Round The States

New Delhi, 3 May 2007

Crucial UP Assembly Poll

MAYAWATI’S SOCIAL ENGINEERING ON TEST

By Insaf

As the U.P. poll marathon reaches its concluding stage, the main political parties in the race have stepped up their campaigning for the last round in the seven-phase nationally crucial election.  At the end of the sixth round on Thursday, most exit polls point to a fractured verdict in a pathetically low voter turn-out which, surprisingly, dropped to as low as 42 per cent in the fifth round on April 28 that covered the Parliamentary constituencies of top leaders, including Atal Behari Vajpayee and Sonia Gandhi. Vajpayee’s constituency Lucknow recorded the lowest turn-out of 37 per cent. Lucknow West Assembly constituency registered even lower polling of around 28 per cent. The voting percentage remained between 35 and 40 in the Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituencies of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, Rae Bareili and Amethi.

At the end of the penultimate round, Mayawati and her BSP once again appeared to be leading in the race for power, thanks to her smart social engineering.  She has adopted the tactic of extending her Dalit base to embrace the Jats, Brahmins and Muslims. This strategy has been put to test in Western U.P.’s Jat-Muslim belt, Ruhelkhand and Farrukhabad. If her Brahmin card pays off, (to be known only after counting on May 11) it will be at the cost of the BJP, which however seems to have improved its position in the fourth and fifth rounds. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh and his ruling Samajwadi Party are facing strong anti-incumbency feelings, especially in regard to the law and order situation. This has forced the CM and his colleagues to undertake door-to-door canvassing as their last-ditch battle for 59 seats in the seventh and last phase of the poll on May 8.

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Assembly Poll In Goa

Even as all eyes are on U.P., politics is quietly hotting up in Goa in the run-up to the Assembly poll on June 2. According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, poll notification will be made on May 8, nominations upto May 16 and counting on June 5.  The ruling Congress faces strong challenges because of several pre-poll developments. The party’s principal ally, the NCP, with only two MLAs in the outgoing Assembly is firmly sticking to its demand for 10 seats in the 40-member House.  The State NCP Chief, Wilfred de Souza has asserted that there would be no compromise on this demand. Moreover, the South Goa Congress MP, Churchill Alemao has announced his decision to leave the Congress and contest the Assembly election as a candidate of a new “Save Goa Forum”, which has planned to contest 35 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP as the main Opposition has decided to field all the 16 sitting MLAs and another 24 candidates for the remaining constituencies. All will be “dedicated workers with clean record.”

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Increasing Terror Strikes In States

Terrorist-hit States across the country have registered increased violence during the first three months of the current year, as compared to the corresponding period in 2006. This has been revealed by the latest status paper on the internal security prepared by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The ULFA violence in Assam recorded a nearly two-fold increase in January-March this year as against the incidents in this period last year---from 65 to 126.  Similar increased violence has been recorded in other insurgency-hit north-eastern States of Manipur and Nagaland. In Manipur, the number rose to 166 from 131 during the first three months this year. The increase is marginal in Nagaland, from 59 to 61 respectively during the first three months of the two years under study. The violence took place mostly on account of internecine clashes between factions of the NSCN.

The Naxalite-hit States have also continued to account for more violent incidents and killings during the first three months this year. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand witnessed a sharp rise in the killings with police casualties nearly equalling those recorded in the whole of 2006---81 in the first quarter of 2007 against 84 in the whole previous year. Concernedly the killings in the Naxal-hit States have been more than even in J&K where the counter-terrorism operations resulted in the elimination of 593 jehadis, including top 52 commanders during 2006. However, despite the continuing anti-terror operations latest reports indicate that the terrorist groups, including the dreaded Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, are actively preparing for strikes across the country together with the local insurgent groups and the ISI of Pakistan.

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Alarum From The South

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi has drawn the Centre’s attention to the dangers India’s peninsular States are now facing from the LTTE of Sri Lanka, which is now using even its air force. The “Tigers” have attacked Indian fishermen and are reportedly grouping with not only the ISI but also some local militant groups. Meanwhile, the present internal security scenario in which most of the States are fighting the scourge of terrorism, the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and later of his wife Kauser bi on a fake encounter has sparked a debate on such killings: A view, attributed to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is gaining ground that Sohrabuddin Sheikh was a Jehadi terrorist who needed to be eliminated. This reminds Insaf of what the late Dharma Vira told Punjab’s DGP on taking over as the Governor of the terrorist troubled State: “I have no use for live terrorists”!

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Fresh Violence In Nandigram

Controversies over the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) by various States continue unabated. While revised guidelines are being worked out for acquiring land for industrial projects in various State capitals, fresh violence has erupted in Nandigram of West Bengal. Even before the dust could settle on the aftermath of March 14 carnage, the village turned again into a veritable battlefield on Sunday last. Two groups of heavily armed activists of the CPM and Bhumi Uchchad Pratinidhi Committee fought a “pitched battle” in different locations of the village. Two persons were killed, both reportedly CPM supporters.  Firearms were used by both sides in the fight in protest against the Police shoot-out on March 14. Bad blood continues among the warring groups, necessitating greater security alert.

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Kerala’s Solution For Land Controversy

The Left Front Government in Kerala, led by V.S. Achuthanandan, has taken steps to eliminate confrontations over acquiring of land for industrial purposes. It has decided to set up Land Banks to protect Government lands and to facilitate land availability for development projects in the State. The Banks are being set up keeping in view the development of the State in the next 25 years. The land requirement for several projects coming up in the State, including the new bypass, ring roads, Metro rail, Railway development, IT Parks and others would be estimated while establishing the Land Banks. Construction of offices and commercial complexes on various sites on a build-operate-transfer basis is also under the Government’s active consideration with the joint involvement of various public and private sector organizations.

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Sheila’s “Sanjha Prayas” Plan

Delhi’s Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit has launched a new initiative for the rehabilitation of the people living in slums (jhuggi jhonpri) colonies in the Union Capital. The programme, called “Sanjha Prayas” is based on the Government’s earlier “Bhagidari Scheme”, launched for the participation of the poor living in slums and resettlement colonies to engage them in identifying and prioritizing problems at the community level. The plan now is to construct multi-storeyed houses for the slum dwellers under a new scheme: “Financial Assistance to Multi-purpose Cooperative Societies.” Four cooperative societies for slum dwellers have already been registered for taking up housing projects and other activities. More will be on the way before long.---INFA

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