Election Tracker: BJP firm on Mission 272+, Congress wears out

Countdown for the Lok Sabha elections 2014 has already started and it won't be an exaggeration to say that the UPA and the Congress in particular are in dire straits. What is apparent is that despite an inkling of the impending disaster, the Congress has so far been unable to arrest this downslide. The BJP's announcement of its prime ministerial candidate in Narendra Modi is only making matters worse for the ruling Congress.

The unfolding national picture showed that if the general elections are held today the NDA alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal will get between 211-231 seats as per the Lokniti, CSDS-IBN National Tracker survey. The Congress-led alliance UPA, including NCP, Kerala allies and JMM, will get anywhere between 107-127 seats.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. PTI

In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the Congress had won 206 seats while the BJP 116. Among other significant parties, the Trinamool Congress is expected to win between 20 and 28 seats, the AIADMK between 15 and 23 seats and the Left Front between 15 and 23 seats. The Samajwadi Party, which is now acting as the life support system for UPA 2, will get 8-14 seats. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is likely to get 10-16 seats in a January poll. Despite all the noise, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party will only get between 6-12 seats if it goes national.

"There is cause for celebration as you have given us seats beyond 200. As a political activist it is nice to see numbers come in our favour but we also need to ensure that my nose is to the ground and increase our vote share. There is clearly an anti-UPA and anti-Congress mood in the country," BJP spokesperson Smriti Irani told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion.

Irani also said that in the remaining days the BJP will target the absolute majority mark of 272 seats in a house of 543.

"We are absolutely sure of reaching the 272 mark on our ow in our Mission 272+. We are not thinking about alliances now," she said.

The BJP spokesperson admitted that the Narendra Modi factor has been a great boost.

"People are looking for decisive leadership. We are extremely jubilant with the response of Modi's rallies be it Gorakhpur or Goa. Modi has a proven track record and a vision for India and he is the biggest political leader in India at present," Irani said.

Firstpost's editor-at-large, Dhiraj Nayyar agreed that the response to Modi has been phenomenal.

"Modi has captured the imagination. The increasing shift towards the BJP has happened more after he was declared as their prime ministerial candidate. In fact, the youth of the country are not looking into the age of the leader but into the message. That's why even though Rahul Gandhi is 20 years younger than Modi he is not making enough impact," Nayyar said.

Although the Nationalist Congress Party, or NCP, found it difficult to believe what the survey revealed, it accepted that the Congress is in trouble. However, the Maharashtra based party reaffirmed its allegiance to the national outfit.

"All the 2004 surveys were proved wrong despite their predictions that Atal Bihari Vajpayee would return to power. The actual result was that Congress and its allies won. We are firm ally of the UPA," said NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi.

But the NCP leader had a word of advise for the national party particularly for its lack of coordination with allies.

"Congress has to learn to be united with its allies. After the poll defeat, Congress admitted that they need introspection politically and organisationally. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has himself admitted that the party is in crisis. The important thing is to see whether the solutions they are taking are right or wrong," Tripathi said.

The New Indian Express, editorial director, Prabhu Chawla also blamed Congress' ally problems as one of the main reasons for its trouble.

"The broken allies have harmed the Congress more. On its own, the party's vote share has actually come down just 1.5 percent than its 2009 tally. The vote loss in Andhra Pradesh is a major factor for the party. The party is also suffering a lot in Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where the BJP has made massive gains," Chawla said.

Columnist Pushpesh Pant felt that the BJP gains in Uttar Pradesh were also because of the mistakes of Samajwadi Party government in the state.

"People will vote in large numbers for the BJP because of poor performance by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. This is a bad time for Yadavs. All OBCs are uniting against Yadavs," Pant said, delivering a caveat.

Lokiniti Network national convener, Sandeep Shastri highlighted on the all-round loss of the Congress.

"Across groups save in the case of Muslims, Dalits and tribals the BJP is ahead of the Congress in the whole country," Shastri said.

Like the NCP, the Trinamool Congress, which has turned out to be the third largest party as per the study, also did not quite agree with the findings.

"We are seriously disappointed by the numbers shown by the survey. The ground reality is very different. In our assessment, we are winning 32 seats and we are playing only for 10. The Mamata Banerjee government which is halfway through has reached out to the grassroots," said Trinamool Congress spokesperson and MP Derek O' Brien.

Brien did not spill out the beans on his party's strategies when asked about possible alliances.

"Now our focus is only on winning as much seats as possible. On the so-called alliances, the focus will be after 15 May. For now, we believe we will be able to win 42 seats in West Bengal and Mamata Banerjee will have a decisive role to play in Delhi," he said.

What was interesting to watch was the Aam Aadmi Party's approach in the debate despite being set to get a paltry 6-12 seats as per the national projection.

"Both the Congress and BJP are afraid of us. Let us put up our candidates and begin our campaign. It is not the time to decide who is No.1 or No. 2 enemy. It is a fight against corruption and misgovernance. The BJP is not an alternative of the Congress. I don't see any difference between BJP and Congress policies except for communalism and secularism. AAP is now the central point of political discourses," said AAP spokesperson Ashutosh.

BJP's Irani was quick to respond.

"The AAP is officially a part of the corrupt UPA combine which the people will reject," she said.

BJP can’t find venue for Modi rally on 11 Feb, blames BJD govt

Bhubaneswar: The BJP today accused the BJD government of not providing a ground for the public meeting of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on 11 February.

"This is unfortunate that the state government is doing petty politics. BJD's action was out of fear and panic," alleged senior BJP leader B B Harichandan.

Narendra Modi. AFP

"Even though we had requested the School and Mass Education department to allow us to hold Modi's rally at the Capital High School grounds on December 26, the department is yet to take a decision," senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty said.

Mohanty said the party had requested for the ground as about two lakh people would assemble there. Two other large grounds like Janata Maidan and Exhibition Ground were not available on 11 February, he said.

While the Commissionerate Police has already given consent to the Capital High School ground as the venue since it would be best from the security point of view, the School and Mass Education department was sitting over it, the BJP leader said.

Accusing the department of playing footsie, he said if the government was not ready to provide the ground, it should organise an alternative venue for the meeting, which could not be cancelled.

The party also cautioned the state government that it would be responsible for any law and order if the ground was not allowed.

Countering it, BJD Vice-President Damodar Rout said, "They should apply for the place which can be given for a public meeting. Since their request is for a school ground, we are considering it. The school ground can only be given for a rally in the security point of view," School and Mass Education Minister R N Nanda said.

PTI

BJP didn’t accept land for Ram temple to keep issue alive: Mulayam

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today said though as chief minister he had offered 17 acre land for Ram temple, the BJP did not accept it as it wanted to keep the issue alive.

"BJP is unreliable as it did not fulfil its promise of building Ram temple despite its resolutions in this regard. It had no intention of doing so and had only wanted to let it remain an issue," Yadav said.

Mulayam Singh. AFP

He was speaking at a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur here.

Even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the prime minister and Kalyan Singh chief minister in Uttar Pradesh they did nothing for temple construction, Yadav said.

Yadav said that he had met the President and told him that Babri mosque would be demolished two days before it was pulled down in December 1992, and later the then prime minister Narsimha Rao had also accepted that BJP leaders betrayed him.

"Now the matter is in the court and all should await its verdict," he said.

Attacking BJP, Yadav said that its leaders are followers of Hitler's propaganda minister Goebbels who used to say that 100 lies turn true, and their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is also following him.

PTI

LS polls: Cong releases first ad, BJP says it has copied Modi

New Delhi: Congress today released its first advertisement for the Lok Sabha polls, but main Opposition BJP targeted it saying the party has "copied" Narendra Modi's ad blitz at a BJP convention in 2011.

Rahul Gandhi is at the centrestage of the campaign 'Mein Nahi, Hum' (Not I, we) which appeared in today's newspapers. Dismissing BJP's charges of plagiarism, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza insisted that no one has sole proprietary right on words and ideas.

Rahul Gandhi. AFP

According to BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, this is a phrase coined by Modi at the party's 'Chintan Shivir' in 2011 where he said 'Mein Nahi, Hum' to connect with the common man.

"Though Congress hates Modi, they like the phrase coined by him and use as their own slogan," he said.

He sought to find loopholes in the ad saying, "Although they have copied from Modi, they have not done so properly as the pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi are missing."

"It only shows the picture of Rahul. One can only imagine where the 'hum' are, it is only 'mein' (me) in the ad," Hussain said.

Oza said there is "no need for Congress to copy anyone".

"Just because someone says it is their baby,... (it is not the case," she said, adding that the Congress has always emphasised on "we" and has played inclusive politics.

"This is unlike the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP who often propagates the theory of 'I and me' and often forgets that he is part of the BJP," she said.

The Congress' main slogan is "har haath shakti, har haath tarakki", she said, adding based on the theme of self-help, the slogan meant "power in every hand; progress for everyone".

Apparently hinting at AAP, she suggested that the Congress was the first to talk of the aam aadmi plank 10 years ago.

Incidentally, the Congress punch line in the ad campaign of 2009 was: Congress Ka Haath, Aam Aadmi ke Saath (the Congress' hand is always with the common man).

The campaign in 2004 Lok Sabha polls revolved around 'Aam Aadmi Ko Kya Mila' (What did the common man get), a response to the BJP's 'India Shining' campaign.

PTI

Fodder scam: Disqualified JD(U) MP gets 4 years RI

Ranchi: A special CBI court on Friday sentenced disqualified JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma to four years rigorous imprisonment in a fodder scam case.

Reuters

Judge Sitaram Prasad also slapped a fine of Rs four lakh on Sharma, who along with former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Yadav and Jagannath Mishra was convicted in another fodder scam case last year.

The court had on Wednesday last found Sharma and 18 others guilty in the RC 34 A/96 case, pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 1.16 crore from Godda Treasury in the 1990s.

The court also pronounced varying terms and penalties against ex-AHD's Touring Veterinary Officer Dr Shashi Kumar Sinha (five years RI and Rs fourteen lakh fine), Budget and Accounts Officer B B Prasad (five years RI and fine of Rs five lakh) and ex-Treasury Officer Bhanukar Dubey (five years RI and Rs 2.5 lakh fine).

The rest convicts were suppliers of fodder, who got rigorous imprisonment of four or five years and a fine amount between one lakh and eighteen lakh rupees.

On 3 October last year, Sharma along with former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra, was among the 45 convicted persons in the RC20 A/96 pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury when the RJD was ruling the undivided Bihar in the 1990s.

Sharma and Yadav lost their Lok Sabha seats following their conviction and sentence of four and five years RI respectively.

Sharma, who had got bail from the Supreme Court in the first case on 13 January, is back in jail.

PTI

81 crore voters in Lok Sabha polls, four crore to be first timers

New Delhi: Over 81 crore people are expected to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which include atleast four crore first-time voters in the youth category.

AFP

Election Commission sources say the number of electors in the country eligible to cast their vote in 2014 Lok Sabha election has gone up by around 10 crore from those who were eligible to vote in the 2009 general elections.

"Around 3.91 crore new electors have been added in recent summary revision of electoral rolls during the last three months, of which 1.27 crore voters are those in the category of 18-19 years age group," said Election Commission's Director General Akshay Raut.

Sharing the voter data ahead of the National Voter's Day on Saturday, Raut said the total number of new voters added will be out by the end of the month when the final publication of electoral rolls will be done.

During the last Voter's Day in 2013, as many as 2.32 crore voters were added, including 93 lakh first-time young voters in the 18-19 years age group.

In 2012, as many as 3.83 crore new electors were added, including 1.09 crore young first-time voters.

Celebrating the day of its inception as National Voter's Day on 23 January, the Election Commission holds awareness programmes and campaigns to spread the message of registration of voters and exercising their franchise during elections to strengthen participatory democracy in the country where every eligible voter votes.

President Pranab Mukherjee will speak at the National Voter's Day celebrations on Saturday at Vigyan Bhawan, while the Commission will hold 6.5 lakh functions across 8.5 lakh polling stations across the country to mark the day. Such functions on Voter's Day will also be held at 9.77 lakh educational institutions in collaboration with NGOs, civic society and social organisations.

In his message on National Voter's Day, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said "our endeavour is to ensure that everyone eligible is enrolled and those enrolled should vote in elections voluntarily.

"Besides, the participation of citizens in elections needs to be informed and ethical for a healthy democracy."

During the 2009 polls, there were 714 million voters against 671 million voters in 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

The Commission has also presented 16 'best electoral awards' in three categories of states, officers and society for spreading awareness about best electoral practices.

The states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Tripura and Karnataka will get excellence awards for smooth and successful conduct of elections. National media awards will also be presented to Rajasthan Patrika and DD Girnar in print and electronic media for best support for propagating electoral awareness, he said.

PTI

Indians held hostage by Somali pirates: SC asks govt to reply

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to file its response on a plea seeking direction to it to expedite the release of Indians held captive by Somalian pirates in international waters.

Supreme Court of India. IBNLive

A bench headed by Justice TS Thakur issued notices to the Centre, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Shipping and Director General of Shipping on a petition filed by the wife of an Indian seamen claiming that her husband, along with six others, have been held hostage by Somalian pirates since September 2010.

In her plea filed through advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, Rajni Singh said on 28 September, 2010, the pirates had hijacked a vessel, MV Asphalt Venture, which was managed by Mumbai-based OMCI Ship Management Pvt Ltd.

She said seven crew members of the ship are still in captivity of Somali pirates. She also referred to several similar incidents in which Indian citizens have been held hostage by the pirates.

"It is respectfully submitted that the above instances of the Somalian piracy itself raise a serious doubt on the issue of safety and security of the seamen as the persons who live at sea must not be put at risk," the petition said.

It also alleged that due to the "lackadaisical approach" of the government, one of the Indian citizen was killed by the Somalian pirates.

"The non-effective response policy of the respondents towards the above said piracy incidents itself shows that the respondents, till date, have not adopted a proper mechanism on this issue and as such the same infringes the Article 21 of the Constitution of India," it said.

PTI

Will decide on Telangana after considering various view points: BJP

New Delhi: With the Telangana Bill expected to come up in Parliament during the session next month, main opposition BJP on Friday said it will decide on its stance after considering various views, particularly in the context of "justice" for Seemandhra region.

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu. PTI

"We are studying the bill. Once the discussion in the (Andhra Pradesh) assembly is over, the central leadership will discuss and then take into consideration various view points and also suggestions by different people and then try to decide how to move about in the coming session of the Parliament," BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in New Delhi.

He said though the BJP is committed to the creation of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, BJP wants to "protect the interests of Seemandhra region" as well.

He accused the Congress party of dividing the people, instead of dividing the state.

"You cannot deal with such a sensitive, serious and emotional matter in such a casual manner. It is a matter that deserves highest consideration at every level," Naidu added.

He claimed that a section of Telangana leaders too raised apprehensions over the bill.

His comments assume significance as the government is inclined to bring the bill in Parliament during the resumed Winter session beginning 5 February.

Asked about his party's stand if the bill is tabled in the same format without any amendments, he evaded a direct reply saying the ball is in Congress court.

"Let them take the initiative and come forward what sorts of amendments they want to bring to the bill," he said.

Naidu alleged that Congress was speaking in two voices at state and the central level.

"What is the stand of Congress party? Why are they not speaking in one voice?... Do you have hidden agenda?" he asked the ruling party to explain.

PTI

Beyond Delhi: Kejriwal’s dharna may have given AAP a national boost

Arvind Kejriwal has received a lot of flak for backing his law minister on his night raid against alleged drug and prostitution rackets that some see as nothing but moral policing. His two day protest seeking action against the Delhi Police may have earned him even more criticism, but has it also given a much needed boost in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections?

In south India, where the party has acknowledged it needs to have a greater presence, some say that Arvind Kejriwal's image has taken a hit thanks to his rally. 

"Tamil Nadu as a society is quite conservative, so people could have taken the action of busting a sex racket in a good spirit but two things didn't go down well with people here. First the vigilante attitude of the minister, and second a CM doing theatrics on the road," Jayant Ramanathan, a government employee in Chennai, said.

Bad press but a good political push? Kejriwal during his two day long dharna. Naresh Sharma/ Firstpost

Others believe that the rally has helped get the AAP get eyeballs in a region where they aren't as established.

"I spoke to people the last couple of days about this and for the first time there are people who are taking notice of the Aam Aadmi party here," a journalist with a Tamil daily, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.

Sociologist Dipankar Gupta said he believed it was too early to asses the impact of the rally on people outside Delhi.

"It's tough to say it has a monochromic effect. In a way it's a good thing for AAP. In many other places there are people who are for the first time taking notice of the party and that because a chief minister has come own on the street to protest," he said.

"Probably some people outside Delhi, who were following AAP felt betrayed, but at the same time the CM's action has resonated with people as he has been protesting for valid causes," Gupta said.

"The common people are still not thinking as negative as the media," he added.

The way the event was reported in the media did not go down well with many of the aam aadmi of Delhi. Beyond Twitter and Facebook users, many claim to have sensed a 'bigger conspiracy'. Kejriwal's statements on the second day of the protest, against the media, was convincing enough for many. Many in the lower and lower middle class were willing to believe the AAP chief's statements that the party is a victim of the existing political system and the media was working against the party.

"Kejriwal has exposed what the media is doing. It is scared, because the people who are running it are scared as they fear their corruption will be exposed," Nandram, a resident from Sangam Vihar, who participated in the rally said.

The distrust of the media was also evident with instances of scuffles between journalists and AAP activists being reported at the site of the protest.

Despite many retaining their faith in the AAP even after the protest rally, others find themselves slightly disillusioned with the party, but haven't completely lost hope yet.

"Such behaviour I expect from outfits like Ram Sene and other fringe groups. Even the BJP in Delhi does not indulge into such moral policing," Apoorva Mishra, an employee with a private bank, said.

"I still think there is a point in voting for AAP or giving them a chance but they should really keep a check on such attitudes by their lower level leaders and general cadres," he said.

Some political analysts believe the protest would give the AAP a much needed thrust outside Delhi.

"As the events unfold it has exposed a few people like Kiran Bedi. Today she is calling Kejriwal names, but two years back she was doing the same thing from Anna's stage," Kumar Ketkar, political analyst and editor of Dainik Divya Marathi, told Firstpost.

Ketkar said he believed statements from Bedi and others criticising the protest rally would only strengthen support for Kejriwal and AAP.

"However, it will have multiple and various effects across the country. This type of protest will make him more popular in northern India, but in places like Mumbai or Bangalore this might hurt them," he said.

Ketkar also believes that Kejriwal's action as a CM who isn't afraid to take protests to the street will set a new precedent in Indian politics.

"He has managed to bring politics out on the streets from the cushy rooms. After the CPM in the late 1970s and Mamata Banerjee, India hasn't witnessed such political mobilisation on the streets. Even Rahul Gandhi had to concede that probably AAP's method was wrong but their demand was valid," Ketkar said.

EC cautions Kejriwal on pamphlets appealing for Muslim votes

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday rejected Arvind Kejriwal's contention on distribution of pamphlets appealing to Muslims to vote for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during Delhi polls, holding that it amounted to model code violation and cautioned him to be careful in future poll campaigns.

AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal. AFP

"Having regard to the totality of facts and circumstances of the case and submissions and contentions made by you in your reply under reference, the Commission hereby conveys its concern, and cautions you to be more careful in the election campaigns of your party in future," the EC order to the Delhi Chief Minister said.

The Commission held that he had made an appeal in the pamphlet to a particular religious community for securing votes in favour of AAP, which it found to be a violation of sub para (3) of Para I of Model Code of Conduct which bars anyone from making an appeal for votes on religious lines.

The poll body said it was not satisfied with the explanation furnished by Kejriwal who contended that the language used in the pamphlet should be read in totality and claimed that he was trying to promote communal harmony.

"The Commission has prima facie observed that by distributing the pamphlet (seeking Muslim votes), you have violated the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct," the EC notice served to him on 20 November had said.

The notice followed a complaint by Harish Khurana, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, who objected to pamphlets being distributed by Kejriwal containing appeals to Muslim voters for their backing.

In its pamphlet, whose objectionable parts EC has reproduced in its order, AAP stated that, "Delhi's Muslims should support Aam Aadmi Party in the forthcoming polls.

"We (AAP) are not seeking votes for power or money but for rooting out corruption from the system and building a corruption-free India where people belonging to all religions can live in peace," the pamphlet stated.

The pamphlet dubbed BJP as a "communal party". "Till now the Muslims did not have any alternative, but now they have an honest alternative in the form of AAP," it said.

"We appeal to the Muslim voters of Delhi to back our endeavours for clean politics and not fall into the trap in which they have been falling for the past 65 years," it said.

The Commission had last month accorded AAP the status of a recognised state party in Delhi after its impressive showing. AAP had won 28 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly. AAP is now contemplating contesting over 400 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

PTI

Kapil Sibal to contest from Chandni Chowk even if Kejriwal is in fray

Mumbai: Amid speculations that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal could contest against him from his Chandni Chowk constituency, Union Minister Kapil Sibal today said he will be in the fray from there irrespective of who his opponent is.

"I am going to contest Lok Sabha election from Chandni Chowk, let anybody be in the fray," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

Kapil Sibal. AFP

Sibal, a staunch critic of the Delhi Chief Minister, however, said he was not averse to subsidies like those effected in the national capital by the Aam Aadmi Party government with regard to power and water tariff.

"See the point is we are in the election mode... and naturally we all look at the aam admi." he said.

"As a govt, we have been doing this all along for the last 10 years for the common man. I think that though any subsidy which has a very negative long term implication for the economy is not something which is welcome but, at the same time, we must realise that there are certain sections of our country who need subsidies and therefore those issues need to be addressed," Sibal said.

The minister said 800 million people in India do not have a very prosperous existence and the government must think of them.

"Therefore, in that context where subsidy is necessary it should be given and where subsidy has long term negative implications on the economy then we should think before giving," he said.

He was asked whether such subsidies would not put further pressure on the fiscal deficit, making the target difficult to achieve.

Taking a jibe at AAP and BJP, Sibal said the Opposition has provided two alternatives--one who wants to run the country from streets and the other who does not have any ideology.

PTI

Lok Satta Party rules out any electoral tie-up with AAP

Hyderabad: Lok Satta Party will not have any electoral tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party and contest the forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections independently in Andhra Pradesh, party president said on Friday.

Lok Satta' President Jayprakash Narayan. YouTube video grap

"We have no plans to have an alliance with AAP either for assembly or Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. The Lok Satta party will contest all 294 assembly segments in the coming elections under its own symbol," Jayaprakash Narayan, national president of Lok Satta Party told reporters in Hyderabad.

Incidentally, senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan had also recently said here that the two parties had decided not to enter into any pre-poll alliance.

Led by former bureaucrat Jayaprakash Narayan, who is the lone legislator of his party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the Lok Satta Party and his team from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi had earlier held discussions with AAP president Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders in Delhi, fuelling speculations that both the parties could forge an alliance for the ensuing general and assembly elections.

Asked if the party would ally with other parties including AAP in other states, Narayan said, "As of now we have no alliances with anybody and with regard to other states we will let you know. At this point of time we have no plans on (having) alliances in other states. We will take decisions depending on circumstances in such states".

Meanwhile, the Lok Satta Party announced its first list of 25 candidates for the forthcoming Andhra Pradesh assembly elections today and also unveiled its unique 'Suggest Your Candidate' drive.

The party's national committee entrusted with the task of identifying candidates is in the process of finding credible and reputed candidates to be fielded for Lok Sabha seats and their names would be announced at an appropriate time, Narayan said.

PTI

Why Alagiri’s suspension from DMK is a non-event

So finally when DMK chief M Karunanidhi suspended MK Alagiri from the party, in favour of the younger son MK Stalin, it will most likely be a non-event in Tamil Nadu politics because the older son had played his brinkmanship way too often and far too long.

Had there been any possible collateral damage, the patriarch wouldn't have taken this decision. Alagiri, who seemed to have been perpetually quarrelling with his father for ignoring his succession-claims, is weak today and his fiefdom has been nearly taken over by the heir apparent Stalin.

It's been clear for a long while that Stalin, who has both considerable political and administrative experience under his father's tutelage, will be the future of the DMK.  Over the last few years, he has established his authority over the party across the state, which entailed negligible resistance from local satraps. The only hurdle to Stalin's empire was Madurai-based Alagiri, who controlled the southern districts. The party even had a special post for him - south zone organising secretary - from which he has been removed now.

Losing influence steadily. Firstpost

In the past, Alagiri had absolute control over at least five Lok Sabha constituencies in the south. With the district unit of the party disbanded and most of his supporters switching loyalties, he's a spent force now. In fact, there can't be a greater erosion in the party's following than in the 2011 assembly elections when it lost all the ten seats in his stronghold.

The effort of the party, or rather Stalin, now will be to consolidate his control in the southern district. For far too long, it had been outsourced to Alagiri and he mostly delivered well.

Alagiri's expulsion is not just political, but is also about settling succession-disputes within the Karunanidhi household. When Alagiri often said that he would accept only Karunanidhi's leadership, and nobody else's in the party, what he fought against was father's preference for the younger son. It always peeved him and his only instrument of protest was open defiance.

Therefore, every time the party took a strategic decision, which clearly involved Stalin, Alagiri would throw a fit for no reason and contradict his father and brother. The most embarrassing was his recent opinion against actor-politician Vijayakanth whose DMDK is being actively wooed by the DMK.

The DMK is facing one of its biggest electoral challenges this year. Till date, the party has not been able to assemble a decent alliance against the ruling AIADMK which appears to be very strong at the moment. It doesn't want to align with its UPA partner Congress and thought that it would compensate for the loss of vote share by roping in the DMDK.

But the DMDK is either ignoring its overtures or playing too pricey. It's also seriously talking to the BJP. If the DMK doesn't get the DMDK on its side, it will be in serious trouble and the only option will be to turn back to the Congress. In either case, the party will have to mobilise all its resources to mount a decent fight.

According to the Lokniti-IBN Tracker Poll, the DMK seems to be in serious trouble. If its voteshare of 23 per cent was neck-to-neck with the AIADMK's 25 per cent in 2009, by January 2014, it fell to a disastrous low of 18 per cent even as the share of AIDMDK rose to 27 per cent. The most surprising is the estimated rise of the vote share of the Congress from 15 in 2009 to 17 in 2014.

The Tracker poll also predicts that the DMDK's voteshare will fall to a mere three per cent from about 10 per cent in 2009. Although the accuracy of  these projected voteshares is limited by the nature of the alliances and the number of seats that each party contests, it does foretell a possible fall in the voteshare of the DMDK which the DMK is relying on. Going by the Tracker results, the Congress appears to be an unavoidable ally for the DMK, and with DMDK also on its side, it can take on the AIADMK with some confidence.

Whichever way the alliance finally turns out, the DMK cannot take chances and the last thing it wants is a nagging obstacle within its camp. So for the time being, the only way to silence Alagiri is to move him out.

However, one shouldn't be surprised if Alagiri makes a comeback sooner than later because, after all, he is family. What has unfolded so far is sibling rivalry that is expressing itself as a political fight. The sibling rivalry, under normal circumstances, doesn't end overnight because the sibling out of favour can always find sympathy from somebody else in the family.

Somnath Bharti doesn’t appear before DCW, flies kites instead

New Delhi: Controversial Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti on Friday failed to appear before the Delhi Commission for Women and instead sent his lawyers who had a public spat with panel chief Barkha Singh after she refused to entertain them.

Delhi Law Minister Bharti flying kites in the city. PTI

DCW had summoned Bharti following allegations that the Delhi minister led a group of AAP workers who misbehaved with a number of African women on the pretext of a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring in South Delhi last week.

The Law Minister was asked to depose before the commission this afternoon to explain the charges against him but he sent his lawyers, who said he was absent due to "some urgencies". However, the minister was seen attending a kite festival in the city and laughed off questions on why he didn't appear before the commission.

DCW Chief Barkha Singh said the Commission had asked the minister to depose before it and would not accept explanation of his lawyers.

One of Bharti's lawyers Rishikesh Kumar said Singh did not allow them to put across his point on the issue. "I have been asked by Somnath Bharti to represent him in today's proceeding. I came here at 3 pm and as I entered inside I saw many camerapersons were already present there. So I said that it's already 3 o'clock and we have been sent by Bharti to represent him," he said

"We were told lawyers cannot represent. I said I have got the instructions. I have got the authorisation and can you please let me speak? Then she said no, you are a lawyer. But I kept saying that we have a humble submission. I told her that because of some urgencies Bharti might not be able to attend today's hearing," Kumar said.

The AAP had on Thursday decided to back Bharti and to await the findings of a judicial inquiry before any action can be taken against him.

However, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal disapproved of the language used by Bharti against senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley and noted lawyer Harish Salve and asked him not to use foul language in public discourse.

Kumar said Bharti will file a written reply as the minister had received four separate compliants by four different women.

"We are going through the letters of complaints and will soon file a written reply because we have got the notice and we don't want to evade the due process of law and duly authorised representative can speak on behalf of the law minister. That's what we are trying do but there was already a lot of chaos," he said.

PTI with additional inputs

Andhra CM Reddy skips Delhi visit due to debate on Telangana

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday skipped a proposed visit to Delhi to meet AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh to discuss the issue of Rajya Sabha polls in view of the ongoing Assembly session, where Telangana Bill is being discussed currently.

Andhra Pradesh CM Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Reddy has informed Singh, in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh, that he is not coming to Delhi in view of the ongoing debate in the Assembly on the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, official sources said.

The CM was supposed to visit Delhi to meet Singh to discuss the next month's biennial elections to Rajya Sabha to fill six vacancies from the state.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday gave seven more days to the Assembly (till 30 January) to debate the Bill before returning it to the Centre which has promised to table the legislation in the upcoming session of Parliament.

The President's decision came following a request from the Andhra Pradesh government, which sought four weeks extension of the 23 January deadline fixed by him while sending the Bill to the Assembly last month.

Reddy had also stayed away from the 17 January AICC meet in the national capital in view of the session.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana left for Delhi this afternoon, party sources said.

PTI

RS polls: 39 people apply for the three seats in Assam

Guwahati: A total of 39 people, including four former MPs, have submitted applications to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee here for the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state that will fall vacant
soon.

"The applications, including from former MP and APCC vice-president Bishnu Prasad, Kirip Chaliha, Anowar Hussain and Barnenda Bhattacharjee, have been received by the APCC office here," party spokesman Bichitra Choudhury told PTI.

Representational image. AFP

"It is not the norm to submit applications for nomination to Rajya Sabha. The selection of the candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats will be announced tomorrow in New Delhi after the party high command takes a decision on the nominees," Choudhury said.

The AICC has called Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita to New Delhi to join a meeting tomorrow to finalise its nominees for February 7 poll, sources said.

The three Rajya Sabha MPs retiring are Bhubaneswar Kalita, Biren Baishya (AGP) and Biswajit Daimary (BPF).

PTI

Lok Sabha polls: Pawar sees no anti-UPA wave, says new voters crucial

Mumbai: Denying that a strong anti-UPA wave is sweeping the country, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP President Sharad Pawar on Friday said the political situation is still "unclear" and regional parties as well as new voters will play a crucial role in forming the next government.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi. AFP

Talking to reporters after filing his Rajya Sabha nomination papers in Mumbai, Pawar said, "Even though the main contest will be UPA versus NDA (in the Lok Sabha polls), one has to accept the strength of regional parties in their respective states. Their help will be required for formation of the next government."

Similarly, the highlight of this general election will be participation of new voters in large numbers.

"The winning combination will be the beneficiary of the support of new voters," he added.

To a query on possibility of a Third Front government, Pawar said, "it was too early to speak about it".

He expressed confidence that people will vote a strong and stable government in the interest of the country to improve and strengthen economy.

To a question on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Maharashtra Samajwadi Party President Abu Asim Azmi's statements supporting him for Prime Ministership, Pawar said, "let anybody say anything... I am not available."

He said NCP contests limited number of seats and the party knows its limitations.

When asked about Congress not projecting Rahul Gandhi as its PM candidate, Pawar said the party has never projected anybody as Prime Minister before elections. To a question on whether the Congress refrained from naming Rahul as allies may object, Pawar asked, "why comment on this, when there was no such proposal in the first place."

Scoffing at surveys which predict a UPA rout, Pawar said in 2004, surveys predicted Vajpayee government will be voted back to power on the 'feel good' and 'India shining' slogans.

"(However) Congress-led coalition won the election and continued to be in power for ten years," he added.

PTI

Lok Sabha polls: Jairam Ramesh keeps mum on alliances in Bihar

Patna: Playing his cards close to the chest, Union minister Jairam Ramesh today said talks on alliance for Lok Sabha polls in Bihar was on and a decision would be taken in "a few days."

"Talks are on and a decision will be taken in a few days," Ramesh told reporters.

Jairam Ramesh. PTI

Asked about the choice between Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he refused to give a pointed answer and said "all options are open."

He, however, said that majority opinion even that of state unit was to have a partner for the polls in Bihar and not go it alone.

When asked if Kumar's image of a "development man" and charges of corruption against RJD President Lalu Prasad would influence the decision on alliance, he said "I have not come here to give a chit of being good or corrupt to anyone."

Ramesh, considered close to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and a strategist for him, said the decision on alliance would be finalised on two conditions.

First is to strengthen the secular forces in Bihar and second to give muscle to development of the state, Ramesh flanked by PCC chief Ashok Chaudhary said.

To a question if there was division within Congress in making choice between RJD and JD(U), he said "Congress is not a divided house...but no doors have been shut by us."

Replying to a question if corruption was no criteria for finalising alliance and isn't going with Lalu Prasad would damage their reputation, he said corruption is a big agenda for Congress which would in no case make any compromise on it.

"The UPA government on initiative of Rahul Gandhi has passed Lokpal bill and by February end Lokayuktas will be appointed in states," he said.

In reply to a question about his personal equation with the Bihar CM, he said it was good but said whenever they meet they do not talk politics but about development particularly in the rural sectors.

PTI

Alagiri’s presence could affect party’s discipline: DMK

Chennai: Cracking the whip, DMK today suspended its Madurai strongman and Karunanidhi's son MK Alagiri from all party posts and primary membership, telling him that his opposition to DMK-DMDK alliance is not going be taken lightly.

"The statement is reflective of the high command's stand," party General Secretary K Anbazhagan told reporters on the action against Alagiri, who is also a former Union Minister.

MK Alagiri. AFP

Karunanidhi, who is favourably disposed toward an alliance with DMDK, had recently distanced himself from Alagiri's remarks against any such alliance besides his criticism of DMDK founder Vijayakant, who also hails from Madurai.

In a veiled warning to his son on 7 January, the DMK president had said those going against party diktat on key issues like alliance will face disciplinary action, including expulsion.

Incidentally, today's decision to temporarily suspend the Madurai MP from the party came hours after he met his father at the latter's Gopalapuram residence.

The timing of the disciplinary action assumes added significance as it comes just ahead of the DMDK meet on February 2 in which Vijayakanth is expected announce the party with which he would tie-up for Lok Sabha polls.

DMK leaders feel that the action would send the "right signals" and soothe ruffled feathers of the DMDK leadership.

DMDK chief Vijayakanth was offended when Alagiri said he would "never consider captain (as Vijayakanth is addressed by party supporters) as a politician."

The actor-politician's party is being aggressively wooed by both DMK and BJP for an electoral tie-up for elections.

On Alagiri's suspension, Anbazhagan said while there were enough platforms and fora within the party to air divergent views and grievances, he had not chosen to use them.

Alagiri also made disparaging remarks about the "high command of parties who wish to align with" DMK, he said in an apparent reference to Alagiri's criticism of Vijayakant in a Tamil TV channel recently.

"Considering that his continuing in the party is not proper, and that it could affect party discipline, Alagiri is being temporarily removed from all party posts including primary membership," Anbazhagan said in the statement.

PTI

India can’t be superpower if we don’t empower women: Rahul Gandhi

Sevagram (Maha): Seeking to reinvigorate the Congress ahead of a difficult general election, party's chief campaigner Rahul Gandhi today pitched for empowering women, local bodies representatives and youth, saying India cannot become a superpower without that.

Gandhi, who has launched an initiative to elicit the views of a cross section of people for inputs to draft Congress manifesto, was interacting with party's local body representatives, pradhans, NGOs and bureaucrats at the Mahatma Gandhi's ashram here.

Rahul Gandhi. PTI

"50 percent of India are women. India can only be half strong, half proud, half powerful if we don't empower this 50 per cent. It can be only a half super power.

"If we cannot offer jobs to our crores of youth in a systematic way, if we cannot empower our pradhans, MPs, MLAs and other elected representatives, our country cannot be a super power," he said during a town hall-style interaction.

Strongly advocating decentralisation of the process of selection of candidates for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections by parties to include grassroots-level public representatives, Rahul said, "Today, in our party and BJP, 5-7 people decide all candidates. This lies in the root of corruption. The day we include the people in the process, 50 per cent of corruption will be gone."

"Today, the pradhans, MPs, MLAs don't have the powers that comes with their position. Our representatives in local bodies have no voice in the selection of candidates who contest Vidhan Sabha and parliamentary elections. I assure you, I will ensure their voice is heard. I promise you I will do it cent per cent," he said.

Rahul was responding to a participant who said local bodies representatives had no say in deciding the programmes and policies and in selection of candidates as "we have no identity".

PTI

Not just India, why Modi is a problem in US elections too

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has been giving sleepless nights to the UPA. As the Lok Sabha polls draw near, Congress leaders seem to be fearing the worst and panicking. They leave no stone unturned to attack the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. In an interview to Reuters today, Oil and Environment Minister Veerappa Moily blamed Modi for disintegrating Gujarat and has said that he had deliberately shielded the 2002 'genocide' in the state. But, Congress leaders attacking Modi is no surprise. After all, Modi is one of their biggest problems in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

What is surprising is the fact that Narendra Modi has become an election issue in the US too.

In California's 17th Congressional district in San Francisco's Bay Area, the issue of denying Modi a US visa in 2005  has become a political problem, notes a Times of India report today. 

PTI

Until now, the issue was between Democrat congressman Mike Honda who with 25 other Congressmen had signed a letter asking the US to continue denying Modi a visa and Ro Khanna, an Indian American who is contesting from the Republican party.

But now, the fight got bigger. Vanila Mathur Singh, an anaesthesiologist of Indian-origin, who is also a volunteer of the Hindu American Foundation recently joined the race as a Republican candidate. Mathur says one of the biggest issue she will fight against will be the Modi visa issue.

And it's not just Mathur or Khanna, there are many Modi supporters in the election-bound state who see the Modi visa issue as a major factor in the election.

Although Honda is leading the polls, pro-Modi supporters are proving that there will be a backlash in US politics for those who criticize Modi, notes the ToI report.

In 2005, the State Department revoked Modi's visa under an American law that bars a foreign official who "was responsible for or directly carried out, particularly severe violations of religious freedom.'

But it seems,  neither Honda nor the US can deny visa to Modi for very long.

Besides the Modi supporters, there is also a pressure on US from Indian politicians' end. Recently, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who is former external affairs minister, said after the 2014 polls President Barack Obama would have to handover the visa to Modi himself or risk losing his own entry to India.

A combative Sinha asked, "Will the US ever treat diplomats from China or Brazil in this fashion? We have to send a strong message that India is back in the hands of a strong leader after the 2014 polls. Either Obama come to Delhi to handover (the visa) to Modi or we will have to cancel his visa."

In an editorial in Time Magazine, Michal Crowley suggested that the BJP "holds the edge" in the upcoming general election. He said that "If the BJP prevails, Modi will be India's next Prime Minister. "Yet he is persona non grata in the US," he noted "because of his alleged role in a horrific episode of sectarian violence in February 2002."

US policymakers are divided. But then Modi is no ordinary man in India, he could be the next PM. "When Modi had no national profile, the restriction was inconsequential. But can Washington blacklist the leader of India?" Crowley asked.

"Should Modi win, the Obama administration will be pressured by many at home and abroad to condemn his past and prevent him from visiting the US. But (President Barack) Obama has tended to subordinate principle to the national interest," he suggested.

Noting that "Over the years, the US has done business with plenty of unsavoury leaders, in countries far less friendly than India," Time said, "By revoking Modi's visa, the US government has made clear its view of him and the Gujarat rampage."

Modi, clearly, is not just a national figure anymore. He has become a global figure creating ripples in the US state elections too.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar files nomination for Rajya Sabha

Mumbai: Stating that it was a "conscious" decision to quit electoral politics, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP President Sharad Pawar on Friday filed his nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls scheduled to be held on 7 February.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar. Reuters

Apart from Pawar, NCP's second candidate advocate Majid Memon also filed his papers. They were accompanied by Union Minister Praful Patel, senior NCP leader D P Tripathi and state NCP chief Bhaskar Jadhav on the occasion.

Pawar and Memon replace retiring NCP members Y P Trivedi and Janardhan Waghmare.

On his way to the house of elders in the Parliament, 73-year-old Pawar said, "I accept that I have aged. It was a conscious decision."

Taking a dig at Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's recent statement in Shirur daring Pawar to contest Lok Sabha poll from the seat, only to lose his deposit, Pawar said, "I was also scared to face such powerful people in election fray from a constituency where five out of six assembly segments are held by the NCP."

Pawar, who has won the Lok Sabha elections eight times since he first entered the Parliament in March 1985, founded the NCP in 1999 after breaking away from Congress. The veteran leader, who had mulling to bid adieu to Lok Sabha for long, has earlier served as Defence Minister besides being Chief Minister of Maharashtra thrice.

PTI

Manish Tewari slams opinion polls, says BJP remain in opposition

New Delhi: Union Minister Manish Tewari today debunked results of opinion polls giving some weightage to BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, saying those who have given prime ministerial candidates will sit in Opposition.

"After demolishing all surveys and analyses, when results of 2014 Lok Sabha elections come, you'll find that with God's grace and support of people those who have given Prime Ministers to the country are back in power and those who have given Prime Ministerial candidates are again back in their permanent place, the Opposition," Tewari told reporters.

Manish Tewari. PTI

The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting said "certain people" had a habit of writing off the Congress, which has a habit of bouncing back. Speaking to reporters here, Tewari attacked BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi saying his government in
Gujarat worked only for a few capitalists.

"If you analyse the administration in what is called the Gujarat model, five crore Gujaratis have lagged behind while 5-6 capitalists have progressed. So if the farmers are protesting there, they are doing the right thing," he said.

The Minister said if fascist powers strengthened, freedom of media would be a casualty. The minister said the UPA's ideology is to think as "we", while their opponents proclaimed "me".

In response to a query on barring opinion polls, Tewari said the UPA government does not believe in imposing bans.

With reference to reports alleging that two news-channels were blocked in Uttar Pradesh, the minister said the incident had shown the difference between UPA and others.

When asked if the Congress planned to promise job quotas in private sector, Tewari refused to comment saying the manifesto is at present a work in progress but added that his party had historically worked to empower weaker sections.

PTI

Narendra Modi’s economic vision is impractical trickery at best

Narendra Modi has much to thank Somnath Bharti for, or perhaps I am overstating the case and the vast majority of India's business journalists, in their hurry to see Modi coronated, would have forfeited a critical examination of his grand vision unveiled in Delhi even without the AAP distraction.

Consider the list – bullet trains linking the country, IITs in every state, a hundred new cities and the perennial and grandiose BJP dream of river linking.

The economics of high-speed trains has been known for a while. In a 2011 piece in the Economist, the author points out that only the Tokaido route in Japan connecting "35 million people in greater Tokyo to the 20 million residents of the Kansai cluster of cities comprising Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Nara" makes economic sense and all other such routes in Japan "lose cart-loads of cash, as high-speed trains do elsewhere in the world. Only indirect subsidies, creative accounting, political patronage and national chest-thumping keep them rolling.''

AFP

Perhaps, when Modi said, "Mitron, chunav jitney ke liye dole, dole, dole …phir bhi sarkar dole rahi hai'' he just meant that the Congress was no match for him even where wasteful expenditure was concerned.

The idea of IITs in every state again defies the reality of recent experience. It suggests Modi has made no attempt to understand the problems that have cropped up in setting up eight new IITs over the recent past. Opened in 2008 and 2009, they are still struggling to get off the ground, as Siddhartha Gupta, an IITian himself has documented in a recent article. CNR Rao, awarded the Bharat Ratna, has been quoted in the piece as saying that "… you can't create a good IIT by the stroke of a pen and a newspaper announcement''.

Rao has further noted that the faculty problem that dogs the new IITs will not be easily solved, and that even the existing IITs "have a second-rate faculty and first rate students. It has always been the case''. At a time when even the best IIT will not rank among the top 150 academic institutions in the world, expanding an already frayed brand seems self-defeating.

You can put down both these announcements to ignorance. Modi shows little sign of actually delving into the details of the grandiose schemes he announces, so perhaps it is his staff that has failed to do even the most basic of homework.

But some of the other announcements he has made, suggest that Modi is only interested in the rhetorical impact of his vision, rather than its practicality. The river linking project had been deservedly shelved with the fading away of Atal Behari Vajpayee. Given that a major component of the river linking project is the construction of canals linking the rivers, Modi's own abysmal record over the construction of the canal comprising the Sardar Sarovar irrigation system, should have alerted him to the fact that this is a project that will not work.

In 2009, after travelling through Gujarat I wrote a cover story for the then unknown Open Magazine, which I then elaborated in my recent book Waters Close Over Us. I noted that the canal network was supposed to have been completed by 2010, but by 2009 "of the proposed 74,626 km of canals, only 19,500 km had been built. In the three years since … the Gujarat government has added a further 289.22 km to the network.''

Much of the work that remains, involves the construction of field channels which actually deliver water to the farmer. With construction still caught up in the difficulty of land acquisition and the hostility of farmers to any attempt at acquiring their land, over 90 percent of Gujarat's share of water from the dam continues to go waste. Thanks to this tardy progress, the cost-benefit ratio of the entire project has become so skewed that the Sardar Sarovar Dam cannot ever justify itself in economic terms thanks to the ten years of the Narendra Modi administration. Effectively, it is independent India's largest planned disaster.

But then again, such is Modi's ability to create hype around himself in the name of development, that he has even turned this disaster into a PR success. This has been helped by the fact that even many of those critical of him over the 2002 violence continue to believe that he embodies their vision of development.

North of Ahmedabad, where the Narmada main canal travels through a tunnel below the bed of the Sabarmati, some of the canal water has been diverted into the river.

The Sabarmati which for the last fifty years had run dry for part of the year has been turned perennial. Obviously the displacement of ten of thousands of people along the Narmada was not undertaken to provide boat rides for the picnicking residents of Ahmedabad. But this is a necessity for the river front project conceived by Modi for his capital city. Highs rises are coming up on either side of the embankments being constructed to confine the Sabarmati/ Narmada and at the very least a riverfront requires a river.

Eventually though, long years after it was supposed to, the canal network will be completed and there will be no water to spare for the Sabarmati. When the high-rises finally take shape along the river, they will be staring at a dry bed for a great part of the year. By then Modi may well have escaped the state to carry out the same sleight of hand on a national scale.

PEB scam: Why won’t Shivraj Chouhan order a CBI probe?

Bhopal: Even as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan refuses to seek a CBI inquiry into the Professional Examination Board scam, new revelations are embarrassing the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivra Singh Chouhan. AFP

Chouhan himself admits the scandal is a big blot on the BJP's 10-year rule.

The Special Task Force (STF) of Madhya Pradesh Police, which is conducting investigations into the scam, presented its preliminary inquiry report before the sessions judge in Bhopal. The STF has claimed that key employees of the PEB have admitted to having collected several crores of rupees to help candidates clear the entrance tests for medical and engineering colleges in the state through unfair means. More money changed hands to help candidates clear the tests for recruitment to many departments including the police department.

Leaders of the Opposition and the ruling party have expressed shock at the inquiry being carried out by the STF despite several police officers involved in the scam and many policemen having been recruited via PEB. The skepticism rises because the STF keeps making selective leaks through the media.

Thousands of students gained degrees unfairly and thousands of government jobs have been handed to ineligible candidates through the scam. The Congress demanded a CBI inquiry but Chouhan's stand on corruption got the state assembly's approval when Speaker RS Sharma disallowed questions from Congressmen.

The government managed to avoid a debate on the issue like it did in the earlier assembly. Chouhan, who admitted in the House that nearly 1000 people were recruited through unfair means, keeps talking of "zero tolerance" against corruption but has refused to hand over the issue to the CBI despite demands from senior BJP leaders like Uma Bharti.

Besides policemen, bureaucrats, politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, power brokers and business tycoons have all been party to the scandal. Of nearly 200 people booked for involvement include the influential former minister, Laxmikant Sharma who was defeated in the recent assembly elections. The others facing the heat are a DIG of police RK Shivhare and IAS officer KC Jain. Sharma was accused of promoting Dr Pankaj Trivedi as controller of PEB ignoring the objections from bureaucrats. Trivedi was promoted on the recommendation of mining baron Sudhir Sharma who has been a key financier of BJP.

Dhanraj Yadav, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Governor Ram Naresh Yadav was also among 129 named in the FIR. The Minister's name figured in the data recovered from PEB's chief system analyst Nitin Mohindra. The list of accused also includes Congress leader Sanjeev Saxena.

In 1970 the state government formed a board to conduct entrance examinations for the government medical colleges. Another board was formed in 1981 for engineering colleges. The PEB formed in 1982 replaced both these boards. With the commercialisation of professional education in 2002 insiders breached the system for fraudulent admissions.

In 2005 the BJP government handed the PEB the recruitment examinations for the personnel for various departments. This turned it into a milch cow and exploiters formed an organised racket. Now recruitments to 40 departments are controlled by the PEB.

With the proliferation of private medical and engineering colleges from 2004 onwards, the PEB started conducting examinations for 50 percent of their seats. Here the college owners played a trick. They got good "scorers" to appear for these tests. On clearing the test they withdrew on the last date leaving the field open for the promoters to sell the seats for hefty donations.

With more engineering colleges opening the insiders helped them at the expense of deserving students. The private medical colleges also started post-graduation courses infiltrating into the government colleges through unfair means.

When the 'recruitment mafia' realised that though it could help candidates pass the theory test for police department it could not help them clear the physical test, they got fitness norms diluted. In some cases they even managed to get the fitness test abolished.

While the college admissions fetched the middlemen anything between Rs 5 to 50 lakh per candidate the recruitment racket fetched them Rs 1 to 10 lakh for each candidate.

Why Alagiri’s suspension from DMK doesn’t matter

So finally when DMK chief M Karunanidhi suspended MK Alagiri from the party, in favour of the younger son MK Stalin, it will most likely be a non-event in Tamil Nadu politics because the older son had played his brinkmanship way too often and far too long.

Had there been any possible collateral damage, the patriarch wouldn't have taken this decision. Alagiri, who seemed to have been perpetually quarrelling with his father for ignoring his succession-claims, is weak today and his fiefdom has been nearly taken over by the heir apparent Stalin.

It's been clear for a long while that Stalin, who has both considerable political and administrative experience under his father's tutelage, will be the future of the DMK.  Over the last few years, he has established his authority over the party across the state, which entailed negligible resistance from local satraps. The only hurdle to Stalin's empire was Madurai-based Alagiri, who controlled the southern districts. The party even had a special post for him - south zone organising secretary - from which he has been removed now.

Losing influence steadily. Firstpost

In the past, Alagiri had absolute control over at least five Lok Sabha constituencies in the south. With the district unit of the party disbanded and most of his supporters switching loyalties, he's a spent force now. In fact, there can't be a greater erosion in the party's following than in the 2011 assembly elections when it lost all the ten seats in his stronghold.

The effort of the party, or rather Stalin, now will be to consolidate his control in the southern district. For far too long, it had been outsourced to Alagiri and he mostly delivered well.

Alagiri's expulsion is not just political, but is also about settling succession-disputes within the Karunanidhi household. When Alagiri often said that he would accept only Karunanidhi's leadership, and nobody else's in the party, what he fought against was father's preference for the younger son. It always peeved him and his only instrument of protest was open defiance.

Therefore, every time the party took a strategic decision, which clearly involved Stalin, Alagiri would throw a fit for no reason and contradict his father and brother. The most embarrassing was his recent opinion against actor-politician Vijayakanth whose DMDK is being actively wooed by the DMK.

The DMK is facing one of its biggest electoral challenges this year. Till date, the party has not been able to assemble a decent alliance against the ruling AIADMK which appears to be very strong at the moment. It doesn't want to align with its UPA partner Congress and thought that it would compensate for the loss of vote share by roping in the DMDK.

But the DMDK is either ignoring its overtures or playing too pricey. It's also seriously talking to the BJP. If the DMK doesn't get the DMDK on its side, it will be in serious trouble and the only option will be to turn back to the Congress. In either case, the party will have to mobilise all its resources to mount a decent fight.

According to the Lokniti-IBN Tracker Poll, the DMK seems to be in serious trouble. If its voteshare of 23 per cent was neck-to-neck with the AIADMK's 25 per cent in 2009, by January 2014, it fell to a disastrous low of 18 per cent even as the share of AIDMDK rose to 27 per cent. The most surprising is the estimated rise of the vote share of the Congress from 15 in 2009 to 17 in 2014.

The Tracker poll also predicts that the DMDK's voteshare will fall to a mere three per cent from about 10 per cent in 2009. Although the accuracy of  these projected voteshares is limited by the nature of the alliances and the number of seats that each party contests, it does foretell a possible fall in the voteshare of the DMDK which the DMK is relying on. Going by the Tracker results, the Congress appears to be an unavoidable ally for the DMK, and with DMDK also on its side, it can take on the AIADMK with some confidence.

Whichever way the alliance finally turns out, the DMK cannot take chances and the last thing it wants is a nagging obstacle within its camp. So for the time being, the only way to silence Alagiri is to move him out.

However, one shouldn't be surprised if Alagiri makes a comeback sooner than later because, after all, he is family. What has unfolded so far is sibling rivalry that is expressing itself as a political fight. The sibling rivalry, under normal circumstances, doesn't end overnight because the sibling out of favour can always find sympathy from somebody else in the family.

Govt set to appoint chairperson, members of Lokpal

New Delhi: Government has set the ball rolling for appointment of chairperson and eight members of Lokpal by inviting applications for the posts.

It has also decided to expedite passage of four pending anti-corruption legislations in Parliament as part of the resolve to give the nation an effective anti-corruption framework, the Ministry of Personnel today said.

Representational image. AFP

Out of eight members in the Lokpal, four posts are of judicial members and rest are for non-judicial ones. Fifty per cent of members of Lok Pal shall be from amongst Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Class (OBC), minorities and women.

These vacancies have been circulated to the Registrar of Supreme Court, Registrars of High Courts, Chief Secretaries of state governments and secretaries in the central government departments and ministries, calling for nomination of eligible candidates by 7 February, 2014.

"The new enactment is indicative of the resolve of the
Parliament and the government to give to the nation an
effective anti-corruption framework," it said.

The historic Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 passed by Parliament — 17 December, 2013 in Rajya Sabha and 18 December, 2013 in Lok Sabha — paves the way for setting up of the institution of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states within one year of coming into force of the Act.

The new law provides for a mechanism for dealing with complaints of corruption against public functionaries, including those in high places.

"Another significant feature of the Act is that it has taken its present shape after repeated consultations with all stake holders including civil society.

"The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act is perhaps the only legislation in the history of independent India, which has been so widely discussed, both inside and outside Parliament and has, thus generated so much awareness in the public mind about the need to have an effective institution of Lokpal to tackle corruption," the release said.

PTI

Little India riot: Indian to plead guilty to lesser charge

Singapore: A 32-year-old Indian national, one of the 25 people accused of taking part in Singapore's worst riots in over 40 years, is expected to be the first person to plead guilty to a reduced charge, a media report said on Friday.

File photo. AP

Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi is among 25 Indian nationals facing charges relating to last month's riot which left 39 police officers and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles, including 16 police cars, damaged.

The prosecution told the court today that it has agreed to reduce the charge against Chinnappa to allegedly being involved in an unlawful assembly of at least five persons despite having been ordered to disperse.

This came about after Chinnappa's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan made representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Some 400 migrant workers from South Asia rioted on 8 December when an Indian was killed in a bus accident at the Little India, precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where foreign workers from South Asia spend their day off.

PTI

DMK suspends MK Alagiri over ‘anti-party activities’

After being publicly chastised for his comments over a possible alliance with Vijaykanth's party the DMDK, MK Alagiri, the elder son of party chief M Karunanidhi, was today suspended from all party posts for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party' activities.

The statement from the party said that the leader had been expelled from all party posts because he had indulged in anti-party activities. It wasn't clear for how long this suspension would apply.

The former minister, who is a Member of Parliament from Madurai, had earlier been criticised by Karunanidhi on 7 January for making comments over the possible alliance with the DMDK for the Lok Sabha elections.

Alagiri has resisted changes in the party. Firstpost

Karunanidhi had told Alagiri to toe the party line or he could face expulsion.

"I make it clear that those who make such unnecessary contrasting remarks and thus try to affect party discipline, whoever they are, disciplinary action will be initiated against them and they will be expelled, even from party membership," he said, adding, this decision applied to all DMK members at all times.

Alagiri's younger brother Stalin had also snubbed him at Tiruchirappalli, welcoming his party's possible alliance with DMDK besides quipping that he doesn't read such "unnecessary news items," when asked about Alagiri's views.

While the 90-year-old DMK chief had at times hinted that Stalin could well be his successor, Alagiri had challenged that, saying he would not accept anyone other than Karunanidhi as his leader.

At the time Firstpost editor G Pramod Kumar had pointed out that one reason the DMK patriarch was going to be harsher on the elder son was because he's been losing influence even in Madurai:

For well over two decades, he ruled the DMK in Maudrai and the southern districts as his fiefdom. The leadership was happy because as the undisputed strongman, he delivered. But now, his district unit has been disbanded and replaced with Stalin sympathisers.

His stronghold of men and infrastructure has been disrupted. Alagiri also has several cases pending against him. In fact, the erosion of his stock in the party as well as among people was complete when the DMK lost all the 10 assembly seats in his stronghold, Madurai in the 2011 elections. It's only natural in politics that you lose your empire and men when you lose power.

Alagiri may be brought back into the fold in the event that he toes the party line, or rather Karunanidhi and Stalin's line, from here on. Failure to do so may only result in more action.

with inputs from PTI