ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 18 January 2006

Confusion Over Local Alliances

HECTIC ACTIVITY IN POLL-BOUND STATES

By Insaf

Political confusion is prevailing in several States where various political parties are  busy  working out or  re-working their strategies and alliances in their quest for power.  It is more so in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where Assembly polls are due in the next three or four months.  In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s efforts for a “grand alliance” against the Left Front is unlikely to succeed, even though the State Congress Chief Pranab Mukherjee has offered her the Chief Ministership provided she breaks away from her Trinamool Congress’ alliance with the BJP-led NDA.  In Kerala, Congress veteran Karunakaran wants his splinter group to cut a deal with the Left Front. Smaller Dravidian groups in Tamil Nadu, too, are trying to re-work their ties.  The MDMK is having a re-think on its association with the DMK.

Realignment of forces has also started in U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa.  In fact, it is beginning to hot up in Lucknow, now that the State’s former Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, has taken over presidentship of the BJP.  He is trying to emerge as a leader of not only the Thakurs but also of  the farmers even as Chief Minister Mulayam Singh is trying to reach out to the CPM, TDP and the AIADMK in a bid to forge the third front.  The Congress is limiting itself to holding anti-Mulayam rallies.  Ajit Singh is holding Kisan rallies raising speculation once more that his Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) may pull out of the SP-led ruling alliance.  Uma Bharati seems set to queer the pitch for both the ruling BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. She may well tie up with the BSP of Mayawati to forge an OBC-Dalit alliance. In Orissa, the alliance between the BJD of Naveen Patnaik and the BJP is running into difficulty. 

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PM’s Bonanza To Assam

Assam has got a bonanza from the Centre.  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced for “my State” (he represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha) an investment of Rs.6,000 crore during his two-day visit there over the week-end.  Central funds have been sanctioned for two power projects and for expanding coal mining activity at Ledo in Dibrugarh.  The Prime Minister stated at Guwahati: “With both the projects we are investing Rs.6,000 crore in Assam so that the shortage of electricity is met, the production of coal is increased and opportunity for employment is generated”.  The PM assured a gathering in Guwahati that he was committed to taking Assam to a “new height of development”.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has gone on record to state that his Congress would seek “minor” amendments to the Foreigners Act in order to ensure legal safeguards to the Indian minorities in Assam who, he believes, are vulnerable to harassment.  Gogoi had earlier told a Press Conference that “some changes” in the working of the apex Court’s verdict were required.  The Chief Minister wants reference to the tribunals made mandatory for all cases of detection of Bangladeshi migrants.  Presently, cases “may be referred” to tribunals.  The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which spearheaded the anti-foreigners agitation during the 1980s has  threatened that Assam would burn if any amendment was undertaken. The BJP too has supported the AASU.

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Left Front Woos Muslims

The Left Front Government in West Bengal, led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is back to its old game: wooing Muslim votes, which constitute about 20 per cent of the total  electorate of 4,86,85,382. Bhattacharjee has made it clear that the Front will leave no stone unturned in catching Muslim votes.  The Government’s latest move in this direction is to reverse its earlier decision to de-recognise some madrassas.  Now, these will not only continue as recognized, but efforts would be made to modernise them.  Meanwhile, the Election Commission is pulling all stops to ensure free and fair poll.  It has planned to keep the teachers out of the poll process, as about 90 per cent of them are said to be associated with the CPM and other Left partners directly or indirectly.

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Karnataka’s Ambitious Plan

Despite the political crisis in Karnataka, the State Government has succeeded in getting the Planning Commission’s nod for a most ambitious plan outlay of Rs.16,166 crore for 2006-07, a 19.26 per cent increase over the current financial year’s outlay. Importantly, Chief Minister Dharam Singh assured the Commission’s Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia at their meeting in New Delhi over the week-end that his Government would raise as much as 85 per cent of the outplay from its own resources.  In other words, the State would be able to mobilize Rs.13,823.73 crore during the year.  The Commission has given the State a good chit for its performance during the current year.  The State has done well in social sector, with health indicators above the national average.

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Hefty Outlay For Rajasthan

Rajasthan too has been given a hefty annual plan outlay for the coming financial year.  The Planning Commission has cleared a Rs.8,424-crore plan for the year.  Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia has, however, communicated to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje during their meeting in New Delhi last week that the outlay could be raised to Rs.8,600 crore, depending upon the availability of resources.  Both the Commission and the State Government are hopeful of mobilising the required additional resources on the basis of the State’s performance so far in the current financial year.  In fact, the Commission has complimented Rajasthan for its performance and hoped that the State would touch a six per cent growth rate this year.

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The Coordination Centre on Left-wing extremism, headed by the Union Home Secretary and comprising the Chief Secretaries and Police Chiefs of the Naxalite-affected 13 States, has finalized at its meeting in New Delhi last week an action plan to tackle the increasing menace.  The plan includes strengthening of the vulnerable police stations and their modernization in a time-bound manner, enhanced protection to jails where Naxalite leaders are lodged, formulation of an effective surrender and rehabilitation policy by the States and strict control and movement of explosives.  The Centre has also decided to raise ten new battalions of the Indian Reserve Force and to train 25 CRPF battalions in jungle warfare.

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Broadbased Talks On J&K

The Prime Minister’s dialogue with Kashmir leaders for peace is being broadbased by the Union Government. Following a successful round of talks between Manmohan Singh and the People’s Conference delegation, led by Sajjad Lone, in New Delhi last week, the Centre has decided to invite more leaders from the State.  The line-up for the meetings is being finalized by the PMO.  Those likely to be invited by the Centre during the next few weeks are the JKDFP leader Shabir Shah, JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik and even Kashmiri Pandit leaders.  These planned meetings between the PM and a cross-section of Kashmiri groups and leaders indicate a clear message to the Hurriyat Conference that the Union Government does not consider the conglomerate as the sole representative of Kashmiris. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)