Congress, NCP accord on seat-sharing (Go
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New
Delhi: The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party,
headed by Sharad Pawar, have reached an understanding for
seat-sharing in Maharashtra and six other states while agreements
for the rest would be finalised in a couple of days. Announcing
this at a press conference here on Saturday in the presence
of AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Vayalar
Ravi, NCP spokesman Prafulla Patel said the Congress would
contest 26 seats in Maharashtra leaving 18 for the NCP and
one each for the three RPI factions. Of the two remaining
seats, one would be given to Prakash Ambedkar.
Modi's
Narmada Poojan Yatra banned (Go
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New
Delhi: In a setback to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi, the Election Commission has banned the Narmada Poojan
Yatra. The Chief Minister launched the 280 km-long yatra
from Ahmedabad to Sardar Sarovar dam site in Kevadia in
Narmada district this morning. The Narmada Control Authority
had given the go-ahead to increase the height of the Sardar
Sarovar Dam from 100 to 110.64 metres. Eager to cash in
on the power that the elevation will generate, Modi launched
his 'Narmada Poojan Yatra'. Earlier, Narendra Modi flayed
the Congress party for creating hurdles in the implementation
of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), before setting off
on Narmada Poojan yatra.
EC
rejects Samata, JD-U merger (Go
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New
Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday rejected
merger of the combined JD(U)-Samata Party ahead of the Lok
Sabha elections on the ground that it was not "total". The
merger plans of Samata Party with JD(U) had run into rough
weather following objections raised by dissident Samata
Party member of the dissolved Lok Sabha Brahmanand Mandal,
who had claimed before the EC that he was with the original
Samata Party.
Marxists unnerved by EC order (Go
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by Gautam Ghosh
Kolkata:
The ruling CPI(M) in West Bengal has become visibly
unnerved by the Election Commission's directive to remove
three IPS officers serving in North 24 Parganas, Nadia and
Malda districts and appoint five special Central observers
to oversee the coming Lok Sabha polls in the state. The
Marxists, who boast of "good conduct" certificates they
received from the Election Commission on earlier occasions,
have been caught on the wrong foot by the Commission's tough
stand this time. The Election Commission's order has virtually
vindicated the Opposition parties' charge that a section
of police officials has been playing second fiddle to the
ruling Marxists and observing neutrality in maintaining
the rule of law. The state CPI(M) leadership has come to
the defence of the tainted officers, thereby exposing the
party's link with them.
Mainline
Opposition parties like Trinamul Congress, BJP and the Congress,
however, are happy over the development and feel the measures,
being adopted by the Election Commission, will largely ensure
a free and fair election in West Bengal. Three senior IPS
officers, Basudeb Bag, superintendent of police, North 24
Parganas, Benoy Chakraborty, superintendent of Nadia, and
Gaurab Dutt, DIG, Malda range, have been shown the door
following a series of complaints against them. Bag, who
had earned the opposition parties' ire during his tenure
as the superintendent of police of Bankura district for
some acts of omission and commission, was recently pulled
up by the Calcutta high court which observed that "he is
not fit for the post of the SP." BJP leader and Union minister
of state for small-scale industries Tapan Sikdar was also
attacked by CPI(M) workers at Barasat in North 24 Parganas
during the last Lok Sabha polls in Bag's presence. The concerned
police officer's partisan role also came to light when he
failed to take action against a mafia don having links with
the CPI(M) at Habra despite specific evidence against him.
Nadia
superintendent of police Benoy Chakraborty earned notriety
for refusing to acknowledge the incident of gang-rape at
Dhantala. He was also held indirectly responsible for the
murder of Samir Nag, a Trinamul Congress leader of Chakda
and receiver of President's award. A gang of miscreants
killed Nag after his security guard was withdrawn allegedly
on Chakraborty's order. The Nadia SP also allegedly helped
Alokesh Das, a CPI(M) leader of Nadia, win the Nabadwip
Lok Sabha by-election following Trinamul Congress MP Ananda
Mohan Biswas' death.
Gaurab
Dutt drew flak from the Election Commission after he was
indicted in a CAG report for buying an air-conditioned machine,
a video camera and some umbrellas with the Election Commission's
money. Besides, he is reported to have cleared his residential
telephone bill to the tune of Rs 8,000 from the Commission's
funds. Earlier, as the superintendent of police, Burdwan,
Dutt was found guilty by the state Human Rights Commission
for kicking a demonstrator.
