Doubt Kalyan knows charges against Modi in 2002 riots, says Chiranjeevi

Hyderabad: Union minister and Congress leader K. Chiranjeevi has found fault with his brother Pawan Kalyan for meeting BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Chiranjeevi told reporters in Visakhapatnam on Saturday that Pawan should not have met Modi as he is facing allegations of involvement in post-Godhra massacre.

"I believe my brother is secular but his meeting with a key leader of communal BJP surprised me," said Chiranjeevi, a former superstar.

Chiranjeevi is heading the Congress campaign in the state. AFP

"I doubt whether my brother has knowledge of the allegations Modi is facing over his role in the post-Godhra massacre," said the actor-turned-politician.

He pointed out that while BJP president Rajnath Singh and other leaders called Muslims and gave a clarification, Modi has neither given an explanation nor apologized.

"If my brother had met Modi after seeking an explanation from him, may be I would have accepted it," said Chiranjeevi, who is heading the Congress campaign committee in residuary Andhra Pradesh.

Pawan, a popular Telugu actor, who floated Jana Sena last week, met Modi in Ahmedabad on Friday and declared his support to his candidature for the post of prime minister.

The youngest brother of Chiranjeevi described Modi as the right man for the top post and claimed that he declared his support on behalf of Telugu-speaking people of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

While launching his political party, Pawan had given a call for 'Congress hatao, desh bachao' (Remove Congress, save the nation).

Chiranjeevi has already stated that he would treat his brother as like any other political rival.

IANS

Rahul to begin Uttar Pradesh campaign today

Lucknow: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will begin his party's Lok Sabha campaign in Uttar Pradesh with a rally in Pratapgarh today.

Gandhi will be accompanied by party general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari and others senior leaders.

Rahul Gandhi will attempt to woo the voters of UP. PTI

Congress leaders said that the rally would be a show of strength and popularity of Rahul Gandhi.

Congress is facing strong incumbency in the state.

UP sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha.

IANS

Kalmadi says denying him ticket is unjust, gives Cong two days to decide

Pune: Sulking after being denied Pune Lok Sabha seat renomination, sitting Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi today said he will announce his decision on contesting the polls in the next two days, even as Congress leaders tried to seek his support for the official candidate Vishwajeet Kadam.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Kalmadi even said the denial of a ticket for him or for his wife was an injustice meted out to him by the party. He said there were others on the Congress list of candidates with serious charges against them including murder. He refused to confirm whether he would contest as an independent, but said there is a need for a Brahmin candidate in Pune.

Kalmadi, who was closeted with his supporters at his residence to discuss the future course of action, said his consultations with them were still inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.

When contacted, Kalmadi, who had been suspended from the party following the CWG scam, confirmed that Maharashtra minister Harshawardhan Patil (Congress) had called on him today seeking his support for the party's official candidate and state Youth Congress president Vishwajeet Kadam.

Kalmadi said at least his wife should have got a ticket. AFP

"He sought my support. I told him I would abide by my supporters' opinion," Kalmadi told PTI.

About his meeting with Kalmadi, Patil said, "we have requested him to involve his supporters in the election campaign of Kadam."

Asked whether he wanted Congress high command to nominate his wife Meera for the Pune seat in view of the CWG scam allegations against him, Kalmadi replied in the affirmative.

"If not me because of the so-called scam, my wife could have been given the ticket in my place. I had told the high command to consider my wife's nomination as she is an active member of the party engaged in social work in slums," he said.

When asked why his wife too was not considered for the seat, he said "I do not know."

"I will announce my decision on contesting the polls in the next two days," the MP said.

Kalmadi also said that during today's discussions, many of his supporters wanted the high command to revoke his suspension effected after his arrest in the CWG case in 2011.

Meanwhile, NCP leader and state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, a known Kalmadi detractor, today held a joint meeting of Congress and NCP workers at Congress Bhavan to chalk out election strategy to ensure the victory of Kadam, who enjoys a close rapport with the NCP leadership.

Kalmadi, a three-time MP from Pune, is still considered a heavyweight in city politics with his strong base of supporters in the civic body.

With PTI

Die than be known as a corrupt politician says Murli Manohar Joshi

Kanpur: Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who shifted to the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat from Varanasi to accommodate Narendra Modi, on Friday made a veiled attack on sitting Congress MP and Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, saying he never imagined that one day he would have to fight elections from "constituency of people whose names cropped up in coalgate scam."

Murli Manohar Joshi. Reuters

"While investigating the coal block allocation scam as a member of the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, I never imagined that one day I will have to fight elections from constituency of people whose names cropped up in the scam," said Joshi.

The BJP leader, who was on his first visit to the city since the announcement of his candidature from here, was addressing party workers at the Teachers Park.

"There have been a series of scams in various departments of the Central government during UPA rule like railway scam, coal scam, CWG scam. As a member of PAC, I got the opportunity to unearth all the scams and even big industrialists and parliamentarians had to appear before the committee. No one was spared," he said.

"I would like to be known as an honest worker. I would prefer to die than be known as a corrupt politician," he said.

The current MP from Varanasi said he had very old connections with Kanpur.

"I used come here during the days of Jan Sangh. I have a lot of friends here and have always considered Kanpur as my own," he said.

"The party has given me the opportunity to serve Kanpur. I wont make tall claims, but promise to support all schemes for the development of Kanpur," he said.

"We will develop Kanpur with the suggestions and support of residents here. I have come with the resolve to develop the city and make it corruption free," he added.

"When I fought elections from Varanasi, I promised the people that I will get Kashi rid off crime and terrorism. And I am proud that today terrorists and criminals of Kashi are in jail," he said.

PTI

2014 elections: The last gasp of the Indian Left

Is it just me spooked by the pre-election mood music? Or is it really curtains for the Left? End of the road finally? Going, going gone ?

Opinion polls are dire. It looks that the Left parties could be headed for their worst performance ever with their tally likely to fall even below the "historic low'' of 2009 when together they managed to win only 24 seats.

A file photo of a previous rally by the Left.

Not surprisingly, Left leaders have been quick to rubbish the polls, but the fact is that they don't sound very confident themselves. Repeatedly pressed in a television interview to give a sense of the Left's prospects, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury would simply say that they hoped to "do better".

But that's not the sense on the ground where the view is that Left has "no fighting power left" and has "no clue" where it is going, as left-wing historian and commentator Rudrankshu Mukherjee put it. Far from a likely comeback, there are fears it will struggle even to retain the 2009 tally. On the other hand, it is the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that is now widely seen as a more acceptable left-of-centre alternative to the Congress than the more doctrinaire Left.

Meanwhile, amid all the sound and fury ahead of next month's elections the Left is conspicuous by its silence — and the near invisibility of its campaign. The few times it has made headlines has been for the wrong reasons. First its bid to stitch up an 11-party non-Congress and non-BJP alliance was a non-starter. Then it was publicly snubbed by AIADMK leader Jayalalitha when she rejected the CPI and CPI(M)'s seat adjustment formula choosing, instead, to go alone. CPI leader A B Bardhan says he felt "insulted" the way she treated them.

Such is its state that the Left is no longer regarded even as a nuisance factor. That honour has been stolen by AAP. Left's hopes now rest on a deeply fractured election result which might give it a chance to intervene and play the king-maker as it has done in the past. A prospect that seems highly unlikely judging from the opinion polls.

So, how has the Left come to such a pass?

It had been long in coming. Left leaders like to blame it on the 1964 split in the Indian Communist movement and "international developments" such as the collapse of the Soviet Union. But that's only part of the story.

Actually, the Left recovered rather well from the split with both the CPI and the CPI(M) creating their separate spheres of influence -- the CPI in the north especially UP and Bihar; and CPI(M) in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.

Likewise the collapse of East European communism did not have much impact on the fortunes of the Indian Left. In fact, the 1990s were its golden age as under the leadership of Jyoti Basu, Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Indrajit Gupta it cleverly used the political uncertainty at the Centre to punch above its weight and emerge as a major powerbroker.

Jyoti Basu nearly became prime minister in 1996 and memorably described his party's decision not to accept the offer to lead a United Front government at the Centre as a "historic blunder" ; Indrajit Gupta became home minister in Deve Gowda's government; and Surjeet, the wily networker, had "secular" parties eating out of his hands.

All three are now gone and their exit has been a big blow causing a leadership vacuum at the heart of the Left movement. But by then its long-term decline had already begun and behind the hype over its role in promoting a "third" alternative at the centre it was running on empty.

I was among a small group of left-leaning journalists in Delhi who spent a lot of time following its fortunes, and we could sense that the end was nigh. It was like a ticking bomb. The question was "when" rather "if" it would go off. And, boy, didn't it go off with a bang starting with its rout in the 2009 general elections. That set the tone for that mother of all bangs --the Left Front's slaughter in its own backyard, West Bengal, in the 2011 Assembly elections at the hands of an upstart TMC bringing its 34-year uninterrupted rule in the state to an end. With that whatever little clout it had at the national level vanished as its erstwhile "secular" allies abandoned it.

Yechury has admitted that the Left has been guilty of making "wrong assessment" of political developments from time to time. What he failed to acknowledge was that almost every single wrong assessment was a result of ideological blinkers.

In this respect, the Left's biggest mistake and which it now admits was to ignore completely the importance of non-economic factors in Indian politics such as caste, religion, regional identity, etc, focusing instead entirely on "class struggle". This approach contradicted the basic tenet of Marxist theory that any class struggle must take into account the "objective" conditions and realities. In India this meant the oppressive conditions imposed on millions of people because of their caste.

By the time the Left realised its mistake a host of caste-based regional parties had already sprung up across the country and were making hay. That's when the Left first started unravelling. Later, it was forced to align with these parties as second fiddle in order to appeal to Dalit/lower caste voters.

The blinkers have still not gone away. Even the language, couched in the 1950s rhetoric of "imperialism" and "capitalist enemies", has not changed. For a flavour, read the CPI(M)'s election manifesto.

If the Left is to survive it must re-invent itself as a European-style vehicle of social democracy; or take a cue from comrades in Beijing. It should stop bothering about the colour of the cat and start catching mice for a change.

May be age of Modi, but don’t insult Advani: Shiv Sena tells BJP

The next chapter of the continuing Shiv Sena versus Bharatiya Janata Party saga began on Saturday with Sena mouthpiece Saamna taking on its alliance partner for the apparent snub to veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani. The party patriarch was not only made to wait till the party's final list to know where he would be contesting from, but was also not given the luxury of choosing his constituency.

Uddhav Thackeray in this file photo. AFP

In an editorial titled "A Small Matter, A Big Accident', the daily newspaper has said it is an insult to Advani that his name was not declared in the first list of BJP candidates.

"It is true that the the Modi Yug (the age of Modi) has begun in the BJP, but the sun has not set on the Advani Yug in national politics," the editorial said.

It further argued that party president Rajnath Singh had sought out a safe seat in Lucknow for himself because his current constituency Ghaziabad appeared inconvenient this election. Navjot Singh Sidhu was denied his ticket from Amritsar which was then used to accommodate Arun Jaitley, while Modi himself had selected the additional seat of Varanasi at the cost of veteran Murli Manohar Joshi's ire.

"If these leaders can select their constituencies, why not Advani?" the editorial said.

Pointing to Advani's "struggle and sacrifice" behind the building of the BJP, the newspaper said even if he is almost 90 years old, Advani's energy can put youngsters to shame. He holds a valuable position as the paternal figure of the party, it said.

Stating that the Sena does not wish to air its opinions publicly on what is going on within the BJP, it cautioned the senior alliance partner that the media reports of the internal rivalries and battles within the party would be watched closely by the people through the media and people would form their own opinions regarding the state of affairs in the BJP.

The editorial goes on to admit, however, that there is indeed a Modi effect across the country, not just on electronic media.

"There is no uncertainty that the next government will be an NDA government led by Modi. And, as the oldest alliance partner, the Shiv Sena remains committed to the NDA, but we must also acknowledge that a senior leader such as Advani has not lost touch with the people of the country," the editorial said.

The BJP and the Sena have had a torrid relationship over the past few weeks with the Sena first crying foul over former BJP president Nitin Gadkari's decision to approach the MNS asking the latter not to field candidates against NDA candidates.

A furious Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had then called a press conference not only threatening to contest all 48 seats in Maharashtra on its own, without the BJP, but also asking publicly who runs the party's affairs in the state, a pointed reference to the Gadkari versus Gopinath Munde rivalry in the Maharashtra BJP.

Mollified temporarily, the Sena once again raised the heat on the BJP by not declaring until Friday evening that it would not field a Shiv Sena candidate against Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

There has been speculation for almost a year now that there could be a redrawing of alliances in Maharashtra after the Lok Sabha polls, with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Maharashtra NAvnirman Sena, two aggressive parties, both appearing increasingly close to the BJP.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been at pains to deny such a coming together of the BJP and the NCP, while BJP leaders have been quick to clarify that the Sena remains an integral part of the NDA, But clearly, Bal Thackeray's party has got the whiff of something it is not comfortable with. It appears that through this editorial, Uddhav Thackeray wants to send out the message that while he remains committed to the NDA, he is not one to take any slight lying low, nor would he stop short of maintaining the Shiv Sena's independent opinions while being within the NDA. And he is not beyond going it alone if the BJP attempts to push him to the corner.

Sulking Suresh Kalmadi gives Congress two days to give him ticket

Pune: Sulking after being denied Pune Lok Sabha seat renomination, sitting Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi today said he will announce his decision on contesting the polls in the next two days, even as Congress leaders tried to seek his support for the official candidate Vishwajeet Kadam.

Kalmadi, who was closeted with his supporters at his residence to discuss the future course of action, said his consultations with them were still inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.

When contacted, Kalmadi, who had been suspended from the party following the CWG scam, confirmed that Maharashtra minister Harshawardhan Patil (Congress) had called on him today seeking his support for the party's official candidate and state Youth Congress president Vishwajeet Kadam.

Kalmadi said at least his wife should have got a ticket. AFP

"He sought my support. I told him I would abide by my supporters' opinion," Kalmadi told PTI.

About his meeting with Kalmadi, Patil said, "we have requested him to involve his supporters in the election campaign of Kadam."

Asked whether he wanted Congress high command to nominate his wife Meera for the Pune seat in view of the CWG scam allegations against him, Kalmadi replied in the affirmative.

"If not me because of the so-called scam, my wife could have been given the ticket in my place. I had told the high command to consider my wife's nomination as she is an active member of the party engaged in social work in slums," he said.

When asked why his wife too was not considered for the seat, he said "I do not know."

"I will announce my decision on contesting the polls in the next two days," the MP said.

Kalmadi also said that during today's discussions, many of his supporters wanted the high command to revoke his suspension effected after his arrest in the CWG case in 2011.

Meanwhile, NCP leader and state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, a known Kalmadi detractor, today held a joint meeting of Congress and NCP workers at Congress Bhavan to chalk out election strategy to ensure the victory of Kadam, who enjoys a close rapport with the NCP leadership.

Kalmadi, a three-time MP from Pune, is still considered a heavyweight in city politics with his strong base of supporters in the civic body.

PTI

Nagma blames cops for being unable to file nomination papers

Meerut: Actor and Congress candidate from Meerut constituency, Nagma, could not file her nomination papers on Friday and alleged that the man carrying the documents was not allowed by the police to enter the Collector's office.

The actor alleged that police stopped district Congress president Saleem Bharti, who was carrying her nomination papers and affidavits, at the gate and did not allow him to enter the Collector's office.

Nagma is the Congress candidate from Meerut. AFP

According to the rule, only five persons can accompany the candidate inside the Collector's office during the filing of nomination papers.

However, when contacted, senior police officers refused to comment on the issue.

Nagma said that she will consult senior party leaders about filing nomination on Saturday.

PTI

Chidambaram shying away from polls a sign of Modi’s growing clout

Uttarakhand Congress stalwart Satpal Maharaj's entry into the BJP and finance minister P Chidambaram's exit from the electoral arena in Tamil Nadu may appear unrelated, but the timing of the incidents have some common factors that reflect the troubled times that lie ahead for the Congress.

Maharaj, a four time MP and a spiritual leader who reportedly commands the support of six MLAs, has joined the ranks of the BJP today. This signals the destabilisation of the Congress government in Uttarakhand, which survives on a wafer-thin majority with the help of four independents.

P Chidambaram. PTI

Meanwhile, Chidambaram's decision not to contest from Sivaganga and instead seek a ticket for his son Karti, signifies disintegration of the Congress as a force in Tamil Nadu, a state that sends 39 MPs to Parliament.

Congress' tallest leader in all of South India, with the possible exception of AK Antony (who incidentally has also declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections), developing cold feet because he senses defeat is the most telling story of morale in the higher echelons of the party. The mood among the party leaders and workers in Tamil Nadu, which along with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh helped the Congress to come to power in 2004 and 2009, can be assessed by Chidambaram's conscious bid to keep his otherwise shining political CV intact.

Chidambaram's other ministerial colleagues at the the centre — GV Vasan, as also former Union minister and PCC president KV Thangkabalu — had earlier gone public expressing their reluctance to fight parliamentary elections. They went to the extent of denying reports that speculated their possible candidature. The common explanation by the party leaders for all this has been rather simple - because Congress could not find an ally, the leaders are wary of their prospects.

But the fact that the Congress, which has fought elections in Tamil Nadu for the past 30 years in alliance with either of the two Dravidian parties, did not find an ally is an indicator of the results the nation could see on 16 May, and the shape national politics will take thereafter.

Contrast this with the BJP making a history for itself down south, in terms of finding willing alliance partners, on the same day Chidambaram withdrew from fighting the elections.

The BJP was able to stitch up a surprise umbrella coalition with five regional parties: Vijayakanth's DMDK, S Ramadoss's PMK, Vaiko's MDMK, IJK and KMDK. The last two could contest polls under the BJP's symbol. Though the BJP did not have more than two percent votes in the state in the past, the fact that it could build and lead a front in Tamil Nadu speaks volumes on the kind of popular sentiment Modi has generated.

Tamil Nadu's politics has traditionally been bipolar with smaller parties joining either of the two fronts (led by either DMK or AIADMK). BJP leaders have been going gaga over the developments and that has been making Congress leaders feel even more dejected.

This signifies three things — Modi despite a clear language barrier has been able to leave an impression among people. He is no political untouchable. Instead, he is on track, expanding the NDA.

Second, the BJP was able to do what even the Congress couldn't do, albeit notionally, to lead a political front. It could make DMDK and PMK come together, two parties that have otherwise constantly quarrelled . The BJP is adding to its percentage of votes little by little and building a kitty that could take it to victory. This alternate alliance in Tamil Nadu expects to gain 15 to 16 percent of the votes and around 10 seats. The numbers are rather optimistic, but that expectation, real or fictitious, is keeping BJP workers happy.

Third, if it is able to win some seats it could approach either the DMK or the AIADMK and offer support after the poll. Modi shares an excellent personal rapport with Jayalalithaa while Karunanidhi has already made positive overtures. His son Alagiri is using every opportunity to praise BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

The party is also hoping to eat into Congress' social support base, which broadly constitutes of those who wish to be more in alignment with nationalist thinking, besides identification on caste and broader Dravidian sentiments.

Many believe that the BJP's decision in 2004 to dump the DMK and join hands with the AIADMK changed the game in Congress's favour. In 2014 the party is taking a completely different position, floating a front on its own. Can the BJP-led front make an impact?

An analysis suggests that in 2009 elections, the DMK front won a majority of seats but the winning margin in 21 seats was less than 50,000 votes and only nine of the winners won by over a lakh votes. The DMDK played the spoiler, bagging 10 percent of votes. The DMDK couldn't win seats then but in the assembly elections, its numbers went past the DMK.

This gives a psychological high to Modi's campaign. Not only because BJP was finding allies down south, but because even in worst times, it was South India which saved the Congress from falling from grace beyond a certain point and helped it come to power in the last two elections. The emerging trends, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, offer no such solace for the Congress this time around.

AAP declares three more candidates for Lok Sabha in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party here today declared candidates from Patan, Surendranagar and Amreli Lok Sabha constituencies of Gujarat.

The party has made Atul Patel (Patan), Jetha Patel (Surendranagar) and Nathalal Sukhadia (Amreli) its candidates for the ensuing general elections.

Earlier, AAP had declared candidates from Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Junagadh.
Atul Patel (39), who runs the NGO Tilak Education Charitable Trust, has been an AAP worker since its beginning.

Reuters

"I joined Aam Aadmi Party when it was formed as I was devoted to anti-corruption movement of Arvind Kejriwal," Patel told PTI. "I had accompanied Kejriwal in Patan on his tour of Gujarat to verify the claims of development by Chief Minister
Narendra Modi," he said.

Jetha Patel (58) joined AAP on January 14 this year, after resigning as the state vice president of Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (an RSS-promoted organisation).

"It is Modi government's propaganda that farmers in Gujarat are happy, but reality is different," Patel told PTI. "If farmers are happy here, then why are they committing suicide? They are doing so due to biased and pro-industrialist
policy of the state government."

Patel had led farmers' agitation in Becharaji and Mandal tehsils of Mehsana against declaration of special investment region (SIR) in the area.

"Farmers lands are being taken away forcibly and given to the industries," he said.
Nathalal Sukhadia (39) is an RTI activist who was allegedly attacked by the associates of the former state minister Dilip Sanghani in 2011 after he exposed a Rs 500 crore scam in the horticulture subsidy scheme.

"I was impressed by Arvind Kejriwal's anti-corruption movement," he said.

PTI

BJD government betrayed people of Odisha: Sitaram Yechury

Bhubaneswar: CPI(M) today sought a probe into the alleged loot of minerals in Odisha as detected by Justice M B Shah panel and said the people of the state felt betrayed by the 14 year BJD government.

"The people feel betrayed by the BJD government after 14 years," Yechury told reporters.

He said the CPI(M) was opposed to the manner in which mineral development took place in the state and implementation of the Posco project.

AFP

"We wanted value addition of minerals in the state so that the youth of Odisha will get employment and people in general got benefit from the income from the mining sector," he said.

Asked about the CPI(M)'s relationship with the BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, Yechury said "we have no alliance with the BJD. We are fighting against BJD candidates."

He said that non-fulfilment of peoples' aspirations was one of the reasons why the CPI(M) did not enter into any understanding with the ruling BJD.

"There was an understanding with the BJD before entering into seat adjustment with the ruling party in 2009 elections.

However, none of the commitments were fulfilled. Instead, the opposite happened in Odisha," he said.

The CPI(M) this time decided to fight elections in alliance with Left parties. Last time in 2009, the CPI(M) had seat adjustment with the BJD. However, the party candidates did not win.

He said that the proposed non-BJP, non-Congress and secular front would emerge after the general elections.

"NDA, UPA, United Front and others were formed after the elections. This time also, the proposed front will emerge and form the government at the Centre after the 2014 polls."

Yechury said Left parties felt that the people were seeking relief from the existing economic policies which had formed two 'Amir Bharat' and 'Garib Bharat'.

"While there were only 30 billionaires in India in 2009, their number in 2014 increased to 53 while people are getting poorer," the CPI(M) leader said.

Asked whether Aam Aadmi Party would be part of the non-Congress secular front, Yechury said "that party is yet to make its stand clear on the alternative economic policies."

PTI

Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit faces the full might of AAP in East Delhi

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) is looking its most confident in the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency ahead of next month's Lok Sabha elections in the Capital. After all, it swept five of the ten assembly seats that fall under Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit's watch, in the 2013 assembly elections.

The two-time MP, who won the East Delhi seat by a wide margin of over 2 lakh votes in 2004 and in 2009, is battling not just an intense anti-congress wave and the anti-incumbency factor, but also struggling to maintain his grip on the party's traditional voters in East Delhi.

AAP has already broken the Congress party's hold over voters in East Delhi's slum and resettlement colonies and is now aggressively wooing Muslim and Dalit voters, who also form a significant voter-base in the constituency.

Shruti Dhapola/Firstpost

East Delhi has a sizeable population of Muslim (estimated at about 20 percent) and Dalit voters. Of the ten assembly seats in East Delhi, two are reserved seats. And both were won by AAP in the 2013 assembly elections.

Confident of its presence and influence in East Delhi, AAP has fielded Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi from here.

Asked about their election strategy, the party's campaign manager for East Delhi, said their focus was directed at the five assembly seats that they lost in the state elections.

"We are planning massive campaigns there. Earlier this week, we held car rallies and road shows in those Vidhan Sabhas and we will be scheduling jan sabhas in those seats. We are getting a lot of positive response from the people," said Praveen Deshmukh, AAP's campaign manager for East Delhi.

On the general strategy of the campaign, Deshmukh said, "We are targeting voters in slum and resettlement colonies. And also the middle-class voters in the societies."

The party, he says, is confident of also winning the support of voters from the Sikh community who represent about 3 percent of East Delhi's electorate. The 49-day AAP government's decision to form a SIT to probe the 1984 riots has won over the Sikh community, says the party worker.

Not to be under-estimated, the BJP has had its share of electoral success in East Delhi winning the seat in 1991, 1998 and 1999.

In 2013 assembly elections, it won three out of the ten assembly constituencies that fall under East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The party is looking to capitalise on the middle-class voters with its choice of Mahesh Giri, a social worker and Art of Living exponent, who brings with him the celebrity of spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

With Giri by his side, the Art of Living founder was in the Capital on Thursday, publicly endorsing the 'lotus' as the "seat of wealth" in the run up to the elections.

Rejecting the Congress party's charge that he is an outsider, Giri says he has been working with residents of East Delhi for the last three years.

On whether Dikshit's decisive victories in the last two Lok Sabha elections posed a big challenge for the party, Giri said, "The Congress party poses a challenge to itself. They cannot ask for votes on the issue of development because in the name of development all they have done is corruption. The time for dynasties is over. The voters will choose those who are working amidst them. I don't think this seat is going to be challenge to win."
Dismissing the threat by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Giri said, "Kejriwal had approached me during the India Against Corruption movement. And I had joined him because it was for the good of the nation. I have seen him up-close. He is very a good pathologist but he is not a surgeon. He can diagnose but does not know surgery. We are surgeons. We look at the problems and also know how to solve them."

In a rather weak response to his political opponents, Dikshit told reporters on Thursday that he would fight the election on the issue 'development' and questioned AAP and BJP over their decision to field 'outsiders who have nothing to do with the development of Delhi'.

Desperate to retain its hold over the sizeable Muslim community in East Delhi, the party on Thursday announced that Janata Dal (U) municipal councillor from Okhla (assembly seat in East Delhi with more than 40 per cent Muslim voters) had joined the Congress.

Putting up a brave front, state congress leader Mukesh Sharma said Dikshit would remain unchallenged in East Delhi. "There is no challenge from AAP in the Lok Sabha election. The congress party's fight in Delhi in all seven seats is with the RSS."

Why the RSS? "This election is being fought by the RSS not the BJP. Modi is an RSS creation. That is the reason why they have silenced leaders like senior L K Advani."

Dismissing Rajmohan Gandhi and Giri as 'outsiders', the state congress leader said,"Sandeep Dikshit is a mass-based leader and a two-time MP. The fight in East Delhi is going to be between gharwala and baharwalas."

Satpal Maharaj, Chidu’s choices show Modi’s growing appeal

Uttarakhand Congress stalwart Satpal Maharaj's entry into the BJP and finance minister P Chidambaram's exit from the electoral arena in Tamil Nadu appear unrelated, but the timing of the incidents, spaced out by 18 hours, have some common factors reflective of the troubled times that lie ahead for the Congress.

That Maharaj, a four time MP and a spiritual leader who reportedly commands the support of six MLAs, has joined the ranks of the BJP signals destabilisation of the Congress government in Uttarakhand, which survives on a wafer-thin majority with help of four independents.

P Chidambaram. PTI

Meanwhile, Chidambaram's decision not to contest from Sivaganga and instead seek a ticket for his son Karti, signifies disintegration of the Congress as a force in Tamil Nadu, a state that sends 39 MPs to Parliament.

Congress' tallest leader in all of South India, with the possible exception of AK Antony (who incidentally has also declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections), developing cold feet because he senses defeat is the most telling story of morale in the higher echelons of the party. The mood among the party leaders and workers in Tamil Nadu, which along with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh helped the Congress to come to power in 2004 and 2009, can be assessed by Chidambaram's conscious bid to keep his otherwise shining political CV intact.

Chidambaram's other ministerial colleagues at the the centre — GV Vasan, as also former Union minister and PCC president KV Thangkabalu — had earlier gone public expressing their disinclination to fight parliamentary elections. They went to the extent of denying reports that speculated their possible candidature. The common explanation by the party leaders for all this has been rather simple - because Congress could not find an ally, the leaders are wary of their prospects.

The fact that the Congress, which has fought elections in Tamil Nadu for the past 30 years in alliance with either of the two Dravidian parties, did not find an ally is an indicator of the results the nation could see on 16 May, and the shape national politics will take thereafter.

Contrast this with the BJP making a history for itself down south, in terms of finding willing alliance partners, on the same day when Chidambaram withdrew himself from fighting the elections.

The BJP was able to stitch up a surprise umbrella coalition with five regional parties, Vijayakanth's DMDK, S Ramadoss's PMK, Vaiko's MDMK, IJK and KMDK. The last two could fight on the BJP's symbol. Though the BJP conventionally did not have more than two percent votes in the past, the fact that it could build and lead a front in Tamil Nadu speaks volumes on the kind of popular sentiments Modi has generated for himself.

Tamil Nadu's politics has traditionally been bipolar with smaller parties joining either of the two fronts (led by either DMK or AIADMK). BJP leaders have been going gaga over the developments and that has been making Congress leaders feel even more dejected.

This signifies three things — Modi despite a clear language barrier has been able to leave an impression among people. He was no political untouchable. Instead, he was on track, expanding the NDA.

Second, the BJP was able to do what even the Congress couldn't do, albeit notionally, lead the front. It could make DMDK and PMK come together, two parties that have otherwise constantly quarreled . The BJP is adding to its percentage of votes little by little and building a possible winnable kitty. This alternate alliance in Tamil Nadu expects to gain 15 to 16 percent of the votes and around 10 seats. The numbers are rather optimistic, but that expectation, real or fictitious, is keeping BJP workers on the boil.

Third, if it is able to win some seats it could approach either the DMK or the AIADMK and offer support, post-poll, on certain degrees of strength. Modi shares an excellent personal rapport with Jayalalithaa while Karunanidhi has already made positive overtures and his son Alagiri is using every opportunity to praise BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

The party is also hoping to eat into Congress' social support base, which broadly constitutes of those who wish to be more in alignment with nationalist thinking, besides identification on caste and broader Dravidian sentiments.

Many believe that the BJP's decision in 2004 to dump the DMK and join hands with the AIADMK changed the game in Congress's favour. In 2014 the party is taking a completely different position, floating a front on its own. Can the BJP led front make an impact? An analysis suggests that in 2009 elections, the DMK front won a majority of seats but the winning margin in 21 seats was less than 50,000 and only nine of the winners won by over a lakh votes. The DMDK played the spoiler, bagging 10 percent of votes. The DMDK couldn't win seats then but in the assembly elections, its numbers went past the DMK.

This gives a psychological high to Modi's campaign. Not only because BJP was finding allies down south, but because even in worst times, it was South India which saved the Congress from falling from grace beyond a certain point and made it come to power in the last two elections. The emerging trends, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, offer no such solace for the Congress this time around.

Is Rahul Gandhi to blame for Congress leaders jumping ship?

Increasing desertions threatens to make the summer of 2014 not a very memorable one for the Congress party. The party's situation can be well understood as it has been forced to field legislators from the Rajya Sabha to fight the polls while many of its current Lok Sabha MPs are either seeking a safe seat or opting out.

But where others see a dismal future, the Congress still maintains the phenomenon of leaders switching sides is in keeping with election season.

"That the Congress is a sinking ship is a hype created by the BJP. During election times, many disgruntled individuals hop over to other parties to fulfill their own disgruntled individual ambitions. It is sheer political expediency or opportunism," Congress spokesperson CR Kesavan told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion on India at 9.

"The NDA is a nationally doomed alliance which is leaking and sinking. That is the reason Shiv Sena has decided to fight elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Its senior leader Jaswant Singh has been denied a ticket from where he wanted," he said.

Time to get new flags? Representational image. AFP

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Mittal, however, stuck to his party's line that the Congress was now reduced to shadow of what it was a decade ago.

"Jagan Reddy and Kiran Reddy indicate why Congress is a sinking ship. Their disastrous performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in 2012 where they lost 26 seats says it all. Major alliance partners Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress and DMK have all deserted the party," Mittal said.

The political atmosphere has been such that defectors from other parties are now flocking into the BJP. There is a high possibility that Janata Dal United Rajya Sabha MP NK Singh might also join the party over the weekend.

Singh defended his decision saying it was driven by the party's change in attitude after splitting from the BJP.

"There is a degree of discontentment in the JD(U). After the JD(U) broke up with the BJP, the focus has changed to development centric politics to survival centric politics. However, in June last year when the break up happened it was not perceived that the party's focus would change so drastically," said Singh.

He also denied that he was indulging in political opportunism by joining the BJP when he was as close to the Congress.

"In our pursuit to secure the special category status for Bihar I had to interact a lot with the Central government which is run by the Congress now. That brought me closer to the Congresss. But I had also worked closely with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as I was his secretary. I was also associated with the Planning Commission of which Vajpayee was the chairman," he said.

Political editor for CNN-IBN Pallavi Ghosh said that the Congress was going through a tough phase in the run up to the elections.

"Senior leader Jayanthi Natarajan refused to fight from Tamil Nadu. GK Vasan and P Chidambaram will also not fight. Former Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh and Ambika Soni have been cajoled to contest. Soni has never fought electoral polls but remained a Rajya Sabha member throughout. Even Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mani Shankar Aiyar who are Rajya Sabha members have been asked to contest," she said.

So what is to blame for the sudden shift in attitude of the experienced leaders?

"Many senior leaders felt left out as well like Jagadambika Pal and Satpal Maharaj. While Sonia Gandhi kept the party together it is widely believed that a generational divide has crept into Rahul Gandhi's Congress. There is also a view that a coterie is forming around him leaving others high and dry," Ghosh said.

Congress nominates Amrinder to take on Jaitley in Amritsar

Punjab is going to witness a battle royale with the Congress today announcing former chief minister Amrinder Singh as its candidate who will lock horns with BJP's Arun Jaitley in Amritsar constituency. Another Congress heavyweight Ambika Soni replaced Ravneet Singh Bittu in the state's Anandpur Sahib seat.

Congress election coordination committee member Madhusudan Mistry also declared the names of another 24 candidates from the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Maharashtra.

Tough battle for the Congress. Reuters

From West Bengal's Bankura seat, which is now represented by CPM's Basudeb Acharia, the Congress has fielded Nil Madhav Gupta. In Medinipur, Bimal Raj will fight on behalf on the Congress while Indrani Mishra is a Congress candidate in Asansol. The prestigious Kolkata Dakshin seat has been given to Mala Roy to fight the polls. Congress leader Samrat Topedar will contest from Barrackpur seat while Dhananjay Moitra will fight from Dum Dum.

In Bihar, Jyoti replaced Purnmasi Ram in the Gopalganj (SC) seat.

Shivajirao Moghe will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Yavatmal-Washim as per the only announcement by the party today.

Rakhi Birla owns Rs 1.6 lakh, Ashutosh 8 crore, says AAP

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party candidate from North West Delhi Rakhi Birla has Rs 1.6 lakh as movable assets, according to the declaration made by her during filing of nomination today.

Two other candidates Ashutosh and Rajmohan Gandhi also filed their nomination papers from Chandni Chowk and East Delhi constituencies respectively.

Rakhi Birla, who was born in a Dalit family, had shown her assets worth Rs 51,150 in her election affidavit in the previous Delhi Assembly polls.

Today, she showed her movable assets worth around Rs 1.6 lakh and has a liability of Rs 2.3 lakh.

A file photo of Rakhi Birla.

Birla's father is a social worker and her mother was a sweeper in a government school.

Ashutosh declared his assets worth around Rs 8 crores, which includes his and his wife's movable and immovable assets.

According to the affidavit, Ashutosh has shown movable assets owned by him and his wife Maneesha Taneja worth approximately Rs 40.5 lakhs.

Ashutosh, a former journalist, possesses two vehicles--a Volkswagon and a two wheeler while his wife has 230 gms of gold worth around Rs 6.4 lakh.

Rest is invested in deposits, insurance policies among others. Ashutosh and his wife jointly own two apartments in Noida. He also owns an apartment in Sector 105 in Noida. The total worth of his properties is Rs 7.7 crore.

There are three cases pending against him into which court has taken cognisance. He along with his wife has a liability of Rs 1.1 crore.

Raj Mohan Gandhi has shown Rs 7 lakh as income in his last year's income tax return.

Gandhi and wife's total movable assets worth is Rs 2.1 crore which includes jewelleries worth Rs 3 lakh.

His immovable assets include a non-agricultural land in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, whose current market value is Rs 15 lakh.

Gandhi owns two apartments-- one each in Gurgaon and in USA worth approximately Rs 2.2 crore. His wife owns a house in Bangalore which is worth Rs 50 lakh.

He has no liabilities and there are no cases pending against him.

PTI

Uma Bharti denies reports of having demanded Bhopal seat

Bhopal: Senior leader and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Jhansi, Uma Bharti, today denied reports that she had written to party president Rajnath Singh and asked for a ticket from Bhopal.

Bharti said in a statement here that the news was "baseless and shameful".

Uma Bharti. PTI

"I have never written a letter to the party president," she said.

PTI