Congress expels 13 members in Asom

     Guwahati: In a tough step to maintain discipline within the party the Asom Pradesh Congress committee (APCC) has expelled its 13 rebel members including a sitting MLA for a term of six years. Announcing this decision here in a press conference the APCC media cell chairman, I P Hazarika said, "The rebel candidates have been expelled for six years for anti-party activities." According to party sources, these expelled members had failed to make it to the list of Congress nominees, and had therefore resorted to filing their nominations either as independents or with tickets from other parties. In the list of expelled members includes the sitting MLA Siddique Ahmed from Karimganj and the party MP Moni Kumar Subba's brother Sanjay Raj Subba (Naoboicha). The other expelled members are: Samsul Islam (Hailakandi), Kaliram Deka (Morigaon), Swapan Kaur (Lumding), Tusheswar Neog (Golaghat), Osiram Doley (Majuli), Umesh Gogoi (Thawra), Samujjal Prasad Barua (Sonari), Nilosh Hazarika (Bihpuria), Paramananda Doley (Chabua), Durgeshwar Tanti (Dhemaji) and Pradeep Buragohain (Nahorkotia). However, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh had admitted that as much as 35 party members in the State, who have been denied the party ticket this time are contesting either as an independent candidate or with tickets from other parties and it would have an impact on the party. Elections to Asom for its 126-strong State Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on April 3 and 10.

Jayalalitha to re-contest from Andipatti

      Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J. Jayalalitha will seek re-election from Andipatti assembly constituency a stronghold of the AIADMK party in the forthcoming assembly polls to be held on May 8. The party today released a list of 182 candidates which consists predominantly new faces. Some of the notable leaders whose name are missing in the list are present Finance Minister of the state C. Ponnaiyan, Labour Minister A Annavi and Sports Minister Inbathamizhan. Among the 53 incumbent legislators of the ruling AIADMK who have been given tickets to re-contest the election are O Panneerselvam, D Jayakumar, Pollachi Jayaraman, Nainar Nagendran and Thalavai Sundaram. Film actor S V Sekar who was earlier with BJP will contest from Mylapore in Chennai, while the party has decided to field their treasurer Dindigul Srinivasan from Aathur in Dindigul district. Party's propaganda secretary and former MP O S Maniam has been nominated to contest from Vedaranyam seat, and Bader Sayeed, Jayalalithaa's school mate, who unsuccessfully contested from South Chennai in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, has been nominated for the Triplicane constituency. For AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha, Andipatti assembly constituency in the Theni district of the state remains a significant one, as from this constituency her nomination was rejected in the 2001 assembly polls. However, she re-contested in 2002 by-election from here and won with convincing margins. Andipatti, has received special attention from the Chief Minister and within a span of last five years over rupees 132 crores have been pumped into this "special" constituency in the form of schemes and welfare assistance. Facilities enjoyed by this constituency like cement roads, water supply, sanitation and power are not available even in neighbouring constituencies of the Theni district. Jayalalithaa today also released the list of candidates for the Pondicherry and Kerala Assembly polls. The party has re-nominated its two sitting MLAs in Pondicherry. In Kerala, the party would be contesting 54 seats in the 140-member Assembly.

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