New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) As the new government gets ready for work, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, one of the stalwarts of the last Congress-led UPA government, continues to grapple with poor health। He has been in hospital for the past seven months after a heart attack and though his condition is not critical anymore, his recovery is slow, doctors said.
Dasmunsi, who was holding the information and broadcasting portfolio when he suffered a heart attack in October last year, was made minister without portfolio after his condition failed to improve। He was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in November 2008। His wife Deepa contested the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls from Raiganj in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district on a Congress ticket, and won। Doctors attending on Dasmunsi here say that his neurological condition is "status quo" but other parameters have been improving in the past three months and "he is not critical now". "He (Dasmunsi) is still not able to recognise people, but his physical health is improving," his brother Satya Prakash told IANS. "He is being made to sit on a chair for two hours every day and is also being taken around on a wheelchair for two hours everyday," he said. Dasmunsi is fed through a feeding tube (percutaneous endoscopy gastrostomy) and his breathing is also assisted. Apollo doctors said Dasmunsi was not in a coma. They described his condition as 'hypoxic encephalopathy' which is caused due to cardiac arrest. Hypoxic encephalopathy is caused by decreased rate of blood flow or decreased oxygen in the blood. Severe cases can cause permanent brain damage within five minutes. Dasmunsi was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Oct 13 last year after he suffered a second heart attack in three months. He was shifted to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital at his family's request Nov 20. Dasmunsi, who has a 10-year history of diabetes, first suffered a heart attack July 8 and underwent an angioplasty and stenting procedure in two coronary arteries.
Showing posts with label India Elections 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India Elections 2009. Show all posts
6.5.09
Professional, educated and aspiring to be politician
By Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) If you thought politics was the preserve of the corrupt or the criminal, think again. The 15th Lok Sabha polls boast of a new breed of candidates who are professionals, well educated and motivated people the middle class can identify with.
Bankers, doctors and graduates of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) among others are in the fray this time.
"For many years we have created a myth that all politicians are criminal and corrupt, but in the meantime Indian democracy has also emerged stronger. Educated and professional people have finally decided to plunge into politics," Imtiyaz Ahmad, an eminent political scientist from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here, told IANS.
Ahmad feels the participation of professionals as independent candidates or as those who float their own party is an expression of dissatisfaction with tried and tested politicians.
Rajendra Thakar, who contested from North Mumbai on a Professionals Party of India ticket, is one of them.
"India needs new parties as the traditional outfits are engrossed in corruption, as people need to see the hope that will lead the country forward. And that is one of the main reasons that new parties like ours have been floated with clearly defined objectives for people, not for ourselves," Thakar told IANS on phone.
Bharat Punarnirman Dal is a party made up of IIT graduates that has put up 40 candidates across India.
Britain-based consultant Kumar Kuntikanamta came all the way to Mangalore, Karnataka, to contest. "I think all Indians want a change in the current political system, but very few are willing to act. People criticise politicians but they don't want to join it," he said.
Meera Sanyal, a banker who contested as an independent from South Mumbai and has been much talked about in this election, exudes confidence about her victory.
The strong presence of independent candidates this time has not gone unnoticed and it has made political parties wary that they will cut into crucial votes.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month said that independent candidates were 'spoilers' and urged people not to vote for them.
Young voters are attracted to independent candidates.
Apurva Upadhyaya, a first time voter, says: "I will rather vote for a new and young party, may be an independent, as traditional parties have not been able to perform as well as they should have."
Lubna Asif, at 25, is one of the youngest Lok Sabha candidates and is contesting from Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the All India Minorities Front.
Achin Vinayak, political analyst and professor at Delhi University, agrees that the perception of politics and politicians is changing and holds the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as a key reason for this.
"I think 26/11 made the middle class think that they are also at threat, so they started blaming politicians and became active," Vinayak told IANS.
Vinayak, however, doesn't think that the trend of middle class people and professionals joining politics is automatically a good thing.
"We have good and bad people among professionals just like in any other category. It would be partial to blindly brand all these fellows 'good' and 'corruption free'," he maintained.
On similar lines, Ahmad cautioned: "As our democracy is party-based, if candidates don't have mainstream party support, it would be tough to function.
"The only way to bring about change is through mainstream parties because Indians do not vote for individuals; they vote for the party and so the chance of success of such a candidate is very less."
(Nabeel A. Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)
links for coverage
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090505/812/tnl-professional-educated-and-aspiring-t.html
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090506/delhi.htm#10
Comments by Readers on this story
Hello Mr. Nabeel A. Khan:
I read with much enthusiasm and pride the movement of Indian Youth in the Political
Arena. It is time to bring in young fresh minds and develop a new and improved
political system, Reduced number of parties, revised constitution that works for the
people, A BILL OF RIGHTS of citizens with Charter of Rights & Freedom, and much more
I have a Vision for my Nation written with a Passion that outlines a Mission
addressing the needs of every Generation, it touches on the Constitution, life for
the least of our Citizen and brings forth one LAW:
WHATSOEVER WE DO, IT MUST ADD VALUE UPGRADING TO THE MINIMUM NEED AND ENHANSING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE LEAST OF OUR CITIZEN.
Should you and your movement be interested I would be pleased to address a rally of
youth and instill in them Love & Spirit of our Nation to build it because only when
our country is rich and successful will all its citizen be as well. This can be
learnt by observing the developed nations and their administration of the running of
their nations.
Good Luck!!!!!
Anthony Saldanha
HI Anthony ji,
U make it sound as if India was not alive before the new breed came in. Let me
tell u that the locals are SO aware of Politics it is not funny. And the new
breed of IIT'S that you are sooo proud of, and talking about are no better
than the previous bunch. The previous one's have shown themsel\ves for what
they are, and this new breed will show themselves for what they are. I am
sorry to point out that they are going to be nothing better than mouthpieces
of the Whites'.
I would like to highlight one case in point. I met Shashi Tharoor recently,
and in a one to one conversation, i asked him why he does not fight to get
India out of the Nuke Deal, to which he said, u think the nuke deal is not
good, and i said tell me ONE thing that is good about the deal, and he said "
Indian Scientists were longing to go to the USA, and now they get their visas
easily and are visiting." This my dear sir , is the new breed.
I wanted to stand for elections but my name was not on the voter's list.
A Marigold (Goonda) is actually a bouquet of flowers - as each petal is a
complete flower in itself. Did u know this????
Dear Nabeel,
I am smriti from Bangalore working as a pr professional, read your article
and i really feel happy the way youngers are getting into politics and
willing to bring a change as we are really fedup with parties asking votes
for caste, religion,..we need change ,development,education..and this caste
and religion politics is going on from years and we havent achieved
anything..
It's high time to wake up and vote for the young, educated leaders ,hope to
see a positive change in our society instead of always cribbing about the
political system...
--
Thank You....
-----------------------------------------
Regards,
Smirit
Hi Nabeel,
A very good article posted in yahoo! I totally agree that India now
needs a profesional and an educated politicians who can change the face
of our nation. More importantly each and every politician should be
Accountable for their job which is the core for our nation's progress.
The last two lines from the article is very correct. "As our democracy
is...." Hope our mass understands where the actual gem is hidden.
Jai Hind,
Shreejith K.
Thank You Mr nabeel,
thank you for mentioning our party in your yahoo.com article
Best Regards
Sudhir
www.voteforfamily.net
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) If you thought politics was the preserve of the corrupt or the criminal, think again. The 15th Lok Sabha polls boast of a new breed of candidates who are professionals, well educated and motivated people the middle class can identify with.
Bankers, doctors and graduates of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) among others are in the fray this time.
"For many years we have created a myth that all politicians are criminal and corrupt, but in the meantime Indian democracy has also emerged stronger. Educated and professional people have finally decided to plunge into politics," Imtiyaz Ahmad, an eminent political scientist from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here, told IANS.
Ahmad feels the participation of professionals as independent candidates or as those who float their own party is an expression of dissatisfaction with tried and tested politicians.
Rajendra Thakar, who contested from North Mumbai on a Professionals Party of India ticket, is one of them.
"India needs new parties as the traditional outfits are engrossed in corruption, as people need to see the hope that will lead the country forward. And that is one of the main reasons that new parties like ours have been floated with clearly defined objectives for people, not for ourselves," Thakar told IANS on phone.
Bharat Punarnirman Dal is a party made up of IIT graduates that has put up 40 candidates across India.
Britain-based consultant Kumar Kuntikanamta came all the way to Mangalore, Karnataka, to contest. "I think all Indians want a change in the current political system, but very few are willing to act. People criticise politicians but they don't want to join it," he said.
Meera Sanyal, a banker who contested as an independent from South Mumbai and has been much talked about in this election, exudes confidence about her victory.
The strong presence of independent candidates this time has not gone unnoticed and it has made political parties wary that they will cut into crucial votes.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month said that independent candidates were 'spoilers' and urged people not to vote for them.
Young voters are attracted to independent candidates.
Apurva Upadhyaya, a first time voter, says: "I will rather vote for a new and young party, may be an independent, as traditional parties have not been able to perform as well as they should have."
Lubna Asif, at 25, is one of the youngest Lok Sabha candidates and is contesting from Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the All India Minorities Front.
Achin Vinayak, political analyst and professor at Delhi University, agrees that the perception of politics and politicians is changing and holds the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as a key reason for this.
"I think 26/11 made the middle class think that they are also at threat, so they started blaming politicians and became active," Vinayak told IANS.
Vinayak, however, doesn't think that the trend of middle class people and professionals joining politics is automatically a good thing.
"We have good and bad people among professionals just like in any other category. It would be partial to blindly brand all these fellows 'good' and 'corruption free'," he maintained.
On similar lines, Ahmad cautioned: "As our democracy is party-based, if candidates don't have mainstream party support, it would be tough to function.
"The only way to bring about change is through mainstream parties because Indians do not vote for individuals; they vote for the party and so the chance of success of such a candidate is very less."
(Nabeel A. Khan can be contacted at nabeel.k@ians.in)
links for coverage
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090505/812/tnl-professional-educated-and-aspiring-t.html
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090506/delhi.htm#10
Comments by Readers on this story
Hello Mr. Nabeel A. Khan:
I read with much enthusiasm and pride the movement of Indian Youth in the Political
Arena. It is time to bring in young fresh minds and develop a new and improved
political system, Reduced number of parties, revised constitution that works for the
people, A BILL OF RIGHTS of citizens with Charter of Rights & Freedom, and much more
I have a Vision for my Nation written with a Passion that outlines a Mission
addressing the needs of every Generation, it touches on the Constitution, life for
the least of our Citizen and brings forth one LAW:
WHATSOEVER WE DO, IT MUST ADD VALUE UPGRADING TO THE MINIMUM NEED AND ENHANSING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE LEAST OF OUR CITIZEN.
Should you and your movement be interested I would be pleased to address a rally of
youth and instill in them Love & Spirit of our Nation to build it because only when
our country is rich and successful will all its citizen be as well. This can be
learnt by observing the developed nations and their administration of the running of
their nations.
Good Luck!!!!!
Anthony Saldanha
HI Anthony ji,
U make it sound as if India was not alive before the new breed came in. Let me
tell u that the locals are SO aware of Politics it is not funny. And the new
breed of IIT'S that you are sooo proud of, and talking about are no better
than the previous bunch. The previous one's have shown themsel\ves for what
they are, and this new breed will show themselves for what they are. I am
sorry to point out that they are going to be nothing better than mouthpieces
of the Whites'.
I would like to highlight one case in point. I met Shashi Tharoor recently,
and in a one to one conversation, i asked him why he does not fight to get
India out of the Nuke Deal, to which he said, u think the nuke deal is not
good, and i said tell me ONE thing that is good about the deal, and he said "
Indian Scientists were longing to go to the USA, and now they get their visas
easily and are visiting." This my dear sir , is the new breed.
I wanted to stand for elections but my name was not on the voter's list.
A Marigold (Goonda) is actually a bouquet of flowers - as each petal is a
complete flower in itself. Did u know this????
Dear Nabeel,
I am smriti from Bangalore working as a pr professional, read your article
and i really feel happy the way youngers are getting into politics and
willing to bring a change as we are really fedup with parties asking votes
for caste, religion,..we need change ,development,education..and this caste
and religion politics is going on from years and we havent achieved
anything..
It's high time to wake up and vote for the young, educated leaders ,hope to
see a positive change in our society instead of always cribbing about the
political system...
--
Thank You....
-----------------------------------------
Regards,
Smirit
Hi Nabeel,
A very good article posted in yahoo! I totally agree that India now
needs a profesional and an educated politicians who can change the face
of our nation. More importantly each and every politician should be
Accountable for their job which is the core for our nation's progress.
The last two lines from the article is very correct. "As our democracy
is...." Hope our mass understands where the actual gem is hidden.
Jai Hind,
Shreejith K.
Thank You Mr nabeel,
thank you for mentioning our party in your yahoo.com article
Best Regards
Sudhir
www.voteforfamily.net
14.4.09
Should voting be compulsory? Of course, say many Indians
By Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Voting should be made compulsory -- that seems to be the general consensus binding celebrities and common people alike as the country hurtles towards another election, though politicians themselves are divided.
Making voting mandatory may be a controversial move, but there seemed to be little debate on the matter with an overwhelming number of people that IANS spoke to for it. Governance will improve and democracy will get strengthened if voting is made compulsory is the view as another general election looms ahead. Everyone has a stake, from the villager in Poonch to the star film director in Mumbai. Mohammed Khursheed from Dodi village in Jammu and Kashmir's troubled district of Poonch, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan and has seen more than its share of terrorist violence, said: "Everyone should vote and if the government makes it necessary, it will be the best." "In my village, there are no roads or electricity and water supply. If everyone votes, I hope it will change our fortune," Khursheed told IANS. Sanjay Sharma from Khapare village of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district wanted voting to be made mandatory so as to involve "even those who talk on TV and write in newspapers but do not vote". "Voting should be made a compulsory duty. Then no one can ignore it and voting percentage will increase. This will ensure a right person wins the election," contended Hemchandra Lohani, a freelance trekking instructor from Uttarakhand. Sneha Shekhawat, a New Delhi-based project manager with a multinational corporation, said mandatory voting would be a great idea, but the government should also introduce easier options to vote, like through SMS or Internet. Management student Manoj Agarwal of New Delhi also said felt mandatory voting will definitely ensure the right candidate is elected, but there should also be an option to recall the representative. At the other end of the spectrum was filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar who said categorically: "Voting should be made mandatory... it will help (people) choose the right kind of representative at every level." If voting is made compulsory, the people will not blame politicians for everything, Bhandarkar told IANS. Charging politicians with misguiding people, film director Abhigyan Jha said he supported the move but suggested that there should also be provision to vote for none of the candidates and for cancellation of candidature. Actress Mandira Bedi, who admitted being impressed with a TV commercial ("Jago Re") encouraging people to vote, said: "Post-26/11 so many people said we do not want to vote, but that is a wrong approach. Voting should be made mandatory, but unfortunately the system is not in place. "I think it is rightly said that if you do not vote, you are sleeping." Agreeing with Mandira, actor and TV host Shekhar Suman said: "I think now the time has come that we should become responsible and vote. We cannot only blame politicians, if we have not done our bit." "If voting is made mandatory, then more and more educated and deserving people will get into power," he said, adding that he, however, did not advocate "anything being done at gun point". Though Bharatiya Janata Party's Prakash Javadekar agreed, Congress leader Salman Khursheed said any kind of policing was not right. "As democracy is maturing, the voting percentage is also increasing; so we should give a serious thinking on making voting compulsory for every citizen," Javadekar said here, adding this also required removal of mistakes from electoral rolls. "We should also ensure that there is no bogus voting." Striking a different note, Khursheed said: "It is not possible to implement compulsory voting in India. Those who advocate this idea do not know the reality of India. We do not even have polling boths everywhere and people have to walk kilometres to vote. "There is no proper arrangement of voter ID cards. How can we expect to implement compulsory voting successfully?" Khursheed asked. Voting is compulsory in over 30 countries.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Should+voting+be+compulsory?+Of+course,+say+many+Indians&artid=PucyzGDqFdA=&SectionID=AMqePYI/D30=&MainSectionID=aZcEE40zV1s=&SectionName=r%7C6ubJhvSMue9wsQ1WPQJg==&SEO=Elections,+India
http://www.aol.in/news-story/should-voting-be-compulsory-of-course-say-many-indians/2009032001489012000009
http://www.samachaar.in/Politics/Should_voting_be_compulsory_-_Of_course,_say_many_Indians_80957/
New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Voting should be made compulsory -- that seems to be the general consensus binding celebrities and common people alike as the country hurtles towards another election, though politicians themselves are divided.
Making voting mandatory may be a controversial move, but there seemed to be little debate on the matter with an overwhelming number of people that IANS spoke to for it. Governance will improve and democracy will get strengthened if voting is made compulsory is the view as another general election looms ahead. Everyone has a stake, from the villager in Poonch to the star film director in Mumbai. Mohammed Khursheed from Dodi village in Jammu and Kashmir's troubled district of Poonch, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan and has seen more than its share of terrorist violence, said: "Everyone should vote and if the government makes it necessary, it will be the best." "In my village, there are no roads or electricity and water supply. If everyone votes, I hope it will change our fortune," Khursheed told IANS. Sanjay Sharma from Khapare village of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district wanted voting to be made mandatory so as to involve "even those who talk on TV and write in newspapers but do not vote". "Voting should be made a compulsory duty. Then no one can ignore it and voting percentage will increase. This will ensure a right person wins the election," contended Hemchandra Lohani, a freelance trekking instructor from Uttarakhand. Sneha Shekhawat, a New Delhi-based project manager with a multinational corporation, said mandatory voting would be a great idea, but the government should also introduce easier options to vote, like through SMS or Internet. Management student Manoj Agarwal of New Delhi also said felt mandatory voting will definitely ensure the right candidate is elected, but there should also be an option to recall the representative. At the other end of the spectrum was filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar who said categorically: "Voting should be made mandatory... it will help (people) choose the right kind of representative at every level." If voting is made compulsory, the people will not blame politicians for everything, Bhandarkar told IANS. Charging politicians with misguiding people, film director Abhigyan Jha said he supported the move but suggested that there should also be provision to vote for none of the candidates and for cancellation of candidature. Actress Mandira Bedi, who admitted being impressed with a TV commercial ("Jago Re") encouraging people to vote, said: "Post-26/11 so many people said we do not want to vote, but that is a wrong approach. Voting should be made mandatory, but unfortunately the system is not in place. "I think it is rightly said that if you do not vote, you are sleeping." Agreeing with Mandira, actor and TV host Shekhar Suman said: "I think now the time has come that we should become responsible and vote. We cannot only blame politicians, if we have not done our bit." "If voting is made mandatory, then more and more educated and deserving people will get into power," he said, adding that he, however, did not advocate "anything being done at gun point". Though Bharatiya Janata Party's Prakash Javadekar agreed, Congress leader Salman Khursheed said any kind of policing was not right. "As democracy is maturing, the voting percentage is also increasing; so we should give a serious thinking on making voting compulsory for every citizen," Javadekar said here, adding this also required removal of mistakes from electoral rolls. "We should also ensure that there is no bogus voting." Striking a different note, Khursheed said: "It is not possible to implement compulsory voting in India. Those who advocate this idea do not know the reality of India. We do not even have polling boths everywhere and people have to walk kilometres to vote. "There is no proper arrangement of voter ID cards. How can we expect to implement compulsory voting successfully?" Khursheed asked. Voting is compulsory in over 30 countries.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Should+voting+be+compulsory?+Of+course,+say+many+Indians&artid=PucyzGDqFdA=&SectionID=AMqePYI/D30=&MainSectionID=aZcEE40zV1s=&SectionName=r%7C6ubJhvSMue9wsQ1WPQJg==&SEO=Elections,+India
http://www.aol.in/news-story/should-voting-be-compulsory-of-course-say-many-indians/2009032001489012000009
http://www.samachaar.in/Politics/Should_voting_be_compulsory_-_Of_course,_say_many_Indians_80957/
BJP says it has found new ally in Uttar Pradesh
By Nabeel A. Khan
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the upcoming general elections in Uttar Pradesh with a new ally and will announce next week the name of the party it is allying with, says BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
"We are in talks with a party and we will announce it at an appropriate time, probably next week," Javadekar told IANS.
Javadekar said at its central election committee meeting scheduled for Jan 29, the party would take a call on whether former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is away from active politics because of his ill health, would contest the next general elections, likely to be held in April or May.
He claimed Uttar Pradesh leader and party vice-president Kalyan Singh's exit from the BJP would have no impact on the party's performance in the upcoming polls.
"He was unfortunately driven by personal agenda and personal agenda does not work. He was concerned about one or two seats - his own and that of his son," the BJP spokesperson held.
Kalyan Singh, who was thrice the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, left the party when it announced Ashok Pradhan would be its nominee to contest the Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat. Kalyan Singh had accused Pradhan of being responsible for the defeat of Kalyan's son Rajvir in the 2007 assembly elections.
Javadekar said terrorism and inflation would be at the centre of the upcoming general election campaign as they were during the recently concluded assembly polls.
There has been a perecption that the two issues did not find much resonance during the assembly polls. Reacting to this, the BJP spokesperson said: "It is over-simplification, not analysis, to say that the issues of terrorism and inflation did not work. Inflation matters even today.
"When we won Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Punjab every one said it was because of the rising prices that the Congress lost," he said.
"We have won 40 Lok Sabha seats and got 300 MLAs in these three states. The Congress got only 280. We have got 34 percent vote, while Congress got 32 percent. We have two major states. The Congress retained only a city-state and they won in Rajasthan because of our failure at micro level management," Javadekar said.
Javadekar was confident that the BJP and the Shiv Sena would contest the next general elections as allies despite the current border spat between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"We will have electoral ties with the Shiv Sena, no problem. The boundary dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra has been there for 50 years now and the Congress is responsible for it since the party ruled Karnataka for 49 years and Maharashtra for 42 years," he said. (IANS)
"We are in talks with a party and we will announce it at an appropriate time, probably next week," Javadekar told IANS.
Javadekar said at its central election committee meeting scheduled for Jan 29, the party would take a call on whether former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is away from active politics because of his ill health, would contest the next general elections, likely to be held in April or May.
He claimed Uttar Pradesh leader and party vice-president Kalyan Singh's exit from the BJP would have no impact on the party's performance in the upcoming polls.
"He was unfortunately driven by personal agenda and personal agenda does not work. He was concerned about one or two seats - his own and that of his son," the BJP spokesperson held.
Kalyan Singh, who was thrice the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, left the party when it announced Ashok Pradhan would be its nominee to contest the Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat. Kalyan Singh had accused Pradhan of being responsible for the defeat of Kalyan's son Rajvir in the 2007 assembly elections.
Javadekar said terrorism and inflation would be at the centre of the upcoming general election campaign as they were during the recently concluded assembly polls.
There has been a perecption that the two issues did not find much resonance during the assembly polls. Reacting to this, the BJP spokesperson said: "It is over-simplification, not analysis, to say that the issues of terrorism and inflation did not work. Inflation matters even today.
"When we won Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Punjab every one said it was because of the rising prices that the Congress lost," he said.
"We have won 40 Lok Sabha seats and got 300 MLAs in these three states. The Congress got only 280. We have got 34 percent vote, while Congress got 32 percent. We have two major states. The Congress retained only a city-state and they won in Rajasthan because of our failure at micro level management," Javadekar said.
Javadekar was confident that the BJP and the Shiv Sena would contest the next general elections as allies despite the current border spat between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"We will have electoral ties with the Shiv Sena, no problem. The boundary dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra has been there for 50 years now and the Congress is responsible for it since the party ruled Karnataka for 49 years and Maharashtra for 42 years," he said. (IANS)
For more coverage please click the links bleow
One day Rahul Gandhi will be PM: Salman Khurshid
By Nabeel A. Khan
For coverage please click the links below
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=f1cd2232-732c-42ab-b51b-990aa558f0e4&ParentID=78ac2e24-e907-42e1-8846-b10c3d146ebb&Headline=
http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Rahul-to-be-PM-one-day-for-now-Manmohans-our-choice/articleshow/3992448.cms
http://www.zeenews.com/nation/2009-01-18/499373news.html
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-76445.html
It was "very obvious" that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi would be India's prime minister one day, but for now Manmohan Singh remained the prime ministerial candidate, party leader Salman Khurshid has said.
In a wide-ranging interview in New Delhi, Khurshid also said that Muslims were leaning towards the Congress in Uttar Pradesh but would vote for it only if they felt it was in a position to win, and so an electoral tie-up was needed with the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Khurshid, a former chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress and a former minister of state for external affairs, was asked if Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, would be the next prime minister of the country.
"Rahul Gandhi is going to play a very major role in these elections," the Congress veteran told IANS, referring to the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"I think we have to let him make up his mind. He would make up his mind or his mother will decide for him. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He knows what he is doing and he is enjoying it.
"Yet, it is very obvious that one day he is going to be prime minister, I hope he becomes a very young PM, why not? I think it is very clear that he is amongst top leaders and it is also very clear that he strongly believes in a sense of propriety and democracy.
"Let the appropriate time come, he will be anointed or he would step forward to take (up) the responsibility," Khurshid said. "Right now he is trying to build the party. We should appreciate him for that."
So who is the Congress' prime ministerial candidate this time?
"I think we have a very good prime minister today and we have not been told that he is retiring," Khurshid said. "We have a prime minister, therefore we don't need a candidate. He is a highly respected man; he has steered us in a very difficult time."
Khurshid said the need of the hour in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, was a tie-up between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which came together last year after years of bitter rivalry.
Arguing that people were inclined to vote along caste lines and that Muslims held the trump card, Khurshid said the winner in Uttar Pradesh would be determined by which way the Muslim vote went.
"So, in order to revive our fortune, we will have to understand the equation of caste along with the Muslim vote. I think this is a long process and cannot be done overnight.
"Muslims are undecided, but they are more with the Congress now than in the past 10 years. They would be willing to go along with the Congress, but they want to see a winnable position. They will vote for the Congress only if it wins. That's why an alliance with the Samajwadi Party is very important for us."
Khurshid insisted that a Congress-Samajwadi Party tie-up in Uttar Pradesh "will have a far-reaching impact on the fortune of both the parties... Moreover this alliance will not only impact the Congress but also (decide)what happens to the next (central) government and what happens to the country. I think both the parties understand this sense of responsibility".
"Having said that, I think this is not an easy proposition. We haven't worked with each other for years. It would be a very sad thing if we don't have an alliance."
Khurshid said he had no idea why film star Sanjay Dutt, sister of Congress MP Priya Dutt, had reportedly consented to fight the elections on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Lucknow. "It is his choice."
He said anyone contesting in Lucknow, now represented in parliament by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, would have to be high-profile. The Congress was considering some names, he added.
Khurshid said he disagreed with those who felt that aggression was good in politics.
"Everything is not an 'akhara'," he said. "People think politics is an akhara, but politics is not necessarily an akhara."
In a wide-ranging interview in New Delhi, Khurshid also said that Muslims were leaning towards the Congress in Uttar Pradesh but would vote for it only if they felt it was in a position to win, and so an electoral tie-up was needed with the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Khurshid, a former chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress and a former minister of state for external affairs, was asked if Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, would be the next prime minister of the country.
"Rahul Gandhi is going to play a very major role in these elections," the Congress veteran told IANS, referring to the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"I think we have to let him make up his mind. He would make up his mind or his mother will decide for him. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He knows what he is doing and he is enjoying it.
"Yet, it is very obvious that one day he is going to be prime minister, I hope he becomes a very young PM, why not? I think it is very clear that he is amongst top leaders and it is also very clear that he strongly believes in a sense of propriety and democracy.
"Let the appropriate time come, he will be anointed or he would step forward to take (up) the responsibility," Khurshid said. "Right now he is trying to build the party. We should appreciate him for that."
So who is the Congress' prime ministerial candidate this time?
"I think we have a very good prime minister today and we have not been told that he is retiring," Khurshid said. "We have a prime minister, therefore we don't need a candidate. He is a highly respected man; he has steered us in a very difficult time."
Khurshid said the need of the hour in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, was a tie-up between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which came together last year after years of bitter rivalry.
Arguing that people were inclined to vote along caste lines and that Muslims held the trump card, Khurshid said the winner in Uttar Pradesh would be determined by which way the Muslim vote went.
"So, in order to revive our fortune, we will have to understand the equation of caste along with the Muslim vote. I think this is a long process and cannot be done overnight.
"Muslims are undecided, but they are more with the Congress now than in the past 10 years. They would be willing to go along with the Congress, but they want to see a winnable position. They will vote for the Congress only if it wins. That's why an alliance with the Samajwadi Party is very important for us."
Khurshid insisted that a Congress-Samajwadi Party tie-up in Uttar Pradesh "will have a far-reaching impact on the fortune of both the parties... Moreover this alliance will not only impact the Congress but also (decide)what happens to the next (central) government and what happens to the country. I think both the parties understand this sense of responsibility".
"Having said that, I think this is not an easy proposition. We haven't worked with each other for years. It would be a very sad thing if we don't have an alliance."
Khurshid said he had no idea why film star Sanjay Dutt, sister of Congress MP Priya Dutt, had reportedly consented to fight the elections on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Lucknow. "It is his choice."
He said anyone contesting in Lucknow, now represented in parliament by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, would have to be high-profile. The Congress was considering some names, he added.
Khurshid said he disagreed with those who felt that aggression was good in politics.
"Everything is not an 'akhara'," he said. "People think politics is an akhara, but politics is not necessarily an akhara."
For coverage please click the links below
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=f1cd2232-732c-42ab-b51b-990aa558f0e4&ParentID=78ac2e24-e907-42e1-8846-b10c3d146ebb&Headline=
http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Rahul-to-be-PM-one-day-for-now-Manmohans-our-choice/articleshow/3992448.cms
http://www.zeenews.com/nation/2009-01-18/499373news.html
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-76445.html
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