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Round The States
New Delhi, 24 April 2009
2nd
Phase Of Polling
ANDHRA, ORISSA FATE
SEALED
By Insaf
The fate of two Chief Ministers, Andhra Pradesh’s YS Rajashekhar
Reddy and Orissa’s Naveen Patnaik was sealed with the second phase of polling for
114 Lok Sabha and 221 Assembly seats ending on Thursday last. The election
witnessed an overall 55 per cent voter turnout in the 13 States, despite
soaring temperature of 40 degrees in some parts. Fortunately, in comparison to
the first phase, polling was by and large peaceful barring a few incidents in
Maoist-infested Bihar and Jharkhand, in which
four policemen and one civilian were killed. Between 62 and 65 per cent votes
were cast for 11 of the 14 seats in Assam. Interestingly, however, 12
booths of Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh and Tezpur recorded nil polling with the
voters boycotting to register a protest against “bad roads” and the State
Government’s failure to prevent flood menace.
For Andhra and Orissa, Thursday also marked the final round
of polling for the 294 and 147 Assembly seats respectively, which saw a voter
turnout between 55 and 68 per cent. Both the Chief Ministers face tough odds. While
Andhra’s Reddy is looking to retain his Congress rule without allies, BJD’s
Patnaik is seeking a majority on his own steam. In fact, the two have had to
face common hurdles: negotiate a three-way race, face allies-turned foes and have
the anti-incumbency factor (two terms in case of Patnaik and five years for
YSR) going against them. While BJD broke away from the BJP after an 11-year
alliance, the Congress in Andhra lost its ally the Telengana Rashtriya Samiti
in the Telengana region. Worse, film actor Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam is
expected to eat into its votes in the Andhra. Political pundits foresee a hung
Assembly in both the States.
* * * *
“Robin Hood” Weakens Mayawati
With her eyes firmly set on the Prime Ministerial gaddi (throne) at all cost, Bahujan
Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has unwittingly weakened the political current in
her favour in Uttar Pradesh. Her list of candidates includes over a dozen with
criminal records, obviously keeping the winnability factor alone in mind. But
she seems to have stretched it a bit too far. Her description of candidate
mafia don, Mukhtar Ansari, contesting from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat from
jail, as “Robin Hood” has irked the Brahmins and other forward caste voters.
Remember, Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave money to the poor! Her
initial Dalit-Brahmin combine, according to political pundits, would have got
her 40-50 seats. But now they forecast that all 16 seats in eastern UP will be
affected and Behenji may manage only 35 of the 80 seats! BSP’s loss could well
be the BJP’s gain?
This ‘Robin Hood’ faux pas apart, the Blue Brigade’s slogan
“Chadh goondon ki chhatti par button
dabega haathi par” which saw Mayawati
through to the Chief Minister’s chair, is now being used by her rivals to hit
back. With criminals donning the BSP’s list, they have an equally peppy slogan
“Goonde chaddh gaye haathi par, goli maro
chhaati par.” Besides, Behenji may need to think twice before boasting any
more of her vote base as one representing all sections of the society from “bahujan to sarva Samaj.’ UP’s wary
electorate is beginning to see it as a votebank of “Bahubali Samaj.” Clearly, the wave and goodwill in her favour
appears to be diminishing.
* * * *
Bihar Worries Lalu
Bihar, home state of RJD leader and Union Railway Minister
Lalu Prasad may turn out to be his Waterloo.
Discouraging trends in the first-phase of polling, April 16, appear to have
rattled the maverick as never before. Not only is Lalu losing sight of his own
much-touted politics of “secular coalitions”, but has stumped one and all by
taking on his ally the Congress publicly. In Darbhanga, where a sizeable Muslim
votes would decide the poll course, Lalu bowled a googly, blaming the Congress
equally for the demolition of the Babri Masjid. His UPA partner, he said was
“in power and did nothing to prevent it.” It was a clear U-turn in his stand
over the past five years, besides a threat to reveal more secrets if compelled!
While his partymen are feeling uneasy, other leaders dismiss it as the outcome
of the fear of losing the Muslim vote as also his basic ground in Bihar. The Congress has not taken this lying down.
Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made it known that “Lalu would not be in
the next government.”
* * * *
Lanka Crisis
Dominates TN
In Tamil Nadu, the LTTE crisis in Sri Lanka has taken centre stage in
the poll campaign. All parties barring
the AIADMK have made it a major issue, without giving a thought to their
allies’ sentiments. Topping the list is the ruling DMK with its chief M
Karunanidhi causing a major embarrassment to partner Congress. On Sunday last
he called LTTE chief V Prabhakaran “a good friend” who was not a terrorist,
much to the chagrin of its UPA partner. It’s a different story that he
retracted the next day, only to shoot off a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi soon after urging them to ask the
Lankan government “to order an immediate ceasefire.” Likewise, MDMK general
secretary Vaiko, who is one of the most vocal supporters of the LTTE and its
chief, warned that failure to control civilian deaths in Sri Lanka would be detrimental to India’s
integrity. This despite knowing well that partner Jayalalitha is opposed to the
LTTE.
* * * *
Women Infiltrators
In J&K
Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a new phenomenon in
terrorist strikes. Militant groups across the border are training women to
infiltrate the State. The Army says it appears that women may not be trained
for a combat role, but the militant groups might be using them as handlers for
giving directions to the terrorists. The suspicion emanates after reports that
the two terrorists who were shot dead in the Pulwama encounter on Sunday last
were being handled by a woman, who is being interrogated. Another woman
terrorist was recently killed in Doda district. While the numbers of the women
being sent across the border may be small, it is a disturbing beginning.
* * * *
Chhattisgarh Poll
Over, No Development
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh is in a dilemma.
The polls in his State ended with the first phase on April 16. But his
Government is not permitted to go ahead with normal development activity. The
reason? The model code of conduct, which continues to be in force. With their
hands tied, the State’s Women and Child Development Department has sought a
clarification from the Election Commission whether it could go ahead with its
plans of organizing mass marriages under its “Nirdhan kanya vivah vojana”. The State spends Rs 5000 to meet
expenses for the marriage of a girl belonging to a poor family. Raman Singh
says: “It is prudent that the model code is relaxed in those States where
polling is already complete.” Perhaps he has a point. A permanent mechanism
should be in place so that the model code does not come in the way of
much-needed development work. --INFA
(copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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