Round The States

New Delhi, 19 April 2007

Predictions on U.P.

TOWARDS A HUNG ASSEMBLY

By Insaf

Midway through the Assembly poll in U.P., voting trends largely show that development, good governance and law and order are higher on the high-voltage campaign agenda than caste politics. Caste and community-based votes, which invariably were the deciding factor in earlier elections, have been split this time between the major parties in the fray: the BSP, Samajwadi Party, BJP and the Congress in that order. All pollsters have predicted at the end of three rounds in the seven-phase poll that Mayawati’s BSP would emerge as the single-largest party, but far behind the majority figure of 202 seats in the 403-member Assembly---anywhere between 135 and 145 seats. Based on these projections, a process of post-poll realignments of forces has already begun. Quiet moves about a BSP-Congress and an SP-BJP understanding are already in the air.

Smaller and regional parties, too, have started working out their post-poll strategies.  Uma Bharti, who had fielded 172 candidates, has already informally withdrawn them in favour of the BJP so as to consolidate the Hindutva vote-bank. The Muslims, who dominate the Meerut-Moradabad-Amroha-Aligarh-Etawah sector, have also divided their support between the Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Congress.  Sonia Gandhi has, meanwhile, adopted the Congress party’s old mode of communication with the Muslims, who at one stage constituted the party’s solid vote-bank. She has written personal letters to as many as 15,000 Muslim leaders across the State for their support to ensure the defeat of the “communal” BJP.  The Dalits, who constitute about 21 per cent of the State’s electorate and the OBCs comprising about 25 per cent, too have split their support between the four major parties in the poll fray.

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Another Poll Setback To Congress

The Congress Party continues to suffer electoral setbacks, which are bound to have an impact on the party’s aspirations in U.P.  Last week the party got another drubbing in three byelections to the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra: Ramtek, Jalgaon and Erandol.  The Shiv Sena-BJP combine, which defeated the ruling Congress in the recent civic polls in the State, has repeated its performance, winning Ramtek and Jalgaon. The Erandol seat went to the NCP, an ally of the ruling Congress. In fact, the NCP’s decision to field its candidate against the Congress and bag the seat is a fresh jolt to the ruling combine.  The outcome is also a setback to the Congress party’s newly-elected adventurous leader Narayan Rane. He had deserted the Shiv Sena and joined the Congress alongwith Subodh Mohite, who resigned the Ramtek seat after joining the Congress.  He sought re-election as a Congress candidate but lost.  

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Sarva Siksha Abhiyan In Jeopardy

The States are greatly upset by the Planning Commission’s move to change the criteria for the Centre’s contribution to the latter’s Sarva Siksha Abhiyan from 75-25 to 50-50 basis. The north-eastern States are also hurt on one other count. An additional 15 per cent of the Centre’s contribution to the Scheme for these far-flung States is also being withdrawn. The issue was strongly raised at the State Education Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi last week.  The Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Arjun Singh has reportedly asked the Planning Commission to reconsider its decision. Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura have already told New Delhi that they would not be able to carry on the Scheme on a 50-50 basis. They want the earlier formula of 75 per cent Central grant revived. 

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Bonanza For North-East

At long last, the Centre has given to the long-neglected North-Eastern States what was their due: a new Industrial and Investment Policy-2007, which will put the remote and backward region on the industrial map of the country. It will provide incentives and an enabling environment to speed up industrialization of the region.  At present the region’s industrial growth is four per cent per annum against the national average of eight per cent. The new policy, cleared by the Union Cabinet last week, includes Sikkim and seven other States of the region. Besides providing fiscal incentive for ten years, it offers one hundred per cent excise duty exemption on finished products of the region.  Capital subsidy would be enhanced from 15 per cent of the investment in plant and machinery to 30 per cent. The limit of automatic approval of capital subsidy has been raised to Rs.1.4 crore from Rs.30 lakh.

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Situation In J&K Not Normal: Army

Contrary to motivated reports, the Army has not recommended any withdrawal of troops from Jammu and Kashmir because of the prevailing situation in the State. According to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt-General H.S. Panag, about 1300 to 1500 militants are still present in the State and the situation is still not normal for the Army to return to the barracks. The General has assessed that about 40 per cent of the terrorists are from Pakistan.  He has been quoted as having made these observations at the inauguration of a rehabilitation centre for woman victims of terrorism near Srinagar. A similar view has been expressed by the State’s Governor, Lt-Gen. S.K. Sinha (Retd) who strongly believes that demilitarization in the Kashmir Valley cannot be undertaken till peace returns to the region.

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Himachal’s Employment Plan

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh has undertaken several schemes to provide adequate employment to the youth, as promised by his Congress party’s Assembly poll manifesto four years ago.  This was disclosed by him while inaugurating the second phase of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for Kangra district. His Government will provide jobs to over 30,000 youths in various Government departments during the current financial year.  The Chief Minister also disclosed that he had written to the Prime Minister for bringing the entire State under the scheme, which initially covered Chamba and Sirmanur districts.  The scheme has now been extended to Kangra and Mandi districts.

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Another Good Chit For Raje Govt.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of the BJP has got another good chit for governance from the Centre.  This time it is for becoming the first State to set up project implementation and monitoring units for urban development schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The schemes pertain to the creation of infrastructure facilities for the urban poor, integrated housing plans and improvement in slum colonies. While a Project Monitoring Unit will function at the State level, the implementation units at Ajmer and Jaipur Divisions will be headed by Regional Deputy Directors and Project Directors. Both the cities have been selected under the JNNURM. The implementation units will assist in the execution of schemes launched by the urban local bodies. 

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Kerala Leads In Primary Education

Kerala has emerged as the top performing State in providing elementary education in the country. This has been revealed in an official nationwide survey on the status of primary education. The study was undertaken by the National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). The report is based on the access to schools, infrastructure and teachers’ availability. The extensive study covered schools in all the 35 States and Union Territories. The report shows that Kerala, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh are the top five in that order, in providing primary education while Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, UP and Assam are the five bottom-ranked States. As many as 180 of the 581 districts in the country have reported decline in primary education enrolment.---INFA

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