Osmani to vote for UPA

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Silchar, July 18: Maverick politician and veteran Congress MP from Barpeta in Assam Abul Fazal Golam Osmani has set all speculation at rest by declaring that he would vote for the UPA government during the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on July 22.

Dismissing the buzz that he was toying with the idea of not voting for the Congress, he firmly reiterated his loyalty to his party. He, however, did admit nursing a grudge against the state leadership, especially chief minister Tarun Gogoi, for its hostile attitude towards him.
Talking to reporters at his ancestral home here last night, the septuagenarian denied having attached any condition for his support.

However, his supporters and confidants said the MP had put forward three conditions. He has sought re-nomination as the party candidate from Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. If there is any vacancy from the state in the Rajya Sabha then he should be nominated as a candidate by the Congress. In case he is elected to the Rajya Sabha, the Barpeta seat should be reserved for his elder son Wajed Osmani, a doctorate in history from Aligarh Central University.

Osmani said he had received several phone calls from senior Congress leaders, including foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee and political secretary to AICC president Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel, over the past three days, seeking assurance about his support. source: telegraph india

Beginning of end game, poll 2009

— Poonam I Kaushish

Disgust, revulsion and cynicism aside, most thinking people see nothing but trouble, travail and a dark future. Many others would be happy to publicly whip and even guillotine their polity, whereunder even the gutter today is cleaner than the politics of today. How long must India suffer and bleed?The theatre of the absurd, or a tragedy of errors? How should one describe the unparalleled tragedy happenings on the political firmament in Delhi last week? Wherein, tragically the facade of our democratic norms and functioning has got further torn. A sense of de ja vu overwhelms. Once again, governance, was reduced to a game, smacking of petty one-upmanship, clash of bruised egos, blackmail et al. Country be damned!Today, with the reigning diva Left withdrawing support to the Congress-led UPA Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal everything is up in the air. Notwithstanding, old-enemy-turned new-friend Samajwadi Party stepping in to save the Congress and its Government. And the BJP-led Opposition trying it’s damnest to pull it down.The basic issue is not the Indo-US nuclear deal or whether the UPA Government stays or goes. Or, who is to blame and why. Should the Left bear the cross? Did Congress not play by the rules of coalition dharma? Has Mulayam Singh landed himself from the frying pan into the fire? What of the Opposition? Let’s not waste time to justify or condemn any one of the actors in this all-round drama of musical chairs. We know them all.The stakes being high, every party has shed all pretence to principles, values and morality. What is on display is a naked and ruthless lust for power from which no single party has emerged unscathed. All that preceded the switch—unabashed opportunism and horse trading—will be remembered as the lowest denominator in the polity of free India. Of a deepening malaise of today’s political class, capriciously exposing their hollowness and hypocrisy of political commitment and subordinating national interest to personal egos and aggrandizement.Think. The UPA and the Opposition are both talking about getting the better of the other in the vote of confidence next week. But, none are thinking about stability, good governance and national interest. The UPA is trying really hard to avoid elections, where angry masses are almost certain to slit their throats. Thus, further undermining the people’s eroding faith in democracy as a desirable system.Everybody wants power but all distrust each other. The Congress, for its part, is using every trick in the book to hang on to power. It has willy-nilly agreed to pay the price of the Samajwadi’s support: For the first time in India’s corporate and political history, the Prime Minister is likely to intervene in the feud between the Ambani brothers. (Anil backed by Mulayam and Amar Singh and Mukesh who supports the Congress); ten ministerial posts, (one for the Gandhi family’s bete noir, Jaya Bachchan?); all cases against its leaders be dropped.Both want this “friendship” to hold till the elections, when they can jointly prevent the BSP’s “blue elephant” from trampling them. In fact, the accelerated action by the CBI against Mayawati in the disproportionate asset case is the first step towards that end. It is no secret that whichever party gets a maximum of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP will play an important role in who is the next Prime Minister. According to experts Mayawati is set to gain about 40 to 50 seats in the State, which will give her the bargaining strength to play perhaps the most important role in government formation at the Centre in 2009.For the Congress, however, there is a downside to this power play. Even if it survives it will at best be a lame duck Government with all allies demanding their pound of flesh. Besides, it is a moot point if its ties with the Samajwadi actually translate in to Muslim votes. Thus, everything boils down to a gut feeling of ifs and buts. One has to wait and watch in the days to come as events unfold and parties change their stand. Who will blink first is uppermost in everybody’s mind.The opposition, led by BJP is leaving no stone unturned to make the government fall. It is too buying its support as it .is keen that General elections be held alongside the six State Assembly polls in November. The BJP is confident of returning to power not only in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan but is confident of getting a majority in the Lok Sabha, thanks to spiraling prices, rising inflation, terrorism, Amarnath Shrine land controversy. It has already released its first list of candidates.One may be tempted to dismiss the happenings as being no more than an awful aberration. Nonetheless, the heart of the matter is that the whole episode mirrors the initial moves and counter-moves by all the parties for the next general election to the Lok Sabha in May. The beginning of the end game 2009.True, it was only a matter of time before the Left withdrew support. Specially as the Congress-Left relationship was a no-brainer and was doomed from day one. A coalition of hot ice-cream. Inherent contradictions were bound to take over. Be it ideology, principles, working style et al. The Congress-Left are arch enemies in three important States, West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala. Many wondered if at all the Left would actually call its bluff on the nuclear deal or take on the Congress over price rise and rising inflation.Interestingly, even today the Congress which actually needs the Left in the future has left the door open for further negotiations. As also have regional parties belonging to the now defunct UNPA. Within the Left, elders like Jyoti Basu (who has always been soft on Sonia) has raised the bogey of communal BJP and warned comrades not to be perceived as voting with the Saffron Sangh. No matter, if its a face saver vis-a-vis its electorate.The main crunch, however, lies in the reality that many within the Congress feel that the party has only itself to blame. The High Command is being accused of having mismanaged the nuclear issue from day one. The Prime Minister should have given due importance to the Left’s concerns and taken it fully into confidence during the various stages of negotiations of the deal. After all, the deal encompasses India’s foreign, strategic and nuclear policies.Thus, in this game of lies, deceit and deception, the UPA reflects the emerging truth of today’s India. Power is all. Arguably, one can say this is what democracy is all about. Sadly, however, the basic postulates of democracy have got botched over the years. Few care to remember today that democracy is not an end in itself. It is only a means to an end, namely, the greater well-being and happiness of the people. Which is possible only through a clean and stable government run by dedicated leaders committed to putting country above self and all else. Not through ram-shackled coalitions of fair-weather partners in corruption and crime.What of the future? Will individual egos get the better of collective wisdom? Does it bode the collapse of the coalition system of governance? Notwithstanding, the Samajwadi bailing out the UPA, if arch enemies are willing to align with each other, then why have elections at all? Ideally, all should grasp the reality of parliamentary democracy. The people’s verdict should be honoured before they go in search for the aphrodisiac called power and talk formation of a new Government with all and sundry. Sans shared ideology and mutual objectives.Disgust, revulsion and cynicism aside, most thinking people see nothing but trouble, travail and a dark future. Many others would be happy to publicly whip and even guillotine their polity, whereunder even the gutter today is cleaner than the politics of today. How long must India suffer and bleed? — INFA source: assam tribune

UPA govt will not win the trust vote: Nitish

Press Trust of India / Patna July 18, 2008, 16:06 IST
Even though the outcome of numbers game during the July 22 trust vote appears too close to predict, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the the UPA government's defeat in the floor test is imminent.

"The Manmohan Singh government's defeat in the trial of strength is imminent and the stony silence being maintained by usually-blustering union ministers from the state points in that direction," he said.

Kumar returned here after attending a meeting of NDA chief ministers in Delhi where they mulled over the strategy to pull down the UPA government.

"Now that it is clear that the government will not survive, the 'bayan bahadurs' (leaders thriving on statements) RJD ministers from Bihar have suddenly stopped making unsavoury remarks aginst me and my government."

He charged the UPA ministers, particularly those from RJD, with not cooperating with the state government in execution of several development schemes and said the NDA will make it an election issue.

"We will go the electorate with facts and figures and seek their support to bring the NDA to power at the Centre if they want their problems to be solved," he said.

Referring to the Indo-US nuclear deal, Kumar said the Centre should suspend and keep in abeyance all further action till it has proved its majority in the Lok Sabha. source: http://www.business-standard.com

BJP backs Sonowal for LS

From Our Staff Correspondent DIBRUGARH, JULY 13 – Dispelling speculations as to which party would field candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Dibrugarh in case alliance was forged with Opposition parties, local BJP MLA Prasanta Phukan on Saturday said that his party would back AGP’s sitting MP, Sarbananda Sonowal.

Seek confidence vote in Lok Sabha, Advani tells government

Seek confidence vote in Lok Sabha, Advani tells government

June 29, 2008 20:12 IST
Asking the United Progressive Alliance government to seek a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha if it wanted to go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal, Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart L K Advani on Sunday said the Centre should focus on burning issues and development instead of fighting with the Left over the proposed pact.

"We will ask the government to face a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha on the nuclear issue following the present political situation," Advani said while addressing a rally in Rourkela.
The UPA government, Advani said, was wasting time in fighting the Left parties on the nuclear deal instead of concentrating on development and solving burning problems.

"We cannot sacrifice our atomic energy and future tests in Pokhran by signing the agreement with the USA," Advani said pointing out that it was during BJP-led National Democratic Alliance rule that the second Pokhran test was conducted.

Advani lashed out at the UPA government for increasing Naxal activities in the country and said during the NDA regime insurgency was under control due to inter-state coordination meetings of naxal affected states which was abolished by the present government.

The BJP leader said the NDA government had given priority on national security and to control cross border terrorism which had been totally neglected now. Earlier, Advani addressing the concluding session of the two-day state executive body meeting of the BJP in Rourkela, asked the rank and cadre to be prepared for elections any time. source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/29advani.htm

Mayawati withdraws support to UPA government

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has withdrawn her party's support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

The BSP has 17 members in the Lok Sabha, which has an effective strength of 543. The UPA currently has the support of 220 members. The Left parties, which have 59 lawmakers as a block, extend outside support to the government.

Mayawati has accused the UPA of neglecting Uttar Pradesh and meting out step-motherly treatment to her party and the UP government.

The BSP supremo sent a letter, stating her withdrawal of support, to President Pratibha Patil and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Mayawati added that she will not enter into any electoral alliance with either the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party.Mayawati displayed copies of the letter she had written to President Patil, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Vice President Mohammad Ansari and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.She charged both Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation and attempting to implicate her in the Taj Corridor case. She accused the Congress of only making false promises. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister said Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal regions had witnessed unprecedented drought, but the Union government did not do anything besides making false promises. "I personally met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked him to give an economic package of Rs 88,000 crore and he promised to do something about it. Till date, nothing had been done," she said. PTI adds:

Similarly, she dismissed another question that whether she took this decision because of the reported warming up of ties between SP and Congress, she said both were down and out in Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati said she had given an open warning to the UPA in January this year that BSP would withdraw support if the Congress-led coalition 'did not mend its ways' and change its step-motherly attitude towards the state government.

The chief minister said though she had expected that the Congress would stop attacking her and her party for its own political interest, there was no change in the party's attitude.

She said that when the Congress-led coalition replaced NDA, headed by BJP, at the Centre, she had expected that the government would ensure that she gets justice in the Taj Corridor and other related issues.

"But unfortunately Congress proved worse than BJP as instead of ensuring justice, Congress has kept the matter hanging during the last four years for its own political interest," she said.

Mayawati alleged that when her party refused to enter into an electoral alliance with the BJP at the Centre prior to the previous Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party 'falsely implicated' her in the Taj Corridor case to exert pressure.

She also accused the previous NDA government of misusing the CBI and filing a disproportionate assets case against her to tarnish her and her party's image. Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/21maya.htm

Poll tie-up arrangements at preliminary stage: BJP

Poll tie-up arrangements at preliminary stage: BJP

From our Correspondent JORHAT, June 16: The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) hasn’t come up with any definite poll strategy for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Asom. Though the party is harping on terrorism, price rise and foreign policy as the basic issues for the Parliamentary elections, it hasn’t sounded a clear note on alliance with any political parties in the State for the next General Election.“Several parties and organizations have approached us lately and the discussions are at a preliminary stage,” the BJP’s central observer for Asom, Harendra Pratap told reporters here today. Though BJP doesn’t advocate a policy of untouchability, it will do everything in its power to defeat the Congress, Communists and communal forces, he added.Pratap was briefing mediapersons on the proceedings of the two-day executive and office bearers’ meet of the saffron party which concluded here on Sunday. State BJP president Ramen Deka, vice president Palit Kumar Borah and other local functionaries were present at the news conference. Terming the Congress-led Government in Asom as ‘the most tainted and corrupt in the country,’ Pratap called for a polarization of non-Congress and anti-Congress votes in the State. “If we want to save the country from internal threats posed by Pakistani and Bangladeshi fundamentalist forces, the Congress has to be voted out of power in Asom and the Communist parties should be ousted from West Bengal,” the BJP leader said. The UPA allies at the Centre are not taking the sealing of the international border with Bangladesh seriously to stop infiltration, Pratap said, adding that the Asom Government is more concerned about the welfare of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The Maoists in Nepal, who are playing into the hands of China, also hold an external threat perception, he maintained. Referring to the high inflation in the country, the BJP’s central observer felt that it would reach a double-digit rate soon as the ‘economy is on the verge of collapse due to the policies of the UPA Government.’ The Assembly election results in the last one year have signalled that the BJP-led NDA is on course of forming the next Union Government, Pratap said. The State BJP president said that the party would press for the removal of all ministers and MLAs who are allegedly involved in the politically-motivated murders in Asom. Education Minister Ripun Bora, who was arrested on a bribery charge, should be arrested for murder too, Deka stressed. “We have adopted a resolution to push for adequate probes and other judicial action against five political murders and other lapses on the part of the State Government and its ministers,” he added. The State BJP chief called Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi the ‘merchant of corruption.’ Gogoi is shielding his colleagues who have failed to deliver on all fronts, Deka said. Asom BJP vice president Borah reeled out statistics to highlight the ‘decaying law-and-order situation in the State since 2003.

BJP's 'gateway to the South?' Hardly

By Ramakrishna Upadhya
In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with strong regional and Communist parties, the door is tightly shut, while in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress and the TDP will not let BJP in at least for some time...
Now that the people of Karnataka have given an "historic opportunity" for the BJP to prove its worth and deliver on its promises, it's time to analyse the verdict 2008 and deconstruct some of the myths that accompanied these results.Does BJP's victory in Karnataka mean that it has opened the "gateway to the south" as some people believe?

The Karnataka BJP has been growing steadily since 1994, increasing its vote share from 16.99 per cent to 33.9 per cent now and clearly has emerged an alternative to the Congress. The Janata Dal and its various avatars performed that role since breaching the Congress fortress in 1983 and with their splintering, the BJP has occupied that slot. But, in the rest of the South it is still a marginal player and has a long way to go. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with strong regional and Communist parties, the door is tightly shut, while in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress and the TDP will not let BJP in at least for some time.

With power in the hands of BJP, how safe are the minorities and will Karnataka go the Gujarat way?Though the minorities will have some valid apprehensions and the state BJP has not been averse to raise contentious issues like the Bababudangiri hills, the Hindutwa ideology has few takers in Karnataka. The Karnataka BJP functions more or less like a regional party and more importantly, the BJP fought the elections on development issues, completely sidelining its Hindutwa plank. In fact, when the BJP was in power along with the JD(S), it was less aggressive about Bababudangiri than during the Congress rule.

In a peace-loving Karnataka, the BJP's stock will go down the moment it adopts divisive politics.How did an urban-based, "north Indian" party like BJP make inroads in the nook and corner of Karnataka?The BJP has taken nearly two decades to gain acceptability among the people and B S Yeddyurappa had an important role to play. Besides being an acceptable face of the dominant Lingayat community (16 per cent of the state's population), he has been a true mannina maga fighting for farmers' rights, championing the state's causes on Cauvery and Krishna disputes, etc.

More importantly, except the minorities, the BJP has become much more of an inclusive party, explaining why it won 28 out of 51 reserved seats.How much credit does BJP's so-called "wizkid" Arun Jaitley deserve for the party's victory in Karnataka?Very little. He managed to keep the dissenting voices down and make the state leaders work together, but the central leaders had little role to play in the success. In fact, some of them were privately sceptical of BJP overtaking the Congress, but the people in their collective wisdom decided to give it a chance.

How and where did the Congress lose the plot in this election?It did not cash in on Siddaramaiah' s entry. It appeared scared of the election and banked on postponement after delimitation. The party knew that Mallikarjun Kharge did not inspire as a leader, but dithered on replacing him as KPCC chief. It brought back S M Krishna for a role in state politics, but left him hanging, sending confusing signals to the voters. In the selection of candidates, it pandered to the wishes of factional leaders who had individual agendas, rather than going by the "winnability" in every constituency.

The party failed to mount an united campaign and it had no face to project as chief ministerial candidate.After a worse-than-expected showing, will the JD(S) survive as a party?The JD(S) is back to being a party of the Vokkaliga heartland, but it is not an unfamiliar a situation for it. H D Kumaraswamy has the ability to give it a wider base if he works with patience and perseverance, but his immediate task will be to keep his flock together.What does BSP's unimpressive performance mean to UP chief minister Mayawati?

She was hoping to find a foothold in Karnataka in the run up to the coming Lok Sabha elections and addressed many public rallies, but the final outcome is a set back to her ambitions down South. In fact, so focused was the electorate this time, that they have rejected all smaller parties and elected the smallest number of independents ever to the state Assembly.Will the Karnataka result have an impact on the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections?The morale in the Congress is right now down, but Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will be entirely a different ball game. The BJP may take some positives to the Lok Sabha elections, especially from Karnataka, but it again depends on how well the Yeddyurappa government functions in the next six months to a year