regional parties are expected to spend another Rs 1,000 crore.

As per the information available with the US Federal Election Commission, Obama topped the list of all Presidential candidates by spending over $760 million -- more than double the amount of about $358 million spent by his Republican rival John McCain.

Another Democrat presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton spent about $244 million.

According to another set of estimates for the US elections compiled by Washington-based think-tank Center for Responsive Politics, the overall cost of the 2007-08 US federal elections was $5.3 billion, including about $2.4 billion on the presidential race.

Election Dates 2009

2009-03-02T16:49:00.000+05:30

The Election commission on Monday announced dates for the 15th Lok Sabha elections , which will be held in five phases from April 16 to May 13.

The voting dates are April 16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13 while counting will be held on May 16.

Election dates and states:

First phase April-16: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep.

Second phase (A) April-22: Manipur.

Second phase (B) April-23: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand.

Third phase April-30: Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Sikkim, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu.

Fourth phase May-7: Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi.

Fifth phase MAY-13: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh.

The voting dates are April-16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13 while counting will be held on May 16.

Negative voting to be decided by a larger bench (SC)

2009-02-23T22:49:00.000+05:30

The Supreme Court on Monday referred a public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks the effective implementation of election laws to ensure citizens the right to a negative vote, or an option to choose none of the candidates, to a larger bench.
In 2004, non-profit group People’s Union of Civil Liberties filed a petition, asking the court to direct the Union government and the Election Commission to amend Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which says a voter who wants to cast a negative vote must inform the returning officer who would register his name and address in an election book, as it would not amount to a secret ballot.
The petitioner submitted that this condition violates Article 19(2) of the Constitution that guarantees Indian citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression.
A division bench comprising justices B.N. Agarwal and G.S. Singhvi on Monday requested Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan to place the matter before a larger bench for consideration as it involved a constitutional issue.

Youth dose matter

2009-02-21T21:30:00.000+05:30

If you're less than 35, then over the next few months, you're going to feel very wanted. Both the Congress and the BJP have discovered your vote power and they're using their stars to woo you.

BJP leader Sudheendra Kulkarni says: "There are 100 million first time voters in these elections and 18,000 colleges. We want to highlight Advaniji's appeal to them."

The A-team feels that his age, 81, is just a number.

But when they reach campuses, they might have to chew on this: Rahul's appeal may be difficult to beat.

The Congress points out that it extends to students not just in smaller towns but elite ones like St Stephens.

Youth Congress member Netta D'Souza says: "His transparency his clean image it gets them all. That's what attracts people."

How's this for coincidence: Campaign managers for both L K Advani and Rahul Gandhi work in the same vicinity in Delhi --Tughlaq Road area. While Rahul has his young team, Advani's is working for a young campaign.

Modi vs Rahul

2009-02-21T21:16:00.000+05:30

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reacted sharply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's charge that while the state government doled out incentives worth crores of rupees to Tata's Nano car project it neglected diamond workers and accused Congress of trying to undermine the car project.

"They will not succeed in their effort. Congressmen envie the progress in Gujarat and that is why they are trying to puncture the Nano car project," Modi said at a public meeting in Amreli.

"Tata's Nano project reflects the progress made by Gujarat," Modi said, referring to the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during his recent visit to the city without naming him.

Rahul had accused the BJP government in the state of doling out incentives worth crores of rupees for Nano project but they do not have a single penny to give to poor diamond workers.

Modi alleged the UPA government at the Centre has ignored the plight of diamond workers and claimed suicides of diamond workers is going to change the government at the Centre in coming elections.

State Election - 2008

2008-12-08T10:48:00.000+05:30

The reports coming suggest the Congress will take Rajasthan, Delhi and the BJP will have M.P.

What dose this suggest, Dose this mean that Congress will win the next general election which may be held in Apr-May(2009), or is these results reflect the confidence in their C.M's

The final count may look like

Party's	RAJASTHAN (200)	DELHI (69)	CHHATTISGARH (90)	MADHYA PRADESH (230)	MIZORAM (40)
Congress	(90-110)	(30-39)	(35-42)	(65-72)	(19-25)
BJP	(65-75)	(28-37)	(35-50)	(125-160)	N/A
Others	(25-32)	(5-8)	(2-5)	(25-35)	(5-10)

In Delhi the other will hold the key to form the next government, The BJP has to find the the re sons for loosing out Rajasthan, the Congress has to work hard if it wants to come to power in the next general election.

Chhattisgarh Poll -1

2008-11-15T11:33:00.000+05:30

Chhattisgarh went to polls for the first phase amidst incidents of violence in Naxal-infested areas of Dantewada and Bijapur in the Bastar tribal belt.An IAF helicopter was shot at, killing flight engineer Mustafa Ali. The MI-8 aircraft was on way from Pedia to Bijapur, carrying injured BSF jawans and electronic voting machines along with election officials on board when helicopter was fired at with automatic weapons.In another incident, a CRPF man was killed and four other security personnel sustained injuries.

Reports of several incidents of violence by Maoists were received from Bastar area where polling was said to very low as compared to that in other parts of the state. Political observers said the low turnout was likely to benefit the ruling part in the state.
The elections in Chhattisgarh is a key test for the Congress, which is fighting the ruling BJP in the elections.
In all, 55 to 60 per cent of the 64-lakh electorate in the 39 assembly constituencies exercised their franchise to decide the electoral future of 379 candidates in 10 districts. “The overall approximate polling in the 39 constituencies was around 55-60 per cent,” chief electoral officer Alok Shukla said.

Sources said as far as polling percentage goes, the worst was the Bijapur district, which recorded lowest percentage of voting. In fact, not a single was cast in five polling booths of the Bijapur constituency.The Naxals also looted EVMs of 21 booths due to which polling could not be held in 21 booths in the Bastar region. Re-polling will be held in these areas.

The IAF sergeant was killed when a Mi-8 helicopter, which he was flying, was fired at with a light machine gun during take-off.The incident took place in Pedia polling booth under the Bijapur Assembly segment.

Officials said the IAF helicopter had flown in from Bijapur district headquarter to pick up polling officials. The Naxals fired at the chopper from a close range with the LMG and in the fire a bullet hit Ali.No other person was injured in the firing, a senior police official said, adding that the helicopter, instead of landing at the Bijapur district headquarter landed at Jagadalpur DRDO airport.

In order to conduct free and fair poll in the Naxal-infested region, 10 choppers had been deployed. In the Bastar region, 40 helipads were made and since November 9, the choppers undertook 217 sorties in the affected zone.Officials said a head constable was shot in Korenar village under Bandher police station in Kanker district. The CRPF was attacked when security persons were returning back after scheduled polling time.

Of the 39 Assembly segments, which went to polls today, 12 Assembly segments were enlisted as very sensitive Assembly segments. The first phase of polling was held amidst a large presence of security personnel of the central police forces and the state police force.

The Naxals also kidnapped and later released five poll officials of Cheetalnar polling booth under Konta Assembly segment. They took away the polling officials to some unknown destination and released them after scheduled polling time was over.During the first phase of polling, Bijapur district recorded 16.34 per cent, Dantewada district 40 per cent, Naraynpur district 36 per cent, Bastar district 55 per cent and Kanker 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, there was heavy turnout of voters in Rajanandgaon and Durg districts.Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is contesting from Rajnandgaon and leader of opposition and Congress leader Mahendra Karma is pitted against Manish Kunjam of the CPI from Naxal-dominated Dantewada constituency.

Some other heavyweight candidates include Assembly Speaker Premprakash Pandey from Bhilai and Congress leader Motilal Vohra’s son Arun Vohra from Durg City.

Margaret Alva resigns as AICC GS

2008-11-11T10:29:00.000+05:30

Margaret Alva, according to unconfirmed sources, has submitted her resignation to the party high command in wake of her "sale of tickets" allegations in the Karnataka assembly polls.

Last week, Margaret Alva an AICC general secretary had put her party in an embarassing position by saying that the Congress party had "sold" party nominations in the recently concluded Karnataka elections.

She was voicing her apparent dissatisfaction over the fact that her son had been denied a ticket in the Karnataka polls while relatives of congress leaders were being awarded tickets for the up-coming elections in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan.

"Were my son and Jaffer Sharief's grandson anti-national, terrorists or smugglers?" she had asked on Thursday while alleging that the party had adopted different yardsticks for awarding nominations for the different states.

The congress party had gone on the defensive over the issue, not wanting to make it a big issue in front of the media lest it should affect the outcome in upcoming polls.

The first round of polling is due on 14 November 2008 in Chhattisgarh.

BSP to play the spoiler for Congress.

2008-11-09T15:48:00.000+05:30

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting the assembly elections from November 14 in a big way, with analysts warning that it could seriously undercut the Congress in four northern states.

Even political workers from other parties admit that BSP leader Mayawati will be determined to make a mark in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, now that it already controls Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state.

With Dalits forming its solid vote bank, the BSP's election strategy is simple: woo other castes and communities, increase the vote share, and win as many seats as possible.

For now, however, the BSP has only two legislators in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, one in Chhattisgarh and none in Delhi.

But those figures do not tell the whole story. Everyone admits that the party's appeal is growing - and it is no more confined just to the Dalits.

"Figures of previous elections suggest that the BSP has emerged as a threat to both the Congress and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). But since both the Congress and the BSP share a common support base, the BSP will be a bigger threat to the Congress," explained Sudha Pai, a political science professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.

Political pundits feel that even if the BSP does not become a deciding factor in the formation of governments in these election-bound states, the party will play the spoiler for the Congress - thus indirectly determining the electoral outcome in perhaps many constituencies.

Dalits constitute more than 15 per cent of the population in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi and 11.6 per cent in Chhattisgarh. The BSP has increased its vote share in all four states in recent times.

In Delhi, the BSP now has 17 municipal councillors.

Political analyst GVL. Narasimha Rao feels that the BSP will have larger stakes in the coming elections.

"After forming the government in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP failed to make an impact in the Karnataka elections. So it will have a larger stake in these assembly elections," Rao told a news agency.

According to Rao, the BSP has a sizeable vote in the four states, and, if it does well, it is bound to cut into Congress votes.

Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy of JNU agreed. "The BSP will play the role of a spoiler for the Congress," he said.

Congress leaders however seem to be unperturbed.

"Historically the BSP has been famous for its politics of disruption. People now don't want the kind of politics the BSP plays. People want a change in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the change can only be brought by the Congress," said party spokesperson Manish Tewari.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Prakash Jaiswal added: "The BSP is an opportunist party and the electorate realises this. Voters want a secular and committed party in power, not an opportunist one."

The BSP is of course very hopeful and confident.

Said party leader Shahid Siddiqui: "The BSP is one of the fastest growing political forces in the country. We are not cutting into anyone's base. It is the policies of the BSP that have attracted every section of the society. Our party will change the political scenario of India after these assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections in 2009."

Indian Election 2009

2008-11-09T15:09:00.000+05:30

The 15th Lok Sabha Election of India is scheduled to be held by the month of May 2009. The maximum strength of Lok Sabha or the lower house of the Indian Parliament is 552, comprising 530 members who represent the States, up to 20 members who stand for the Union Territories and not more than 2 members from the Anglo-Indian Community who are nominated by the President. The India Election 2009 will be contested on new constituency boundaries for the first time in over 30 years and the change was implemented on the findings of the Delimitation Commission. Some of the major changes include merging of areas of various constituencies to eradicate population inconsistencies between different seats and reservation and de-reservation of seats. But, for the time being, the Government of India has postponed delimitation in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland. The National Democratic Alliance comprising the BJP and its allies officially elected L. K. Advani as their candidate for Prime Ministership for general election 2009 on January 23rd, 2008. The Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies though haven’t officially announced their candidate for Prime Ministership for India Election 2009; one speculation is Rahul Gandhi, the son of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Apart from them, the other political parties haven’t yet officially announced their Prime Ministerial candidates for the 2009 India election.

PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES

India’s General Elections 2009 : The Run-Up

2008-11-09T15:08:00.000+05:30

by Dr. Subhash Kapila

General Elections earlier than the scheduled timing of the first half of 2009 has been an active talking point in India’s political circles for nearly a year. This speculation was fuelled by the stream of ultimatums emanating from the ruling Congress Party coalition partners threatening to withdraw support on every conceivable issue and bring about the fall of the Congress-led Government. Leading the pack more actively has been the Leftists combine led by the CPI(M).
Despite the brouhaha that they create on this count neither the Leftists combine nor the coalition partners of the Congress like the RJD, DMK etc have the political courage to exit power. The Congress itself is unsure of whether it can return to power. The Leftists are smug in exercising political control over the Government without accountability having a plausible exit strategy that they are not part of the Government. They too are uncertain along with the other coalition parties of the Congress that they can retain even the present number of seats that they hold in Parliament. All in all the Congress Government and its coalition parties would like to ride out their full tenure in power.Unless some unforeseen dramatic political development takes place the next General Election in India seems set to take place in 2009 only. But then even if the General Elections take place in 2009 only, the fact is that it is just about a year left in the run-up to them and it really is not that much time left. It therefore becomes appropriate to survey India’s political scene as it presents itself today.The first to get off the block in terms of gearing itself for the forthcoming General Elections has been the major Opposition Party, the BJP. Having resolved their inner-party leadership issue they have named Shri L K Advani as their Prime Ministerial candidate and to fight the Elections under his leadership. The BJP could have also named their “Shadow Cabinet” as was recommended in an earlier Column of mine. There is a whole line-up of competent and tried BJP leaders who should be projected for all the important ministerial portfolios as part of their “Shadow Government”. This would give the BJP a big political edge over the Congress Party and add to its image of having both talent and political competence within its ranks.The BJP however, has not fully got into a pro-active election-mode. With just about a year left in the run-up, the BJP as the main Opposition Party should have been a bee-hive of political activity especially in the States which it intends to re-capture from the Congress and whose loss in the last Elections led to its exit from power.The Congress is a party dominated by a single political dynasty and does not have many politically talented people in its ranks. Once again the Congress Party the way it is structured would have to depend on the Gandhi dynasty duo of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to garner votes. They have not and further shy away from naming any Prime Ministerial candidate like the BJP. The strategy seems to be following a dual-track approach with the Congress leaders clamoring that Rahul Gandhi should be the next Prime Minister and the dynasty denying any such ambitions. In terms of feverish political preparations Rahul Gandhi seems to be concentrating heavily on the under-developed regions of Uttar Pradesh like Bundelkhand and tribal areas of Orissa and Central India.There seems to be an underlying strategy in this pattern which seems to rest on a number of political considerations. Firstly it is easier to draw attention to the neglect of these areas by non-Congress Governments ruling in such States forgetting that Congress too is responsible for the neglected state. Secondly, it is easier to draw large crowds in such poor areas for Congress political meetings. Thirdly, the calculation seems to be that in such areas the iconic appeal of the dynasty may be much larger.But there is a negative deduction that emerges here and that is that the Gandhi dynasty may have lost its political iconic appeal in urban and developed areas of India and therefore are politically concentrating on such backward areas.The Congress seems to be taking very seriously the political threat that Shri Advani poses by the BJP naming him the Prime Ministerial candidate. The Congress Party seems to be in an overdrive to single out Shri Advani as the main target of their political attacks in the run-up to the Elections in a bid to erode his political credibility.The Leftists despite their hold on West Bengal and Kerala do not seem to be destined to even retain the sixty odd seats that they occupy in Parliament presently. In an India which is economically resurgent today and where affluence is becoming a way of life, the Communists are not likely to offer much political appeal.The regional parties like the RJD and the DMK who because of the coalition arithmetic received disproportionate political importance from the Congress do not seem to be returning back with the same clout.India’s political scene however is pervaded heavily by the uncertain political tilt of Ms Mayawati who swept into political power in Uttar Pradesh on the strength of a new political formula of adding economically weaker upper castes to her Dalit captive vote banks. This was covered in an earlier Column on her success.Her party the BSP with its new political formula could double the number of seats that she holds in Parliament and this could be at the cost of both the Congress and the BJP. She could become a vital “swing factor” for both the Congress and the BJP in case of a hung Parliament.Ultimately, one needs to remember that the Congress and the BJP are the two major political parties of India and the results of the 2009 General Elections would revolve around their respective overall showings and the yearning of the Indian people for a strong leadership capable of leading a growingly nationalistic resurgent India without the delusional mindsets of non-alignment and minority vote-banks appeasement.