BJP ship has already sunk: Manish Tewari

New Delhi: Hitting back at the BJP for calling Congress a "sinking ship,"Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari today said that many NDA allies had already left and the opposition party's ship has already sunk.

"I think the only ship which has already sunk is the ship of the Bharatiya Janata Party and that is indicative of how the NDA collapsed under the current dispensation of the BJP," he said.

Manish Tewari. PTI

He added that despite all attempts, the BJP has not been able to gather allies in the National Democratic Alliance.

"If at all you have seen anything, it has been the erosion of allies. The last one being the JMM which left them in Jharkhand as a result of which their government came tumbling down," he said.

Tewari said that before levelling wild charges the opposition party would be well served as to how many allies join them and how many have left them in the past five years.

Earlier, following reports suggesting unease between Congress and its ally NCP, BJP had said the party was a "sinking ship" which was being deserted by its passengers.

"Congress is a sinking ship and its passengers are deserting it. Sonia cannot deliver. Manmohan Singh is past. Rahul Gandhi is a failure. They know how Congress and UPA have made a mess of India. Allies are seeking greener pastures elsewhere," BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad had said.

PTI

Mamata’s call for federal front a mirage: BJP

Kolkata: BJP today termed as mirage Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call for a federal front of regional parties and claimed that the country has decided its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was the only alternative to the 'misrule' of Congress.

"Federal Front is a mirage which will vanish. The people of the country are now looking for an alternative and leadership, which will not vanish. And that alternative is the BJP and Narendra Modi," said BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh in Kolkata.

Singh also criticised Banerjee for her comment yesterday that BJP always differentiated between Hindus and Muslims.

"Just like Akhilesh Singh Yadav it is high time for Mamata Banerjee, who came to power with a huge mandate, to introspect why her popularity is slowly decreasing," he said.

"It is due to the appeasement policies of the state government for a particular community. The BJP believes in a strong and united India," said Singh, who is co-incharge of BJP in in the state.

Renewing her call for a federal front of non-Congress and non-BJP political parties, Mamata Banerjee had yesterday lashed out at the BJP, saying her party did not want 'a government of rioters' and announced that TMC would go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections.

PTI

AAP govt fumes after Delhi power tariff is hiked

New Delhi: Power tariff in the national capital was today hiked by up to eight percent by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission notwithstanding ruling Aam Aadmi Party's commitment to slash the rates.

Arvind Kejriwal government reacted angrily, saying it condemns the regulator's decision to increase the tariff which will come into effect from tomorrow.

Representational image. Reuters

Before coming to power, AAP had promised that it will slash the rates of power for Delhiites but did so only in selected slabs, prompting BJP to term it as an "eyewash".

DERC chairman PD Sudhakar told PTI that the fuel cost adjustment has resulted in hike in surcharge which will be to the tune of 8 per cent for BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, 6 percent for BSES Rajdhani and 7 per cent for Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd.

"It is a surcharge. We have decided to effect the hike to adjust the power purchase cost of the distribution companies," Sudhakar said. DERC will review the hike in the form of fuel surcharge after three months.

He said power distribution companies are facing financial difficulties and ways must be explored to help them.

The hike will be on energy charges as well as fixed charges but will not be applicable on the additional eight per cent surcharge which was levied to help the past dues.

A government spokesperson said the "Delhi Government strongly condemns the decision to hike the tariff. When audit by CAG has already been ordered, such a hike is uncalled for." He said the DERC should have waited for the outcome of CAG audit before putting burden on the people at a time when lot of questions are being raised on the functioning of these power distribution companies.

The DERC had introduced fuel surcharge in 2012 to help the private power distribution companies adjust their power purchase cost.

While hiking the tariff in July last year, the DERC had subsumed the surcharge.

The tariff hike by the DERC came on a day when Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the discoms of trying to "blackmail" the government by threatening power cuts up to 10 hours a day.

He even warned them of strict action including possible cancellation of licenses for using various tactics to put pressure on government to to get financial assistance.

BYPL has informed Delhi Government that areas under its jurisdiction may face eight to 10 hours of power cuts from Saturday as the company was facing serious fund crunch to buy electricity.

PTI

Pawar only trying to pressurise Congress: Gopinath Munde

Mumbai: BJP today dismissed the reports of a meeting between Union Minister Sharad Pawar and Narendra Modi in Delhi, and suggested it was a part of NCP Chief's tactics to put pressure on Congress before the seat-sharing talks.

"I have no information about the meeting between Modi and Pawar," senior party leader Gopinath Munde said, talking to reporters here while commenting on a front-page report in a Marathi daily.

Sharad Pawat. Reuters image

He further said it was a pressure tactic by Pawar to get more seats from the Congress for Lok Sabha. "No discussion has taken place with NCP. We cannot reach any compromise with the NCP. We (Shiv Sena, BJP, RPI, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and Rashtriya Samaj Party) are enough to win the elections on our own. We do not need a new alliance partner," Munde said.

Munde also said that senior NCP leader Praful Patel need not show any "sympathy" towards Modi.

PTI

Political parties should avoid promises that vitiate poll process: EC

New Delhi: Political parties will avoid making promises which are likely to vitiate the purity of election process and will have to spell out the rationale of promises made and the means of financing them in their manifestos, the Election Commission has said.

In the draft guidelines for election manifestos issued by the EC today in the wake of Supreme Court directions to it, the parties and contesting candidates will be allowed to make only such welfare promises in their manifestos that are enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution.

Representational image. Reuters

"The election manifesto shall not contain anything repugnant to the ideals and principles enshrined in the Constitution and further that it shall be consistent with the letter and spirit of other provisions of Model Code of Conduct," the EC said in its guidelines to check parties from announcing freebies as part of their manifestos.

In the interest of transparency, level playing field and credibility of promises, the poll body expects that manifestos
reflect the rationale for the promises and the ways and means to meet the financial requirements for it.

"Trust of voters should be sought only on those promises which are possible to be fulfilled," the EC order said.

The draft guidelines will be finalised and formally incorporated in the Model Code of Conduct after comments/suggestions from all political parties. The EC has asked all national and state parties to send their reactions to it by 7 February.

Majority of the parties had earlier objected to the EC's intervention in putting checks on election manifestos and the
promises made by them.

"While the Commission agrees in principle with the point of view that framing of manifestos is the right of the political parties, it cannot overlook the undesirable impact of some of the promises and offers on the conduct of free and fair elections and maintaining level playing field for all political parties and candidates," the EC said.

PTI

RS polls: Sharad Pawar, Murli Deora elected from Maharashtra

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader and former union minister Murli Deora and two industrialists were among seven candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra Friday.

The other candidates elected include Hussain Dalwai (Congress), industrialist Rajkumar Dhoot (Shiv Sena), leading criminal lawyer Majeed Memon (NCP), Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale and Pune industrialist Sanjay Kakade (independent).

Sharad Pawar. AFP

With Memon's election, Maharashtra gets only its second Muslim representative in parliament after Congress' Dalwai as no Muslim candidate was elected to the current Lok Sabha from the state.

It is the maiden foray in the upper house for Pawar, who had decided not to contest the Lok Sabha elections henceforth.

Kakade's election was facilitated after the Shiv Sena decided against putting up a second nominee from its quota in the state while Athawale was the joint alliance nominee.

Besides the seven candidates elected unopposed from Maharashtra, another 30 have also been declared unopposed from across the country for the total 55 seats in the Rajya Sabha.

Elections to the remaining 18 seats will be held as per schedule 7 February.

These include: Andhra Pradesh (6), West Bengal (5), Odisha (4) and Assam (3).

IANS

Nitish govt to constitute vigilance committees for food law

Patna: The Nitish Kumar government today approved proposal to constitute vigilance committees from state down to panchayat level to keep a watch over effective implementation of the food security law in Bihar from tomorrow.

The approval was given at a special meeting of state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here.

Representational image. Reuters

Food Security Law, a flagship scheme of the Central government, will be launched in Bihar tomorrow.

There would be vigilance committee at state level, district, block, ward in urban areas and panchayat in rural areas to ensure transparency in public distribution system as part of implementation of the food security law.

The legislation would make available subsidised foodgrains, including rice and wheat, to 75 percent rural population and 50 per cent in urban areas of Bihar.

The committees would also keep a watch over activities of personnel involved in the scheme.

The Bihar Cabinet also gave its nod to setting up of a directorate for inquiry of certificates issued to Extremely Backward castes, Backward Castes and Other Backward castes.

PTI

Plea against Kejriwal, Bharti protest: HC does not pass order

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today did not pass any order on a plea against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Law Minister Somnath Bharti's recent dharna demanding action against some cops, saying a similar matter is pending before the Supreme Court.

Arvind Kejriwal. AFP image

Justice Manmohan, while taking the petition on record, said that he will pass orders only after the apex court decides the issue and posted the matter to March 6.

The petition alleged that the recent protest by Kejriwal and his cabinet minister created "anarchy" as some metro stations and roads, in and around Rail Bhawan here, had to be closed to the public.

The petition sought action against those responsible for "hooliganism" which resulted in blocking of public roads and metro stations.

PTI

Parties raking up ’84 riots issue for votes: Arvinder Singh Lovely

 

New Delhi: Accusing rival parties of politicising the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, Delhi Congress today said the AAP's move to order an SIT probe was aimed at wooing the community ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"We welcome all inquiries into the 1984 Sikh riots. But don't order a probe just for vote-bank politics; don't ask for votes based on '84," Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said.

Representational image. Reuters

"We also want strict punishment for those involved in the riots. But parties are raking up this issue currently for the Sikh votes," Lovely said, adding if the parties are genuinely concerned about justice for the victims, then they must keep the issue alive even after elections.

Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had on Wednesday decided on a probe by an SIT into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, two days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said some partymen were probably involved in the violence but were punished, in an interview to a televison channel.

Lovely accused Kejriwal of raking up the issue only after Rahul mentioned it in his interview. "In his speech in the Delhi Assembly on his first day, Kejriwal did not mention a single word about the Sikh community. It is only after Rahul Gandhi's interview that he has taken this step," he said, at a function organised by the Punjabi Industrial Society, which also attended by former DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna among others.

Lovely hailed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's decision to appoint Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, as Prime Minister after the 2004 elections.

"No other party will ever think of choosing a prime ministerial candidate from a minority community," he said. Lovely also alleged that 49 FIRs were registered against people close to RSS, but "in these 30 years not even one BJP
member has apologised for it".

Lovely also batted for granting of minority status to the community under Article 25 after the Centre accorded the same to Jain community last week.

He asked Sarna to prepare a memorandum which would be presented to Rahul Gandhi.

PTI

Odisha BJP wants 55 mines in state closed

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday demanded closure of at least 55 mines in Odisha for alleged violation of environmental laws.

Referring to a report submitted by the Justice MB Shah Commission, state BJP spokesman Sameer Mohanty said it is now clear these mines were polluting Baitarani river.

Representational image. AFP

"The commission has identified these mines along the river, which are causing pollution. The government must implement the recommendation of the commission and close these mines immediately," he said.

If the government did not close these mines, the BJP would be forced to launch a state-wide agitation in the coming days, he said.

Baitarani is one of the state's major rivers. Considered as the lifeline of millions of people, the river passes through five districts, including the iron-ore rich Keonjhar and Sundergarh.

The commission, appointed by the central government in November 2010 investigated allegations of illegal mining in several mineral-rich states, including Odisha.

IANS

Gadkari, Rahul, Mayawati: Kejriwal’s black list of corrupt MPs

Claiming he was not going to fight the Lok Sabha elections, AAP Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said his party would contest against those MPs who are corrupt so as to ensure a cleaner Parliament house.

AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal with other party members. Danish Raza/Firstpost

Speaking at an executive council meeting of his party in New Delhi, Kejriwal said he was here to end corruption in the country, saying it was time to throw out those in Parliament who had criminal cases against them. He further urged party workers to draw up a list of strong, clean candidates who could enter politics.

The party has decided to contest more than 350 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and has said it will concentrate on 162 seats where the sitting MPs are facing criminal or corruption charges, or have been deemed corrupt by AAP.

"Our aim is to end dynasty politics, we will give people a third option... AAP should draw up a list of good candidates," he said.

Hitting out at the past governments in Delhi, Kejriwal said his government has done in a month what previous tenures could not do in 65 years. "There needs to be a will to do things...," Kejriwal said, adding that the "people in India are poor but governments are rich."

He further announced that his cabinet would take up the Delhi Lokayukta bill for consideration today, saying corruption in the state was already on the decline.

Kejriwal also read out a list of MPs he said the party must fight against to ensure their defeat. Below are some of the names.

Suresh Kalmadi - Congress
Sushilkumar Shinde - Congress
Praful Patel - NCP
BS Yeddyurappa - BJP
Anant Kumar - BJP
Veerappa Moily - Congress
Chidambaram - Congress
MK Alagiri - DMK
VK Vasan - Congress
Kanimozhi - DMK
Salman Khurshid - Congress
Mayawati - BSP
Mulayam Singh Yadav - SP
Anu Tandon - Congress
Sriprakash Jaiswal - Congress
Jaganmohan Reddy - YSR Congress
Kamal Nath - Congress
Pawan Kumar Bansal - Congress
Farooq Abdullah - National Conference
Naveen Jindal - Congress
Kapil Sibal - Congress
Sharad Pawar (if he contests) - NCP
A Raja - DMK
Tarun Gogoi - Congress
Rahul Gandhi - Congress
HD Kumaraswamy - JDS
Nitin Gadkari - BJP

NCP Chief Pawar refutes report of his ‘secret’ meeting with Modi

New Delhi: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday slammed as "completely mischievous" and "baseless" a media report about his meeting with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar. Reuters

"News of my meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 17 January appeared in a newspaper. (It) is completely mischievous, baseless & false," the Agriculture Minister said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Pawar's tweets followed a front page report in a Marathi newspaper that the NCP chief is understood to have secretly met Modi in New Delhi on that day.

"During state visits or in Chief Ministers conferences in Delhi, I meet CM's and barring these occasions, never met Modi in the last one year," Pawar, whose party is the second largest constituent of the Congress-led UPA, said in another tweet.

The report claimed that the meeting had lasted nearly 30 minutes and that even senior leaders of the NCP and the BJP were not aware of it.

The meeting signals that the hands of the "clock" (symbol of NCP) is turning towards the "lotus" (symbol of BJP), the report had said.

NCP chief spokesperson DP Tripathi said, "Pawar was not even in Delhi on the day when the meeting was supposed to have taken place".

NCP is in alliance with the Congress and sharing power in Maharashtra since 1999, months after Pawar parted ways with Congress on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin.

NCP is part of the UPA at the Centre for the past 10 years.

PTI

Cong is finished, BJP our main rival: AAP in Maharashtra

By Vishwas Waghmode

Gearing up for the coming Lok sabha elections, the Maharashtra unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has moved into top gear, hoping to widen its support base by bringing in rebel Mumbai Congress leader Ajit Sawant and also roping in the Shetkari Sanghatana led by Sharad Joshi, a well-established organisation agitating on various farmers' issues for the last 35 years. The strategy appears clear -- woo known faces and public figures, cast the net wide in Mumbai and also in rural areas of the state. Maharashtra is a key state for the Aam Aadmi Party, not only because this is the birthplace of the India Against Corruption movement to which most senior AAP members of Maharashtra belong,  but also because IAC and AAP members have built a large support base here.

Damania with Kejriwal. Image courtesy Facebook.

Anjali Damania, convener of the Maharashtra unit of AAP, talks about the party's strategy for Lok Sabha elections.

Rebel Congress leader Ajit Sawant has joined AAP. Is the party open to all Congressmen?

The party membership is open to all including political leaders from the other parties. Leaders from all political parties in the state are finding AAP a good platform and are joining it. As for rebel Ccongress leader Ajit Sawant, I don't know him personally but what I know that he is a good and non-corrupt person. He has fought against corruption within his own party and has taken on senior Congress leader Kripashankar Singh. Sawant has also exposed BJP leader Nitin Gadkari's alleged links with the Purti group. Since he is fighting corruption like us, he is welcome in the party.

What if he is a Congress decoy like some are saying about Vinod Kumar Binny in Delhi?

We can not compare Sawant and Binny. Both are totally different. AAP is such an organization that we don't have a cadre system like other conventional parties. So, joining AAP is like becoming a member only.

Is this a sign that the Congress is your chief rival?  What is your strategy to counter your rival? 

The 128 year old party has been downsized to just eight seats out of 70 Assembly seats in Delhi despite being in power for the last 15 years. The Delhi elections clearly showed that the Congress party has become insignificant. So, in fact, we no longer feel the Congress is our main rival. We feel the BJP is now the main rival for us.

Our strategy is to give the best candidates against the heavyweights like we did in Delhi by fielding Arvind Kejriwal against the former chief minster Sheila Dikshit and like our plan to field AAP leader Kumar Vishwas against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. A similar strategy will be followed in the state. Soon, I am going to undertake a tour of Baramati to address a rally there and then to Madha (which is the constituency of union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar). Since it is not clear who is contesting from these constituencies (since Pawar has dceided to take the Rajya Sabha route to Parliament), we have not decided on our candidates.

On the one hand you are saying the BJP is AAP's main rival and on the other hand AAP leader Praful Vora extended support to a BJP corporator from Andheri (West) Ameet Satam recently, when the latter went on hunger strike for a week on the issue of poor illumination in the area. 

I really don't know about this and won't be able to comment on it.

Interestingly, if we protest on the common man's issues, then we are called 'anarchist'. But, if a BJP corporator and a Congress MP sits on a  hunger strike or carries out a morcha, then the same is not applied to them despite the fact that BJP is in power in the civic body and the Congress in the state government.

Please tell about the Lok Sabha strategy being worked out by AAP in Maharashtra.

We are yet to decide on whether to contest all 48 Lok sabha seats in the state. But, if we get the best candidates, then we will contest all the seats. We have received lot of applications from candidates who wish to contest Lok Sabha elections. The process of scrutinizing the applications and interview process is going on. We will be able to release the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the next week.

In the past you have targetted NCP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Irrigation Minister Sunil Tatkare. Will you continue doing that?

We will continue to expose political heavyweights in the state including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his other ministers, BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and leaders from other political parties. We have gathered so much information on Gadkari's business dealings that we can make one expose every week. We are also gathering information about other political leaders and plan to divulge it during the election campaign.

Bahuguna’s appointment, dismissal is part of Cong’s big problem

For Vijay Bahuguna, who will soon become ex-Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, the Congress High Command taketh brutally as it giveth generously. Bahuguna cannot complain that the decision to oust him from the top job in the hill state was taken in the environs of 10, Janpath and not by the party MLAs in the state capital, Dehradun. That is because the decision to appoint him Chief Minister (in March 2012) was equally made in New Delhi, then simply rubber stamped by the elected representatives of the Congress party in the state, the majority of who were believed to be in favour of Harish Rawat, MP from Haridwar and a genuine mass leader.

Now, as the Congress faces a rout in all five of the state's Lok Sabha seats come April (the grand old party actually won all five in 2009), the High Command is rethinking the wisdom of its wisdom of not so long ago. The rethink is a severe indictment of its March 2012 decision.

At that time, the Congress had only just edged the BJP into first place in the Assembly election, still four seats short of a majority. That support materialised in the form of the BSP and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and the Congress was set to return to power in the state after five years.

Vijay Bahuguna model of appointment won't bode well for the Congress in future. PTI

With a favour-thin majority, it would need a canny and highly competent politician to run an effective Government. Vijay Bahuguna did not fit the bill any which way – he did not have ministerial experience, he was not a mass leader, he had only been a Lok Sabha MP from the state for five years, he did not enjoy the confidence of the MLAs and there were question marks over his integrity – he had resigned as a Judge from the Allahabad High Court in controversial circumstances.. In comparison, Harish Rawat was a union minister, a mass leader, was first elected to Parliament in the 1980s, had the confidence of a majority of MLAs, and possessed a clean image.

Yet, the High Command chose Bahuguna, apparently for his loyalty to the First Family, but probably as much for the fact that (unlike Harish Rawat) he commanded no support base outside 10, Janpath – he would therefore be under the High Command's thumb. Unsurprisingly, Bauguna accumulated unpopularity at the rate of knots. In the by-election to the Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat (which he vacated to become CM), held just six months after he took office, his son Saket (whose candidature was presumably endorsed by the High Command) was defeated by a BJP candidate.

Still, Bahuguna was persisted with. His incompetence was magnified by the state's inept response to the Kedarnath floods tragedy. But he was kept in office until now, when it has become abundantly clear that his continuation will ensure a humiliating defeat for Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. The fact is that loyalty or malleability is no substitute for competence and popularity.

The High Command culture struggles to recognise this new reality of Indian politics. If the High Command had learnt its lesson, it would allow the next CM to be chosen in an open election by MLAs. But that isn't going to happen. In any case, it would be an injustice to Harish Rawat if he was now 'chosen' by the High Command rather than 'elected' by the MLAs. And if the successor to Bahuguna is not Rawat but another handpicked nominee of the First Family, then the Congress will continue to suffer.

The only Congress Chief Minister to have bucked this trend of being anointed by Delhi is Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka Chief Minister who more or less appointed himself after soliciting the support of a majority of MLAs. That he was until not so long ago in the Janata Dal, probably explains why he hasn't entirely imbibed the High Command culture.

If the Congress wants to survive as a national party that is also relevant in the states, it needs to abandon the Vijay Bahuguna model of nomination state leaders. Rahul Gandhi claims that only elected MPs have the right to choose a PM candidate. Why does the same logic not apply, in an honest (not rubber stamp) spirit, to MLAs?

Arrest of TN fishermen attempt to spoil conducive atmosphere: Jaya

Chennai: Slamming the latest arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said that it was an attempt by some elements to "spoil" the conducive atmosphere created during the recent talks between the fishermen of the two countries.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. PTI

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday, the Chief Minister said she had initiated steps for talks between fishermen of the two countries and referred to the latest arrest of 38 fishermen from Ramanathapuram by the Lankan navy while they were fishing in their "traditional waters."

"It appears to me that this incident of apprehension is a deliberate attempt by elements in Sri Lankan navy to spoil the conducive atmosphere created by the recent talks. Such arrests and apprehension also directly impact the livelihood of the Tamil Nadu fishermen living in the Palk Bay Districts," she said in the letter, which was released to the media on Friday.

To preserve the conducive atmosphere and enable a pragmatic and workable solution to emerge for the day to day fishing activities of the fishermen to continue, she requested Singh to decisively impress upon the Sri Lanka government to advise its Navy to abstain from such acts of illegal abduction of innocent Indian fishermen.

She urged the Prime Minister to personally intervene and exhorted him to use diplomatic channels of the government 'in a concrete and decisive manner' to secure the release of the 38 fishermen arrested on 29 January, including their six boats.

PTI

Meera Sanyal, Mayank Gandhi in AAP’s first list of LS candidates

The Aam Aadmi Party has announced its first list of probable candidates from Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections. Some of the big names to figure on the list include former CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland Meera Sanyal and Mumbai-based Aam Aadmi Party activist Mayank Gandhi. The list was released late last night.

Sanyal, who joined AAP recently and is also a part of the party's recently formed committee on economic policy, has been named as probable candidate from Mumbai South constituency. She contested from the same constituency in 2009 as an independent and lost to the Congress's Milind Deora.

AAP member Mayank Gandhi has been declared as possible candidate from North-west Mumbai.

Of the 48 Parliamentary seats in Maharashtra, the party has released the names of probable candidates from Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Pune and Nashik. For now, the party has only released names from the urban areas. As far as rural support is concerned, the party seems confident and in an earlier conversation with Firstpost, Gandhi had said, "The support in rural Maharashtra has been tremendous. I myself was surprised by the kind of support our meetings have got."

Arvind Kejriwal. AP

Vijay Pandhare, a former chief engineer with the Maharashtra government, has been named as probable candidate from Nashik. Pandhare is the original whistle-blower in Maharashtra's irrigation scam, having written letters to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Governor K Sankaranarayanan in February and then in May 2012 seeking a CBI probe into inflated cost estimates and other serious irregularities in dam-building contracts in the state. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had to resign briefly over the allegations, following which Pandhare was provided police protection.

Of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, the party released the names of probable candidates for six seats, although surprisingly it does not include the names of any senior leaders. It is yet to declare any name from North-west Delhi constituency. The probable candidates in Delhi include Mohammad Mursaleen and Mohit Beniwal for Chandani Chowk seat, Dev Das Goswami and Irvinder Singh for West-Delhi seat and Mamta Sharma and Niranjan Koli from South Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

It is still unclear whether Arvind Kejriwal will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Yesterday at a press conference to discuss the AAP government's achievement, Kejriwal chose not to answer questions on the issue of Lok Sabha elections.

Party sources said that around 65 applicants were vying for each Lok Sabha seat in Delhi.

The party has released list of probable candidates from all the 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana, which included Satish Yadav from Gurgaon and Amit Pathak from Faridabad. The party has asked people to give feedback on the probable candidates.

"We are in the process of screening the candidates and we will keep updating the list in coming days. The list will be finalised by the Political Affairs Committee after seeing feedback for the candidates," a party source said.

The party has not yet put out any list for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, even though it has claimed that it has strong support in all three states. Where UP is concerned, the only prominent name for now is that of Kumar Vishwas who is likely to contest from Amethi against Congress' Rahul Gandhi.

"The belt from Gujarat to Odisha has witnessed a steady decline of a strong second party as Congress is gradually losing its popular support. Our aim is to fill the void and emerge as the second largest party in these BJP or NDA ally states," Yogendra Yadav told Firstpost.

AAP is likely to go all out in the Lok Sabha elections, as a senior party leader had indicated to Firstpost. However given the overwhelming response the party has receive, the final list process is likely to take time.

With inputs from PTI

Will Vijay Bahuguna quit as Uttarakhand chief minister today?

New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna appears to be on his way out and Union Minister Harish Rawat and state minister Pritam Singh are emerging as the frontrunners for the top job in the hill state.

Vijay Bahuguna may quit as CM today. PTI

Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC General Secretaries Janardan Dwivedi and Ambika Soni, who is in charge of party affairs in the state, are being sent there as central observers for the changeover, highly placed Congress sources said.

A decision has been taken to replace Bahuguna. Rawat and Pritam Singh, who is Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the Bahuguna Cabinet, are the frontrunners, they said.

Others in the race include state Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh.

The decision to replace Bahuguna was taken at a meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had with senior party leaders on Wednesday.

Bahuguna has been under pressure ever since he was appointed. The flash floods that hit Uttarakhand last year and the massive rescue and rehabilitation work they entailed also brought his leadership skills into question.

Incidentally, delegations of MLAs and other Congress leaders from the state have been regularly meeting central party leaders here over the past six months to press for Bahuguna's ouster.

The Congress, with 33 members in the Assembly, enjoys the support of the seven-member Progressive Democratic Front that comprises three independents, three members of the BSP and one MLA of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal. The remaining 30 MLAs are of the BJP.

Rawat — who lost to Bahuguna in the race for CM in 2012 — has been in pursuit of the post but the party high command had not been enthusiastic as it was felt it could intensify factionalism in the deeply divided state unit of the party.

The Union Water Resources Minister was the first PCC president of Uttarakhand after its formation. Rawat, despite leading the party to victory in 2002 Assembly elections as the PCC chief, had to make way for ND Tiwari.

He was sidelined again in 2012, when Vijay Bahuguna became CM. A sulking Rawat was made a cabinet minister at the Centre later.

Reports had it that it could be a close fight between Rawat and Pritam Singh.

Hridayesh recently surprised many by openly staking claim to the top post. The senior most member of Bahuguna Cabinet, Hridayesh had created a flutter by suggesting her name for the post of chief minister in case of a change of guard in Uttarakhand.

"If at all things move in that direction (change of guard), of course I deserve to occupy the top post. I am in parliamentary politics since 1974," she ahd said.

Incidentally, Pritam Singh belongs to the Rawat camp and the talk is that he could emerge as a compromise candidate if the anti-Rawat factions refuse to accept him. Pritam Singh is an MLA from Chakrata.

Meanwhile, Congress co in-charge in Uttarakhand Sanjay Kapoor today met Governor Aziz Qureshi intensifying speculation about Bahuguna's ouster as Chief Minister.

Raj Bhavan sources said Kapoor arrived alone and was closeted with the Governor for 10 minutes.

Although Kapoor described the meeting as a courtesy call he is believed to have discussed a change of guard in the state.

When asked to comment over the issue, Kapoor said, "A final call on this has not been taken as yet by the high command but a clearer picture might emerge by tomorrow."

Meanwhile, rumours about Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna's resignation flew thick and fast throughout the day.

However, Raj Bhavan sources said neither chief minister Vijay Bahuguna came to meet the Governor nor sought an appointment with him.

PTI

Meera Sanyal, Mayank Gandhi in AAP’s first list of probable LS candidates

The Aam Aadmi Party had announced its first list of probable Lok Sabha candidates. Some of the big names to figure on the list include former CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland Meera Sanyal and activist Mayank Gandhi. The list was released late last night for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

Sanyal, who joined AAP recently and is also a part of the party's recently formed economic committee, has been named as probable candidate from Mumbai South constituency. Activist Gandhi has been declared as possible candidate from North-west Mumbai.

Of the 48 parliamentary seats in Maharashtra, the party has released the names of probable candidates from Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Pune and Nashik. For now the party has only released names from the urban areas. As far as rural support is concerned, the party seems confident and in an earlier conversation with Firstpost, Gandhi had said, "The support in rural Maharashtra has been tremendous. I myself was surprised by the kind of support our meetings have got."

Arvind Kejriwal. AP

Vijay Pandhare, a former engineer with the Maharashtra government, has been named as probable candidate from Nashik. Pandhare played a major role in unearthing the irrigation scam that led to the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, the party relased the names of probable candidates for six seats, although surprisingly it does not figure the names of any senior leaders. It is yet to declare any name from North-west Delhi constituency. The probable candidates in Delhi include Mohammad Mursaleen and Mohit Beniwal for Chandani Chowk seat, Dev Das Goswami and Irvinder Singh for West-Delhi seat and Mamta Sharma and Niranjan Koli from South Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

It is still unclear whether Arvind Kejriwal will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Yesterday at a press conference to discuss the AAP government's achievement, Kejriwal chose not to answer questions on the issue of Lok Sabha elections.

Party sources said that around 65 applicants were vying for each Lok Sabha seat in Delhi.

The party has released list of probable candidates from all the 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana, which included Satish Yadav from Gurgaon and Amit Pathak from Faridabad. The party has asked people to give feedback on the probable candidates.

"We are in the process of screening the candidates and we will keep updating the list in coming days. The list will be finalised by the Political Affairs Committee after seeing feedback for the candidates," a party source said.

The party has not yet put out any list for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, even though it has claimed that it has strong support in all three states. Where UP is concerned, the only prominent name for now is that of Kumar Vishwas who is likely to contest from Amethi against Congress' Rahul Gandhi.

"The belt from Gujarat to Odisha has witnessed a steady decline of a strong second party as Congress is gradually losing its popular support. Our aim is to fill the void and emerge as the second largest party in these BJP or NDA ally states," Yogendra Yadav told Firstpost.

AAP is likely to go all out in the Lok Sabha elections, as a senior party leader had indicated to Firstpost. However given the overwhelming response the party has receive, the final list process is likely to take time.

LPG cap raise: Govt did not bow down to Rahul, says Cong

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved an increase in the number of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders that a household can get in a year from nine to 12. This, after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had on 17 January requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to increase the subsidy saying nine cylinders were not sufficient for a household.

Meanwhile, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan criticised the move saying, "We have to be very careful because we need to spend on very important things we are currently not spending on. I believe there is a certain amount of population that can benefit from subsidised LPG cylinders. But beyond a certain point you are reaching people who can well afford to pay for it… Whose pocket is it coming from? It's coming from the pockets of people who are getting subsidised LPG."

Representational image. Reuters

So is this decision, in a election year, just to get votes?

Congress spokesperson Salman Anees Soz defended the government decision during a debate in CNN-IBN saying, "The people of the country run this govt. The whole notion that the government has bowed down in front of Rahul is misplaced. It is the responsibility of the party to raise issues before the government, and then the government makes decisions on what they can or cannot do. If something helps the poor people of the country then we should do it. Our process of consultation on LPG has been going for ages. When we do something that the poor of the country needs, everyone is up in arms."

Refuting Soz's argument, economist Prasenjit Bose said, "You should also accept that your government's policies is anti-poor. Why did it take Rahul Gandhi take such a long time, just before the elections? From my point of view what I am against is the way this decision has been taken on the whims of the 'Yuvraj' of this party. This is populist and cheap."

Meanwhile BJP leader KJ Alphonse was of the opinion that it was better to make people stand on their feet than give them freebies. "Our policy is simple, it is better to teach a man fishing than giving him fish. We are not against subsidies," he said and added, "This government increased the price of natural gas, who does it benefit? Then they say sorry for increasing the prices and then says I will give you subsidies?"

Also, AAP Praveen Singh questioned why the government does not make up for the money that it will cost for this subsidy by re imposing wealth tax and the likes.

"For every Rs 100 of revenue gets the goverment, the revenue forgone is Rs 60. Corporates get away with subsidies," he said.

But was the Congress decision nothing but bad politics?

Author and economist Shankkar Aiyer says, "The Congress has calculated the price of middle class votes as three cylinders and they have got their economics and politics wrong. The question is what is merit subsidy and what is non-merit subsidy and this is clearly non-merit subsidy. Political parties think money doesn't grow on trees but votes grow on trees."

Aiyer also added, "They think the voter is the useful idiot. Because last year the PM was right today the Congress is right. The only step this goverment took on subsidies was Aadhaar and now it has been buried under the ground."

AAP to review Lok Sabha election preparations

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will review preparations for the coming Lok Sabha polls and also discuss the controversies involving some of its leading members. "(We) will review the preparations for the Lok Sabha election and discuss the number of seats to be contested," a party statement said.

"Discussions will also be held on various controversies in the past one month including (those involving) Law Minister Somnath Bharti and expelled (legislator) Vinod Kumar Binny," it said.

Bharti courted controversy over his post-midnight campaign against an alleged sex-and-drugs ring in a south Delhi neighbourhood allegedly involving some Africans, leading to a face-off with Delhi Police.

Aam Aadmi party leaders in this file photo. PTI

Binny, who represents Laxmi Nagar in the Delhi assembly, has been expelled from the party after revolting against Kejriwal and the AAP. Since its dizzying success in the Delhi elections, the AAP has said it plans to contest a large number of Lok Sabha seats whose number could vary between 300 and 400.

In some Lok Sabha constituencies, the party has already begun campaigning. The AAP is also accepting applications for candidature in the general elections, widely expected to be held in April-May. AAP leader Gopal Rai said there would also be a two-day orientation programme starting Thursday for its legislators. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate it.

"(This) has been organised because most legislators are first time members," Rai told the media. Since it took power in Delhi Dec 28, Kejriwal and his colleagues have courted a number of controversies.

One involves the chief minister himself after he went on a protest against Delhi Police in the heart of the national capital, calling it off only after spending a night under the sky.

IANS

Telangana a Cong mistake, will protect Andhra at any cost: Kiran Reddy

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy today sent out a clear message particularly to the Congress high command that the party should respect the wishes of the people of the state and should not go ahead with the creation of the Telangana state.

"Rejection of the Telangana Bill in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly is an indication that the people of the state wants an united state. Unlike other states, there is a peculiar situation in Andhra Pradesh as there is no recommendation from the state Legislature for bifurcation," Reddy told CNN-IBN in an exclusive interview.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. Image courtesy PIB

"In such a situation, the President (of India Pranab Mukhjerjee) should not forward it to Parliament," he said.

In a major embarrassment to the Congress party, the Andhra Pradesh legislature today rejected the Telangana bill by voice vote. The 279-member state assembly has 160 MLAs from Seemandhra, the region which is against the division of the state. On 30 July last year, the Congress Working Committee had endorsed a decision to create India's 29th state, Telangana, by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

Ignoring the threat to his own political career, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister made it clear to the Congress top brass that going ahead with the Telangana will not only harm the new state but also the Seemandhra region.

"I am not worried about my own future. I will quit politics. I was born and brought up in Hyderabad. After 57 years you cannot tell me I don't belong to this state. I have strong objection to this," Reddy said. "Telangana is a mistake of the Congress leadership. Andhra Pradesh cannot be divided just like that. The pride of the Telugu people cannot be decided in Delhi. Congress should respect the Assembly's feeling," the chief minister said in no uncertain terms.

"I have been made chief minister by the Congress party to look after my people. I represent the will of the people of my state. I am having discussions with MLAs and MPs from the state and we are determined to protect the interest of Andhra Pradesh at any cost," Reddy said not revealing much about his next strategy if the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 is placed in the Budget Session of Parliament.

The strong words from the Andhra Pradesh chief minister is likely to set the alarm bells in the Congress power corridor ringing. The party is facing trouble both in Telangana and Seemandhra regions ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year. Andhra Pradesh has 42 seats in Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi pays tributes to Mahatma, pledges to follow ‘ahimsa’

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday joined a host of dignitaries from various walks of life in paying homage to the Father of the Nation on his 66th death anniversary at lawns of India Gate which came alive with soul-stirring patriotic songs.

Rahul Gandhi and others at a function organised by Flag Foundation of India to commemorate Martyrs Day, at India Gate in New Delhi. PTI Photo

Gandhi, along with actor John Abraham and many others, pledged to follow the path of Mahatma Gandhi's principles - satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence) - at the function, which also marked the culmination of the flag week celebration on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the judgement by the Supreme Court on 23 January, 2004.

The Flag Foundation of India, the event's organiser, hosted a musical tribute, "Sadbhavna Sandhya - Mahatma Ke Path Par" (An Evening for Harmony - In the Footsteps of Mahatma), to the Mahatma.

"Indians may fly our national flag in the morning time or at night. But the flag actually resides in our heart... People generally respect their own truth. But, if we can respect truth of all, then we can achieve non-violence," Rahul said.

Rahul was joined by Gandhiji's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra, surgeon Naresh Trehan, Olympians Sushil Kumar and Vijay Kumar, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, actor John Abraham, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Jitendra Singh, ace shooter Heena Sidhu, and many others.

People from various walks of life, including the dignitaries, joined hands to form a human chain as they chanted 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' remembering the Mahatma.

FFI founder Naveen Jindal, who incorporated the body 10 years ago, said, "The Mahatma called the tri-colour as the identity of an Indian cutting across religions, and we must proudly fly it on top of our houses and wear it on our lapels if we want to."

"We fought a long legal battle before both the Houses (of Parliament) ratified it in 2005 to allow a common man to fly a flag or wear it, as long as it was above the waist-level," Jindal said.

A short film extolling the Indian Flag as a symbol of pride was also screened on the occasion.

The event also saw a choir performance by over 200 students of Vasant Valley School, followed by a special speed painting on the life of the Mahatma by famous artist Vilas Nayak.

Singer Sunidhi Chauhan also treated their fans with a patriotic performance by singing songs like 'Ae Mere Pyare Watan', 'Tu Kahan Main Kahan', 'Bharat humko jaan se pyara hai' and 'Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye'.

Actor Annu Kapoor, who had played Gandhi in the 1993 film Sardar, hosted the event.

Meanwhile, a minute (from 6:35 pm to 6:36 pm) of silence was observed by 55 cities in unison across the country to mark the day. In New Delhi, it was observed at the India Gate lawns.

PTI

Telangana a Congress mistake, will protect Andhra at any cost: Kiran Reddy

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy today sent out a clear message particularly to the Congress high command that the party should respect the wishes of the people of the state and should not go ahead with the creation of the Telangana state.

"Rejection of the Telangana Bill in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly is an indication that the people of the state wants an united state. Unlike other states, there is a peculiar situation in Andhra Pradesh as there is no recommendation from the state Legislature for bifurcation," Reddy told CNN-IBN in an exclusive interview.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. Image courtesy PIB

"In such a situation, the President (of India Pranab Mukhjerjee) should not forward it to Parliament," he said.

In a major embarrassment to the Congress party, the Andhra Pradesh legislature today rejected the Telangana bill by voice vote. The 279-member state assembly has 160 MLAs from Seemandhra, the region which is against the division of the state. On 30 July last year, the Congress Working Committee had endorsed a decision to create India's 29th state, Telangana, by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

Ignoring the threat to his own political career, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister made it clear to the Congress top brass that going ahead with the Telangana will not only harm the new state but also the Seemandhra region.

"I am not worried about my own future. I will quit politics. I was born and brought up in Hyderabad. After 57 years you cannot tell me I don't belong to this state. I have strong objection to this," Reddy said. "Telangana is a mistake of the Congress leadership. Andhra Pradesh cannot be divided just like that. The pride of the Telugu people cannot be decided in Delhi. Congress should respect the Assembly's feeling," the chief minister said in no uncertain terms.

"I have been made chief minister by the Congress party to look after my people. I represent the will of the people of my state. I am having discussions with MLAs and MPs from the state and we are determined to protect the interest of Andhra Pradesh at any cost," Reddy said not revealing much about his next strategy if the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 is placed in the Budget Session of Parliament.

The strong words from the Andhra Pradesh chief minister is likely to set the alarm bells in the Congress power corridor ringing. The party is facing trouble both in Telangana and Seemandhra regions ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year. Andhra Pradesh has 42 seats in Lok Sabha.

Has AAP outdone BJP by ordering SIT probe into 1984 anti-Sikh riots?

After having made significant electoral inroads in the Delhi Assembly elections into a community that has been a traditional stronghold of the BJP, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government is aggressively championing the cause of the 1984 riot victims, much to the unease of the Opposition party.

Following through on the poll promise to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that Delhi government will approach the Lieutenant Governor on setting up the SIT on the 1984 riots once the Cabinet approves the decision when it meets early next week.

Arvind Kejriwal. PTI

The 1984 riots, in which 3000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi, occurred in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The announcement by the AAP government comes days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a TV interview on Monday, in response to a question on the involvement Congress men in the riots said, "some Congress men were probably involved."

Gandhi's comment, being read as an open admission of Congress party's involvement in the riots has led to angry reactions by members of the Sikh community. On Thursday morning, members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), ally of the BJP in the state, protested outside the Congress headquarters demanding that Gandhi be asked to reveal names of those who are guilty.

But while the Opposition kicks and shouts, Kejriwal's call for an SIT has stolen the BJP's thunder on the 1984 riots, a cause that the party has always sought to champion. And the one-month-old Chief Minister didn't hesitate to rub it in, when he addressed the press Thursday.

"The Sikh community has been demanding that a comprehensive SIT be set up that will gather all the evidence and conduct an investigation on the 1984 riots. Obviously one of the political parties was involved and therefore it cannot be expected from that party that it will order such a probe. The other party, which was in government in Delhi five years and at the Centre for six, only made demands but did nothing. I spoke to the LG (about setting up an SIT) and he has given a positive response. On Monday or Tuesday, we will discuss it and if the cabinet passes we will to the LG," he said.

By accusing the BJP of 'only making demands and not doing anything,' Kejriwal was not only consolidating the support he and his party have received from the Sikh community but scoring political points over the BJP.

The BJP, though taken aback perhaps by the government's headline-grabbing decision, is no mood to concede ground to the upstart party.

Reacting to Kejriwal's remarks, BJP leader Harsh Vardhan said, "He is wrong on that. He should to check his facts first. What the NDA government did he can find out from the records... There is nothing new that he is doing. He is taking up these issues now. We have been taking up these issues for the last thirty years."

On the government's move to set up the SIT, Harsh Vardhan said, "We don't mind if another inquiry is set up. We have been asking for these inquiries and commissions... so many things have been happening since 1984. But it is time for the Congress to take action against those who are guilty because now Rahul Gandhi has also accepted it. As far any new inquiry is concerned, we are all for what the government proposes. But let them first concentrate on giving punishment to those who are guilty in the earlier commissions."

The growing support in the Sikh community for AAP is something that must worry the BJP. The announcement last month by an influential voice in the Sikh community, HS Phoolka, an advocate who has been fighting a tireless battle for the victims of the 1984-riots, that he was joining forces with Kejriwal is indicative of a real sense of disillusionment with the BJP.

Speaking to Firstpost during an earlier interview on the reasons why Sikhs were choosing AAP over BJP, Phoolka had said,"...During Madan Lal Khurana's (former Delhi CM and BJP leader) regime, he always took Sikhs with him. So the Sikhs felt part of the BJP. But after that, over the years, no serious effort was made to carry the Sikhs along and give them a feeling of being part of the party. Of course, the BJP has been supporting the struggle of 1984 and that is the reason I have been working closely with them. But as far as ordinary Sikhs were concerned, they were not very happy." (Read more here.)

BJP’s 60-day work plan an eyewash ahead of LS polls: Pilot

Jaipur: Reacting to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's adverse remarks on oil refinery and metro rail projects in the Assembly, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Thursday said the BJP government's 60-day work "yojna" (plan) was a mere showcase and an eyewash ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress MP Sachin Pilot

"By modulating the language and reshuffling the important points of the previous Gehlot government's flagship schemes, the new BJP regime is trying to loot mere publicity," Pilot told a conference of elected representatives of Panchayat.

"It is most ridiculous that the BJP with narrow thinking putting a big question marks on the garb of economic data on the state's ambitious oil refinery and metro rail projects and considering these mere a financial burden," he said.

He said, "As a matter of fact the refinery would generate not only revenue but also create new jobs in sandy desert districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer, and the metro rail would ease traffic problems."

Pilot claimed that if BJP had all the power it would close down Indian Railways and Indian Airlines by privatising them to big industrialists to safeguard its interests.

"BJP wants to change the civic bodies act so that it could do horse-trading in post election scene of Mayor and Chairman of civic bodies," he said, warning that if this was done the Congress would go on an agitation.

Speaking on the occasion, AICC general secretary Gurudas Kamat said it was not the first time the party got defeated in assembly polls... and in politics such ups and downs do come, even moral gets broken, but Congress's ideology is so strong that it regains its lost faith in public after some time.

He also criticised Vasundhara Raje's first term from 2003 to 2008 in which "no progress was made and no new major project came into existence".

PTI

AAP slams Cong MLA for disrupting CM’s press conference

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today slammed Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan for disrupting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's press conference demanding a probe in the Batla House encounter case and said the Okhla MLA was "spreading falsehood" and there was no mention of the incident in the party manifesto.

Arvind Kejriwal. AP image

"Asif has tried to spread a lot of falsehood today. Without reading the AAP manifesto, he has given statements that it promises a probe into this encounter. There is no such mention in the AAP manifesto," said a statement issued by the
party on late evening today.

Khan today barged into the press conference at Delhi Secretariat and started shouting slogans against AAP after Kejriwal, in reply to a question, said that Delhi Government would not form an SIT to investigate the encounter.

The party said that the Congress was in power at Centre and in NCT when the incident took place. "This encounter had taken place on September 19, 2008 when there were Congress governments in Delhi as well as at the Centre," the statement said.

The party questioned the reason of the Okhla MLA joining the Congress ahead of Assembly polls last year, if he had
doubts over the encounter. "Mr Asif needs to answer the question as to why he joined the Congress in August 2013 after having won the 2008 Assembly polls on the RJD ticket. Despite the fact that Congress governments of Delhi and even the Centre had termed the encounter as genuine in the High Court and the Supreme Court," the statement said.

The statement further said that when the encounter took place, AAP had not come into existence. "The AAP had not come into existence till then, but it was noted lawyer and human rights activist, Prashant Bhushan (now a national executive member of the AAP) who had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking an independent investigation into this encounter." The HC asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to look into the matter. The NHRC accepted the probe report of the Delhi Police Crime Branch. This was again challenged by Bhushan in the Supreme Court," the statement added. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the then Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan dismissed the petition seeking an independent/judicial inquiry into the encounter. The apex Court ruled that no further probes were required in this matter.

PTI

AAP is self-certifying government: BJP

New Delhi: BJP today took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal for its self-certification.

"AAP is good as it gives a certificate to itself. Kejriwal government has become a self-certifying government," BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, while ridiculing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal commending his own government on the completion of one month.

Arvind Kejriwal. Firstpost image

He said if one made allegations against them they rejected them and indulged in fudging of figures. "If you make allegations, they declare it is not true. They fudge figures. Today they have fudged their accounts," he said.

As his government completed one month in power, Kejriwal today said controversies surrounding the AAP dispensation never affected its functioning and asserted that his team did a good job in addressing various challenges facing the city.

In a press conference which was disrupted by a Congress MLA, the Chief Minister claimed his government has done far more work for the people in the first month than its predecessors and said rooting out corruption, ensuring security to women and enhancing water distribution network were among his top priorities.

"Your surveys have shown... it is clear people are happy with the performance," he said, adding a number of key
decisions have been taken to help the common man like providing 20 kilo litres of free water per month to each household besides providing power subsidy to a large section of consumers.

PTI

Left trying to forge tie-up with regional parties: Karat

Bhubaneswar: CPM today said Left parties were in consultation with various regional parties to forge a tie-up after the Lok Sabha elections in order to give an effective alternative to people.

The Left parties were in consultation with various regional parties like the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, JD(U) in Bihar, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, JD(S) in Karnataka and BJD in Odisha, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat. Reuters

These parties could come together after the general elections, Karat said but rejected the term 'Third Front' for their platform.

"Our party is trying to have an electoral understanding with non-Congress and secular parties. I met Naveen Patnaik yesterday and hope to have an understanding with the BJD in Odisha," he said.

Slamming both Congress and BJP, Karat said the two terms of the UPA has led to suffering of the people and loot of natural resources to benefit corporates. "Both the parties have entered into a competition to make better policies for the interest of corporates," he said.

"The policies of Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi are not different. People are fed up with the price rise, loot of resources and of course corruption," Karat said adding that the Left parties are trying to bail the country out from the twin national parties.

As Congress is going down, it will be Left parties and other secular parties which can fight BJP, he said.

CPM has decided to field candidates in 35 Lok Sabha seats spread over eight states but could fight in more seats following tie-up with regional parties, Karat said.

Asked whether his party would like to have a tie-up with the BJD, which has been tainted by the mining scam, Karat said Left parties have an understanding on economic policies that is radically different from the policies followed by the BJP and Congress.

On whether Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik could be the prime ministerial candidate of their front, Karat said, "Let the election be held. Why do you want to jump the gun?"

Karat also ruled out any understanding with the Aam Admi Party (AAP). "AAP can not be a substitute for the Left parties. They think AAP is the only party to become an alternative," Karat said.

PTI

Mamata lied in Brigade rally: CPI(M)

Kolkata: CPI(M) today accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of resorting to "lies" while describing the success story of her government in the state. "What the chief minister has said is a bunch of lies," Mohammed Selim, CPI(M) executive committee member told reporters while reacting to Banerjee's speech during a huge Trinamool Congress (TMC) rally at Brigade Parade Ground here today.

Mamata Banerjee. Agencies.

He said the chief minister claimed that West Bengal was the leading state in food procurement, but the truth was different, and the state government had largely failed in procuring foodgrains from farmers.

Selim also countered her contention that opposition workers had not been attacked ever since TMC came to power in 2011, saying the truth was that not only opposition party workers were killed, but journalists too were beaten up and a police officer murdered over a college election.

He claimed that 150 Left workers had been killed in the two-and-a-half years of TMC rule. "There is no similarity between what she says and what the reality is," Selim claimed and said "she is now dreaming of power in Delhi and thus neglecting the state".

PTI

Can’t say if crisis has been averted: Omar on Congress

New Delhi: "I cannot say whether the crisis has been averted," Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today about the tussle with his coalition partner, the Congress, over the creation of new administrative units in the state.

Omar's cryptic remark came two days ahead of a crucial meeting of his Cabinet in Jammu at which a report of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on such units will be considered amidst reports that the issue had snowballed into a confrontation between coalition partners.

Omar Abdullah. AFP

Voicing his keenness for establishment of the units, Omar told PTI here, "I only hope that this people friendly move sees the light of the day."

"Any decision will be taken on February 1 when the state cabinet meets," he added.

Omar and his party, the National Conference (NC), are pressing for creation of 700 new administrative units for better governance, a move the Congress was said to be stonewalling earlier. However, the Congress now favours creation of as many as 2,100 such units on grounds of a "more equitable distribution" among various regions.

Speaking in the larger context of the alliance between NC and Congress, Omar asserted, "we (NC) are not fair weather friends."

The difference over administrative units had to be "subsumed" into wider discussion about the UPA and where it will go forward, Omar said, adding if the issue was resolved there should be no speculation about NC's future with UPA.

PTI

Muslim votes: Nervous Mulayam showers sops on community

Lucknow: Three new Muslim faces in the cabinet, 25 percent reservation for Muslims in the state pension scheme, special vocational skills to Muslims youth in 45 districts, 20 percent reservation in all government schemes in districts having at least 25 percent minority population, a hike in honorarium paid to Madrasa teachers - the Samajwadi Party is going full blast wooing the Muslim community. If there's a hint of desperation in all this, it is understandable. There are signs post Muzaffarnagar riots that the community is moving away from party. The Congress is lying in wait to capture the vote bank. With Narendra Modi's popularity growing, nothing seems to be following the script for party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. PTI

The matter is serious for him indeed. If the Muslim community decides to turn its back on the Samajwadi Party, it would mean the end of his prime ministerial ambition. For those not in the know, the community accounts for 17 percent of the vote share in the state and if united, could impact results in as many as four dozen parliamentary constituencies, particularly those in the eastern and western Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam's reputation as the protector of Muslims has taken some beating over the last many months. With this his aim of securing at least 50 seats in the coming polls has suffered.

There have been many communal riots - the developments in Muzaffarnagar and the Akhilesh government's response to it being particularly worrisome. Worse, the threat perception in the community has been on the rise after Modi's arrival on the Uttar Pradesh political stage. The Congress has already announced four percent reservation the backward in the community. It had voted overwhelmingly for the Samajwadi Party in the assembly elections of 2012 to bring it back to power. That support looks suspect now. That explains the sense of urgency in the government to woo back the Muslims to its fold.

"Samajwadi Party has always used Muslims as vote bank and is continuing to do so. The party keeps clergies and Ulmas satisfied so that they speak in party's favour. These clergies and Ulmas, in return, create a phobia of BJP in the Muslim mind," says advocate Rizwan Ahmed, who wonders why Mulayam remained so complacent when riot after riot were taking place in the state. This sentiment echoes among the common Muslim voters fed up with tokenism resorted to by parties such as Samajwadi Party. They are more interested in issues like development, education, electricity and jobs. They are not too impressed by senior minister Azam Khan's appeal to come together to fight communal forces – read the Congress and the BJP.

Rihai Manch, the outfit spearheading a movement which seeks release of Muslim youth arrested on false charges by the previous government, shares the mood. "Muslims are unhappy with Mulayam. We are rather angry with the party as it has failed to keep its promise to free Muslim boys who arrested under terrorism charges," says Manch's president and advocate Mohammed Shoaib.

However, the community is in a bind when it comes to electoral choice. Despite its disenchantment with Mulayam, many don't feel they can vote for any other party. Political analyst Zaheer Mustafa says, "Muslims have never deserted Mulayam since the Babri mosque demolition. For us, voting for Mulayam is the same as the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) voting for BJP." All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson MM Yasoob Abbas says, "Muslims have faith in the SP and big hopes from the party. We do not feel the schemes they are introducing are to appease us. The party is only fulfilling its promises."

The views within the community might be divided but it allows Mulayam and his party no comfort. The spate of recent announcements only highlights their insecurity.