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Seven-Phase Poll in U.P.:CONGRESS GAMEPLAN WRECKED, by Insaf,22 February 2007 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 22 February 2007

Seven-Phase Poll in U.P.

CONGRESS GAMEPLAN WRECKED

By Insaf

Fast moving political developments on U.P., crucial Assembly polls in Uttarakhand and Manipur and the heart-rending Samjhauta Express blasts pushed into the background a welcome review of the UPA Government’s Twenty Point Programme (TPP) for the aam aadmi. Planning Secretaries of the States met in New Delhi during the past week to monitor implementation of the programme all over the country and identify the black sheeps among the States. Interestingly, the review showed that the non-UPA Governments had performed better than those led by the Congress or its supporters during the first eight months of the current fiscal. The performance report prepared by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation threw up a surprise: U.P. finished third in the implementation of welfare schemes for the common man. Assam finished last.

Notwithstanding its performance on the economic front, the Mulayam Singh Government faced dismissal and imposition of the President’s rule under Article 356. The Congress, which leads the UPA Government, had almost decided to take this route to settle scores with Mulayam Singh. Brazenly ignoring the point settled by the Supreme Court and the Sarkaria Commission that the majority of any Government has to be tested only on the floor of the Assembly.  The Congress gameplan with the connivance of Governor Rajeshwar was initially held up by the CPM’s firm ‘No’ to the use of Article 356 and the strong possibility of the President not concurring. Thereafter, it was wrecked by the Election Commission on Wednesday with the announcement of the poll schedule for the State Assembly in a month-long seven-phase process starting on April 7.

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Close Race In Uttarakhand

The Assembly poll in Uttarakhand on Wednesday seems to have produced a neck-and-neck race between the ruling Congress and the BJP. Various exit poll predictions indicate that both contestants for power would win 25 to 30 seats each in the 70-member Assembly, leading to a hung House.  The regional parties, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) and the BSP of Mayawati are expected to improve their positions and play a major part in the Government formation.  The UKD has only four MLAs in the present Assembly but may win eight to ten seats. If that happens, the BJP would stand a better chance of forming the Government. However, if Mayawati’s BSP wins more seats, the Congress is almost certain to gain. The final outcome would be known on February 27 when counting is due to take place.

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Bihar Performs Well In Social Sector

Derided until recently as a laggard State, Bihar has considerably improved its performance in the implementation of the Centre’s 20-Point Programme. The State has now jumped to the 13th position from a tail-ender among the 29 States across the country. Equally surprising,  is the performance of the U.P. Government which has been placed at No.3. Interestingly, the non-UPA ruled States like U.P., Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Orissa figure among the first ten. In sharp contrast, the progress report shows poor performance by the “progressive” States of Maharashtra and Kerala, which have been placed at 21st and 19th rank. J&K and Assam are at the bottom, ranking 27th and 29th respectively. So much for full autonomy enjoyed by successive J&K Governments.

The 20-Point Programme 2006, monitored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, includes Centrally-supported 20 social sector programmes. These are: poverty eradication; power to the people; support to farmers; labour welfare; food security; housing for all; clean drinking water, health for all; education for all; welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities and OBCs; women welfare; child welfare; youth development; improvement of slums; environment protection and afforestation; social security; rural roads; energization of rural area; development of backward areas; enabled e-governance. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has issued detailed guidelines on the programme.

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Buddhadeb’s New Policy

Acquisition of farmland for industrial development through SEZs continues to needle the Left Front Government of West Bengal, led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee has now given an ultimatum to the Government of a Statewide agitation if the acquisition of the agricultural land continues. This has constrained Buddhadeb to look for an alternative route to industrialization: acquiring the land of various closed or sick industries.  Since most of these industries are in the small or medium sectors, the Government now plans to target them across the State. It has already surveyed about 500 medium and large sick or closed industries which could be acquired and offered for suitable Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

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Bar On “Political” Violence

The historic verdict of the Additional District Sessions Court in Salem, Tamil Nadu, awarding death sentence to three AIADMK activists and seven years rigorous imprisonment to 25 others may have a sobering effect on reckless violence as part of political agitations. Remember, three girl students were burnt to death at Dharmapuri on February 2, 2000 when a mob of the AIADMK workers sent fire to a bus in which they were traveling, to protest against a verdict in a corruption case against their leader, Jayalalitha.  The father of one of the girls filed a petition in the district court, which remained pending during the five years of the AIADMK rule in Tamil Nadu during 2001-06. With the change of the Government and of the public prosecutor, the Sessions Court found the death of the three girls as the “rarest of the rare” cases. The verdict has made the country sit up and think. Better late than never.

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Shyama Charan Passes Away

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have lost a great and noble son and the Congress Party a Gandhian in the death of Shyama Charan Shukla, 83, thrice Chief Minister of the undivided Madhya Pradesh in 1969, 1975 and 1989 on February 14.  Son of MP’s first Congress Chief Minister, Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla, he was the party’s tallest stalwart in Central India and admired even by his rivals as a gentleman politician. He symbolized five decades of history of the Chhattisgarh region, now a State. Popularly known as “Shyama Bhaiya”, he preferred active politics even in his eighties to the comfort of a  gubernatorial assignment. His popularity was widely reflected in the mourning in both States, irrespective of party affiliations.  The BJP Government at Bhopal declared a State mourning and its Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the cremation and lauded  Shukla for “always advocating high values in politics”. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, also attended, alongwith Congress Treasurer, Motilal Vora.

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Goa’s Carnival of Fun & Frolic

Panaji, Goa’s capital city reverberated to a non-stop, three-day carnival of fun, frolic, music, song and dance over the last week-end.  Highlighting the Goa extravaganza were colourful floats on parade along the city’s streets to the chant of “Viva Carnival”, with the mythological central figure of the festival, King Momo ushering in his three-day mock rule and calling upon his people to “eat, drink and have fun”.  The floats were based on the State’s traditional occupations, like fishing, and depicted its local traditions to the tune of “Amcha Goem” (Our Goa).  The annual festival, celebrated since the 18th century Portuguese rule, provides an occasion for feasting, drinking and merrymaking for 40 days before “Lent”, a time of abstinence and spirituality. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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