New
Delhi: Over 1100 candidates will vie for seats in 140
Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 13 states and three
Union territories during the first phase of polls tomorrow.
As many as 1103 candidates are in the fray, including Deputy
Prime Minister L K Advani, eight Union ministers, two former
Lok Sabha Speakers, a former Prime Minister and three former
Chief Ministers. Elections to the 543 constituencies will
be held in five phases. Tens of thousands of troops have
fanned out across the country, braving extreme heat, harsh
terrain and threats by guerrilla groups for the staggered
election. Security has been beefed up in the troubled Jammu
and Kashmir, where two constituencies - Jammu and Baramulla
- vote on Tuesday. In communally sensitive Gujarat, where
all the 26 parliamentary constituencies are voting on Tuesday,
special forces have been deployed to prevent any unruly
incidents. In Andhra Pradesh a member of federal ruling
alliance was wounded in a string of overnight attacks by
leftist guerrillas ahead of the start of elections in the
world's biggest democracy. Police officials said they have
taken extra care to prevent any such incidents during voting
in the state.
Tuesday's
voting will take place in 13 of 29 states-including Andhra
Pradesh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir where Muslim militants
and political separatists have called for a boycott of elections.
Opinion polls have predicted a clear win for Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition,
but a new survey said main challenger Congress had narrowed
the gap. Vajpayee's BJP has dropped its hardline Hindu agenda,
and is campaigning on a feel-good platform of strong economic
growth, governance and peace prospects with Pakistan. Vajpayee
who is leading a coalition made up of more than 20 parties,
has urged voters for a clear verdict to ensure political
stability. Some 75,000 federal troops will be deployed for
Tuesday's vote in 140 constituencies out of the 543 at stake.
A further two seats are nominated by the President.
Black
day to protest stampede killings (Go
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Lucknow:
The Congress party on Monday observed black day in Lucknow
to protest the killing of 22 women in a birthday stampede
last week. The protest comes a day after Lalji Tandon, on
whose birthday the stampede happened, resigned as the convener
of the Election Management Committee of Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee. Vajpayee is seeking a fifth consecutive
term from Lucknow parliamentary constitutency in the national
polls beginning Tuesday. Tandon has been booked for bribing
voters ahead of elections. Carrying black flags and banners,
the protesters demanded cancellation of the cadidature of
Vajpayee from Lucknow. The stampede happened when the organisers
began giving out free sarees to celebrate Tandon's birthday.
Congress
lodges complaint against troublesome candidate (Go
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New
Delhi: The Congress party scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
on Monday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission
against a candidate contesting against her mother from Rae
Bareli. Gandhi told the pollpanel that Smajwadi Party's
Akhilesh Singh was indulging in activities against Congress
president Sonia Gandhi. "Akhilesh Singh is disrupting election
campaign of the Congress in Rae Bareli. He and his companions
who have criminal background are creating an atmosphere
in which free and fair elections will be difficult to conduct.
This is a serious issue," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma
later told reporters.
Stage plays as way of campaigning (Go
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New
Delhi: Hectic campaigning is on for the Šnational elections
beginning Tuesday. As part of campaigning, organising street
plays are an effective and cheaper alternative to carry
the political message across to the masses. One such play
was organised by popular stage artist Nadira Babbar, wife
of Samajwadi Party candidate Raj Babbar, on Sunday in Agra.
Nadira said that theatre provides both entertainment and
education for those people who cannot be otherwise reached
out. "This will help us during the campaign as we will be
able to present our thoughts and reach out to people, where
we cannot reach otherwise. We will entertain them and present
our work to them," she said. A play "Chunav ek Murga aapbeeti"
or "Election as seen by a cock," a satire based on the present
political situation, is being staged.
In this play, the innocent cock, who is the election symbol
of a corrupt politician, becomes his victim. Rupinder Ahluwalia,
the director of the play, said election is the flavour of
the season and the play is an effort to make the audience
aware of the state of politics in the country. "Election
is the current issue as all the politicians are getting
ready to make their strategy. How can they fool people?
So we want to tell people through this play that please
be alert," he said. Voting is being held on five days ending
May 10 to allow security forces to move across the vast
nation to ensure free and fair polls. The first phase of
elections will see 139 constituencies in 15 states voting
on Tuesday. A little over 670 million Indians are eligible
to vote in the election, which is largely being fought between
the ruling BJP- led alliance and the Congress party and
its allies.
Lone candidate in Ladakh (Go
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Leh:
Campaigning is slowly picking up in Buddhist dominated
Ladakh region for the polls on May 10. Thupstan Chewang
is the lone candidate of the Ladakh Union Territory Front
(LUTF). LUTF is supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party,
Congress party and other smaller parties. Though Chewang
is likely to be elected unopposed, as is common in the constituency,
nominations are open till (April 23). Chewang has been campaigning
for Centrally administered territory status for the remote
region, part of restive Jammu and Kashmir state. Political
parties have for long been demanding Union territory status
in view of its distinct demographic and cultural identity.
Chewang said progress and development of the region was
his main concern. Ladakhis have alleged that the Muslim-dominated
Kashmir Valley corners a major chunk of Central development
funds. In 1989, the Ladakh Buddhist Association launched
an agitation for an autonomous hill development council
and New Delhi acceded to the demand in 1993. Muslims form
slightly more than 15 percent of Ladakh's population. Ladakh,
about 11,000 feet above sea level, is India's highest inhabited
area. In 1947 when the then Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir
Maharaja Hari Singh signed the state's accession to India,
Ladakh alongwith Jammu and Kashmir automatically became
part of the Indian Union.
BJP a danger to national unity, says Ram
(Go
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New
Delhi: Former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani on Monday
came down heavily on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,
calling his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a danger
to the country's unity. "If today the Prime Minister decides
to make me the deputy Prime Minister then also I will not
go with him. We have not reached an understanding. Once
I have said in front of all that this government has to
be changed or the country's unity is in Šdanger," Jethmalani
told reporters in New Delhi. Media reports had earlier stated
Jethmalani, who had gone to London on an urgent family matter,
had withdrawn his candidature opposite Vajpayee on his appeal,
from Lucknow. But a day later, Jethmalani, who served as
a minister in the Vajpayee cabinet before he quit, said
he was still in the fray. Jethmalani is the joint candidate
of all opposition parties including the Congress against
Vajpayee. Congress named Akhilesh Das, member of the upper
house of parliament, as the stand-by candidate from Lucknow
anticipating Jethmalani might withdraw from the contest.
Das can formally withdraw from the contest till Monday.
N-E leader prepares for eighth term as lawmaker
(Go
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Tura
(Meghalaya): A powerful leader of ruling coalition is
hoping for an eighth consecutive term as a lawmaker from
northeastern Meghalaya. India goes to five-phased national
polls beginning Tuesday and ending May 10. PA Sangma, who
recently parted ways with Nationalist Congress Party, an
ally of Congress party, is seeking election from Tura constituency,
which goes to polls on April 20. Tura is dominated by Garo
tribals, forming 70 percent of Sangma's vote bank. After
parting ways with the NCP, Sangma's faction merged with
Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress to float Nationalist
Trinamool Congrees.
"We
support P.A. Sangma, not any political party. He has done
a lot for the people of the Garo Hills. The National Highways,
roads, setting up of the TV stations and radio stations
are all due to P.A. Sangma's effort," said Cleviush Sharma,
a party supporter. Sangma, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq
Anwar had formed the NCP in 1999, after rift with the Congress
on the issue of foreign origin of its chief Sonia Gandhi.
Sangma was the first leader to rake up the issue of Gandhi's
Italian origins, saying persons of foreign origin should
not hold India's top posts.
Yerran
Naidu injured in Naxal attack (Go
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Hyderabad:
TDP leader K Yerran Naidu had a narrow escape early
this morning when Naxalites made an attempt on his life
while he was passing through his Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency.
He was returning to Srikakulam from Tekkali when a landmine
suddenly blew off under his convoy. While Naidu's gunmen
and driver suffered serious injuries, the TDP leader escaped
with minor injuries in the landmine blast that was triggered
off by the Naxals near Singapuram village. Naidu was taken
to the Srikakulam government hospital and was discharged
after receiving first aid. He is reportedly in a state of
shock. Naidu, the TDP parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha
and a close confidante of his party boss and Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is seeking re-election
from Srikakulam constituency.
