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Amethi: VHP leader to take on Rahul Gandhi

          New Delhi: Senior BJP leaders today met at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence and decided that VHP leader Ram Vilas Vedanti would take on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. Declaring its list of candidates' for several states, including Uttar Pradesh, after a meeting of its Central Election Committee, the BJP said that former MLA Girish Narain Pande would oppose Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli in the elections. Film star Dharmendra will fight the polls from Bikaner. The party has also decided to field Chaudhary Shah Mohammad Khan, the general secretary of its minority cell from Azamgarh. Candidates for all the remaining nine seats in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh have also been finalised.

          The BJP has decided to leave the Salempur seat for the JD (U) and will contest the Ghosi seat held by JD (U) instead. Apart from Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani and BJP president M.Venkaiah Naidu, besides other senior functionaries attended Saturday's meeting. The five-phased polls are to be held next month. Counting of votes will take place on May 13.

Fernandes to contest from Muzaffarpur, not Nalanda (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Union Defence Minister and Janata Dal (United) president George Frenandes said on Saturday that he has decided to contest the forthcoming general elections from his former constituency of Muzaffarpur instead of from Nalanda. Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar will contest from Nalanda and Barh constituencies. "It is the "public pressure" that prompted me to change the constituency from Nalanda to Muzaffarpur this time. They were the people who sent me to the Lok Sabha when I contested from jail and I represented Muzaffarpur four times", Fernandas told ANI. He also said that Nalanda is one of the most prosperous constituencies in the country and he didn't have any doubt about winning from that constituency. Asked about NDA's prospects in Bihar, Fernandes said that the coalition would win the same number of seats that it had won in the 1998-99 polls, adding that the use of electronic voting machines in this year's elections would make the election process in Bihar more transparent.

          Accusing the RJD leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, of booth capturing and violence during the polls, Fernandes said: "Earlier, he had had his own way of winning elections. This time electronic gadgets are being used for voting, and I don't think that it is possible to loot the booth and send people to Parliament" In Karnataka, the Janada Dal has become very weak over the years, that is why the party could not bargain for more seats, though the party cadres expected more seats from its alliance partners, he said.

Govinda in Mumbai local (Go To Top)

          Mumbai: Film star Govinda began his election campaign just a day after he was nominated as the Congress candidate for the North Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency. To show that he was the same 'Virar ka Chokra', Govinda took a local train in the evening and sat in a second-class compartment, from Borivali to hometown Virar. Along with the former Maharshtra Home Minister Kripa Shankar Singh, Govinda relived old memories of travelling in the train during his struggling days. He was received everywhere with plenty of fanfare. Govinda was travelling in a local train after 18 years and the media and the public wanted to catch each moment of Govinda's people-connecting campaign.

          At Virar he also visited the Jeevdani Devi Mandir and climbed the 1400 steps to offer prayers in the temple. The Jeevdani Devi Mandir situated on a hill is a one of its kind 1st floor temple and Govinda chose to climb the steep steps rather than take the easier route of the Trolley ropeway. A tired but contented Govinda refused to answer any politically motivated questions and refused to even speak about the issues with which he would fight the Lok Sabha elections against the formidable BJP opponent, Ram Naik. Govinda said that his first speech would cover the political questions. The popularity of Govinda in his hometown may create some difference to Ram Naik's vote bank. However, how serious a politician Govinda will turn out to be can only be gauged once he knows the issues with which he will be fighting the elections. For now though the 'Virar Ka Chokra' is enjoying all the love that he is getting in his hometown.

Congress to back Jethmalani against Vajpayee (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The Congress party on Saturday said it would back former federal minister Ram Jethmalani against Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Lucknow constituency in the forthcoming national polls. Jethmalani, a law minister in Vajpayee's Cabinet, had resigned citing political differences with the government in 2000. "Congress party would like to support Ram Jethmalani, former Union minister, as a common candidate of Opposition parties against Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee," Congress spokesperson Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi. The Congress also said it was ready for post-poll seat adjustments with the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh which sends the largest number of 80 lawmakers to Lok Sabha.

Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahar to be sealed during polls (Go To Top)

          Meerut: Extra police forces would be deployed for the forthcoming national polls. Polling in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha, will be held in three phases on April 26, May 5 and 10. VKV.Nayar, state Director-General of Police, said booth- capturing, rampant in the interiors, would be sternly dealt with. "The Central government will deploy 148 companies of security forces for the elections. One hundred thousand Home Guards are also available in Uttar Pradesh. There is no dearth of force for the elections," Nayar said after presiding over a meeting of district police chiefs in Meerut. Nayar said sensitive neighbouring districts like Muzaffarnagar and Bulandshahar would be sealed during the elections. The world's largest democracy faces five-phased elections in April-May. The elections will witness fierce contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.