ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 22 March 2006

Rajya Sabha Poll

MONEYBAGS AT LARGE AGAIN

By Insaf

Moneybags and poaching of MLAs has made the biennial elections on 28 March interesting in several States, thanks to the presence of some influential dark horses and “outside” candidates in the fray.  The potential of such candidates to alter the numbers game is great in States like U.P., Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka where regional and smaller parties are partners in governance, with considerable say in the nomination of candidates. A problem has arisen even in West Bengal, where the victory of four Left Front and one Trinamool Congress candidate was a foregone conclusion until the State’s senior Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee jumped into the fray.  The High Command cleared Mukherjee’s nomination because of his capability to poach some Trinamool and Left Front MLAs, making the winning of Trinamool candidate Mukul Ray doubtful. 

In Uttar Pradesh, the entry of the crafty and resourceful industrialist Sudhanshu Mittal, a BJP man contesting as an Independent, has led to a division in the ruling Samajwadi Party-led alliance, leaving the fate of the SP ally  RLD of Ajit Singh in a fix.  In fact, Mittal has mobilized support across the parties.  Mittal’s resources were evident from the fact that his candidature was supported by 20 MLAs, including four Ministers in the Mulayam Singh Government.  Additionally, Mittal is assured of nine spare votes of the BJP after electing two of the party candidates.  Most of the 16 Independent MLAs and 11 MLAs belonging to the smaller parties are expected to vote for Mittal.  While Mayawati’s BSP has the strength to make its two nominees win, the 16 MLAs of the Congress may also succumb to the temptation from the Mittal camp.

In Karnataka, which has to elect four persons to the Rajya Sabha, the entry of two independent candidates, U.R. Ananthamurthy and Rajiv Chandrashekhar has upset the calculations of the ruling JD(S)-BJP combine and the Congress. Chandrashekhar has a winning chance since he is backed by the ruling alliance. In Bihar, Ramvilas Paswan’s LJP candidate Ranjan Prasad Yadav has upset the calculations of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s businessman nominee Rajiv Ranjan.  The ruling JD(U)-BJP has joined hands with Paswan’s candidate along with the CPI, CPM, BSP and SP MLAs.  In Maharashtra too the ruling Congress Party’s “outsider” Rajiv Shukla is hoping to snatch at least 12 votes from the Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine. 

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Minority Appeasement For Votes

Minority appeasement by all the major political parties prior to the crucial Assembly elections in five States next month has touched a new low in Kerala.  The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is struggling to retain power has gone to the shocking extent of getting the State Assembly to unanimously pass a resolution demanding release of a hardline Muslim leader and a prime accused in terror blasts, Abdul Nasir Madani on “humanitarian” ground. Both the Congress and Left Front leaders have conveniently forgotten Madani’s terror credentials as both the rival alliances for power in the State jostle to champion the case of his release. It is all for Muslim votes.  Madani, remember, was allegedly involved in the serial explosions that had rocked Coimbatore in February 1998, killing 59 persons and injuring over 200 others.  His communally-charged speeches had then helped his PDP party make a base in Travancore belt.

The CPM-led Left Democratic Front, which supported the resolution in the Assembly for Madani’s release for electoral gains, has, however, suffered a setback in the State.  The CPM is for the first time facing a political turmoil within its cadres following the State party’s decision to deny its senior Politburo member V.S. Achuthanandan a ticket for the Assembly poll.   The cadres across the State revolted against the decision.  This led to noisy demonstration and poster war between the two warring factions of Pinarayi Vijayan and Achuthanandan. With its majority in the State party, the Vijayan camp seems to have succeeded in isolating Achuthanandan and make the State unit agree to project Vijayan supporter, Palob Mohammed Kutty as the LDF’s Chief Ministerial candidate.

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Muslims Back BJP in Gujarat

Narendra Modi is dramatically one up on his so-called, secular critics, if the results of the recent Nagarpalika elections in Gujarat are any indication.  Incredibly enough, Muslims have played a crucial role in helping the State’s CM and his BJP win 23 of the 28 Municipalities for which elections were held.  More significantly, the BJP candidates have made a near-sweep of the Municipalities in Muslim-dominated areas of Niyana in Rajkot district, Sikka in Jamnagar, Pardi in Surendranagar and Arrod in Baharuch.  In Niyana, which has 95 per cent Muslim population, the BJP won 18 of the 21 seats, while Sikka with 75 per cent Muslim population voted for the BJP candidates in 19 of 21 seats.  In Pardi, which has 50 per cent Muslim population, the BJP won all the 21 seats.  Significantly, the Congress was wiped out completely in these elections, as in the earlier polls for Corporations a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has strongly protested against the Centre’s decision to sell the entire Mid-Tapti/South Tapti gas to the Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL).   He met the new Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora in New Delhi last week and described the decision as “unfair, discriminatory and against the best business practices”.  The late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he told Deora, had assured the State in 1989 that the MT/ST gas would be supplied to the Gujarat State Petro-Chemicals (GSPC) for the gas-based Pipavav Power Project.  Not only that. Modi also pointed out that the GSPC had quoted the highest price among the bidders.  This, Modi stressed, had “caused great injustice to the people of Gujarat.”  The Pipavav project requires 3.65 million cubic metres of gas per day and the Ministry had formally agreed to allocate 2.25 million cubic metres, required for its viability.

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Already in difficulty politically, U.P. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh faces another problem: Impact of the recent blasts in Varanasi.  The Union Home Ministry has asked his Government to spruce up its intelligence system.  The advice from the Centre has pointed out Lucknow’s failure to act on a specific warning that the temple town was high on the terrorist hit list.   The Centre has done some tough talking and sought from the State corrective measures in terms of intelligence network and following-up warnings.  The State Government has been asked to “strengthen its intelligence at the smallest level of police stations.”  Lucknow has reportedly acknowledged its lapse while demanding more Central forces to tackle increasing terror activities in the State.

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Musharraf’s Kashmir Plan

Some Kashmir leaders who visited Pakistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir have returned home with a feeling that Gen. Musharraf was serious about resolving the Kashmir problem.  These leaders, including the National Conference Chief Omar Abdullah, who was the first top mainstream Kashmiri politician to visit Pakistan in more than three decades. Omar says that “President Musharraf is very clear. He has outlined a solution and wants India to respond.  He says if it is not acceptable to India, they better come with a counter proposal”.  Omar also explained to the General during his 45-minute meeting in Islamabad his party’s autonomy proposals which Musharraf wants to blend with his advocacy of self-rule and demilitarization. Omar and other Kashmiri leaders now want New Delhi to react to Musharraf’s Kashmir plan.

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Nitish’s Novel Plan

Bihar’s new Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has struck a novel idea to get the criminals to surrender and to end what is popularly known as the jungle raj. The criminals are being offered several largesse as a price for surrendering and becoming law-abiding citizens. The policy for surrender offers: i) Rs.10,000 to a gangster at the time of surrender; ii) criminals to be rehabilitated at a place of their choice; iii) they will be provided housing units and house loans from financial agencies like banks or HUDCO; and iv) they will be paid upto Rs.25,000 for surrendered weapons.  There is no better time than the present for Bihar criminals to turn over new leaves for themselves and for the State. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)