March this year, Amit Shah was appointed as a General Secretary. The elevation was a sign of the growing influence that Mr Modi now wields in the BJP here it is important to inform that Mr Shah has many criminal cases against him and he on bail and despite all this he got a major leap in the Party with a difference. But on the contrary the Party leadership categorically denied the Modi influence in the latest activities of appointments and of course many disappointments.

“Narendra Modi has recommended nobody… he (Amit Shah) has been a successful minister in Gujarat… I am sure he will be useful in UP too,” said party chief Rajnath Singh
On the other hand Mr Varun Gandhi who has been involved in hate speech cases recently decorated with the responsibility of the crucial State West Bengal which is presently headed by Ms Mamta Banerjee of Trinamool Congress a local party.

Bandaru Dattatray the muscleman of Andhra Pradesh was also appointed as one of the Vice President of the BJP replacing Sadananda Gowda who resigned from the position for now he is proffering the position of ‘leader of opposition’. Earlier he was acting as Party in-charge of Kerala. Long back he was a minister in the Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpai.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, was recently elevated as General Secretary, has now been appointed in-charge of Maharashtra, another crucial State where Congress and NCP have jointly been in power for the past several years.

“I have never approached anyone for NAC. I never had any desire for being a member of NAC,” said Kejriwal while talking to media.

In a letter to Kejriwal, the AICC General Secretary has described the activist as a “self-serving ambitious megalomaniac” having “streak” of Hitler in him. Singh alleged that Kejriwal wanted him to recommend his name for being made a member of the NAC.

Patel, who has decided to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Visavadar in Junagadh district, told newsmen, “Modi should first inform the public the money spent from the state exchequer on his foreign trips.

New Delhi:

At a protest rally at Jantar Mantar here, which was attended by NDA convenor Sharad Yadav, Banerjee said that she had “heard” that the general elections could be advanced and held in March next year.

“We also don’t want this government. If need be, we are ready for bringing a no-confidence motion against this government,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said while launching an all-out attack on the Congress-led UPA government. Trinamool Congress, which has withdrawn support to the government, has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha.

Banerjee, whose party organised the protest against FDI in retail, diesel price hike and LPG cap, said she could also bring a resolution against these decisions.

“I have heard that elections will happen in March. I am ready for a resolution,” she said.

She also appealed to other political parties not to support the government and asked them to support her party’s resolution against the recent decisions on FDI and other issues.

“I am ready to work with other parties to bring a resolution against the government in the next session of Parliament…I would request other political parties not to support this government,” she said.

Accusing the UPA government of acting against the interests of the common man, Banerjee said her party will campaign across the country from next month.

As part of this plan, she announced that TMC will hold a 48-hour dharna on November 19 and 20 in Delhi. She, however, said later that since these dates coincided with the festival of ‘Chhat Puja’, she accordingly had decided to shift the proposed agitation to November 22 and 23.

She said as part of its nation-wide programme, TMC will organise such dharnas at different places across the country.

Patna:

“It is the UPA government that has signed a bilateral agreement with Israel for development of horticulture sector under which Tel Aviv will set up a centre of excellence in each state of India,” Kumar told reporters here.

Patna:

“It is his assessment. Though my understanding (about my strength and qualities) is different. I have already clarified my views on the issue. There is nothing that I should comment about,” Kumar told reporters here

New Delhi:

Bannerjee went straight to the Rashtrapati Bhavan after attending the UPA Coordination Committee meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and other key constituents of the government.

Agra:

“It is easy to lead agitations but a tough job to form and run a party,” Gadkari said.

He was addressing the concluding session of the two-day state BJP conclave here.

Gadkari citied the case of agriculturist and peasant leader Sharad Joshi, and said he had agitated well but flopped when he tried to run a political party.

Team Anna has talked about a political alternative which they claimed will be people-centric.

Hitting out at UPA, Gadkari alleged that wrong economic policies of the Union government, lack of leadership and failure in taking strong decisions had pushed the country to the present state even after 65 years of Independence.

He said BJP alone had the will power to make India the biggest economic power of the world by exploiting the vast intellectual and economic potential of the country.

Gadkari said if the NDA came to power, the country’s economic growth would go up to 13 per cent in three years and agricultural growth to 8-10 ten per cent and cited BJP-ruled states to substantiate his remark.

He also had a dig at some parties practising “dynastic politics” and said in the Congress, it was Nehru to Indira to Rajiv, to Sonia, to Rahul and now to the Priyanka.

Some parties, he said, had made a ‘tamasha’ (drama) of politics by foisting their sons and other members of the family as leaders.

Gadkari attacked the Uttar Pradesh government saying the law and order situation was bad as women and girls were not safe, industrial production was poor, farmers were in the sorry state and unemployment was high.

He said the tall promises made by the SP in its election manifesto had turned out to be hollow.

He also blamed the state for the power breakdown in northern and eastern India.

New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party chief Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati attended the luncheon at Hotel Ashok here. The two bitter foes in UP politics have not attended a function together for the last many years.

Kolkata:

“I am ready to talk to her as and when she is ready to talk to me,” Mukherjee, whose candidature has been opposed by the West Bengal Chief Minister, told reporters here.

New Delhi:

The four parties could not arrive at a consensus at an hour-long meeting here this evening attended by top leaders of the parties, including Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), AB Bardhan (CPI), TJ Chandrachoodan (RSP) and Debabrata Biswas (FB).

“Two parties have declared they will support Pranab Mukherjee, two parties have decided they will abstain,” Bardhan told reporters without elaborating.

Karat said his party has decided to support the candidature of 77-year-old Mukherjee as “in the present situation, he is the candidate for the post of President with the widest possible acceptance”.

The CPI(M) leader said support to Mukherjee did not mean backing for Congress and that his party will “resolutely fight” the “anti-people” policies of UPA government.

Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said his party was not in favour of abstaining from the voting slated for July 19 for which the battle lines have been drawn between Mukherjee and PA Sangma.

RSP General Secretary TJ Chandrachoodan said his party will abstain from the voting.

Bardhan said the Left parties will remain united though they are taking different stands on Presidential poll issue.

“As far as Left Front is concerned, it will continue as ever, it will continue to be united as ever. This is only one single incident where there is a difference of opinion, a slight difference of opinion. We will continue our movements and struggles jointly,” he said.

The CPI(M)’s decision to support Mukherjee came after a meeting of the party’s Polit Bureau this morning in which the senior leaders deliberated on the issue.

Sources said one section of the party was for abstaining from the poll while another was for supporting Mukherjee. The section advocating abstention was of the view that they could not be seen voting for a Congress candidate.

They said Mukherjee had reached out to Karat on Tuesday seeking his party’s support but the CPI(M) leader had not given any commitment. Mukherjee had telephoned Karat as part of Congress exercise to get support from non-UPA parties.

Left parties account for around 51,000 vote value in the electoral college of 10.98 lakh vote value.

During the Left meeting, Forward Bloc backed Mukherjee, saying he has earned the “widest possible acceptance” and that it wanted to drive a “wedge” between Congress and Trinamool Congress. The party has two MPs and 12 MLAs.

“Mukherjee has support from all sides. UPA is behind it. NDA allies Shiv Sena and JD(U) are in his favour. Two non-UPA, non-NDA parties, BSP and SP are supporting him. Now he has the widest possible acceptance,” Deverajan said.

New  Delhi:

The 64-year-old former Lok Sabha Speaker, whose candidature for Presidentship has divided NDA, resigned citing the “disinclination” of his party to “endorse” his nomination for the top post.

Sending his resignation letter to party chief Sharad Pawar which was immediately accepted, Sangma said he had received “promises of support from senior leaders of non-Congress parties, including those in the NDA” after backing from AIADMK and BJD.

Significantly, he sent the resignation letter soon after Subramanian Swamy, whose Janata Party a constituent of NDA, met him apparently to pledge support on behalf of the BJP-led coalition.

His resignation could have an impact on continuance of his daughter Agatha, Minister of State for Rural Development, in the government as NCP was unhappy over the move and suggested that he had gone back on his promise.

The NCP, a constituent of UPA, had already warned of disciplinary action against him if went ahead to contest the poll against Mukherjee.

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said his party would give no advice to NCP on what to do with Agatha, who has earlier earned the ire of her party for campaigning for her father.

Sangma quit NCP at a time when the NDA is divided over supporting him as the Presidential candidate. While BJP is keen to support Sangma, its ally Shiv Sena has openly refused to back him and favoured Mukherjee.

JD-U, another key NDA constituent, also has reservations to supporting Sangma.

“I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of NCP with immediate effect. I place on record my deep gratitude to the President, other office bearers and rank and file of NCP for the courtesies extended to me by them at personal level while I was a member of the party,” Sangma wrote in his resignation letter.

In a statement later, he said he had “no option but to resign” from NCP “without any personal intent whatsoever of embarrassing the party and its leadership”.

Talking about the circumstances in which he had to quit, the 64-year-old leader said, “disinclination of the NCP to endorse my candidature amounts to a denial of the aspirations of the tribals of the country.”

He noted that his candidature had been projected by the Tribal Forum of India and he cannot “ignore the feeling of the tribals that Raisina Hill (Rashtrapati Bhavan) should not continue to be a distant dream for them.”

Pointing out that that the NCP, of which he was a founder member, had “not found it possible to endorse” his candidature, Sangma said, “I believe that I have also worked hard for building up the base of the party in several parts of India.

“Indeed, the national status of the party has been significantly due to the mass support from among the tribals who constitute one-hundred million of our population and among whom I have ceaselessly worked.”

He pointed out that Chief Ministers of Odisha Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa have “publicly extended support to my candidature” and said that he had also “received promises of support from senior leaders of non-Congress parties including those in the NDA.”

New Delhi/ Patna:

Hitting back, the BJP asserted that no one can give a fatwa on who is secular and joining the issue, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday hit out at the Bihar Chief Minister, saying he was pandering to his vote bank.

“Nitish Kumar has said NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014 elections should be secular. He has made the statement so that his vote bank remains intact,” Bhagwat told a meeting of RSS volunteers here.

According to those present in the meeting which was out of bounds for the media, Bhagwat also described Hinduism as an “all-inclusive” religion and wondered why a “Hinduwadi” should not become the Prime Minister.

“Hinduism is the religion of humanism. You are right and we are also right, Hinduism follows this broad philosophy,” he was quoted as having said.

To keep alive the Hindu ideology, the Hindu ‘samaaj’ should come together and the country should have a prime minister who believes in that ideology or propounds that view, he is reported to have said.

In Delhi, RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said that Hindutva is the “true synonym” for secularism and is liberal as it embraces all other religions.

“To portray it (Hindutva) as anti-secular is not correct and narrow minded. Hindutva is the true synonym for secularism… We have always felt that Hindutva is the ideological anchor of RSS and it is liberal, all embracing and a secular idea,” he told reporters.

He also said that what its chief Mohan Bhagwat said while addressing its swayamsevaks should not be viewed in the context of the present political situation in the country.

“It is uncalled for to link his view to day-to-day happenings on the political front and statements of certain leaders,” Madhav said.

Tiwari’s comments irks BJP

After Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s strong pitch for a “secular” Prime Ministerial candidate for NDA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, his party general secretary Shivanand Tiwari took the anti-Modi tone in JD (U) to a new decibel.

NDA cannot come to power with a “fanatic face” and JD (U) will not compromise on principles on which it had joined the Opposition alliance in 1996, Tiwari told reporters here.

He said that surveys indicate that had the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee dismissed Modi government in Gujarat for the post-Godhara riots in 2002, NDA would have still been in power and not lost the 2004 general elections.

“People who voted for BJP due to liberal face of Vajpayee went away from it after Gujarat riots and the floating votes went to Congress because people do not accept fanatic politics.

“Those people in BJP who want the party to come to power will have to realise that they cannot do it by putting a fanatic face in the front,” Tiwari said in an apparent reference to Modi.

He said history tells that whenever India has been ruled by secular forces, it has developed and whenever fascist forces have taken over, it has suffered. He gave the examples of Akbar and Ashoka on the one hand and Aurangzeb on the other.

Without naming the Bihar Chief Minister for terming Hindutva as not being secular, Madhav said everyone has the right to put forth their views in democracy, but maintained that secularism and Hindutva are not opposed to each other.

Kumar had said yesterday that the NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate should be somebody with “secular credentials”, in an apparent bid to give a thumbs down to his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi who is being touted as the first choice of the BJP for the PM’s post.

The Bihar Chief Minister has yesterday stressed that the NDA should declare its Prime Ministerial candidate in advance saying, “this leader should be acceptable to every constituent of the alliance. To me, the leader of the coalition should have secular credentials.”

Kumar has made known his unease with Narendra Modi a number of times earlier because of which the Gujarat Chief Minister was kept away from campaigning in Bihar during the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

New Delhi:

The former Lok Sabha Speaker, whose candidature for Presidentship is being pushed by AIADMK and BJD, said he had received “promises of support from senior leaders of non-Congress parties, including those in the NDA”.

Hyderabad:

“During my meet with Jagan, I sought support for the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee and told him not to ally with the NDA because they have a communal ideology. He (Jagan) has told me that he will definitely keep this in mind before taking a decision (on Presidential poll)”, Owaisi said.

The MIM leader, whose party is an ally of ruling Congress, met the Kadapa MP at the Chanchalguda jail where he is lodged in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Jagan, who rebelled against the Congress and quit the party in 2010, later formed his own outfit. YSR Congress won 15 of the 18 Assembly seats and Nellore Lok Sabha seat in the June 12 by-elections in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan’s fledgling party now has 17 MLAs and two Members of Parliament.

To a question, Owaisi said, “the mandate of the people for this present Assembly (in Andhra Pradesh) is till 2014 and so we hope that this Assembly will continue till 2014. But if any extraneous things happen I cannot be blamed for that”.

Mumbai:

“Let bygones be bygones. Let us unanimously support Pranab Mukherjee and show the world that “hum sab ek hai” (we are all united),” Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said.

“The farce that is on for the top post of President is not justifiable. The country’s prestige is at stake for political gains. Those who have no merit are also in the race,” Thackeray, who party was understood to be concerned over NDA’s approach to the Presidential polls, said.

The Sena chief also dismissed allegations of backstabbing against the party.

“Nobody should dare level allegations of treachery and backstabbing against the Shiv Sena. The Sena is not out to seek vengeance because such allegations were made earlier,” the Sena chief said, in a statement published in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

In an editorial in ‘Saamana’, Thackeray said the Sena, which is celebrating its 46th anniversary today, has crossed borders of Mumbai and Thane and is in a position to decide the country’s President.

Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut had said last night that the “The Sena will support Pranab Mukherjee (in the Presidential polls).”

The assurance was given to Mukherjee, who called up Sena chief Bal Thackeray and his son Uddhav Thackeray, the party Executive President, yesterday, Sena sources said.

Breaking ranks with BJP, Shiv Sena had supported Pratibha Patil in 2007 as she hailed from Maharashtra.

BJP and other NDA constituents had at that time backed late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for the post of President.

Kolkata:

“We have just heard that Kalam is out of the race. Mamata Banerjee will take a decision. What the decision will be will be conveyed to the media,” Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh said today.

New Delhi:

Kumar received telephonic calls from Singh and Mukherjee but he told them that he will discuss the issue with party leaders, sources close to him said.

JD-U is a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA which will be meeting here tomorrow to firm up its stand on the Presidential poll issue, particularly in the wake of UPA nominating the Finance Minister for the top job.

JD(U) has 21 Lok Sabha MPs, nine members in Rajya Sabha and 118 MLAs in Bihar Assembly.

NDA is in a dilemma as to whether to field any candidate against Mukherjee or support P A Sangma, whose candidature has been proposed by AIADMK and BJD.

Trinamool Congress is pushing the candidature of former President A P J Abdul Kalam but JD(U) seems reluctant to back him and is understood to have made it known at the NDA meeting held here yesterday.

JD(U) national spokesman Shivanand today said he would like a “graceful send off” to be given to Mukherjee who is anyway on the verge of retirement, suggesting his inclination for supporting the veteran Congress leader for Presidentship.

Sources close to Kumar insisted that no discussion has taken place in the party on Mukherjee’s candidature.

Tiwari, who is in Patna and will attend the NDA meet tomorrow along with party chief and NDA Convener Sharad Yadav, said he was not aware of Mukherjee making a telephonic call to Kumar.

“We are firm on the candidature of Kalam. He is the fittest candidate. We are not shifting from our stand of what we have announced earlier,” Banerjee had said.

Lucknow:

Interestingly, Mayawati lashed out at the Congress on the occasion accusing it of adopting flawed economic policies. The Rajya Sabha MP said that party would support Mukherjee’s candidature in the interest of the nation.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/power-play/bsp-supports-pranbs-candidature/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/politics/differences-sp-kalam-candidate-mamata/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/politics/differences-sp-kalam-candidate-mamata/#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:18:48 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=23442 New Delhi: Unfazed by reports that Mulayam Singh Yadav may have a rethink on their joint proposal to pit A P J Abdul Kalam, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said the former President is their Presidential candidate.

“It is wrong information. I can say only this. He (Kalam) is our (TMC-SP) candidate in the Presidential election. There is no ego, no quarrel, no fight,” she told reporters seeking to dismiss persistent reports that the SP was no longer keen on backing Kalam.

SP and TMC on Tuesday proposed Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee as their candidates. Yesterday, Mamata declared that Kalam was their candidate. There were media reports today that SP may be doing a rethinking on Kalam.

The media reports were further beefed up by some interesting comments made by SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav today that the word ‘hamara’ candidate used by Mamata yesterday for Kalam could mean both ‘ours’ and ‘mine’.

Asked about Ram Gopal Yadav’s comments, Mamata said, “Don’t put Congress words into his mouth. Don’t divide and rule. Hamara means ‘dono ka candidate’ (candidate of both). My Hindi may be bad, that may be the reason for confusion.”

Before leaving for Kolkata without attending the UPA meeting here, Mamata said it was wrong to say that Mulayam Singh Yadav has gone back on their joint proposal.

Interestingly, Kiranmoy Nanda, SP leader from West Bengal told reporters after Mamata’s briefing that “we stand by the decision taken by Mulayamji and Mamataji”.MORE

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/politics/differences-sp-kalam-candidate-mamata/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/power-play/prez-poll-talks-cong-sp-gain-momentum/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/power-play/prez-poll-talks-cong-sp-gain-momentum/#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:22:26 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=23437 New Delhi: lAhead of UPA’s meeting this evening, talks between Congress and SP gained momentum over the possibility of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s support to the ruling dispensation candidate for the Presidential poll.

Sources in Samajwadi Party said that Yadav, his cousin and Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and another senior leader Naresh Aggarwal have held at least five rounds of discussion with Congress leaders.

While Yadav and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had floated the names of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, former President A P J Abdul Kalam as their presidential candidate, the SP chief last night refused to declare Kalam as his preferred candidate.

He is understood to have told Banerjee that any final decision on a single name has to be endorsed by other SP leaders.

Meanwhile, Aggarwal and Ram Gopal Yadav met Mulayam Singh Yadav this morning amid indications that the SP chief could leave for Agra today.

The UPA meeting today is expected to formally endorse the name of Pranab Mukherjee as the alliance candidate.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/15/power-play/prez-poll-talks-cong-sp-gain-momentum/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/14/power-play/cong-trinamool-samajwadi-party-confrontation-path/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/14/power-play/cong-trinamool-samajwadi-party-confrontation-path/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:50:18 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=23413 New Delhi: The Congress and its allies Trinamul Congress and   Samajwadi Party   today appeared set for a confrontation, with the ruling coalition rejecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s candidature for the President’s post while the other side gave all indications of a contest.

On a day of hectic political activities triggered by the virtual revolt of the two regional parties, the Congress rebuffed SP-Trinamul nominees who also included former President APJ Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Coming down heavily on Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee for disclosing the names of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari as the first and second choices of UPA, Congress general-secretary Janardan Dwivedi declared that “We cannot afford to spare Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. The other two names (APJ Abdul Kalam and Somnath Chatterjee) are not acceptable.”

The assertion came after Congress president  Sonia Gandhi held consultations with senior party leaders including Mukherjee and allies DMK and NCP. Later, the Congress Core Group met at the Prime Minister’s residence for about two hours when they reviewed the strategy and decided to have a meeting of UPA leaders tomorrow.

In the other camp, Miss Banerjee, who along with SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav shocked the Congress yesterday with their move, asserted that Kalam is a “number one candidate” and made it clear that they would “contest” if there was no consensus on him.

In an ominous remark that could have a bearing on the stability of the government, she said if the ruling party candidate loses in the Presidential poll, then it is for it to consider the issue of mid-term elections.

“The ball is in the court of the Congress,” she told reporters before leaving for a meeting with Yadav, her third in the last 48 hours. Miss Banerjee said that she and Yadav were seeking consensus on the candidature of Kalam and “whoever supports, supports and whoever does not support, we will go according to our path”.

“We have given a clarion call, whoever supports or not supports us is not our problem,” the Trinamul chief said. Earlier her party MP Kunal Ghosh said if Congress pushes the candidature of Mukherjee or Ansari, Trinamul will contest with Kalam as its nominee.

Making clear her unhappiness with the Congress rejection of their nominees, Miss Banerjee said she wanted consensus on the names she proposed “but if nobody listens, what to do”.

The West Bengal chief minister also disclosed that she will not attend the UPA meeting tomorrow, claiming that she was already late in leaving Delhi for Kolkata. To a question whether she would quit the UPA, she said, “we have not left the UPA. If they don’t want (us), the choice is with Congress…. We don’t want to topple the government.”

On whether Trinamul-SP would accept NDA support to Kalam’s candidature, she indicated that she would not be averse to it. Describing Kalam as the “best candidate”, she said, “It is not fair to say he will be BJP candidate or (BJD leader) Naveen (Patnaik)’s candidate or Mamata’s candidate. Earlier also, (when Kalam became the President in 2007) I had proposed Kalam’s name and NDA had supported.”

New Delhi:

“I told her (Gandhi) that whoever UPA nominates, we will support,” Pawar told reporters after his 30-minute meeting with the Congress chief to discuss the issue of Presidential election.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee stunned Congress on Wednesday by disclosing the names under UPA’s consideration — Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

She then teamed up with Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to float the names of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former President APJ Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

New Delhi:

Top CPI leader A B Bardhan said Congress or UPA have not spoken with the Left parties or come out with any name for the Presidential elections.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/14/power-play/cpi-favours-dalit-woman-prez/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/14/power-play/prez-poll-karat-meets-bardhan/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/14/power-play/prez-poll-karat-meets-bardhan/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:42:01 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=23382 New Delhi: As new names cropped up in the Presidential race, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and top CPI leader A B Bardhan today held discussions about the emerging political scenario.

Karat met Bardhan at the CPI office and discussed the recent developments with regard to the Presidential polls, sources in the Left parties said.

New Delhi:

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had taken Kalam into confidence before naming him as one of the presidential candidates on Wednesday evening, sources in SP said on Thursday.

Sources close to the former President said on Thursday that he was adopting a “wait and watch” approach on the issue. Kalam has maintained he would agree to enter the fray only if there is consensus on his name.

Kalam, who was NDA’s choice for the President’s post in 2002, was also favoured initially by BJP for the top post this time around. NDA had also unsuccessfully pushed for his candidature for a second term in 2007.

New Delhi:

The party claimed that its leader Mamata Banerjee had not breached any trust by disclosing the names of Mukherjee and Ansari discussed with her by Sonia Gandhi yesterday, saying that it was done with the “consent” and “permission” of the Congress chief.

“I can visualise a contest if Congress goes ahead with the names of Pranab Mukherjee or Hamid Ansari…If Congress names either Pranab Mukherjee or Ansari, then TMC will contest… Trinamool Congress or Samajwadi Party then may go with A P J Abdul Kalam,” Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh said.

Trinamool Congress, which has teamed up with Samajwadi Party, floated the names of Kalam, along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee yesterday as a counter to UPA’s nominee.

On the Congress criticism of Trinamool chief for disclosing the names of Mukherjee and Ansari, Ghosh said, “Yesterday Mamata had gone to meet Sonia Gandhi to discuss Presidential candidate and after the discussion Mamata asked Sonia whether she could disclose (names) to media standing outside…. And Sonia gave her the consent. That is what exactly she did.”

He went on to claim that Mamata “took permission” of Gandhi on disclosing the names discussed at their meeting.

“But now Congress is saying that Mamata should not have disclosed the names. Congress charges are not true. Whatever she said is well within the knowledge of Congress president Sonia Gandhi,” Ghosh said.

New Delhi:

Since the time for the meeting with the PM could not be finalised, the meeting will not take place today, said a close aide of Mamata.

Earlier, Trinamool Congress sources said the Prime Minister has invited Banerjee for a meeting today, though the time was not fixed.

New Delhi:

“Mamata Banerjee had come to me yesterday. However, I will not disclose what we discussed,” said Yadav, whose party’s support will be crucial for election of the next President.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/13/power-play/talk-mamata-stand-prez-poll-mulayam-singh/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/12/power-play/prez-poll-mamata-hold-discussions-sonia/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/12/power-play/prez-poll-mamata-hold-discussions-sonia/#comments Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:48:13 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=22902 New Delhi: Trinamool chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is arriving in New Delhi Tuesday night for discussions tomorrow with Sonia Gandhi on the presidential election.   Sources said she is coming to

Delhi after Gandhi reportedly called her over phone for discussions.

The Congress president, who has been authorised by the party’s working committee to finalise the candidate for the president’s post, is engaged in consultations with allies on evolving a consensus nominee.

She has already held discussions with DMK chief Karunanidhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and RLD chief Ajit Singh on the presidential candidate.

The Trinamool Congress is seeking a financial package from the Centre but the Congress has dismissed any possibility of a quid pro quo between any help to states and the Presidential poll.

The Trinamool Congress Tuesday had deputed West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra for talks with union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, widely speculated to be UPA’s presidential candidate, over the package issue but the discussions remained inconclusive.

Mamata had said Tuesday that she was yet to know the outcome of the meeting between Mukherjee and Mitra on the package, which is seen as her bargaining chip for support to UPA nominee.

New Delhi:

At the heart of the strategy of Trinamool and SP is their clamour for a financial package from the Centre but the Congress dismissed any possibility of a quid pro quo between any help to states and the Presidential poll.

Trinamool Congress today deputed West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra for talks with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, widely speculated to be UPA’s Presidential candidate, over the package issue but the discussions remained inconclusive. Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata that she was yet to know the outcome of the meeting between Mukherjee and Mitra on the package, which is seen as her bargaining chip for support to UPA nominee.

Samajwadi Party, an outside supporter which is seen to have moved closer to Congress in the last one month, also played the cards close to its chest, refusing to disclose its strategy on whether it would support UPA candidate and specifically Mukherjee.

Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gave a clear message to UPA that its support should not be taken for granted.

“The situation (in Uttar Pradesh) is bad following the misrule of previous (Mayawati) government…. That is why we want the maximum financial assistance,” he said, adding that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has already met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.

The two parties command a vote value of over 1.16 lakh in an electoral college of nearly 11 lakh vote value. The UPA, on its own including Trinamool, has a vote value of 4.60 lakh and with BSP’s 43,000 and SP’s votes it can hope to sail through.

“The Presidential election has not been announced yet. There are no candidates. We will decide on whom to support after considering merits and de-merits (of candidates),” Yadav said addressing a press conference here after the party’s Parliamentary Board meeting.

To a volley of questions, including whether he would support Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the top post, he said nobody has contacted him neither has he contacted anybody on the issue.

“Our party has not taken any decision yet. When the elections are announced, the Parliamentary Board will meet again to decide on the issue,” he said.

Asked whether he would go along with UPA whoever is the candidate, Yadav said, “We are no less than UPA. Samajwadi Party is a separate party. Hum kisi ke peeche nahi hain (we are not behind anyone).”

Yadav, whose party supports UPA from outside, underlined that Samajwadi Party was with the Congress-led coalition only to keep “communal forces at bay”.

Akhilesh Yadav said in Kanpur that his party favours political consensus for deciding the candidature for the presidential post, a view echoed by Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar.

CPI-M, which had its two-day Central Commitee meeting over the weekend, said it will take a decision “politically” on the Presidential candidate after consulting non-Congress secular parties once the UPA announces its choice.

“We are not bound. We are not part of the alliance of the Congress and the UPA that we have to support anybody they propose,” CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat said.

Asked by reporters whether the party would support a Bengali, an apparent reference to Mukherjee, he said, “I thought we are an all-India party. Politically, we will decide after a name comes.”

On its part, the Election Commission indicated that the notification for the poll would be issued in a couple of days.

“All preparatory works are in full swing and an announcement regarding the election schedule is due shortly,” new CEC V S Sampath said.

Asked when, he replied, “let there be some suspense”.

New Delhi: The UPA government made a mistake by changing the NDA decision of linking petrol prices with fluctuations in international crude prices, Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said.

Pawar also said the government should take tough decisions in the larger national interest even if it upsets people.

“Vajpayee’s Cabinet had linked petrol prices with changes in the international crude prices. We made a mistake by changing this decision. I had opposed the change.

“Government should make tough decisions in the larger national interests even if it upsets the people. One has to swallow a bitter pill to get cured. We did not make some decisions at the right time and price rise is an ill-effect of that,” Pawar told IBN-Lokmat channel.

He said difficult decisions should be made and an atmosphere for investment should be created.

On Anna Hazare with whom he does not have good relations, Pawar said, “if you think I have done something wrong, file an FIR against me, drag me to court. Do you believe in our judiciary?”

Asked about his meeting with Ramdev, the Union Minister said as a minister, he should meet chiefs of social organisations and the yoga guru had sought appointment with him.

“But I did not agree with his opinion that FDI is blackmoney. I agreed with Ramdev that we need a rational approach for changing the tax regime. If the blackmoney is brought back, it can be used to solve problems of poor farmers and Dalits,” he said.

To a question on the Maharashtra Chief Minister , he said Prithviraj Chavan has spent his entire life in Delhi.

He visited various places as a party in-charge. Visiting field with a responsibility is a differnt thing, he said.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/09/power-play/govt-tough-decisions-sharad-pawar/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/08/power-play/pranabs-candidature-gaining-momentum/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/08/power-play/pranabs-candidature-gaining-momentum/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:49:13 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=22425 New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee’s name as the UPA candidate for the President’s post appeared to be gathering further momentum today and an announcement on it is expected next week.

UPA sources said Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who has been authorised by the party’s Working Committee to pick the candidate, is likely to make the announcement around June 15, probably a couple of days after the expected poll notification by the Election Commission.

Significantly, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s Political Advisor Ahmed Patel had a meeting with Mukherjee at his North Block office.

The sources said the Congress has already secured the support of key allies like DMK, NCP and RLD, who form part of the government, and outside supporters like Samajwadi Party.

BSP, another outside supporter, and UPA’s second largest constituent Trinamool Congress, are not not expected to oppose the UPA candidate.

The sources said though Mamata Banerjee had taken the name Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and a couple of others as her favourite, her party is expected to toe the UPA line once Mukherjee’s name is announced, the logic being that TMC cannot be expected to oppose a candidate from Bengal for the top post.

The sources also made it clear that no names were considered at the meeting of the Congress Core Group this morning which was attended by Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some other leaders.

Meanwhile, former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, who has been named by AIADMK and BJD as their candidate, met BJP leader L K Advani today to seek NDA’s support for him.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/08/power-play/pranabs-candidature-gaining-momentum/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/08/power-play/president-poll-ncp-leader-sangma-meets-advani/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/06/08/power-play/president-poll-ncp-leader-sangma-meets-advani/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:15:45 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=22274 Former Lok Sabha Speaker and NCP leader P A Sangma today met BJP leader L K Advani in an apparent bid to solicit the support of the NDA for his candidature as President.

Sangma met Advani, who is also the NDA Working Chairperson, at the latter’s residence this morning. The meeting lasted around 20 minutes. Sangma had announced earlier that he will be meeting Advani and other BJP leaders to garner their support for his plans of contesting the Presidential elections.

The NCP leader has maintained that no tribal has ever become the President of India. He is a Christian tribal from Meghalaya. The former Speaker has met leaders from different parties, except the Congress and some of its allies, to win their support.

BJP is not likely to support Sangma as it is keen on fielding an NDA candidate for the top post. The party wants to put up a candidate against the Congress-led UPA to convey a message that it is not with the ruling party.

New Delhi:

DMK leaders M K Stalin and T R Baalu met Gandhi today, two days after RLD chief and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had called on her. Presidential election was the subject of discussions with all these leaders.

Neither the Congress nor the allies are willing to talk on the issue but informed sources said that the Union Finance Minister appears to be getting the backing of the allies consulted so far. Another key ally Samjawadi Party headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav is also said to be in favour of Mukherjee, who has had the open support of Lalu Prasad’s RJD and NDA constituent, JD(U).

Congress sources said Gandhi will continue her consultations over the next few days before formally announcing a name for Rashtrapati Bhawan. Stalin and Baalu, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the morning, also called on Mukherjee after their discussions with Gandhi. DMK President Karunanidhi, whom Defence Minister A K Antony had met last month as Sonia’s emissary on the Presidential election, has already given backing to Mukherjee as UPA’s Presidential candidate. “If he is the candidate of the UPA coalition, the DMK will not hesitate to back his candidature,” DMK chief M Karunanidhi had told reporters then.

New Delhi:

The meeting lasted for around 5 to 7 minutes and was described by the DMK leaders as a courtesy call.

Talking to reporters after his meeting with the Prime Minister, Stalin said, “Whatever Karunanidhi had conveyed to Defence Minister A K Antony is the party’s stand on the selection of UPA’s Presidential candidate”.

On May 5, Karunanidhi said he had no objection if Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was chosen as UPA’s Presidential candidate.

Baalu and Stalin would also be meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi later in the day apparently to discuss the issue of selecting a presidential candidate.

Last month, Gandhi had despatched senior party leader Antony to Chennai to take the DMK supremo M Karunanidhi on board on the issue.

Gandhi had held talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on the issue soon after the meeting between Antony and Karunanidhi.

Gandhi had on Tuesday also met the RLD chief Ajit Singh. The RLD chief had yesterday said that Pranab Mukherjee was “qualified” for the highest constitutional post but his views were “positive” on others as well.

A fresh round of consultations on the issue of selection of a Presidential nominee has begun in the UPA, after the Congress Working Committee in a meeting passed a resolution authorising Gandhi to decide candidates for the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections.

New Delhi:

The resolution, authorising her, was interestingly moved by Finance Minister and senior leader Pranab Mukherjee, who is himself considered the front runner in the race for the President’s post.

The resolution was adopted at the day-long meeting of the CWC, chaired by Gandhi, unanimously, party sources said.

Major political formations like the Congress-led UPA and NDA are yet to announce their strategy for the next month’s Presidential election, while AIADMK and BJD have declared former Speaker P A Sangma as their candidate.

Guntur( Andhra Padesh)

Vijayamma campaigned last night in Prathipadu and Macherla Assembly constituencies where bypolls would be held on June 12 alongc with other constituencies.

She alleged Jagan was arrested just before the by-elections so as to keep him away from campaigning.

Vijayamma said first she lost her husband Y S Rajsekhara Reddy in helicopter accident and now “ungrateful” Congress had sent her only son to jail.

“When I was away for a week on state government’s work to the UK, a mid-night operation took place. It was like a thief in the night who strike at someone’s house when occupants are away,” Patnaik said.

“Really, what can I say, ‘Beiman’ (betrayer) or ‘Beimani’”, he said.

Patnaik said Mohapatra’s reaction after being suspended was nothing but out of frustration as he failed to topple the BJD government.

He was responding to Mohapatra’s statement last night calling the Chief Minister a “traitor” and the person who did not have any contribution towards growth of the party.

Admitting that he used to consult Mohapatra, his father Biju Patnaik’s secretary, on various matters, the chief minister said Mohapatra joined politics much later.

“The BJD was formed in 1997, I became chief minister in 2000. He joined the party two years after I became the chief minister,” Patnaik said in response to Mohapatra’s statement that Naveen did not know the ABC of the BJD though he functioned as the party president.

“It was necessary to take steps in view of the situation. I have consulted party leaders, MLAs and Ministers before taking action against some people,” Patnaik said.

Mohapatra was not available for comment as he had left for Mumbai to attend a family function.

Besides Mohapatra, Patnaik suspended MLAs Pravat Biswal and Bibhuti Balabantray and sacked ministers Anjali Behera (Women and Child Development, cabinet) and Sanjeev Sahu Commerce and Transport, Minister of State).

Bangalore:

“The UPA should first announce its nominee and a decision will be taken only after that,” she told reporters.

NCP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, being backed by BJD and AIADMK for the President’s post, had on May 22 met CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat seeking the party’s support.

New Delhi:

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said that according to the ‘letter of the Constitution’ anybody can become the Prime Minister.

“Anybody from street, the President of India can appoint… But the spirit of the Constitution is that a Prime Minister should be the leader of the Lower House of Parliament… The PM who can rule this country with authority should be elected,” he said.

His remarks, which could be seen as taking a dig at Manmohan Singh who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, came during an interaction with members of Indian Women’s Press Corp (IPWC) here.

He went on the clarify that “it doesn’t apply to Manmohan Singh alone. It applies to so many people. It applies to (JDS leader) HD Deve Gowda, it applies to IK Gujral.”

Mumbai:

Advani and Swaraj decided not not to attend the customary meeting that followed the two-day National Executive paved the way for a second term to incumbent President Nitin Gakari, who had extracted the resignation of Sanjay Joshi at the instance of Modi.

However, BJP spokespersons sought to downplay their absence saying the two had pre-scheduled engagements to meet and their absence was known well in advance.

Like Modi’s threatened absence and his lifting of the boycott later in the evening yesterday after announcement of Joshi’s resignation yesterday morning, the absence of Advani and Sushma dominated today’s show.

Their absence was seen as a sign of their sulk over the second term for Gadkari, which said to be at the instance of RSS, and the apparent growing influence of Modi.

However, the meeting today saw the presence of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who has his own litany of problems with the party leadership and who had earlier announced that he would not attend the meeting.

Modi and Gadkari are set to be the star speakers at the rally with a senior leader remarking that their bonhomie has upset other senior leaders, including Advani and Swaraj.

With Gadkari smoking the peace pipe with Modi yesterday, the equations in the BJP appear to be undergoing a change and leaders are considering the way ahead in the changed scenario. The absence of Advani and Swaraj at the rally is also being seen in this backdrop.

Interestingly, Advani was not present yesterday at the National Executive when the resolution to amend the party constitution to allow a second term to Gadkari was passed.

Party leaders said that the BJP veteran had gone to meet an ailing relative in the city.

BJP spokespersons were at pains to explain the absence of Advani and Swaraj.

“Advani’s schedule was fixed earlier so he won’t be there and Swaraj has to attend a programme in Ghaziabad tomorrow morning,” party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

During separate briefings, BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to project a united picture saying that the party had announced earlier that Advani would not be present at the rally and, therefore, nothing should be read into the absence.

But when asked would it not be proper that an image of united BJP would have gone around if the party’s top brass would have been on one stage at the rally, Prasad merely said there could be more such programmes.

Munde, who had not been on the best of terms with Gadkari, insisted that he as also Murli Manohar Joshi and Advani support the resolution seeking to give a consecutive three-year term to the BJP President.

Prasad, as also party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, hailed the outcome of the meeting saying it has boosted the confidence of the party.

Participating in the discussion on the political resolution, Swaraj underlined the need for greater co-ordination between Parliamentary wing and the organisational wing of the party for launching a decisive battle ahead.

Replying to several questions on whether a decision has been taken to include Chief Ministers in party’s Parliamentary Board Munde, Prasad and Hussain said the issue did not come up for deliberations and till Gadkari’s present term ends in December, no changes were expected.

However, in reply to a similar question later, Prasad said that the President has discretionary powers to include people.

“As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, I can only say that she has worked with us, has been a minister in the Vajpayee government.

“She has seen the working of the NDA, the respect, consideration we gave (her). And she has seen the suffocation of the UPA as well. Let her take a call,” party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here, after the two-day national executive meeting concluded here.

He was responding to a query on whether BJP was making overtures to the Trinamool Congress leader, who has had strained relations with ally Congress, in its quest for expanding NDA base.

Asked about Shiv Sena’s praise of Narendra Modi’s leadership skills, Prasad said, “Many people in the world are also acknowledging Modi’s leadership skills and governance”.

When pointed out that Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said that Bal Thackeray backs Modi as far as Hindutva and development issues are concerned, irrespective of whichever leader BJP projects internally, Prasad said, “No comments.”

On whether BJP would consider taking along MNS of Thackeray’s estranged nephew Raj, Prasad said, “Our relations with Shiv Sena go back over 20 years. And they have been very good relations.

“We all respect Balasaheb Thackeray very much. This is the foundation of our relationship.”

Asked about possible new allies, Prasad evaded a direct answer, saying they will be known at an appropriate time.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/25/power-play/mamata-call-rejoining-nda-bjp/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/24/power-play/yeddyurappa-bjp-promote-modi-pm-candidate/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/24/power-play/yeddyurappa-bjp-promote-modi-pm-candidate/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 14:08:45 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=19683 Bangalore: Showering encomiums on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for good governance, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday said the ongoing party national executive at Mumbai should deliberate on promoting him as Prime Ministerial candidate, among other issues.

“The national executive should deliberate on the issues rocking Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan and promote Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate,” he told reporters.

“According to a survey, Modi is the most popular leader of the country and the party must think on these lines and take decisions,” said Yeddyurapa, who had recently pushed the first BJP government in the South into a crisis of survival.

“Modi is popular because he has done great work in Gujarat and made the state number one in the country,” he said.

The Lingayat strongman, however, said Modi could not be compared to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and veteran BJP leader L K Advani.

He declined to comment on the resignation of Modi’s bete noire Sanjay Joshi from the BJP National Executive.

Yeddyurappa, who is sulking over the party central leadership for ‘sidelining’ him, said he could not attend the National Executive due to pending court cases, but would go tomorrow if possible.

“I could not attend the BJP National Executive meet due to some cases filed against me in Lokayukta court. If possible I will go tomorrow,”

He had earlier made it clear he would not attend the BJP meet. Incidentally, he has not missed a single BJP executive meeting in the last two decades.

Yeddyurappa had triggered the recent crisis with nine ministers loyal to him submitting their resignations, insisting on change of leadership of Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda amid speculation that he might split the party. He,however, said he had decided to quit the party but deferred his decision

New Delhi:

Incidentally, as leaders of parties supporting UPA from outside — SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad were present in the function, UPA’s second biggest constituent Trinamool Congress sent only only a junior minister Saugata Roy to attend the function.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary, however denied that any messsage was sought to be given to anybody with Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad sitting on the podium along with senior ministers and leaders of parties which have representatives in the cabinet.

“This is no signal to anyone. We maintain the dignity of everybody. This is a matter of courtesy that Mulayam Singh Yadav came. It was his graciousness that he came,” she said.

The Congress leader at the same time significantly added “In democracy anything is possible…In democracy, we benefit only by talking and not by not talking” when asked whether the increased bonhomie between Congress and SP means the UPA alliance could be broadened during 2014 Lok Sabha polls with parties like SP and RJD also being part of it.

Responding to questions on the SP chief and the RJD chief sharing the dais with ministers, Union Minister RPN Singh said, “it was not about alliance”.

He said, “the fundamental politics of Congress has been to fight communalism. Wherever required, we have joined hands to strengthen secularism.”

New Delhi:

Raja said Sangma met him and handed over a letter signed by tribal MPs who is canvassing for a tribal leader to be elected as President.

In a coordinated move, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her Odisha counterpart Navin Patnaik had on May 17 announced their joint support to Sangma.

Jayalalithaa yesterday spoke to BJP leader L K Advani, Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and other non-Congress leaders including Left parties in support of Sangma.

New Delhi:

“No, I didn’t say but if allows him who am I to oppose it? It depends on the majority. It is a democratic country.

He (Mukherjee) is finance minister…for Pranab Mukherjee I am very much sincere. About this I am very much serious. It ‘s Congress party’s decision (as to) who will be the candidate.

We cannot say. I cannot interfere in Congress party’s business.

“But if you ask my party’s choice or the personal choice, then I’ll say, I love Miera Kumar. She is a soft-spoken lady from the scheduled caste background,” she told CNN-IBN.

She was replying to questions about her party’s stand on the coming Presidential election and why Mukherjee’s name is not not on her wishlist for the post of President.

Banerjee also favoured former Governor Gopalakrishna Gandhi or former President A P J Abdul Kalam. “These three names are better, I think so,” she said, according to the transcript of the interview issued by the channel.

Asked about Mukherjee, Banerjee, chief of Tranamool Congress, which runs a coalition government with the Congress in West Bengal, said, “Is he the son of Bengal? He may the son of world….I don’t think so but it is his choice. I don’t know.” To a query about Mukherjee not not being in Mamata Banerjee’s wishlist for the post of President, Banerjee said “No. I didn’t say. But if country allows him, who am I to oppose it.”

New Delhi:

“Our party has not thought about. We are not going to fall into traps”, party supremo Mayawati told a press conference when asked whether she would initiate any move for formation of a non-NDA and non-UPA alliance for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

She also sounded dismissive about the candidature of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma floated by BJD and AIADMK.

“I am hearing about Sangma from you only or through the newspapers. But there is no clarity. So what can I say,” was her response when asked whether her party would support the tribal leader’s candidature.

Playing her cards close to the chest on the issue, the former UP Chief Minister said she cannot speak on it as both the UPA and the NDA are yet announce any name but said she would back a candidate who fits into her party’s “line of movement”.

“Our party is keeping an eye on all the parties on the issue of the Presidential nominee. We first want to see what candidate UPA and NDA field. As soon as they bring forth their candidates, our party will decide. We will support a candidate, who is suitable to us in the line of our party’s movement,” she said.

She parried a question on whether the BSP would support Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee if he enters the fray as the UPA candidate.

“When it is not clear as to who is the candidate of UPA or NDA, what can I say about the merits or demerits of a particular candidate. Whichever candidate comes before us, we will see whether he suits our party’s line of movement. We will support whoever fits in our party line of movement,” Mayawati said.

BSP has 21 members in the Lok Sabha and 15 in the Rajya Sabha. The party has 80 MLAs.

The value of its vote in the electoral college for the Presidential elections is 43,723. The total value of the electoral college is 10,97,012.

The electoral college for the Presidential election consists of the elected members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and all Legislative Assemblies.

Replying to questions about apprehension being expressed over whether UPA government will complete its full term or not, Mayawati said that her party was not in the governmnent but supported it from outside to keep the communal forces at bay.

“We have supported the UPA government at the Centre to weaken the Communal forces. We are supporting it from outside and not inside the government. Whether the government will complete its full term or not, you should ask it to the allies of the government,” she said.

The BSP chief also refused to comment on the performance of the UPA goverment,which is completing three years in office in its second term.

New Delhi:

Sangma’s possible candidature for Presidential poll became a talking point when AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik extended their support to him.

When Sangma met the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley, there was speculation about BJP’s stand.

BJP maintained it was not very keen on the proposal.

“Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj are Opposition leaders and people from all sections and communities meet them from time to time. As for our Presidential candidate, NDA will hold a meeting after the BJP National Executive on May 24-25 and then decide,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

Asked specifically about Sangma, he said BJD and AIADMK are not NDA allies.

Senior party leaders said Sangma does not fit the bill as far as BJP is concerned and hence it is highly unlikely that it will support the tribal leader from Meghalaya.

BJP and NDA are also waiting for Congress to first announce its presidential candidate and then decide accordingly, sources said.

Chennai:

But the Presidential election issue did not figure at the luncheon meeting held at her Poes Garden residence, said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

“If we had discussed anything like that, we would have told you about it”, Ms. Jayalalithaa told reporters after the brief meeting as she warmly referred to  Patnaik as her “brother” while recalling that his father Biju Patnaik was a “father figure” to her.

“There was a natural synergy between myself and Biju Patnaikji…. Biju Patnaik left behind a legacy of respect, cooperation and mutual affection. This legacy is reflected in the bond that I continue to share with Naveen Patnaikji”, the AIADMK supremo said.

“Biju Patnaikji was like a father figure to me and Naveen Patnaik is my brother”, she said, reflecting the warmth between the two leaders who have taken common position on certain issues like opposing the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

In his brief remarks, Patnaik said Ms. Jayalalithaa was a “long-standing family friend.”

To a question on Patnaik’s suggestion that Ms. Jayalalithaa should head a sub-committee on NCTC, she said “what I think is not important. This was the suggestion made to the central government, more particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs… It is up to them to accept or reject the suggestion.”

Earlier in the day, the two leaders shared the dais at a function to lay the foundation stone for Odisha Bhavan here, lavishly praising each other on their administrative capabilities.

Patnaik’s two-day visit here assumed significance in the backdrop of forthcoming Presidential election and opposition by states like Tamil Nadu and Odisha to the Centre’s proposed NCTC.

Pune:

“We have not yet mulled over candidates for the election,” Kumar said on his return from New Delhi late last evening.

“NDA leaders will meet when the Presidential election draws closer,” he said.

Presidential polls will be held in July.

Referring to his meeting with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal in New Delhi after a prolonged spell of uncertainty over the location of the proposed Central University of Bihar (CUB), he said the talks were ‘fruitful’. “There has been some agreement and we will talk further over the issue.”

The location of the proposed university had triggered a war of words between Kumar and Sibal with the latter suggesting that it be located in Gaya, while the former stuck to his stand on setting it up at Motihari in East Champaran district, the workplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

New Delhi:

“Tribal leaders belonging to all political parties are meeting on May 9 here and our demand will be to make a tribal the next President,” Sangma said.

New Delhi:

“NCTC was done without consultation. My stand is that everybody wants to fight terrorism. There should not be any confusion, contradiction about it. But NCTC was notified without approval of Parliament”, she told reporters on the sidelines of the chief ministers conference on NCTC.

Holding that the NCTC will destroy the federal structure as it is contradictory to the federal system, she said the “message should not go to the people that the Centre is trying to impose something which may not suit the federal structure”.

“I urge the government to withdraw it (NCTC)…all big states have opposed it”, she said.

However, at the same time she said the Prime Minister in his speech did not say that all options are closed. “I heard PM. He has never said options are closed. I can guess from his speech options are open”.

Asked about her stand on fight against terror, she said the Centre and state must work together as law and order is a state subject. “Centre must take the states into confidence”.

When her attention was drawn to the suggestion of a few chief ministers for a sub-committee to examine the proposed body, Banerjee said, such a question does not arise as they are against the establishment of NCTC in the first place.

“The suggestion of sub-committee by other chief ministers is their own view. I am for withdrawal of it (NCTC)”, she said.

Banerjee also said the Centre instead should have come up with “big schemes” in border areas and isolated regions to properly man these places.

Kumbakonam:

“Hamid Ansari is a good friend of mine and a knowledgeable person. Pranab Mukherjee is a walking encyclopedia. Whoever occupies the post will follow law and precedents,” Aiyar said.

When asked to name his preferred candidate, he refused to take sides and said both are equally able.

He criticised BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s reported remarks that Ansari was not qualified for the post and said, this only showed she is not fit for the role of opposition leader.

On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said, “Despite differences and problems, only diplomatic talks will solve the problems.”

He also pointed out that the central government is providing all constructive assistance to Tamils in Sri Lanka.

On the Maoist menace, he said poverty is the main reason for it to take root and people in affected areas should be provided with all their needs for development.

New Delhi:

The key UPA ally is keen to back Mukherjee over Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who is also among the top contenders for the post of the President.

“Pranab Mukherjee suits us more,” a NCP leader said on condition of anonymity.

He pointed out that both the UPA and the NDA do not have the numbers to get their choice of candidates elected and will have to depend on allies.

The party believed that former President APJ Abdul Kalam and other non-political candidates were out of contention for the top post.

When asked for comments on the Presidential election, NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi said neither has the party thought of any name nor has any name being suggested to it by the Congress or other UPA partners.

“The party has not thought about any name, nor has any name been suggested to us,” he said.

Asked about Mukherjee emerging as a candidate, Tripathi said the NCP has not formed any view on the subject.

“It has to come to us from the Congress, then we can think of a response,” he said.

Asked whether the party would back Ansari for the top post, Tripathi said that he cannot pre-judge the stand of the party.

On NCP General Secretary PA Sangma’s statement pitching for a tribal candidate as President, Tripathi merely said that “Sangmaji is an important leader of the country. He has every right to have his say.”

New Delhi:

Key UPA constituent Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, which held discussions on Thursday on the issue appear to be not averse to Mukerjee’s candidature if the Congress decides on it and evolves a broad consensus, sources in both the parties said.

However, the chances of Vice President Hamid Ansari becoming a UPA sponsored candidate are also not being ruled out completely given the fact that the running of the government is highly dependent on Mukherjee’s utility as a troubleshooter, Congress sources said.

The final decision depends on the party leadership, which has to take the call whether to spare Mukherjee for the constitutional post. A senior leader said Mukherjee also stood a chance because the government has only two more years to go.

They said that other key constituents of UPA, DMK and NCP, have promised their support to Congress and much would depend on what stand TMC, the second largest party in UPA, takes.Significantly, BJP ally JDU came out in support of both Pranab and Ansari.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav separately and discussed the issue. She later met Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Trinamool sources also indicated that TMC would go with the UPA if there is a consensus on candidate being fielded by it.

A senior SP leader speaking on the condition of anonymity said that Mukherjee was the most apt choice for President’s post and his party would have no problem supporting him.

Party sources said that they would “personally” prefer Pranab Mukherjee but would weigh political considerations in backing a Muslim candidate in the form of Ansari. The SP appears to be waiting for a formal approach from the Congress on the issue.

The BJP’s call for a contest and its opposition to Mukherjee and Ansari found no takers with the Left parties making it clear that they would not mind backing any of these candidates and that they were keen on a consensus.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi held discussions on the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament House this morning in which Mukherjee also joined.

Asked about “confusion” over names of Presidential candidates, Gandhi told reporters, “there is no confusion. Be patient, still there is time.” Party sources said a formal announcement of the name is likely only by this month end.

The day also saw some drama when Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury appeared to suggest that Mukherjee was too “valued” to the party and the government to be spared for the President’s post.

This prompted Banerjee to remark that Congress has announced that Mukherjee is not its candidate.

However, the Congress clarified that no name has been finalised and Mukherjee is not ruled out of the race though he is important for the party, government and the country.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whom Banerjee met, broke his silence saying the Presidential candidate should be “political”

After an hour-long meeting at Yadav’s residence, she told reporters that they would meet again and take a joint decision after further consultations.

“Whatever we will decide, we will decide jointly,” she said.

New Delhi:

The BJP’s call for a contest and its opposition to Mukherjee and Ansari found no takers with the Left parties and JD(U), an important constituent of the opposition NDA formation, making it clear that they would not mind backing any of these candidates and that they were keen on a consensus.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi held discussions on the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament House this morning in which Mukherjee also joined.

Asked about ‘confusion’ over names of Presidential candidates, Gandhi told reporters, “there is no confusion. Be patient, still there is time.”

Gandhi also met Trinamool Congress chief Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and discussed the issue.

The day also saw some drama when Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury appeared to suggest that Mukherjee was too “valued” to the party and the government to be spared for the President’s post.

This prompted Banerjee to remark that Congress has announced that Mukherjee is not its candidate.

However, the Congress clarified that no name has been finalised and Mukherjee is not ruled out of the race though he is important for the party, government and the country.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whom Banerjee met, broke his silence saying the Presidential candidate should be “political”.

Banerjee declined to divulge the details of her discussions with Gandhi but throughout the day in her interactions with media, she kept saying that she would prefer a consensus on the Presidential candidate and it was for the Congress to take a decision on the nominee.

“I would prefer a consensus. If this does not evolve, then of course there will be a contest,” Banerjee told reporters in the Central Hall of Parliament.

She parried repeated questions on her preference for Presidential candidate, merely saying “all options are open”.

When asked whether her party would support Mukherjee who also represents Bengal, Banerjee said “Congress has to take a decision first. He is after all a Congress leader. I can’t interfere in any other party’s internal affairs”.

“There should be a consensus. In a democratic set up, there should be consensus,” Banerjee said.

Trinamool sources said that Banerjee is likely to support the UPA candidate if a broad consensus is evolved over the choice.

The Left parties, who were the key players in Ansari becoming the Vice President in 2007, today again indicated that they were averse to either him or Mukherjee.

To a question on the Left’s stand on probable candidates like Ansari and Mukherjee, CPIM Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said said if the Congress narrowed down its choice to these two names, then the Left would like to see on whose name there is consensus.

“That is the best approach. As far as Ansari is concerned, the Left had proposed his name for Vice Presidentship last time. As far as Mukherjee is concerned, the name was doing rounds last time also and we said we have no objection,” he said.

In interesting comments, BJP ally JD(U) contradicted Sushma Swaraj’s opposition to Mukherjee and and Ansari.

JD(U) spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwari said, “both are good names. Pranab Mukherjee is the most experienced politician of the country. If this name comes up, it is good. Hamid Ansari is the Vice President and it has been a tradition that the Vice President gets elevated to the post. Therefore, his case is also strong.”

He said both the names are good and there is no point in raising a finger about this issue.

Swaraj had on Monday announced her party’s opposition to any Congress candidate including Mukherjee and Ansari. She even went on to say that Ansari does not have the stature to be President, remarks that came under attack from several parties.

New Delhi:

After an hour-long meeting at Yadav’s residence, she told reporters that they would meet again and take a joint decision after further consultations.

“Whatever we will decide, we will decide jointly,” she said.

New Delhi:

The clarification by Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi came at the party briefing today when reporters plied him with questions about Chowdhury’s statement earlier in the day that Mukherjee is “very valued” leader for the party and the government, remarks which were interpreted as her ruling Mukherjee out from the race.

“The consultation process is on. No names have been finalised. Renuka Chowhury’s remarks show the importance of Pranabda. It does not mean he is ruled out for anything. It shows his importance for the party, Parliament and the country,” Alvi said.

He said Chowdhury is also a spokesperson and if she had said something, she must have said it with some responsibility. “At this point of time, it is not possible to give the names (of party’s preferences for Presidential election),” he said.

To a question about the “confusion” caused by Chowdhury’s statements, Alvi said there is no confusion due to it. Nobody can negate Mukherjee’s importance, he said. Asked whether Mukherjee’s efficiency is a factor going against him, he said, “it is not going against him. It shows his importance.”

Earlier, Chowdhury’s remarks on Mukherjee’s utility for party and government prompted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to say Congress has announced that the Finance Minister is not its candidate for the President’s election.

Chowdhury had said, “it will never be easy to leave Pranabda. He is such a valuable person for us in the party. His contribution to the party cannot be even measured. For him it will not seem to be fair…but he has such an active political mind. He is too involved and knowns politics so well.

“So, well in a way if his name is doing the rounds, I have no authority to say that his name is also being discussed. If his candidature is being talked about, then he is very respected and valued guide for us.”

Asked if she does not want to see Mukherjee as President, she said: “I want to see him in many posts. I am personally a big fan of him.”

As her remarks created a flutter, she sought to clarify saying her remarks have been completely misunderstood and decisions about Presidential candidature are not taken at her level. She said it was unfortunate that her “genuine admiration” for a senior leader of the party has been distorted.

“That does not mean we are ruling out Pranab Mukherjee for Presidential election,” she said, adding it is unfair to quote her remarks out of context. “It (Presidential candidate) is not a decision that can be taken at my level,” she said, clarifiying her remarks.

New Delhi:

Emerging from the meeting at Gandhi’s residence, the Trinamool Congress declined to divulge the details of their discussion.

“It was a courtesy call. I have come to enquire about her (Gandhi’s) health,” she told reporters.

Asked if Trinamool Congress would support Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee or Vice President Hamid Ansari if Congress nominates them, Banerjee joked “I am the candidate.”

New Delhi:

“I think their party has already announced today that he is not (the candidate),” the West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief told reporters when asked whether Mukherjee is acceptable as Presidential candidate.

“I cannot say anything. Congress party has already announced their opinion… He belongs to the Congress party. Congress party will decide. How can I say whether it is or not. I respect all political parties. I know my limitations. I don’t cross limits,” she said.

Banerjee, who would be meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi tomorrow on the Presidential election, said: “They (Congress) have their own choice. So I don’t want to interfere.”

Earlier, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury told reporters that “it will never be easy to leave Pranab da. He is such a valuable person for us in the party. His contribution to the party cannot be even measured. For him it will not seem to be fair…but he has such an active political mind. He is too involved and knowns politics so well.

“So, well in a way if his name is doing the rounds, I have no authority to say that his name is also being discussed. If his candidature is being talked about, then he is very respected and valued guide for us.”

Asked if she does not want to see Mukherjee as President, she said: “I want to see him in many posts. I am personally a big fan of him.”

As her remarks created a flutter in political circles, Renuka sought to clarify saying her remarks have been completely misunderstood and decisions about Presidential candidature are not taken at her level.Choudhury said it was unfortunate that her “genuine admiration” for a senior leader of the party has been distorted.

She said she had categorically said she was personally a “great fan” of Mukherjee and wished him that he grows from strength to strength.

“That does not mean we are ruling out Pranab Mukherjee for Presidential election,” she said, adding it is unfair to quote her remarks out of context.

“It (Presidential candidate) is not a decision that can be taken at my level,” she said, clarifiying her remarks.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/03/power-play/mamata-banerjee-throws-surprise-pranab-mukherjee/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/03/politics/prez-political-person-mulayam-singh/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/03/politics/prez-political-person-mulayam-singh/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 08:48:17 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=16858 New Delhi: Holding that the President should always be a political person, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today refused to express his opinion on probable candidates for the forthcoming election to the country’s highest office.

“We cannot discuss Presidential election at this moment, When candidates are announced, then you can take my view,” he told reporters outside Parliament House.

Yadav was asked whom his party will support during the Presidential election.

On whether the President should be a person with political background, he said, “The President should always be a political person.”

Pratibha Patil, the country’s first woman President, will demit office on July 25 after completing her five-year term.

Samajwadi Party, which is an outside supporters of UPA, had on Tuesday said that it would favour an eminent Muslim candidate for the top post.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/03/politics/prez-political-person-mulayam-singh/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/01/power-play/prez-poll-jd-u-snubs-bjp-unilaterally-announcing-stand/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/05/01/power-play/prez-poll-jd-u-snubs-bjp-unilaterally-announcing-stand/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 10:51:13 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=16550 New Delhi: Indicating fissures in the NDA over the issue of Presidential election, the JD-U today snubbed the BJP for unilaterally announcing its stand on the issue.

“Whatever Sushma Swaraj has said is the opinion of the BJP. This is not our party’s view. The issue was not discussed in any NDA meeting. BJP has not discussed the issue with us,” JD-U President Sharad Yadav told reporters here.

He also said that the country is in a bad shape and “everybody needs to be on the side of caution on this issue”.

He was reacting to Swaraj’s statement yesterday that BJP will not support the candidature of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari or any candidate put up by the Congress for the Presidential election.

Asked whether JD-U agrees with the stand of Swaraj, Yadav merely said, “Ours is a different party and their’s is another. Neither have we discussed this issue with the BJP nor have they done it with us so far.”

Yadav, who is also the NDA convener, also referred to the statement of SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal to hammer home his point that the issue has not been decided by NDA as yet.

Badal said that there has been “no formal meeting” of the alliance so far and hence he cannot comment that who will be NDA’s Presidential candidate.

“This will be the decision of the collective leadership. I am just a member of the alliance”, was his refrain when asked whether they support the candidature of former President Abdul Kalam.

Swaraj had said that the party was open to the idea of backing former President A P J Abdul Kalam if parties like Samajwadi Party mooted his name.

Yadav said the NDA has not yet discussed any name for the Presidential candidate.

The JD(U) has not discussed any probable candidates for the Presidential elections yet, Yadav said, adding that the party will form an opinion after having internal discussions.

“Whenever such a discussion takes place, the JD(U) will express its views. But, she (Swaraj) has given the opinion of her party. She has not said this after any consultation with us. I do not know whether she consulted any other NDA ally on the issue”, he said.

Sources in JD-U said that the unilateral announcement by Swaraj has foreclosed options of building a consensus on the issue.

Asked whether the NDA should have settled with a Vice President like Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal for the alliance and backed UPA’s candidate for the President’s job, a party leader speaking on the condition of anonymity said, “all such options have been closed by the statement”.

The leader also made it clear that there was no discussion in the NDA even on supporting or putting up the name of former President Abdul Kalam as the alliance candidate this time, thereby indicating that the BJP may be proposing his name but Kalam is still not the NDA candidate.

The leader pointed out that even in 2007, when the BJP was proposing Kalam’s renomination, NDA ally Shiv Sena had not supported his candidature. Sena had then backed Pratibha Patil’s candidature in the name of Marathi pride.

New Delhi:

While Congress sources said the meeting between the two is billed for May 3, high-placed Trinamool sources quoted Mamata as saying that it is likely on May 4.

Congress sources said Gandhi will be discussing the issue of Presidential poll nominee with Mamata as part of Congress’ efforts to reach out to its UPA allies to evolve a consensus on the candidature for the top post.

However, Trinamool sources said Mamata will pay a just “courtsey” call on Gandhi as the two had not met for a long time and the Congress chief had been unwell recently.

Congress has already discussed the Presidential poll candidate with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi.

Pawar had met Gandhi at her residence last week while senior Congress leader A K Antony had a meeting with Karunanidhi in Chennai yesterday on the Presidential candidate.

New Delhi:

Party spokesperson Manish Tewari at the same time ducked queries on whether Congress finds itself averse to the idea of an “apolitical” President, a demand raised by various parties.

“There is no question of A political or B political or non-political president. Our choice like everybody’s choice will be subscribed by the constitutional provisions required for election of a president…. Congress is always for a president that fits the bill as per the provisions dealing with the election of a president,” party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

Noting that that the term of the present President expires in July, the Congress spokesperson disfavoured speculations about the highest constitutional authority of the country.

“Let us not speculate…. Let us not second guess if a preliminary consultation process is underway. The President of India is an extremely august office. This is not an office which should be brought into the realm of unnecessary speculation,” he said, adding that the process should instead be allowed to be fructified.

Tewari said that in matters related to election or appointment of constitutional heads, Congress has followed a policy that “whatever happens should have widest possible consensus. Whatever happens should have largest possible consent.”

Asked whether Congress favours another term for former President Abdul Kalam, he said it was “extremely immature to start speculation about names. We should keep in mind the dignity of the highest constitutional office of the country”.

Tewari also dismissed BJP’s criticism on Congress’ relations with its allies saying “we have always behaved with dignity with our allies” and reminded BJP of the desertions of constituents from NDA.

Referring to the ongoing discussion on presidential election, he said, “Yes, there may be discussion taking place at certain levels. But…one should allow the whole process to play itself out other than create an unnecessary hype about the whole thing.”

Defence Minister AK Antony had recently met DMK chief Karunakaran at Chennai and both have understood to have held discussion on possible candidates for the next president.

Asked about the outcome of the talks, DMK MP Kanimozhi said, “It was one-to-one discussion and our leader will decide.”

Reports had it that the names of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Speaker Meira Kumar were discussed in the meeting.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi a few days back on the issue.

A party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, however, dubbed the meetings as “just broad sounding out” adding that final choice will depend on whose name, the maximum consent can be acquired.

The leader also felt that offering vice presidentship to some senior leader from NDA like Prakash Singh Badal in order to make consensus with BJP on President’s nominee would not be a bad idea as the Opposition party may not like to antagonise its crucial allies by negating it.

The party leader at the same time refused to buy arguments that BJP may not be averse to supporting a particular candidate belonging to Congress party on account of its bonhomie with him.

“Relationship will not be substituting BJP’s political strategy” was his refrain.

Tumkur:

“People want a change from the political corruption and the corruption of the BJP. And they want a change from the divisive communal politics of the BJP”, she told the delegates of a Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee meeting here.

For so many reasons, the people were disenchanted with BJP, she said adding the so called ‘party with a difference’ had been fully exposed and its ‘double standards’ on corruption and political corruption are more than apparent to the people.

Gandhi said for the past so many years, the Congress had not been able to receive people’s mandate in Karnataka for “many, many reasons including party’s own weaknesses”.

Congress is not able to convert people’s goodwill into electoral success, she said.

Gandhi told the Congress leaders that individual ambition should not come in the way of the party’s larger interests. Party must come first and the overriding objective must be to bring the party back to power.

On a rare visit to the state to rejuvenate the Congress which has been out of power for last six years, Gandhi participated in the 105th birthday celebrations of Siddaganga Math head Sri Sri Shivakumara Swami who has a large following among the dominant Lingayat community, in a bid to woo it back to the Congress.

Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community.

Gandhi said its Government had betrayed the mandate of the people and destroyed all what Karnataka stood for and is known for.

The BJP government had ‘scant respect’ for rule of law, she said, noting that the post of Lokayukta had remained vacant in Karnataka for almost an year in contrast to UPA’s determination to enact a strong Lokpal bill which was ‘held up in Rajya Sabha by the BJP’.

Gandhi said the recent victory of the party in the Udupi-Chikmagalur Loksabha bypoll very much reflected the desire of the people for a change.

In the byelection, party workers and senior leaders worked together after a long time, she said.

“This victory has shown when our entire party organisation works in unity, nobody can defeat us. Nobdody can defeat us”, she said.

Noting that the victory of late Indira Gandhi from the then Chikmagalur constituency in 1978 helped revive the Congress, she said if all the party workers and leaders work together, this (recent) victory would help its revival in Karnataka.

Senior leaders SM Krishna, Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, Siddaramaiah, Motamma, KPCC President G Parameshwara and Oscar Fernandes were among those present.

Gandhi said the party leaders must resolve to work together with the junior workers. “That is the only way we will be able to regain trust of the people and bring back the party to power in Karnataka”.

She said during the seven years of the UPA government, Karnataka received an allocation of almost Rs 98,000 crore, which is more than what it got during the NDA regime.

The Congress-led state government then had to go before NDA ministers “like beggars to get what was their right” and BJP typically treated it as a political issue”, she lamented.

Unlike this, she said, UPA Government did not make a differentiation between Congress and non-Congress governments at the state level as “we are serving the people of India”.

Gandhi, who also earlier visited drought-hit Nagasamudra village in Chitradurga district, said the problem of drought in Karnataka was quite visible and the UPA government would do all that is necessary.

But she stressed that it was necessary to exert pressure on the state government to implement drought-relief schemes and programmes.

Gandhi’s visit was marred by a minor incident when a woman waved a black cloth at the mutt function demanding exclusive reservation for her Madiga Dandora community within the SC quota. She was whisked away from the venue by police.

Earlier, KPCC President G Parameshwara said, 123 of the 176 taluks had been declared drought-hit and crop loss estimated at over Rs5,000 crore.

“We are in distress. We need help from the centre. Please help us”, he told the UPA Chairperson.

At the Siddaganga Math function, Gandhi said nothing exemplifies India’s diversity better than Karnataka, where people belonging to different regions, from different culture and speaking different languages, have lived together.

Gandhi lauded the 80-year-long service rendered by Shivakumara swamiji which she described as “in the cause of humanity”.

She exorted people to educate their children taking advantage of the law enacted by the govenment to provide for free and quality education to those aged 6 to 14.

“It is education that has led to the empowerment of weaker sections of society. Neverthless, it is sad reality that so many of our country men and women face discrimination and live in poverty”, she said.

On the occasion, the mutt pontiff was presented a cheque for Rs105 lakh to mark his 105th birthday celebrations.

Earlier, Gandhi lit symbolically 105 lamps to mark the celebrations, which the gathering greeted with a thundering appaluse.

Shivakumara Swamiji in his address said peace should exist in the country and poverty should be eradicated.

“Inspite of breath-taking developments in science and technology, people all over the world are yearning for peace in the face of terrorism, violence, strife, hunger and so many other ills”, he said.

UPA as well as NDA leaders say that anybody who has the support of two of the three non-Congress leaders Mulayam, Mamata and Mayawati can have the next President of his choice to succeed incumbent Pratibha Patil, who is retiring on July 25.

While Congress chief Sonia Gandhi held some preliminary talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on the crucial issue, the talk in the ruling alliance is that the formal discussions would gain momentum after May 10.

Government’s first priority appears to be to get the Union Budget 2012-13 passed and has set May 8 as the date for the passage of the Finance Bill.

Vice President Hamid Ansari and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee are among the names doing rounds in the ruling party circles.

The BJP has given signals that it would like a non-Congressman and especially a non-Sonia Gandhi loyalist for the top post, hinting that its fight was for the post of the Prime Minister in 2014.

Mulayam’s party has not zeroed in on any name so far. Ansari hails from Uttar Pradesh and had also been the Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University.

In an interesting development, Gopalakrishna Gandhi yesterday met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubhaneswar, fuelling speculation that the visit was linked to Presidential polls.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad is pitching for Vice President Hamid Ansari while other parties kept the cards close to their chest.

Gandhi’s visit was significant as it came a day after media reports on certain non-UPA and non-NDA parties planning to support Kalam for the Presidential polls.

Ansari had also met the chief minister here recently.

Patnaik is yet to make his stand known about who his party would support for the post of the President and Vice-President.

Ansari has got support from RJD chief Lalu Prasad who said his party would support the Vice President as the Presidential candidate.

“Our Vice President Hamid Ansari should be made the President. He is a good candidate for the President’s post. He should be upgraded as the President,” Prasad said yesterday.

Sources said that the Congress leadership will also be consulting DMK chief M Karunanidhi on the issue any time next week.

A senior Congress functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that consultations on the issue were a natural course of action to decide a name for the country’s top job. Obviously the allies will be the first to be consulted, he said.

The meeting between Pawar and Gandhi lasted half-an-hour. “We want a name with consensus,” NCP General Secretary DP Tripathi said when asked about NCP’s preference for the next President.

“The President’s post is the top post in the country. It is necessary to maintain its dignity,” he said.

Key UPA ally Trinamool Congress today maintained that it would decide on a Presidential nominee only after the date for the election to the top post is announced. Railway Minister Mukul Roy.

The Lok Sabha had yesterday suspended eight Congress MPs from Telangana region for four days for repeatedly disrupting Parliament over the Telangana issue.

Action was taken against Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, M Jagannath, K R G Reddy, G Viveknanda, Balram Naik, Sukender Reddy Gutha and S Rajaiah after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal moved a motion seeking their suspension.

With black ribbon taped on their lips, the suspended MPs, carrying placards in support of separate Telangana state, stood near the Gandhi statue for about 30 minutes.

Earlier, BJD MPs had also staged a dharna here to extend solidarity with party MLA, Jhina Hikaka, who was abducted by Maoists on March 24.

The bypolls in 16 of the 18 seats are necessitated due to disqualification of sitting Congress MLAs who switched loyalty to Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and voted against the Congress government during a floor test in December last.

Another MLA quit in support of Jagan while actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi resigned as MLA following his election to Rajya Sabha.

The by-election has been necessitated for Nellore Lok Sabha constituency as the sitting Congress MP quit in support of Jagan.

Of the 18 Assembly segments, only one (Parkal) is in Telangana and all others are in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. The Nellore Lok Sabha seat is in coastal Andhra.

The bypolls are important for Jagan and his fledgling YSR Congress as a poor performance would derail his political journey ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

For ruling Congress too, the bypolls are significant as success is a must to retain power in 2014 assembly elections.

Having drawn a blank in the bypolls held last month for seven Assembly seats, it faces the twin challenge from Jagan and main Opposition TDP.

TDP had also failed to win a single seat in the March bypolls. The Chandrababu Naidu-led party must put up a sound performance in the bypolls to remain a major political force in state politics, observers said.