Round The States

New Delhi, 14 April 2011

Corruption Poll Flavour

BALLOTS SEALED IN TN, KERALA

By Insaf

Corruption is the flavour in this battle for the Assembly ballot in five States. Importantly, not only is it the talking point but will also have a bearing on the poll outcome. While in Tamil Nadu, Raja’s 2G spectrum scam is giving sleepless nights to the ruling Karunanidhi clan, with investigations reaching the doorsteps of the Chief Minister and threatens to derail the DMK’s plans of returning to power. Predictably, AIADMK’s Jayalalitha is leaving no stone unturned to rub in the DMK’sleazy tales to an enthralled audience. In neighbouring Kerala the scandals afflicting the Congress-led UPA are coming handy for Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan-led LDF to neutralise some of the anti-incumbency anger directed at his Government. In faraway Assam, the RTI activist Akhil Gogoi's anti-corruption zeal has managed to blunt Congress' comeback plans by exposing corruption of the Congress’ Tarun Gogoi Government. In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has sought to use the issue to turn the tables on the ruling Left Front. All are keeping their fingers crossed.

Importantly, in the complex political landscape of Tamil politics and literate Kerala, both States recorded a voter turnout of almost 80 per cent. Undoubtedly, this has boosted the morale of arch rivals Karunanidhi’s DMK and AIDMK who are confident of emerging victorious in the 234-member Assembly in Tamil Nadu. Ditto the case with the Congress’ UDF and Left’s LDF in the 140-MLA Kerala Assembly. Interestingly, AIADMK Jayalalitha’s confidence rests on two scores, knitting a formidable alliance and the Election Commission curbing the role of money-power. In Kerala which sees a change of guard every five years, the ruling CPM-led Front has managed to bridge some deficit, despite serious doubts whether it would eventually be able to buck the trend. For reasons best known to it, the Congress did not get the response it hoped for as its strategists failed to read the popular mind. Its game-plan of targeting LDF's biggest vote-catcher Achuthanandan appeared to have recoiled, like earlier in Bihar and Gujarat. What next?

*                                               *                                       *                                                *

Kashmir’s Polls Thumbs-up

Sick of the gun, Kashmir has given a resounding thumbs-up once again for polls. Importantly, like the 2008 Assembly polls, the people rejected a poll boycott call by Hurriyat hardliners led by Syed Ali Geelani and turned up in large numbers to cast their vote in the first phase of a 16-phase panchayat election being held on non-Party basis with over 2800 candidates in the fray. Over 75 per cent locals cocked a snook at the stone-pelting mobs which had ravaged the State for nearly a year. This is not all. These polls are also significant as they are being held after a long gap of over 11 years, the last in 2000, which according to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was “only on paper as more than half the seats remained empty.”  Having cast their votes, the locals now eagerly await tourists.

*                                               *                                       *                                                *

BJP-AGP Pact In Assam

In Assam, barely have the ballot boxes been sealed that an up-beat BJP has initiated talks with its erstwhile ally, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) for forming the next Government in the State. A logical culmination of their tacit understanding over ticket distribution, the AGP fielded Muslim candidates in BJP strongholds to split minority votes. The BJP’s new-found confidence stems from the record over 70 per cent polling in the two-phase election which it feels would translate into major gains for the Saffron party. As also from the fact that it has succeeded in splitting the Congress’ “Ali-Coolie-Bengali” vote-bank, whereby the Muslim votes have gone to the AUDF in Muslim-dominated constituencies and the Bengalis’ are backing the BJP. Notwithstanding, a buoyant Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi optimistic of returning the Congress to power third time round. Who will trump whom?

*                                               *                                       *                                                *

Goa Halts Illegal Mining

Besieged by illegal mining sites that are creating a massive ecological menace, Goa is all set to amend its mining laws. Towards that end, the new improved Goa Prevention of Illegal Mining and Transportation and Storage of Mineral Rules, 2004 would give more teeth to the enforcement agencies to curtail illegal mining and related activities in the tiny coastal State. Presently, Goa has 105 operational mining sites from which 45 million metric tonnes of iron ore is exported. Shockingly, over 1.25 crore square metres of land has been diverted for mining during the past three years alone and many illegal mining sites have mushroomed to meet the huge iron ore demand. Better late than never!

*                                               *                                       *                                                *

Orissa Nod To CBI

Orissa’s job scam has given the Opposition parties reason to smile with the Centre ordering a CBI probe. Whereby, there has been large-scale irregularities and misappropriation of funds in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGS). This comes against the backdrop of findings by the CAG and the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad of mass bungling in all the 30 districts of the State whereby funds were being siphoned off by corrupt officials, thereby denying lakhs of poor people their fundamental right to livelihood. Yet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been turning a blind eye since 2007. Caught in a bind today, Patnaik has formed a group to monitor the rural job scheme's working and adopt best practices being followed by other States. What next?

*                                               *                                       *                                                *

Seven States Nod

Seven States, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra and Karnataka have finally given their nod to inter-linking of rivers. The projects include Ken-Betwa rivers inter-link between Madhya Pradesh and UP, Par-Tapi-Narmada rivers and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal rivers between Gujarat and Maharashtra, Chambal-Kali-Sindh rivers between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and Godavari-Krishna rivers between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Not only that. While Gujarat, Maharashtra, UP and Madhya Pradesh had agreed to share water with other States, Orissa and Chhattisgarh continued to play hard ball. In these water-scarce days, it remains to be seen whether the States will finally give ‘flow’ to all 30 river-linking projects which have hanging fire since the early sixties.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)