PM questions BJP's stand on terrorism

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday questioned the BJP's claim of having taken a strong action against terrorism. He said that record of the BJP party on the issue of terrorism is absolutely different from the claim made by it.

Dr. Manmohan Singh while addressing an election meeting at Pheowa (about 30 kms from Kurukshetra) said, "Our opponents claim is that only they can take a decisive and strong stand against terrorism, but by looking at the record of the BJP a completely different picture emerges.

Manmohan Singh referred to the Kandahar hijack case and said that three dreaded terrorists were set free and sent to Afghanistan during the rule of BJP.

He also said that during the BJP's regime, terrorists attacked Parliament, Red Fort, Raghunath temple, Akshardham and Jammu and Kashmir assembly. Terrorists entered Kargil, but then also the BJP Government remained unfamiliar of the problems.

"This is the record of the BJP...you decide how strong and decisive are these leaders (of BJP)," he said.

Singh said that the Congress-led UPA Government took courageous decisions to face and tackle the terrorists attack in Mumbai. "We will keep facing terrorism bravely and with full commitment," he said.

"All necessary steps needed to be taken to tackle terrorism will be adopted...but we will keep in mind that a particular religion or section of society does not face problems unnecessary," Singh said.

The Prime Minister also stressed on the fact that coordination between states is very much essential to handle the problem of terrorism.

He said, "The lack of peace and stability in neighbouring Pakistan, Nepal and Sri lanka could also have affect on our country.

"In my opinion only a national party like Congress can deal with such problems," he said, adding, "His party has experience and capability to deal with such problems."

http://www.indian-elections.com/latest-news/index.html#pmquestions

BJP fully backs Varun, says Rajnath Singh

Etah (Uttar Pradesh), April 6 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make the 'harassment and torture' of its jailed young leader Varun Gandhi a poll issue, party president Rajnath Singh declared Monday after meeting him in a prison.

'We back Varun, who is being harassed and tortured by the state government. Let the law take it own course. But we want to make it clear we will support Varun politically and legally,' Rajnath Singh told reporters after meeting Varun Gandhi, the BJP's likely candidate from Pilibhit constituency of the state.

The young BJP leader is behind bars for his alleged inflammatory speeches. The Uttar Pradesh government slapped the National Security Act (NSA) against him for 'inciting violence' in Pilibhit before his arrest March 29.

Rajnath Singh said the party would take the issue to the 'people of India'.

He alleged that Varun had been falsely implicated. 'The CDs showing Varun making hate speeches are doctored. He has been saying this. Action against Varun has been taken in haste. Before taking any action against Varun, the government must have conducted a thorough inquiry.'

Police officials said the meeting between Varun Gandhi and Rajnath Singh lasted for about 30 minutes. Unwilling to take any chance, the district administration in Etah said the meeting was videographed for security reasons.

'A doctor had gone along with Rajnath Singh to meet Varun after taking the necessary permission from the district administration,' police inspector Nawaab Singh said.

The BJP president later addressed a gathering at the Ramlila Ground in Etah, 300 km from the state capital Lucknow.

Source: IANS

Mallika Sarabhai invites Advani for open debate

.
.
.
Mallika Sarabhai invites Advani for open debate

Ahmedabad, April 6 (IANS) Noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai Monday invited Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani for a public debate on his achievements during his last four terms as the MP from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat.

'I invite the senior BJP leader for an open debate on his achievements in his constituency even though he had not learnt to converse in Gujarati after being elected from Gandhinagar for so many terms as MP,' Sarabhai told reporters at a press conference here Monday evening.

Sarabhai said that she would be putting up five questions every week for Advani to answer till the campaigning gets over in Gujarat.

She said that there are residents of villages in Gandhinagar district whose homes do not have a toilet for the past six decades. An amount of Rs.2 crore had only been utilised by Advani for carrying out developmental work and a total of Rs.8 crore had been returned by him to the central government unutilised during his last four terms as MP, she said.

Source: IANS

Cong, BJP licking 'friendly' wounds

NEW DELHI: With a less than a month to go for the first ballot of elections 2009 to be cast, the two big national players are floundering, hurting from wounds inflicted by mercenary allies and in-house conflagrations that have made the polls even more open than they were a couple of weeks ago.

When the Election Commission fired the starting gun, NDA's inability to emerge as front-runner had eroded its challenger status, but it is Congress that has now suffered a few telling blows, dimming its initial lustre when it appeared to be carrying its five years in office lightly. Now, it is also, like BJP, suddenly looking quite vulnerable.

Just as Congress was looking to build on the perceived lack of a wave against it -- helped by BJP stumbling in Delhi and Rajasthan -- it was tripped by an unlikely foe. RJD boss Lalu Prasad has been a steadfast ally and his equation with the Congress leadership is evident in the easy manner in which he and Sonia Gandhi exchange notes, sitting next to each other in Lok Sabha.

Lalu has stoutly defended not just Sonia, but Rahul as well, chastising the NDA ranks when they tittered at the young leader's "Kalavati" speech. But he has now left Congress's hopes in UP and Bihar in shreds just when Congress was holding him up as an exemplary ally in comparison to motormouths like SP's Amar Singh.

Developments have put an unfavourable spotlight on Congress's prospects in other states, several where it faces BJP. Congress is lagging in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. It is better placed in Punjab and Rajasthan, but could be in trouble in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The only silver spot is Tamil Nadu where alliances with DMK and PMK may hold.

This is a precarious situation for India's GOP, particularly if the grim urban mood sours further due to job losses. The only relief lies in BJP's failure to make an impact in cities where it should have had an advantage, given the economic climate and concern over terrorism. BJP's post-26/11 slip in Delhi has delivered a blow to its security plank which could have dominated political discourse.

Congress and BJP are both trying to settle scores with allies. Making the best of a bad situation, Congress is likely to contest 20 seats in Bihar in the hope of taking the first step to rebuilding its base though it is aware that post-poll arithmetic are cloudy. BJP plans to contest all Orissa seats, hoping to ensure it is relevant to government formation in the state.

BJP's neglect of ties with allies has ensured that unlike in 2004, there is no common agenda for governance. The saffron party has been sucked into a vortex of personal ambitions and a weak leadership. Both BJP and RSS seniors have been unable to settle the Rajnath Singh-Arun Jaitley row over appointment of controversial businessman Sudhanshu Mittal as election in-charge of northeast.

Though BJP is well placed in some electorally key states, the open season in the party has made a mockery of its claims of providing a "strong leader and decisive government". The party needs to turn attention away from its innards. But if deliberations of its election committee are anything to go by, this doesn't seem very likely.

Source: TOI

No finalisation of candidates but jockeying for PM post begins

.
.

New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) Jockeying for prime ministership has begun among rival alliances even before the finalisation of the candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

BSP supremo Mayawati has invited leaders of the newly- formed Third Front for a dinner meeting here on March 15 with her party keen to project her as the PM candidate.

In the ruling UPA, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has caused a flutter by using the Marathi card to project his prime ministerial ambitions.

Mayawati has never shied away from projecting her prime ministerial ambitions and has given enough suggestions that she was a bigger leader than Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson.

Her representative at the Front's launching rally yesterday at Tumkur near here and party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, has said "It is the aim of the BSP to make Mayawati prime minister.

"There is a feeling among the people of this state (Maharashtra) that number of states got opportunity like Andhra, Gujarat, Karnataka (to occupy the Prime Minister's office). So Maharashtra should get opportunity as well," he told NDTV.

At the same time, he said "one should not think of becoming Prime Minister when you are contesting from limited number of seats". PTI

BJP to contest 26 LS seats, Sena rest of the 22 in Maharashtra

.
.

Mumbai/New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) After days of haggling and weathering anxious moments, BJP and Shiv Sena today entered into a seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra with the national party to contest from 26 Lok Sabha seats and its long-term saffron ally to put up candidates from the rest of the 22 constituencies.

The deal came after resolving of differences between BJP and Shiv Sena, amid speculation that it was cosying up to NCP.

"BJP will contest 26 of the 48 seats while the Sena will field nominees from the 22 other seats," state BJP president Nitin Gadkari told reporters here.

In the 2004 polls also, BJP had contested 26 seats and Sena 22.

"There is no confusion (over the alliance) now...No argument remains," Gadkari said. "I am sure that party workers will work unitedly in the interest of Hindutva," he added.

BJP agreed to Sena's demand for three seats, Kalyan, Washim-Yavatmal and South Mumbai. In return, Sena has given Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Mumbai North-West to BJP.

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde told reporters in New Delhi that if the party agrees, he would like to contest from Beed constituency in Marathwada region.

BJP president Rajnath Singh and Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray would soon launch a joint poll campaign of the saffron alliance, BJP sources said. PTI

Udupi: 'BJP Likely to Win 22 Seats in Lok Sabha Polls in State'

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)

Udupi, Mar 4: BJP is likely to win 22 out of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the forthcoming polls, said state transport minister R Ashok.

Addressing the media persons in the district BJP office here on Tuesday March 3 afternoon, minister Ashok said that the meetings of party workers have already been convened in all the taluks across the state. “The BJP bagged 18 seats in the last Lok Sabha polls in the state. The people are nursing the ambition making L K Advani the future Prime Minister of the country. The increasing popularity of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will also work to the advantage of the BJP,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BJP will go to the voters with a clear call to shun the Congress that has not been able to safeguard the people against terrorism and rising prices of essential commodities. “Congress Party is a broken house; JDS is at its lowest ebb. These things make the prospects of the BJP winning a large number of seats in the election brighter, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls,” he said. Victory of D V Sadanand Gowda who will contest Lok Sabha polls from Udupi – Chikmagalur Loksabha constituency is a certainty,” he asserted.

MLA Raghupati Bhat, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary, local BJP leaders Katpady Shankar Poojary, Somashekar Bhat, Devendra Prabhu, Gujjady Prabhakar Nayak, Raghavendra Kini, municipal councilor Dinakar Shetty, Urban Development Authority president Sudhakar Shetty and others were present on the occasion.