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Round The States
New Delhi, 14 May 2009
Counting Of Votes
Today
ALL EYES ON GRAND
FINALE
By Insaf
The curtains finally came down on the month-and-a-half-long
election for the 15th Lok Sabha with the final, fifth-phase of
voting ending on Wednesday last. In all, 86 constituencies across nine States
and two Union Territories went to the polls. The voter
turnout in this last leg was by far the best—62%, with West
Bengal recording the highest turnout of 80 per cent. However, the
overall polling percentage is expected to be no different from 2004’s 58 per
cent. And the results too may not be very different, although some veterans
expect lots of surprises. Even as all eyes are now set on the grand finale
today, Saturday, in the counting of votes, nearly all exit polls project the
expected--a fractured verdict and a khichri
sarkar. By the evening the counting exercise, involving 12 lakh electronic
voting machines, should be over giving the final push to the unrivalled electoral
process.
Unlike the past the States are attracting special attention,
thanks to the regional parties and the clout that their leaders will be able to
exercise in the numbers game. Heading upfront are Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Will AIADMK supremo
Jayalalitha be able to sweep all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and extract her pound
of flesh from either the Congress or the BJP? Mayawati’s BSP in UP is predicted
to get lesser number of seats, but is yet to decide in whole tally these would
be added. The Left Front is said to be in for a major loss of not only seats
but face in both West Bengal and Kerala, and
may rethink its loud procrastination of doing any business with the Congress. If
Andhra Pradesh’s TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is expecting to see a drop, will
he have much of a choice which way to go. The coming week will see as much
action, if not more.
* * * *
Cong-Led Govt In
Meghalaya
Unable to get Parliament to ratify President’s Rule in
Meghalaya, the UPA-led centre propped up a Congress-led Government in the State
with the help of the United Democratic Party (UDP) on Wednesday last. In place
since March 18, the President’s rule was revoked on Friday last after the Union
Cabinet was told by the Home Ministry that there “was no option” of getting both
the Houses to ratify the Rule expire on May 18. Congress leader and former Chief
Minister DD Lapang was thus sworn in
as Chief Minister for the second time in just over a year. Six others were
administered the oath of office. Lapang has been asked to prove his majority in
the 61-member Assembly within 15 days. In the Assembly elections March last
year, Lapang had been sworn in as CM but could not prove his majority, paving
the way for the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance, an NCP-UDP led coalition
government. However, the MPA couldn’t complete a year as the Congress poached
on its legislators, resulting in imposition of President Rule. The State has the
distinction of having had four governments in just over a year!
* * * *
No Re-Poll In
Arunachal
Can voting be more than 100 per cent in some booths and the
election still be termed as free and fair? In Arunachal Pradesh it appears to
be so, if one goes by the Election Commission’s explanation. On Friday last, it
rubbished the complaint of BJP MP from Arunachal West, Kiren Rijiju and
rejected the demand for a re-poll in 65 booths. In the second phase of polling,
Rijiju had alleged there was total capturing of booths in 3-Mukto and 18-Palin
constituencies by the Congress and the voters list was doubtful in the latter constituency
as the total votes cast jumped from 7,334 in 2004 to 11,096 this election.
Besides, in 13-Itanagar constituency there was bogus voting, wherein of the 518
voters 499 votes were cast even though 90 per cent of the voters in the
constituency were government employees, who were on election duty outside the
district.
The MP’s allegation that there was over 100 per cent voting
too was termed as “false” and baseless by the Commission after a probe. The explanation
offered was: “In a small State like Arunachal percentage is not important.
Absolute number is. Allegation of 108 per cent voting looks scandalous.” As per
its probe, the polling station had 37 voters and all of them voted. This apart,
as per EC rules four poll officers also voted, as the staff is given election
duty certificate to cast their vote at the booth they are stationed. Expectedly,
the BJP had threatened to a launch a strike in the State if its demand was not
fulfilled. Will it? Time and tide wait for no one.
* * * *
Ladakh Impacts
NC-Cong Ties?
The National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir may
well get its first jolt, thanks to the Lok Sabha election. “Unhappy” over the Ladakh
seat going to the Congress in the seat-sharing formula, both Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah, were seen using some pretext or the
other to avoid campaigning in the constituency. A Congress leader has made a
note of the excuses: “While Farooq told us he has pain in his leg, he was busy attending
other functions. Omar said he had been requested to campaign in Uttar Pradesh…However,
we kept a helicopter ready to take the NC leaders. But no one showed up for
three days…A minister did take the helicopter after much fuss. But he went to
Kargil instead, spoke to some people and left after an hour!” The Congress is
still confident of retaining the seat as Ladakh is a party stronghold. However,
the NC leaders’ conduct has introduced a sour note.
* * * *
Anti-Ragging Panels
In States
There is encouraging news for students and parents. The
Supreme Court on Friday last directed all the State Governments to set-up
anti-ragging committees in educational institutions to prevent recurring
incidents. To ensure compliance of its orders, the apex court has asked the
States to give an undertaking about steps taken and importantly made the heads
of educational institutions and the local police liable for disciplinary action
if any such incident takes place under their jurisdiction. The detailed
directive follows a two-member committee’s probe into the death of Aman Kachroo
in a government medical college in Himachal Pradesh this March due to ragging,
which triggered a public outcry. At the national level too, the court has asked
for the setting up of a panel to suggest remedial steps in school curriculum to
check the ragging menace. If not complete eradication, at least a beginning has
been made to check the shocking menace of ragging.
* * * *
109 Year-Old Votes
In Ludhiana
Ludhiana seems to have made Punjab proud of having the
oldest voter and perhaps setting an example for others to follow. In spite of
his age and illness Pashora Singh, 109 years-old went and voted at Lalton near
Ludhiana on Wednesday last. Pashora has seven children, the eldest being an
80-year-old son and the youngest 50 years. The man clearly looked excited as he
reached the polling booth and was even ecstatic after casting his vote at the
push of a button instead of using a stamp. Pashora said that “ever since the
Britishers left, I have been casting my vote. Every responsible citizen should
do so.” A message which should make
those who didn’t vote think twice next time. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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