New CM Rawat cites Uttarakhand floods, transparency as priorities

New Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said transparency would be his government's motto, while grappling with the effects of the 2013 flashfloods would be its foremost challenge.

Rawat said that the motto of his government would be transparency: PTI

Addressing his first press conference after being appointed Chief Minister of the state, Rawat said total transparency would be maintained in governance and asked the media to be watchful so that not even the slightest deviation from the ideal occurred at any level.

"Transparency will be our motto and members of the media fraternity our auditors who will ensure that we don't stray from that path," Rawat said.

He added that pulling the state out of the devastating effects of the natural calamity would be his his topmost priority. The Chief Minister said the worst affected areas would be divided into separate zones and an official with adequate powers deployed in each of them to quickly address problems of the victims.

Noting that the change of guard in the state should not be interpreted as a change of government, which was being run in "continuity", Rawat said all the previous government's announcements would continue to be implemented.

PTI

Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK to ally with CPI for Lok Sabha polls

Attempting to form a "secular and democratic alternative" to dethrone Congress from power at the Centre, the AIADMK and CPI today announced that they would enter into an alliance ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing the press at her Chennai Poes Garden residence along with CPI leaders AB Bardhan and Sudhakar Reddy, AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said, "AIADMK and CPI have decided to enter into an alliance to face the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together."

Jayalalithaa AFP

Senior CPI leader Bardhan said, "I endorse whatever she has said. Our alliance will lead to victory. We will succeed."

Answering a question on the increasing clamour among AIADMK cadres to project Jayalalithaa as their Prime Ministerial candidate, Bardhan said "If we succeed in the election, as I said the prospects RPT prospects will open up."

Jayalalithaa intervened to say "All that will come later. Our aim is to win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry."

"Our slogan for the elections is Peace, Prosperity, Progress," she said, replying a query on what would be the issues her alliance would project for the polls. Reddy said the alliance is a "secular and democratic alternative" to win the elections.

The AIADMK General Secretary also said that CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat would meet her tomorrow.

Left parties in Tamil Nadu have been in an alliance with the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu since the 2011 Assembly polls, while the Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi and Puthiya Thamizhagam have left the alliance and joined hands with the DMK.

Today's announcement emerges as a possible third front in Tamil Nadu politics for the coming Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP already announcing its alliance with MDMK, while the Congress is still trying to woo some partners.

The BJP is also trying to rope in PMK and actor-politician Vijayakant's DMDK.

The DMK, which faced the 2009 Lok Sabha polls with the Congress, left the alliance over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue early last year and is presently attempting to rope in the DMDK as well.

The DMDK, which was a major ally of the AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly polls, has parted ways with the ruling government and is likely to announce its decision on a future alliance at a conference near Villupuram later today.

Vidithalai Chiruthaigal Katchi quit UPA along with DMK over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and has remained with that party.

PTI

Modi hits back at Sonia, says the Gandhis have no answers

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday hit back at Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her 'zeher ki kheti' remark, saying it was the Congress which has been holding on to power for the longest time.

BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi,

Addressing lakhs of supporters in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, "Soniaji had told her son (Rahul) that power is poison... but who has been in power for the longest time in India? If at all anyone is sowing seeds of poison, it is the Congress party."

Modi also hit out at the Gandhis saying they had no direct answers and were now skilled in evading pointed questions. "When confronted about farmer suicides in the country, she talks about fields of poison."

Assuring his supporters that the BJP is a party of inclusiveness and progress, Modi said "BJP believes in peace, unity, brotherhood and Sadbhavana. Believe in us and we promise you that we will give you a riot-free state... since the BJP came to power in Gujarat there have been no riots."

"Congress is a divisive party that wants to divide and rule this country... they believe in vote bank politics and want communities to fight with each other... When the other states (Jharkhand-Bihar) were bifurcated, people were happy because Vajpayeeji sowed seeds of happiness... but in Telangana there is violence as Congress has spread poison."

On Saturday, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi while speaking in Gulbarga, Karnataka had said that the BJP is indulging in 'zeher ki kheti' by spreading communalism in the country.

With Lok Sabha polls barely two months ahead, the BJP is looking to win big in Uttar Pradesh, a state that sends the highest number of Lok Sabha MPs -80 - to Lok Sabha.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won 21 seats from Uttar Pradesh, while the BJP won 15.

Modi takes on AAP, says Delhi govt bringing shame to India

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the AAP government in Delhi saying the kind of governance the party was not helping Delhi as a global city.

In a clear indication that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was now a multi-cornered fight between the BJP, Congress and the AAP,  Modi questioned the recent law and order incidents in Delhi where African women were attacked by Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti as well as the alleged racial attack and death of Nido Taniam, a 19-year-old from Arunachal Pradesh.

"Delhi needs to be seen as a global city but in the last few days, the kind of language and actions that are being seen, our head is bowed in shame," Modi said.

"People from Arunachal Pradesh fight with the people in China. When people from Arunachal Pradesh meet each other, they say ' Jai Hind'... but women from Manipur have been manhandled, a boy from Arunachal Pradesh was killed."

Targetting the Centre for not doing enough for North East people, Modi said there should be hostel facilities for North East youth across the country. "In The people coming from North East for education or jobs should be provided hostels. They are our own children... our blood... their security is our responsibility."

Modi was addressing his second rally in Uttar Pradesh where the party is looking to win big in the state which sends 80 memebers to the Lok Sabha.

Last week, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal had named Narendra Modi as well as Nitin Gadkari in their 'most corrupt list' assuring AAP workers that they will field strong candidates against them.

 

 

Congress says ‘primaries’ for seats will end party high command culture

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's experiment of choosing Congress candidates for Lok Sabha polls in over 15
seats with direct feedback on the lines of US primaries will continue notwithstanding some initial hiccups, a Congress functionary today indicated.

AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken also downplayed the recent decision by the party to drop two such constituencies Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi represented Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Krishna Tirath from the list of primaries after their reservations.

He insisted that the new process is in line with the Congress Vice President's focus on opening the system by
"ending the high command culture" and empowering the grass-root workers

PTI

"When the elected MPs had a view point and when they asked what is the criteria of selecting two seats out of
seven, the Congress Vice President, who has always believed in fair play, agreed to it that there should be a proper laid out system even for selecting seats for the primaries," Maken told PTI.

The ministers are learnt to have conveyed their reservations on this point to top leadership wondering as to
why their constituencies were only picked up among the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.

Maken, however, gave broad indications that notwithstanding the initial hiccups, the process will continue
as it is part of the long-terms plans to bring sweeping changes in ticket distribution and other processes in the party.

The party has on a number of occasions made it clear that the changes that have been put on hold till this Lok Sabha election will be carried out full throttle once the election exercise is over.

"Rahulji's idea of choosing candidates through primaries is in line with his focus on opening the system. He wants to put an end to the high command culture in the party in decision making.

"After giving the power to ordinary workers to elect their officer bearers as was done in NSUI and Youth Congress, he wants that office-bearers should be empowered now and should have a say in candidate selection.

"Gandhi has said that this is a pilot project, which he wishes to extend in the whole country at a later stage. This is a powerful idea," Maken said.

He said that the Congress Vice President thinks that while in government functioning transparency is being brought through steps like  RTI and punitive measures like Lokpal and other anti graft bills, as far political system is concerned, it cannot be made transparent till Congress workers do not have a say in electing their candidates.

PTI

If courts have given verdict on Modi, then no question of debate: Pawar

Kolhapur (Maharashtra): Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar today reiterated the stand taken by his party colleague Praful Patel that there was no need for debate once courts had ruled on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's
role during the riots.

Responding to a query during a press conference here, the NCP chief said, "If courts have given their verdict, then the question of holding a debate on it does not arise. We accept the court's order and there won't be any debate on it."

Pawar had been asked to comment on Patel's recent statement that any judicial pronouncement on Modi's alleged involvement in the post-Godhra riots should be accepted.

Pawar backed party leader Praful Patel on the subject. Reuters

"....judicial system is the final recourse to getting justice on any issue or to bring finality to any controversy, and if the judicial system has given any pronouncement, we ought to respect it. We will not question it further," Patel
had said.

A report in a Marathi daily earlier this week had said that Pawar had met Modi, BJP's prime ministerial candidate, last month in New Delhi. However, Pawar later refuted the report.

PTI

Modi to address mega rally in Meerut, security at its highest

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will on Sunday address a mega rally - Vijay Shankhnaad - in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, his second in the state.

BJP's PM Candidate Narendra Modi. PTI

The rally assumes significance as during his last rally, in Agra, the BJP had felicitated MLAs Suresh Rana and Sangeet Som, who are both accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots case.

Security at the venue has also been beefed-up keeping in mind the location's proximity to the riot-hit district.

The BJP is looking to win big in Uttar Pradesh, the state that sends the most number of members - 80 - to Lok Sabha.

Also expected at the rally is former Mumbai Commissioner Satyapal Singh who is likely to join the BJP, after he quit his post last week to work for 'the greater interest of the nation'.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Congress President Sonia Gandhi took a dig at Modi and the BJP by accusing them of cultivating 'fields of poison'.

Sonia Gandhi had said that the BJP is indulging in 'zeher ki kheti' by spreading communalism in the country. The remarks came during the inauguration of a hospital in Gulbarga, Karnataka.

Emergence of AAP a warning, challenge, says Janardhan Dwivedi

New Delhi: Describing the emergence of AAP as a "warning and a challenge", senior Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi said it reflected the anger of the people towards the system and major parties.

The Congress general secretary however added that "this kind of anarchy" cannot create an "ideal system".

Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi. IBNLive

In an apparent attack on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said it was a "pity" that through "arm-twisting", a leader of a state had forced his leadership in BJP on others.

Cautioning that one who strays in politics is negated by people, he said the victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi is not the victory of any party, leave aside ideology.

"Those who have won here have no ideology. They have won because of the discontent among people. This is the victory of the anger of the people towards the major parties.

"This is the victory of the grievance of common residents from the system. This is a challenge, this is a warning. It should be accepted like that....I think all parties, including Congress, are realising this now," Dwivedi said.

Without naming Modi, he said he felt pity on BJP as a leader of a state had become such a "strongman" that by "twisting the arm of others", he forcibly declared himself the leader.

"It is not proper to say anything more on the internal affairs of another party or any leader," he said.

Dwivedi said the values of democracy and anti-communalism were alive in the country and the "the spirit of India is democratic and non-communal."

To questions about the failure of Congress in coming back to power in many states where it once ruled, Dwivedi said there were some problems in candidate selection, but the bigger problem was that "we did not try to create new leadership keeping in mind the entire society".

PTI

Seat-sharing issue with Congress to be resolved in 10 days: Pawar

New Delhi: Seat sharing issue with the Congress will be resolved in the next 10 days and the ongoing talks are "cordial", NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday amid signs of strain in ties between the two parties which are out to drive a hard bargain for Lok Sabha polls.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar. Reuters

The remarks from Pawar, who is the NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister, came close on the heels of party leader Praful Patel saying that NCP was losing patience over the "delay" by Congress and that "options are open".

Patel, a Union Minister, reportedly gave a three-day deadline to Congress, but Pawar on Sunday denied any "ultimatum".

"Seat sharing with INC to be resolved in next 10 days. Talks are on in cordial manner, Praful Patel hasn't given any ultimatum to INC," the Maharashtra strongman said on Twitter.

In an earlier tweet, Pawar said that the nation needed a stable government and NCP's discussions with Congress are on in a "friendly manner".

He also saw no impact of Arvind Kejriwal's AAP in the Lok Sabha polls.

NCP is the second largest constituent of the Congress-led UPA.

Congress had downplayed Patel's "options are open" warning noting that the two parties are in alliance mode for the past 15 years and some tough bargaining was bound to be there at the time of seat sharing.

Patel had barely days earlier urged the political class to accept the judicial pronouncement regarding Narendra Modi on Gujarat riots, remarks which were seen as a sign of NCP going soft on the BJP PM candidate. The comment came even as Pawar slammed media reports that he met Modi as "baseless and mischievous".

NCP is in alliance with the Congress and sharing power in Maharashtra since 1999 though 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.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats.

PTI

Will Raje’s hurry to wipe out Gehlot’s legacy hurt Rajasthan?

You may have heard of the politics of vengeance. But if you wish to see the economics of vengeance in action, start following Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

Raje is rewriting the history of Rajasthan by erasing memories of every action and decision taken during the past five years. In her tearing hurry to get rid of everything to do with the Congress raj, she is discarding everything from the Gehlot era, without a proper debate on the merits and economic impact of the decisions.

Gehlot had contested the previous elections on his development agenda and free doles. Raje understands the pitfalls of taking away from people what is already in their pocket, so she has not yet made any attempt to discontinue the Gehlot-era doles. But she has rejected most of the other projects that Gehlot had initiated for the long-term financial and infrastructure development of the state.

Economic vengeance? Reuters

Raje has already tossed out the go-ahead Gehlot had given to FDI in retail. Next on her agenda, going by the noise she and her bureaucrats have been making, is the Metro rail project in Jaipur as well as a proposed refinery in Barmer.

On the sidelines of these big-ticket decisions, the new government has denied permission to a multi-crore residential project in the heart of Jaipur, ostensibly because of the promoter's proximity to Gehlot. It also tried to withdraw a case the previous government had filed in the Supreme Court in support of the controversial Jal Mahal project. But its effort was thwarted by the apex court.

The argument behind the volte-face on allowing foreign investment in retail is in consonance with the BJP's opposition to the decision. The BJP is known as a party of Brahmins and Banias, so its reluctance to let foreigners compete with the neighbourhood kirana stores is understandable, even if it makes the party resemble anti-middle class.

Though it was expected, the timing of the decision has given Raje-watchers another opportunity to point out that she seems to be taking her cues from Arvind Kejriwal.

By default or design, Raje has already earned the tag of a copycat CM by following Kejriwal, if not in spirit but at least in principle. The latest ban, curiously, has come just a few days after the Delhi government imposed a similar fiat.

The rejection of the refinery near the oil fields of Barmer—is also on the anvil. Raje claims that the deal does not benefit the state much and it would be better to discard it. With the Lok Sabha polls on the horizon, Raje may keep the final decision pending. But from the noises emanating from the government, the refinery appears dead and buried.

The axe is likely to fall on the Jaipur Metro project as well. It would, however, be interesting to see under what ruse she scraps it since the first phase has already been completed and around Rs 10000-crore have been spent on it. Raje is of the opinion that the project could have waited till 2020. She has been critiquing the implementation because of its impact on the city's skyline because the tracks have not been laid underground.

Though the BJP is justified in reversing the decisions, primarily because it had contested the Vidhan Sabha polls on these issues, many feel that the policy of dumping big-ticket announcements without a proper debate will only set a bad precedent.

Decisions based on political vendetta and electoral promises could lead to wastage of money—as a ban on the Metro project will send the wrong signals to investors who prefer continuation of economic policies.

The Congress, comatose as it is after the mauling in the elections, has made feeble objections to Raje's attempts to scuttle the refinery and abort the Metro. Its newly anointed state unit chief Sachin Pilot termed the attempts regressive. He has promised to hit the streets, but given the state the party is in at the moment, the opposition looks like a mere formality.

Left unchecked, the Raje roller is likely to demolish many other vestiges of the Gehlot era next.

It is well-known that Raje had very little respect for Gehlot's style of politics. But that she would discard his economics with such disdain is a story not many had expected to unfold in such a short span.

Govt failed, but did not abet 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Habibullah

New Delhi: Outgoing National Commission for Minorities chairperson Wajahat Habibullah, who served in the PMO when the anti-Sikh riots took place, says the government had collapsed in 1984 and the violence was a "massive failure" on its part.

He, however, dismissed allegations that the then Congress government colluded in the violence and sought to put Narendra Modi in dock over riots in Gujarat in 2002 saying the chief minister was "firmly in control" in the state.

"In 1984, the government of India had collapsed. The PM (Indira Gandhi) had been assassinated. She was a very strong PM. The PMO became dysfunctional. The government was not functional... It (riots) was a massive failure of government. But there was a reason for it. It was not that somebody was conspiring that we should kill Sikhs," he told PTI.

The Union government was in such a disarray following her death that he, despite being a mere director-rank officer, was the seniormost officer present in the PMO for two days while others were busy with her funeral arrangements, Habibullah said, adding that few in the government understood the enormity of riots raging in the capital.

When asked if he thought the government had abetted the riots, as being alleged by BJP and Sikh groups, he replied, "not at all".

On whether there was collusion of some Congress leaders, he said, "It's quite possible that people may have taken law in their own hands but there was no effort on behalf of the government to take revenge themselves on the Sikh community. Not at all."

The first concern on the mind of Rajiv Gandhi, who later took over as the prime minister, was "what happened to my mother" and when government realised the enormity of violence in a few days, it had begun ebbing.

"The information was not coming. Maybe local police, local leaders and others in the state of high emotions (might have colluded)... Because a very popular PM was assassinated. It's possible things started happening. We did not know. We thought these are routine, police will take action," Habibullah said.

The government should have anticipated the violence and there should have been a full deployment of police who were mostly outside the PM's residence where huge crowd was gathering all the time, he said.

Seeking to differentiate between the riots of 1984 and 2002, he said the most importance difference between them is whereas in 1984 riots there had been a collapse of government for "very good reasons", in 2002, there is no evidence of any such collapse.

Asked if as the head of the NCM, he believed the Modi government might have encouraged the rioters, he said he could not deny it.

"That is what is alleged and I cannot deny it. I cannot say it is most unlikely. There is a likelihood based on what I have heard from various... We have had hearings over here (NCM) with senior police officers," he said.

"The CM (Modi) we know this for a fact was holding meetings at that time. What was discussed in the meeting has been a subject of conjecture but the meeting was there... What kind of meeting was there in Delhi. Nothing," he said.

To buttress his point, he said even a cabinet minister in the Gujarat government had been convicted for her involvement in riots.

PTI

Parl panel questions govt on PPP in running of Delhi IGI airport

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has asked the government to explain whether public interest was being served by the private-public partnership in the development and running of Delhi's IGI airport.

AFP image

The Public Accounts Committee, in a latest report, virtually charged the government with enabling a private party (GMR) to benefit out of its partnership with state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop and manage the airport.

It asked the government to furnish the total earnings of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and that of the AAI to show "whether public interest was substantially sub-served" by the agreement with GMR-led DIAL.

The 22-member PAC, headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, also questioned the "unilateral right" of DIAL to extend the concession period for 30 more years and manage the airport for 60 years.

It sought to know "how this joint venture would pave the way for future airport development and modernisation in this country".

The report of the PAC, which reviewed the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on 'Implementation of Public Private Partnership -- Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi', would be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming session starting next week.

When contacted, a DIAL spokesperson said, "Since we are not privy to the report, we have no comments to offer."

The Committee attacked the government for allowing the private partner to garner post-contractual benefits in contravention of the provisions of the 'Operation, Management and Development Agreement' (OMDA) with AAI.

PTI

Aam Aadmi Party to come up with its ‘corrupt list’ for states

New Delhi: After its 'corrupt list' targeting national politicians, Aam Aadmi Party says it will release a list of leaders at the state-level with corrupt, criminal or dynastic background and field candidates against them.

"We will release the list of leaders at the state level. There are many leaders in different states whose names have not been announced by the party, but are symbols of corruption, criminalisation of politics and dynastic politics.

"There are legislators who would be contesting Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra. Some are ministers in the state while others are just MLAs. We would be releasing a similar list of such leaders," Subhash Ware, a senior AAP leader from Maharashtra, said.

Party sources said with Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana to be held just after the Lok Sabha elections, the party would be focusing on these two states in a big way.

AAP has already issued a list of leaders across political parties, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati, apart from several UPA ministers against whom it would be fielding candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.

In Maharashtra, the party is expected to field candidates against Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, whose name cropped in the stamp paper scam, or his son Sameer, depending on who contests the Lok Sabha polls.

AAP has already announced Vijay Pandhare, former engineer with the state government who helped unearth the irrigation scam, as a potential candidate from Nashik, currently represented by Sameer.

In Haryana, the party has also short-listed potential candidates against Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, son of Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, from Rohtak.

PTI

Lokpal chief, members appointment likely by this month-end

New Delhi: The chairperson and members of anti-corruption body Lokpal may be appointed by this month-end as government has decided not to withdraw the advertisement seeking nominations for these posts despite a demand from BJP.

Reuters

Government will not withdraw advertisement and accept applications for Lokpal till Friday, the last date for receiving nominations, a senior official of Ministry of Personnel said.

The advertisement was put out following all procedures. After scrutiny, the names of shortlisted candidates will be put up before selection committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, "The selection may be completed by this month-end," the official said.

The Ministry of Personnel had last month put out an advertisement in newspapers calling applications from eligible candidates for chairperson and eight members of Lokpal by 7 February.

Following this, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley questioned its legality and asked the government to withdraw it.

The Prime Minister rejected Jaitley's contention and said that the advertisement was within the prescribed rules notified recently by the government.

"May I, at the outset, assure you that the advertisement issued in this regard is strictly in terms of the provisions of the (Lokpal) Act and the rules framed thereunder," Singh had said in his letter to Jaitley.

PTI

VVIP chopper scam: This is a repeat of Bofors, says BJP

The BJP on Saturday hit out at the Congress party after a letter emerged in which a middleman stated that key aides of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi need to be targeted to push the VVIP chopper deal through.

BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.

"This is a repeat of Bofors. We will raise the issue in Parliament strongly. We are not going to allow the government to get away with any explanation," senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told CNN-IBN.

Sinha further said that the notes in the diary where 'family' was mentioned clearly indicated that it was the Gandhis. "This is clinching evidence of the fact that the deal was concluded with clear intend of making money," he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the PMO have said that the deal has already been cancelled. "Will take action against those indulging in such slanderous activities," PMO sources said.

The Congress party came in for a shocker on Saturday when a letter allegedly written by AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel to the firm's then India chief Peter Hulett asked the executive to 'target' key advisers to Congress president Sonia Gandhi including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get the VVIP chopper deal passed.

"As Mrs Gandhi is the driving force behind the VIP, she will not fly any more in the Mi 8. Mrs Gandhi and her closest advisers are the people the High Commissioner should target," the letter said.

For the national party, which is already showing clear signs of struggle while attempting to retain power in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections this year, the news could not have come at a worse time.

Why the Congress party needs the Gandhis at the helm

What has ensured the longevity of the Nehru-Gandhi clan? Sonia Gandhi is the longest serving president in the history of the party by a long way and likely to remain in that position for as long as she is around.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi. PTI

It is difficult to imagine the Congress party without the family being in-charge, and there is not even a whiff of rebellion in the ranks though the Congress is headed for a defeat in the 2014 elections.

Perhaps this will change when defeat actually comes, though I doubt it. The last time that the Congress saw some internal resistance against Sonia Gandhi was when the current agriculture minister Sharad Pawar broke away in the late 1990s.

He has always thought of himself as a contender to run the party nationally and perhaps this was a gambit with the same end in mind.

His ostensible issue was the foreign origins of Sonia which he thought made her unsuitable as Congress leader and a future prime minister. It was not a burning issue in his home state of Maharashtra when he raised it. Not many in the party agreed with him, as he expected they might, and he reduced himself to a state-level leader who is today insignificant in national politics.

When the matter was being debated in that same period, a Congressman, I think it was Mani Shankar Aiyar, said that the party itself would disintegrate if the Gandhis were not in charge. His logic was that there was a tendency to pull away from the centre by each of the Congress state units, which were essentially regional parties, each with different issues and agendas. The only thing that made the Congress a national party, in this view, was the family.

Without them, the ambition of people such as Pawar would reduce the Congress to a loose alliance of like-minded state parties which would come together only during national elections.

The presence of the Gandhis on the other hand gives the Congress a national identity and presence. This may be true, but for many people, even those who are not against the party, such as the historian Ramchandra Guha, the idea that India's biggest political party is run in feudal form by a dynasty is not appetizing.

Guha has speculated that the Congress is actually not as dependent on the Gandhis as is thought, and if Rajiv had not been press-ganged by Congressmen into succeeding Indira, he would be still alive and Sonia would be a housewife.

Guha is also disdainful of the chamcha (sycophant) culture that permeates the Congress more than it does any other party in India. It is unquestionably true that whatever else she may have done, Sonia Gandhi has run the party with the assistance of people whose main qualification is their loyalty to her.

On the other hand it is also true that she has compromised and made peace with those opposed to her, including Pawar, with whose party she formed a pragmatic alliance that has kept the Congress in power in Maharashtra for a decade and a half.

I interviewed the writer UR Ananthamurthy a few days ago and he said that one reason for the Gandhis' success is that family is not seen as regional or parochial. It has no roots in any one state of India (or in any caste) and can be seen as national in that sense.

Another writer, I think it was Santosh Desai, the Times of India columnist, said that one reason the Gandhis were popular was because they were fair-skinned. I think this is true to a large extent in a country where such things tend to be conflated with character.

My own view is that the Gandhis have done more good for the Congress than bad. Particularly Sonia Gandhi, a woman with almost no education who has revived the party and tried to run it morally. She has failed in some aspects but these cannot take away from her successes. Some of the best legislation in our history, on corruption and education and against poverty, has come because of her.

I have a feeling that when the dynasty finally goes, and perhaps we don't have to wait too long to see its end, the Congress will no longer be the national force it has been for so many decades and is today.

Odisha mining scam: Oppn demands CBI probe, Naveen’s resignation

Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress and BJP today demanded resignation of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the reported leak of the 'excerpts of Justice M B Shah Comission of Inquiry' on a news portal.

"The state should hand over the case to CBI immediately and Naveen Patnaik should face action for his government's involvement in the multi-crore mining scam," senior Congress leader and former minister Sarat Rout told reporters here.

Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said that the mining issue would be raised in the state Assembly starting from February 3.

"The leaked report of Shah Commission has clearly stated that the mining scam took place in collusion with politicians, officials and miners. The state government cannot escape.... We will raise the issue in the Assembly session," claimed Harichandan.

The BJP, on its part, also demanded CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam.

"Only a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe will unearth the whole truth about the scam. The government, which had rendered the law inactive to favour the miners, must face the music," senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari said.

The opposition response came in the wake of a news portal uploading some contents claiming it to be part of the the Justice M B Shah panel probe report.

PTI

Shinde targets Kejriwal again, now over his NGO’s funding

Solapur: A day after his name figured on Arvind Kejriwal's list of "corrupt" politicians, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde hit back, saying the Delhi Chief Minister himself was facing charges of misappropriation of funds received for his NGO.

"There are charges of misappropriation of funds against Kejriwal that he is hiding. The funds pouring in for his NGO is used by him to gain political mileage. The High Court has directed Kejriwal to clarify on many issues, which he has not done," Shinde alleged.

Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. PTI

Shinde was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cultural function in Pandharpur in the district.

Kejriwal had on Friday accused several bigwigs of Indian politics including Rahul Gandhi, Kapil Sibal, Shinde and Nitin Gadkari of being corrupt, declaring to field candidates against them in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

On 22 January, Shinde, while speaking at Hingoli in Marathwada region had called Kejriwal a "Veda Mukhyamantri" (mad chief minister), while recalling his own days in the police force.

"When I was in Kherwadi police station in Mumbai's Bandra area, I did not get leave because there were Sena (led) riots... Similarly, yesterday (in Delhi), because of a 'veda mukhyamantri' (mad chief minister) sitting there (on dharna), I had to cancel the leave of policemen," he had said.

PTI