Sharad Pawar sets 'tough terms' before Congress

NASHIK (MAHARASHTRA): In a significant development ahead of the possible announcement of Lok Sabha poll schedule, Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) chief Sharad Pawar reportedly laid down strict conditions before its UPA ally Congress.

Sharad Pawar on Sunday urged the Congress to take a lead in declaring national-level, pre-poll alliances with its partners, IANS reported.

"As a big party, the Congress should come out with the pre-poll alliance and alliance partners should get a chance to contest from constituencies in which they are strong," he said.

Pawar said although he has spoken to different parties like Jayalalitha's AIADMK and N. Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP), no final decision has been taken.

"The NCP does not want to fight the elections on its own. For the present, we are with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)," he said.

Toughening the party's stance on the issue of getting a 50 per cent share of seats in Maharashtra, he said that if the Congress did not relent, then the NCP would have to rethink the issue, IANS said.

Addressing the convention, state Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal urged the Congress to give 50 per cent seats and share the chief minister's post for the forthcoming assembly elections, due later this year.

Justifying the demand, Bhujbal said that this was in view of the fact that the NCP's strength had grown as compared to the Congress. "In such a situation, why should we settle for a secondary position?" he asked.

According to IANS, apart from Bhujbal, other senior NCP leaders like Tariq Anwar and state president RR Patil spoke at the convention.
Times Now report says that commenting on his possible meeting with Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, Pawar said, "Sure, I want to meet him and wish him good health."

Answering a question about Congress leader Govindrao Adik, Pawar said he respected Adik's feelings. "But he (Adik) will be better off moving to the NCP," Times Now quoted Pawar as saying.

Pawar said that there is a feeling among NCP workers that the party should insist on sharing the office of chief minister of Maharashtra on the basis of the formula which the Congress has devised in Jammu and Kashmir.

"State NCP chief and former deputy chief minister RR Patil has communicated to me this feeling," Pawar told Times Now.

Faultlines in the ruling alliance of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party came out in the open on Thursday following criticism of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in an NCP periodical.

The periodical, Rashtravadi, contained an editorial in its latest edition which was critical of Sonia and Rahul and accused them of being rude towards constituent parties of the UPA.

Tempers shot up in the Congress camp with senior party MP Gurudas Kamat threatening that his party will have to rethink its alliance with the NCP if the latter ridiculed its leaders. He said Sonia and Rahul have been courteous and humble in their conduct towards leaders of all parties which constitute the UPA. His threat assumed significance in the background of the NCP hobnobbing with the Shiv Sena.

The Congress is already upset with the NCP's open projection of Pawar as its prime ministerial candidate since it clashes with its own ambition of having Rahul as the next prime minister.

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Lok Sabha polls from April 16 to May 13

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited schedule for the Lok Sabha elections was announced on Monday afternoon, by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami.


The country will go to polls from April 16 to May 13. Counting of votes will be done on May 16 and the 15th Lok Sabha will be constituted by June two.

Polls will be conducted in 124 constituencies on April 16, 141 constituencies on April 23, 107 constituencies on April 30, 85 constituencies on May 7 and 86 constrituencies on May 13.

Five-phased polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar will have four-phased elections, Maharashtra and West Bengal will witness three-phased polls, while Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Punjab will have elections in two phases, N Gopalaswami announced at a press conference.

Remaining 15 states and seven union territories will have one-day polling.

Treating Manipur as an exception, polls will be conducted in the state on April 22, considering April 23 is a local holiday there.

Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa will simultaneously hold assembly polls.

On Sunday, the President rejected the controversial recommendation by the Chief Election Commissioner for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla. The President’s decision will now pave the way for Chawla’s elevation as CEC after Gopalaswami demits office on April 20.

The Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami decided the dates of the general elections after completing consultation process with political leaders, home secretary and secretaries of key ministries.

Earlier in the day, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Ajit Singh announced its entry into the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The RLD will have a poll pact with the main NDA constituent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a late development on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress formed an alliance with Congress in West Bengal to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the Left Front.

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3,000 ex-Maoists line up to join Chiranjeevi party

HYDERABAD: Hundreds of former naxalites, who jettisoned the Maoist movement in the last ten years, will join the Prajarajyam Party on February
24.

According to party sources, around 3,000 former militants of various factions of the CPI (ML) and CPI (Maoist) will join the newly-floated party in Hyderabad in the presence of PRP chief Chiranjeevi and Yuvarajyam president Pavan Kalyan.

This was the culmination of around six months of hardwork to mobilise the former rebels and bring them into PRP. The association of Marxist-Leninist singer Gadar and other pro-naxal intellectuals with the actor are said to have coordinated the move.

First meeting of the former naxalites was organised in Guntur in December last attended by over 800 people. The meeting was addressed by Dr P Mitra, party's senior leader.

"In fact we wanted to organise a meeting in each district. But, due to logistic reasons and lack of time, a state-level meeting is planned in Hyderabad on February 24," former People's War activist I Satyanarayana told STOI.

Satyanarayana, a native of Guntur, was a member of the erstwhile Radical Youth League. He quit the extremist organisation due to personal reasons. "Even though thousands of people left the movement long ago they are not able to lead a peaceful life because of the hostile attitude of the police and lack of support from the government. So, they feel only PRP can restore a sense of security among them," Satyanarayana said.

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Jaya tells Congress to sever ties with DMK, join her party

In an apparent move to woo the Congress ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, AIADMK chief Jayalalitha has said that the former should severe
ties with the DMK if they want to come back to power at the Centre.

"Congress should severe ties with DMK if they expect to come back to power. AIADMK & Congress have been friends in the past, and on the basis of the past friendship, I am giving Congress this advice," she said.

"DMK is disappearing in quicksand, and if you try to pull them out you, will also disappear with them," she added.

The AIADMK supremo went on to say that all parties aiming for a win in the polls should tie up with her party.

"All parties should realise that anyone who has an alliance with AIADMK will win. Anyone who doesn't tie up with AIADMK will lose," she said.

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Azharuddin to join Congress, confirms Moily

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin is all set to join the Congress party, as confirmed by spokesperson Veerappa Moily.


Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW, the AICC General Secretary said, "I know him since 25 years. He expressed his desire to join the Congress. He wants the Congress to come back to power. I took up this matter with the Congress president, who has agreed to admit him into the party."

When asked whether he will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from Andhra Pradesh, Moily said, "Till today we have not discussed the constituency. He is joining the party unconditionally. He is very fond of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The matter whether he will contest for the LS polls will be discussed later."

When quizzed on whether the party is worried about Azhar's past, as there is a life-ban imposed on him by the BCCI, Moily added, "There is no criminal case against Azhar. If there is a case at all then it is only between the BCCI and him, which has been filed by Azhar himself against the ban."

Justifying Congress' decision to induct Azhar into the party, Moily said, "Remember, he served the Indian cricket for 9 years as a captain with outstanding performance. He has filed a case against the ban imposed by the BCCI and that is not a criminal matter."

Meanwhile, he decided not to comment on actor Sanjay Dutt's admission into the Samajwadi Party saying, "We have no comment on Sanjay Dutt. It is up to him to join any party he wants."

Earlier, reports suggested that Azharuddin is scheduled to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi after which he is likely to visit the party headquarters and formally announce his foray into the world of politics.

Already in New Delhi, Azhar had a late-evening meeting with some of the senior party leaders on Wednesday (February 18).

Reports stated that the Congress is likely to field Azharuddin on his home turf Andhra Pradesh, where the Congress can cash in on his popularity.

Inducting the former skipper into the party is part of a Congress plan to accommodate celebrities from different fields. This is in keeping with the party effort to project a youthful and happening image for itself.

Known for his fabled catching abilities, Azhar can face a tough challenge to prove that there will be no misses on the new turf as well.

QnA: Will Mohammed Azharuddin make a clean politician?

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Cong welcomes former cricketer Azharuddin in its fold

NEW DELHI: The Congress
has welcomed former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin saying that he has been a fine cricketer. Azharuddin is now all set to
contest the coming Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket.

Earlier, sources had told Times Now that Azharuddin had shown interest in contesting elections “from a prestigious seat”, and the Congress was open to the idea.

According to reports, Azharuddin had recently met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, where he expressed his desire to contest the upcoming elections.

Speculation was rife in February last year that he may either join or campaign for the Telangana Rashtra Samiti in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls. The talk was sparked by the hour-long luncheon meeting he had with TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao at the home of an Urdu newspaper's editor.

Azharuddin, however, denied any such plans, and said that he was only interested in giving something back to cricket.

The former cricketer has been involved in business ventures like running an event management company and setting up a health club in the up market Banjara Hills area of Hyderabad.

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Kalyan Singh quits BJP, says he was humiliated

LUCKNOW: BJP vice-president and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh on Tuesday announced that he has resigned from all party
posts. ( Watch )

“I was being humiliated by the party. I have faxed my resignation to L K Advani and he must have received it by now,” Kalyan Singh said in a press conference.

He said he has never compromised with his dignity and will not do so in future as well. “I was feeling suffocated in the party,” Kalyam Singh said.

He said he will not form a new party and will not accept any other party’s membership.

“I am not resigning from active politics,” Kalyan Singh said.

He clarified that he never asked for party ticket for his son or some of his supporters.

Kalyan Singh said, “No one consulted me while preparing a poll candidates’ list for 80 constituencies. I just wanted Bulandshehr seat but they offered me ticket from Etah, which I have returned to party president Rajnath Singh.”

His decision to quit the party has come barely as day after Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh’s statement that Kalyan Singh’s son was welcome to fight Lok Sabha polls on SP ticket.

According to PTI, Kalyan Singh was once the Hindutva face of BJP and was the chief minister when the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.

He has been miffed with the party for nominating Ashok Pradhan, sitting MP from Bulandshahr seat. He has accused Pradhan of sabotaging his son Rajveer Singh's chances in the assembly elections two years ago from Diboi seat in Aligarh district.

BJP rejects allegations

BJP has however rejected Kalyan Singh’s allegations by stating that he has sided with the opponents.

“Kalyan Singh has joined hands with those who are our ideological opponents,” party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in a press conference.

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Sanjay Dutt to be Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow

NEW DELHI: Bollywood film star Sanjay Dutt will be the Samajwadi Party candidate to contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow, the party
announced here on Thursday.

Party general secretary Amar Singh told reporters that if Dutt was disallowed from contesting the elections because of the criminal cases against him, the party would move the Election Commission or the Supreme Court.

"Dutt told me you are like my elder brother. He said he would do anything I ask him to though he said he was not a political person," Singh said.

The constituency is currently represented by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

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Ashok Gehlot wins race for CM

JAIPUR: Fifty-eight-year-old Ashok Gehlot will be the new chief minister of Rajasthan. He will be sworn in as the 23rd chief minister of the
state on Saturday. The selection triggered a series of celebrations across the state as supporters of Gehlot took to streets from Jaipur to Jodhpur, dancing and distributing sweets. The new chief minister has been elected to assembly from Sardarpura constituency in Jodhpur district.

The Congress Legislature Party on Thursday unanimously elected Gehlot as their leader in the presence of central observers. The decision was immediately endorsed by party chief Sonia Gandhi, who had advised the observers to go with the popular mood of the legislators. Despite a stubborn stand by Jat leaders against Gehlot, his election was smooth as majority of the members were in his favour. The Jat leaders, however, remained unmoved till the end as they too had long discussions with the observers.

Later, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, along with other leaders, met governor S K Singh, informing him of the unanimous choice of Gehlot.

This will be Gehlot's second stint as CM. Earlier, he occupied the chair from 1998 to 2003. AICC leaders Digvijay Singh, Mukul Wasnik, Madhusudhan Mistri, Choudhry Virendra Singh and PCC president CP Joshi were part of the entire exercise. The central observers met the legislators after day-long parleys with Jat leaders including Sis Ram Ola, Parasram Maderna, Col Sonaram and a few others, besides Girija Vyas.

"Congress did not get a clear majority and with a strength of 96 and the support of Independents, the next five years would be full of challenges. But I promise to fulfil the aspirations of the people," said Gehlot, after his election was made public. In fact, he was immediately on the job; he went to SMS Hospital to visit a few hooch victims from Shahpura, battling for life.

Earlier, the CLP passed a resolution entrusting the job of choosing the leader to party president Sonia Gandhi and the resolution said the members of the CLP would fully honour her decision.

Digvijay Singh later said the election of Gehlot was through democratic process as the opinion of each and every MLA was taken. "Once MLAs expressed faith in Gehlot, their views were conveyed to Sonia Gandhi as per Congress tradition and she also immediately gave her nod," said Singh, during a media interaction. "It was smooth as there have been instances where the leader was elected after longer hours of deliberation in the CLP," he said. It was learnt that members were asked to write their choice on a slip and barring 16, all expressed confidence in Gehlot.

Interestingly, Congress leaders shunned queries regarding formation of ministry, including the issue of inducting a Jat leader as deputy chief minister. Senior Jat leaders were insiting on nomination of chief minister from their community. "CLP takes a decision about its own leader and formation of the government including the selection of ministers is the discretion of the chief minister," Singh added.

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Maharashtra deputy CM resigns, CM could go next

NEW DELHI: After union home minister Shivraj Patil, Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil quit on Monday in the wake of the Mumbai terror
attacks and now chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also appears to be on the way out. ( Watch )

"I offered to resign at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Saturday," said Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh ( Watch )

"High Command will decide (on the resignation issue)," he said.

Earlier, highly placed Congress sources said Deshmukh has offered to resign and a decision on it will be taken in a day or two.

The offer comes after the CWC meet attended by Deshmukh on Saturday evening which saw leader after leader emphasising the need to ensure accountability from "higher to lower level".

Party leaders say since the union home minister has resigned at the higher level, the accountability now needs to be fixed at the lower level also and the Chief Minister has to take a call at the earliest.

His deputy R R Patil resigned three days after the terror strikes and his party chief Sharad Pawar has asked the chief minister to accept the resignation.

"We have taken our own decision. It is for them to take their decision," the NCP supremo said when asked whether the chief minister, who belongs to Congress, had also quit.

A Congress leader, who declined to be named, said if either the CM or the deputy CM goes, "the other will have to go because the issue is the same".

A beleaguered Deshmukh landed himself in a fresh controversy yesterday as he visited the terror-hit Taj Mahal hotel along with film producer Ram Gopal Varma and Deshmukh's actor son Reitesh.

The issue was raised at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night which was also attended by Sonia Gandhi with some parties criticising the CM for his "casual" attitude.

Deshmukh recently completed four years in office. The names of union ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde are doing the rounds to replace the chief minister and sources say a decision on the successor's name was delaying Deshmukh's resignation.

The name of NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal is doing the rounds for the post of the Deputy CM.

A section of Congress leaders say that strong steps are needed to ensure that the party meant business when it comes to issues of the country's security.

The Maharashtra deputy chief minister, who was in the crosshairs in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, resigned earlier today.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. I have gone by my conscience and decided to take this step," Patil said. ( Watch )

"I pondered over the issue the whole night yesterday. Finally, I have decided to quit as per my conscience," Patil said.

Patil's resignation follows the exit of the union home minister Shivraj Patil, who put in his papers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, after the Congress Working Committee spoke disapprovingly of the home minister, in light of the Mumbai carnage and other terror strikes in the country.

The Maharashtra deputy chief minister, who was also in charge of the state home ministry, was under severe criticism following the terror attacks with opposition Shiv Sena and BJP demanding his resignation alleging that he failed to handle the situation.

The Congress leadership is annoyed with R R Patil, particularly because of his insensitive remark on Saturday where he sought to play down the enormity of the jihadi atrocity against Mumbai, almost likening it to a routine law and order incident which is common in any big city.

On Saturday, Patil had described the Mumbai carnage as a "small incident" that "can happen in big cities."

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