We

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Vol-02. Issue-7. Bhopal. Monday Page-12. Price-`5/-

he State

NOVEMBER 11 TO NOVEMBER 17, 2013

POSTAL REGD. MP/BHOPAL/4-323/2013-15 RNI NO. MPENG\2012\46415

Why is Sonia detached from campaigning process?

Mallika Sherawat plans holiday with her Mr Right Vijay

Ajay releases charge

sheet against BJP govt
sand crore in its charge-sheet.

BHOPAL ongress Chouhan led BJP government of being inhas accused Shivraj Singh

Allegations in charge sheet

Congress charge sheet against BJP government has many serious allegations. The main among them are:

volved in scams worth Rs one lakh 46 thou-

 The Shivraj Singh Chauhan-led BJP

government is responsible for scams amounting to a mammoth Rs 1,46,000 crore over its five years in power Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and his family, including his wife, Sadhna Singh, brother-in-law and brother are directly involved in corruption Mining ministers Laxmikant Sharma and Rajendra Shukla are both responsible for illegal mining on hundreds of thousands of hectares of land Senior BJP leaders, such as LK Advani, Uma Bharti and other top ministers and MLAs, have openly accused their own government of corruption Madyha Pradesh leads in terms of crimes against children, rape, malnutrition, infant mortality. All talk of development is mere eyewash

charge sheet, has alleged that Madhya Pradesh

Congress leader Ajay Singh, while releasing the

Lokayukta had sought permission to take action against 14 BJP ministers in corruption cases, but Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan did not which had won 71 of the 230 seats in the state in 2008, would double its tally this time. The charge sheet was issued in the presence of give the nod. To a question, he claimed Congress,

Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya ter Digvijay Singh, among others.

Pradesh Mohan Prakash and former Chief MinisThe Chief Minister made several announce-

ments, but most of them remained only on paper, the charge sheet alleged. Even senior BJP leaders corruption in Madhya Pradesh, it said. such as Uma Bharti had admitted that there was


dia, Rs 25 crore economic offence in blackboard patta bonus distribution, are the major financial scams done by this government till September 30, said Ajay Singh.

and financial irregularities by various ministers

The charge-sheet mentions about 17 major scams

painting and Devputra magazine scam in school education department and Rs 260 crore in Tendu-

How WE look it !

of Shivraj government. MNREGS scam of Rs 30 crores done by nephews of PWD minister Nagendra Singh, buying electricity without tender scam of Rs 32,109 crore, buying wheat at government support price scam of Rs 3.25 crore, Rs 1031 crore were recovered in raids conducted in last three

BJPs reply to charge sheet

Meanwhile, the BJP has replied to Congress charge sheet. The BJP, while denying all the charges, accused Congress and UPA of massive corruption. The main points of BJPs reply are:  The amount of scams (Rs 1,46,000 crore) that the Congress has charged the government with is roughly double of the state's entire budget. This amount has been derived from the Congress-led Union government's scams, including the 2G scam, Coalgate, Commonwealth Games scam and others  The courts have rejected all charges against the chief minister and his family. But Congress leaders continue levelling baseless allegations  Both Laxmikant Sharma and Rajendra Shukla have explained their positions and have also filed a defamation writ of Rs 10 crore against those leaders and newspapers which had published the news without verifying the facts  Former chief minister Uma Bharti was in the opposition when she had accused the government of corruption. The Congress has unnecessarily added LK Adavani and other BJP leaders' statements to their charge sheet without first checking the real meaning of their statements  The Madhya Pradesh government has been given a total of 18 national awards by the Centre for its development schemes. Congress leaders should first find out why none of the states where their party is in power have won any of these prestigious national awards.

years by various anti-corruption agencies, Rs 20 crore scam in PWD department, scam of Rs 600 crore on name of eradicating malnutrition, Rs bungling in government treasury worth Rs 50,000 na, Rs 500 crore scandal in medicine purchase in

50,000 crore was raised through illegal mining, crore, Rs 65 crore scam in Deendayal Upchar Yojhealth department, Rs 108 crore scam in loan waiver scheme for farmers, RS 5000 crore scam in water resources department against allotting tenders, Rs 76 crore in CM's discretionary fund, Rs 5,250 crore

scam in allotting government land to Gammon In-

. . . C ar t o o n b y K G O JH A

kgo jha @red iff mail. com

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BHOPAL

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Capital

WE THE STATE

Unprecedented security at Ratangarh; 1000 cops deployed

Leaving nothing to chance and to avoid a repeat of the tragedy at Ratangarh temple in Datia district the state government has deployed nearly 1,000 police personnel, including 18 officers of the rank of additional SP and deputy SP, to deal with rush of devotees during a two-day fair at the historical temple on bhai dooj on Tuesday . Fooproof security was arranged after expected rush of 14 lakh pilgrims at the temple, where more than 115 were killed and nearly 200 injured during a stampede triggered by a rumour on October 13. Inadequate security and crowd management arrangements triggered the tragedy on the fateful day . "With this force, we can manage crowds at Kumbh also," said D K Arya, DIG (Chambal range) said. Though people have already started arriving, at least 10 times as many devotees are expected to visit the temple on Tuesday, he said. Besides, 975 policemen, including 80 inspectors, have also been posted around Ratangarh temple site. All heavy vehicles - especially tractors that led to commotion on the bridge before stampede, would be asked to stop 7 to 8 km before the bridge leading to the Ratangarh temple, he said. Eight separate parking arrangements have been made, one for administration and media at Basai Mallakh village,

close to the temple, second parking for four-wheelers at Dulladev area and the third one will be for heavy vehicles at Marseni village, which is 8 km from the bridge. The bridge will be separated using barricades for entry and exit, the

DIG said. Devotees, who visit the temple in Seonda village of Datia, are mostly landless and marginal farmers, who come to the temple from afar - Chambal region in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The arrangements have been made

keeping in view guidelines of National Disaster Management Authority (NDHA) laid down after a study conducted by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad ( IIM-A) on 'crowd management at places of major rush.

6 BJP ministers given tickets from same constituencies

BHOPAL: Six incumbent ministers have been given tickets from the same constituencies they represent. Minister for women and child welfare Ranjana Baghel has been fielded from Manawar in Dhar district, food minister Paras Chandra Jain from Ujjain (North), minister of state Dashrath Lodhi from Jabera in Damoh, minister of state for urban administration Manohar Utwal from Agar in Shajapur, minister of state for home affairs Narayan Singh Kushwah from Gwalior (South) and minister of state for general administration Kanhaiya Lal Agarwal from Bamori in Guna. The party, however, wanted to field Ranjana Baghel from Kukshi seat, currently held by her husband Hukum Singh Karara, but she insisted on contesting from her original seat Manawar. K L Agarwal also effectively managed to save his turf which was being sought by Gwalior MP Yashodhara Raje for her son Akshaye Bhansali. Chaudhary Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi, former Congress deputy leader of Opposition who defected from the party during the monsoon session this year, has been rewarded with a seat for his brother. BJP has fielded Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi's brother Mukesh Choudhary from Mehgaon constituency in Bhind. BJP's new upcoming OBC Lodhi community leader Prahlad Patel has also been given a seat for his brother Zalim Singh Patel from the Narsinghpur seat. The party's prominent Lodhi face Uma Bharati has also secured a ticket for her follower, Rekha Yadav, from Bada Malehra in Chhattarpur. The seat was formerly Bharati's constituency when she was chief minister in 2004. But the state BJP was in two minds about fielding sitting MLA Rekha Yadav who faced dissent in party ranks. Yadav contested for Uma Bharati's Bharatiya Jan Shakti Party in the 2008 election and was one of the five BJSP MLAs who beat Congress and BJP. After Bharati returned to BJP in 2011, Yadav became a BJP legislator. Sitting BJP MLAs who have been denied tickets to beat anti-incumbency against them include Tarana MLA Rodmal Rathor, legislator from Ujjain (south), Shivnarayan Jagirdar, Shantilal Dhabai (Badnagar), Purushottam Dangi (Biaorra), Bhagwan Singh Rajput (Udaypura) and Betul MLA Alkesh Arya.

Puar eyeing 6th straight win

BHOPAL: The successful liver transplant seems to have revived the political fortunes of ailing Tukoji Rao Puar, the scion of Dewas royal family. Puar -- who underwent liver transplant operation in Singapore in March this year -- has once again got the ticket to contest the Assembly election from Dewas, putting to rest the speculation that his son will be given the ticket this time around. Puar has been winning the Dewas seat continuously since 1990. His was the only name proposed from Dewas by the BJP workers during the survey and the short-listing process, said a BJP leader who did not want to be named. Puar was recently seen at a book launch function at Daly College where he looked far healthier than his appearances during the recent times. Known for his fondness for alcohol, Puar has been ailing for a long time and could not attend office as minister of tourism and sports for several months. In fact, he was minister sans any portfolio earlier this year as ill health kept him confined to his home. When contacted by HT, Puar said, I am perfectly healthy, and that's why I am contesting election. There is no truth to the reports that my son was to be given the ticket this time around. The burning issues during this campaign will be a combination of the party's manifesto and local issues but are too elaborate to be told over the phone. Puar is also no stranger to controversy . He has been accused by the Congress of being in an inebriated state while attending a government function in Bhopal last year. During that function he had addressed certain women in the audience as tigress, which had triggered a controversy . Before the November 2008 assembly elections in the state, he was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a woman returning officer. Puar was caught on camera having a heated argument with the woman SDM and throwing a bunch of papers at her. Born on November 17, 1963, Tukojirao Puar is a descendant of the Puar dynasty of the Marathas that ruled the erstwhile Dewas princely state. As far as his electoral prospects are concerned, BJP leaders are in no doubt that he will win for sixth time in a row.

ROHANIS SON GIVEN TICKET

day after the sudden death of Speaker Ishwardas Rohani, BJP declared his elder son, Ashok, as the candidate from his father's Jabalpur Cantonment seat. Ashok Rohani, a former corporator of the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and general secretary of the district BJP unit worked and campaigned alongside his father, who was a four-time MLA from this seat. Members of the BJP national election committee were unanimous in their decision to nominate Ashok from his father's turf even as it declared its second list of 64 candidates on Wednesday. Tickets were given out to 14 Scheduled Caste members, 12 Scheduled Tribes and nine women. The Lodhi OBC community represented by the Uma Bharati and Prahlad Patel factions took away a chunk of seats. About 14 sitting MLAs have been denied tickets.

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Editorial

WE THE STATE

ASTROLOGY
13-11-2013- Wednesday - Kartik Mah Shuklapaksh-Ekadashi Positive directions - North and West Bad time - 12:08 pm to 1:30 pm Good time - 6:43 am to 8:04 am and 2:51 pm to 5:36 pm 14-10-2013-Thursday - Kartik Mah Shuklapaksh-Dwadashi(Pradoah) Positive directions - West and North Bad time - 1:30 pm to 2:51 pm Good time - 6:43 am to 8:04 am and 10:46 am to 1:29 pm and 4:12 pm to 5:36 pm 15-11-2013- Friday - Kartik Mah Shuklapaksh-Trayodashi Positive directions - East and North Bad time - 10:46 am to 12:08 pm Good time - 6:43 am to 10:45 am and 12:09 pm to 1:30 pm and 4:12 pm to 5:36 pm 16-11-2013- Saturday - Kartik Mah Shuklapaksh-Chaturdashi Positive directions - East and North Bad time - 9:25 am to 10:46 am Good time - 8:05 am to 9:24 am and 12:08 pm to 4:12 pm 17-11-2013- Sunday - Kartik Mah Shuklapaksh-Poornima Positive directions - East and South Bad time - 4:12 pm to 5:36 pm Good time - 8:05 am to 12:08 pm and 1:30 pm to 2:51 pm 18-11-2013- Monday - Margshirsh Mah Krishnapaksh-Ekam Positive directions- East and South Bad time - 8:05 am to 9:26 am Good time - 6:44 am to 8:04 am and 9:27 am to 10:47 am and 1:31 pm to 5:35 pm 19-11-2013- Tuesday -Margshirsh Mah Shuklapaksh -Dwitiya Positive directions- East and South Bad time - 2:12 pm to 4:12 pm Good time - 9:25 am to 1:31 pm By AACHARYA SARVESH E-Mail: acharya.sarvesh@yahoo.com Mobile: 9826609192

Sharad Pawar creates flutter in ruling UPA

regional leaders whom Pawar feels that would play major role in post-election era in 2014 were present on the dais in Delhi along with comrades. He has killed two birds with one stone, he has tried to put pressure on the Congress which is reluctant to accept his demand for sharing same number of seats it contested last elections and at the same time indicated to his third front leaders that in case they are in a position to form the government, then his party may reconsider its present position. NCP state spokesperson and former minister Nawab Malik has ruled out both possibilities claiming that presence at the Delhi rally was token representation of the party since it was not a political convention but solidarity move by secularist parties. The NCP at the state level is having tough time with the state Congress to retain the number of seats it contested last time for coming Lok Sabha elections. However, the state Congress is not ready to accept the demand saying that the NCP could win only 8 out of 22 seats it contested. The state Congress wants the NCP to fight only 19 seats so that it can contest more seats this time. Pawars decision to send an emissary to the Delhi rally by left and other non-Congress secular parties is considered as an effort to put pressure on the Congress leadership to retain old formula of 22-26 for seat sharing out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is not perturbed by the development as he thinks it is a pressure tactics used by the NCP. Pawar has also announced that he would not be contesting Lok Sabha elections and enter the Parliament via Rajya Sabha in 2014 to give more chance to younger generation in his party. Over the last few years he has developed a host of new younger leaders in the state by inducting them in the coalition government run in the state. The Congress leaders here feel that Pawar has not given up his hope of reaching the top post of Prime Minister in case there is hung Parliament after 2014 elections and his presence in Delhi meet was also part of that game plan. However, Pawar says The NCP participation in Delhi was an intention of keeping the communal forces at bay . We are part of UPA and will contest as an alliance. NCP Union Minister for Heavy Industries Praful Patel has made it clear that all options are open for NCP since its alliance with the Congress is only limited to two states, namely Maharashtra and Gujarat. The NCP claims that the political situation in the country is fluid and it is always politically correct to keep in touch with like-minded parties. Even the Congress is not going to get absolute majority on its own and we will require garnering support from smaller likeminded parties.

ationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and senior leader of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) II Sharad Pawar surprised many by the NCPs presence at a convention sponsored by Left parties in Delhi. It has created a flutter in ruling UPA but it is one of the time-tested strategies adopted by Pawar to keep his friends and foes guessing about his next move. However, back home, Congress leaders are cool claiming that Pawar will not leave UPA and join the proposed third front. Whatever may be the perception of the Congress leaders in Maharashtra, Pawar has used the opportunity to once again hint that he is open for political experimentation. What is interesting is the fact that all those

Why is Sonia detached from campaigning process?

B
oth the main political parties of the nation are gearing up for the all-important Lok Sabha elections next year. And the Congress and the BJP have put forth their best bets in the form of Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi respectively. For the Congress, 2014 is possibly the most difficult polls that it is going to fight since the Emergency in 1977 and it is a huge challenge for the grand old party to survive in North India. The scourge of price rise and corruption is petrifying the Congress and most of the party bigwigs, mired in credibility crisis, do not seem to inspire much hope. In such a scenario, it was necessary for Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take the reins of the party in her own hands and guide it in difficult times. However, Sonia is nowhere in the scene. It is Rahul and only Rahul who is occupying the Congress posters although the party has some strong actors like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, whose credibility is intact even now. Thus, it is imperative to question why Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh are missing from the entire election campaigning. One perception about Manmohan Singh is that he is just killing time. Even if UPA III forms the government next year, Manmohan Singh in all likelihood will not be the Prime Minister. Moreover, Manmohan Singh is neither a brilliant orator nor does his second term in office has accomplishments which he can flaunt. Also, after his name was dragged in the coal blocks allocation scam, many Congressmen want to stay away from him. But why is Sonia Gandhi detached from the entire campaigning process? There may be two reasons behind this. Sonia Gandhi is not keeping well and her ill-health may not be allowing her to play an active role in politics. But a more probable explanation is that Sonia Rahul on his ISI remarks at the Indore rally. The Congress has its trump card in the form of Sonia and Priyanka, who can play a big role in election campaigning. In straight words, they can confront the Narendra Modi wave. So, isnt keeping Sonia and Priyanka away from the election campaign a big political blunder on part of the Congress? Sonia Gandhi should come forward on behalf of the Congress. She is an ideal mother, but she is also the president of the oldest party in the country the Congress party, which has had its own unique ideology and despite talks of being cheated, people have been placing their trust in it. Congress secular image and its pan-India presence have been the basis of its existence. This is the first election in which Rahul Gandhi is playing on the front foot. But, from where will the Congress vice president bring the experience that Sonia has? Sonias acceptability works as an adhesive within the UPA, whereas Rahul is yet to prove himself on this front. Today the buzz regarding the Third Front has started to become stronger because some components of the UPA are searching their future in such a front. Definitely, today, the Congress needs Sonia the most. This is the time for the party to become alert. Sonias advisors must ask her to get active and understand the seriousness of the situation before it gets too late. There must be damage-control efforts coming from Sonia before Assembly Elections in the country. For this, Sonia must address at least two rallies One in Delhi and the second one in any other big city of the country. After all, the battle must be interesting. There are two big parties of the country and the claims and promises of both, should be placed before the public in the proper manner. Share your views at editor@wethestate .com

VASTU TIPS FOR CLINIC

A clinic's main entrance should be in the North-East, East or North. This will allow patients to seek consultation without fear and uncertainty. Other choices for the entrance are South-East, South or West. The waiting area should be placed in the North-East or North. Placing this area in the South-East, the fire quadrant, would cause unhappiness. Auspicious locations for the doctor are the South-West, South, and West. Facing NorthEast when treating patients enhances concentration. Facing East is also allowed. The doctor's chair should not be black, grey or blue. These colors are regarded as depressing and negative in Vastu and should also be avoided on the floor and carpets.

has completely handed over the partys reins to Rahul and having done that she does not want to intervene in Rahuls strategy. In the culture of India, mothers are avid to see their sons seated on the topmost echelon of power. Many Indian mythological epics substantiate this notion. In many Italian families, the mother-son bond runs deeper than that in India. Sonia Gandhi is connected to both India and Italy, and the tradition and culture of both the countries are well known for putramoha. So, is this putramoha the driving force behind Sonias distance from the Congress and her crowning Rahul as the partys all in all? Rahul is taking important decisions without hesitation and is talking in a free manner. But Rahuls nonchalant demeanour and his remarks have been weakening the party in front of the Opposition. The Election Commission has even demanded an explanation from

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BHOPAL

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Politics

WE THE STATE

Rebellion not to dent fortunes of big players

ebellion in political parties leading to vandalizing party offices, filing nomination as independents and even leading to suicide by Congress ticket aspirant is likely to leave a deep impact on the political landscape of the state. But poll pundits say this is unlikely to hit poll prospects of the two major parties. As both BJP and Congress parties are facing revolt and in absence of a strong third front, it would not harm any party. Though they may make some minor difference, the rebellion will hardly dent the fortunes of big players. BJP has a strength of 143 in the 230-member state assembly followed by 71 of Congress.

Thus it is the ruling party that may be affected, pollsters say . Dissent has its root in wealth, power, and success that come with winning a seat- especially if the member is from the ruling party . Any change in candidate is likely to affect the ruling party badly, thus benefitting the oppo-

sition. The impact will not be limited to the damage by the visible rebels, but those who remain silent and work. The rebels who have come out in open will try their best to damage the party. But, the important factor is that it would not be easy to keep rebellions in check. Rebels would play spoilsport at the last moment by damaging from behind the curtain. Besides, if the party candidate and rebels are from the same community, it would have a major impact on the prospects of a candidate. The problem is more in BJP compared to Congress. Though if past history of rebels are taken into account, most have hardly managed to win but they certainly contribute to the defeat of their opponents and at least they cut the votes. Rebels definitely have a bearing on

the final result. Like in the case of Bhopal Central a minority community candidate is more likely to be impacted by rebel candidates. Some experts even feel that the rebels are likely to have very low or no impact on the results of the elections. They say barring four to five seats in the state, rebels hardly have any impact as its remains a bipolar contest between the BJP and Congress in most constituencies. Uma Bharati, a popular BJP face in MP, formed her own party and eventually lost badly. Voters in MP have a set mind set and they vote either for BJP or Congress. Maximum a rebellion candidate could make his party candidate loose but could not win elections.

Diggis old rival Pachauri BSP will emerge as a force faces tough electoral battle to reckon with: Mayawati
BHOPAL: Former PCC President Suresh Pachauri has been pushed into an electoral battle. He has been declared Congress candidate from the Bhojpur assembly constituency . Pachauri is known to abhor direct elections. He prefers the safe sanctuary of Rajya Sabha. Twice he tried to win popular elections once from Bhopal and on another occasion from Hoshangabad and lost both the times. At Bhojpur, the odds are stacked against him. If he loses, he will lose his face as well. And if he wins, he will gain nothing. The source of Pachauris predicament, sources say, is Congress heavyweight Digvijay Singh. Diggi Raja may have announced that he will not recommend any names for tickets. But that is not preventing him from settling scores with his old rivals. And Pachauri is one of them. Digvijays close supporters have been denied tickets by the party . Manak Agarwal has resigned in protest; PC Sharma is issuing threats while Vibha Patel is sulking. Naturally, the Raja is unhappy. And he is using his formidable skills as an astute player of the game of politics to humble his detractors. The Diggi-Pachauri rivalry is an old one. In the 2008 Vidhan Sabha elections, when Pachauri was the PCC President, Digvijay Singh scrupulously kept away from electioneering and Pachauri supporters say that he sabotaged the partys poll effort. Diggi knew that if the Congress won, Pachauri would be the chief minister something unacceptable to him. It was Digvijay, it is said, who came in the way of Pachauri getting a fifth consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha from the state. Vijaylaxmi Sadho was returned to the Upper House in his place. And now, apparently, it was at his insistence that Pachauri was chosen to take on Surendra Patwa, the nephew of BJP veteran Sunderlal Patwa from Bhojpur assembly constituency . Bhojpur is a pocket borough of the senior Patwa, having returned him four times. In the last polls, Surendra Patwa won from there. Bhojpur is a part of the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency, which had been returning Shivraj Singh Chauhan consistently, till he took over as the Chief Minister in 2005. Now, the constituency is represented by leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Obviously, Pachauri will have to contend with the combined might of Sunderlal Patwa, Chauhan and Sushma Swaraj a tall order for him, by any means. Moreover, the constituency has a sizeable Kirar population.Vibha Patel, who was seeking ticket from the constituency, cannot be expected to aid Pachauri and her brother- in- law Rajkumar Patel has been thrown out of the Congress. If and it is a big if Pachauri still manages to sail through. And if and again it is a big if the Congress wins majority in the state, Digvijay can be expected to move heaven and the earth to ensure that Pachauri is not anointed as the chief minister. On the other hand, if Pachauri loses as is likely his prestige will suffer another blow. Digvijay tried his level best to carry Congressmen of all factions with him. He included the supporters of his arch factional rivals in his ministry . But all that seems to have changed now. Diggi Raja is hardly interested in anyone except his immediate family . He got party nomination for his son Jaywardhan Singh from his political bastion of yore Raghogarh and to prevent any adversarial move by his rivals, got Jaywardhan to file his papers even before the Congress had announced a single candidate from the state. His brother Laxman Singh has been given important responsibilities in the PCC and Laxmans son is the chairman of Raghogarh municipal committee both courtesy Digvijay Singh. He did not stop at that. To eliminate the emergence of any future rivals of his son, he got the sitting MLAs from Biaora Purushottam Dangi and from Rajgarh Hemraj Kalponi replaced by new candidates. On the other hand, Diggis loyal supporters have been sidelined. Vibha Patel, Ibrahim Qureshi, PC Sharma all have been left high and dry . As for Govind Goyal, it is believed that he secured ticket for himself through Ahmed Patel.

LUCKNOW Days after battling the bungalow controversy, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has ruled out an alliance with any political party in the 2014 general elections and said her party will emerge as a force to reckon with in four of the five states where assembly elections will be held later this year and the Lok Sabha polls. We will not have any alliance with any political party, Mayawati told reporters here. People in Uttar Pradesh are fed up with Samajwadi Partys misrule and are yearning for a change, the BSP leader added. On the upcoming state assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, Mayawati said her party would emerge as a balance of power and will be crucial in government formations in all these states. Assembly elections will also be held in Mizoram, where the BSP doesnt have a presence. She termed the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as parties that had grossly disappointed the aspirations of the people of India. Mayawati said the infighting in the BJP will only help her party . Referring to senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and BJP chief Rajnath Singh, the BSP leader said: The troika of AdvaniModi-Rajnath are busy cutting each other and all this will reap rich dividends for the BSP. Mayawati hoped that with peoples support, the BSP will emerge as the No.1 party in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. She also accused the SP-BJP of having an illicit understanding to foment communal passions in Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the 2014 polls. As the elections draw closer, the evil designs of these two parties will come to the fore, she said. She reiterated her earlier demand of imposition of presidents rule in the state because of what she termed as jungle raj (lawlessness).

Terming as dramatics the yatras organised by SP to include 17 backward castes into Scheduled Caste, the BSP supremo said like the VHP the party should apologise to OBC community for issuing a government order in its previous regime which deprived them of reservation facility . She said that before Lok Sabha elections an attempt was being made to create an atmosphere in the country that there were no parties other than Congress or BJP, which was not right. She said that in reality both the parties were not the main choice of the people as they have tested them and felt disappointed. BJP people are making tall announcements of resolving big problems before the country in their rallies by assembling crowd of ticket goers. Why didnt they did so when the party was in power for six years, Mayawati said while taking a dig at the saffron brigade. She claimed the people in UP were feeling harassed by increasing crime and riots. She said that until and unless peace is not restored trade and industry could not flourish and UP would continue to remain a backward state.

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BHOPAL

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Politics

WE THE STATE

Disappointed aspirants of both Cong, BJP on rebellion path

Infighting in both Congress and BJP has intensified as supporters and opponents of candidates for the November 25 Assembly elections have resorted to picketing, burning of effigies and vandalism. Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Manak Agrawal has quit his post after he was denied ticket to contest from Hoshangabad. He accused senior leader Suresh Pachouri, a nominee from Bhojpur, of scuttling his candidature at the behest of a company involved in sand-mining with alleged links to the family of Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan. Agrawal told reporters: I had three illegal sand mines of the company closed down at Nasrullahganj, so the company paid a huge amount to Suresh Pachouri to scuttle my nomination. I have strengthened the party in Hoshangabad, but I have been denied ticket. Pachouri is a leader who plays politics of manipulation in Delhi. Had Pachouri not sold ticket in 2008, the Congress would have won the elections, he said. I am quitting my post but not the party .I will neither join any other party, nor fight the election as an independent. I believe that justice will be done some day, he said. Party spokesman JP Dhanopia said Agrawals resignation was being examined by the leadership. There is no attempt to mollify him as he has made serious allegations against a senior leader. In Agar, Congressman Narsingh Malviya committed suicide after he failed to secure nomination. The PCC office witnessed protests by opponents of Harish Rathore, candidate from Sehore. They were joined by Congressmen work for the party . Dissent is normal when people are not nominated. These are committed BJP cadre. Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan, a prominent face of the Rahul brigade, was gheraoed in the District Congress Committee office at Neemuch by supporters of Rajkumar Ahir, a disappointed aspirant. They calmed down after I met them one by one and told them that I would communicate their grievances to the leadership. These are all committed workers, she said. Congress nominee for Shujalpur assembly constituency, Mahendra Joshi, was attacked by a rival faction of his own party when he was on way to Shajapur. Joshi escaped with minor injuries, but four other people accompanying him were badly injured and were admitted to a Shajapur hospital for treatment. Sources said the attack on Joshi took place allegedly by supporters of Yogendra Singh, who was among the ticket aspirants. Incidentally, the dissent over ticket distribution in the Congress is increasing day by day . In Delhi, Rahul Gandhi met with the party MPs from the State to assess the situation. Political columnist Chandrakant Naidu attributed the abnormally high levels of aggression in this election to the hype around the polls. This, in my memory, is the first suicide for ticket in the State. The BJP, too, is under pressure to win for a third time, and there are leaders close to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra] Modi and others not fond of Shivraj who are instigating dissent. A third win for the party would definitely create a national space for Shivraj, which many are uncomfortable with, he said.

from Bhopal, who suspected that two leaders, P.C. Sharma and Mahendra Chauhan, might be denied nomination. Opponents of Silwani candidate Devendra Patel a BJP MLA who defected recently indulged in vandalism at the PCC office. The BJP also faced the same problem on the issue of nominations, with its workers burning effigies of senior leaders in Shajapur and Indore. In Ratlam, several BJP local body representatives and office-bearers resigned en masse and hundreds of workers marched through the town to protest against the nomination of State treasurer Chetan Kashyap. The workers gathered around the home of the former Home Minister, Himmat Kothari, who agreed to contest as an Inde-

pendent. Recently unidentified men attacked the BJP headquarters and smashed the glass doors at the entrance. This has not been done by BJP workers, BJP assistant media in-charge Sanjay Khoche said. A police source, however, said the violence was the result of internal party rivalries. Last week, Minister Dev Singh Saiyam resigned after his Mandla seat was allotted to district panchyat president Sampatia Uike. Saiyam declared his support for the Gondwana Gantantra Party, though he remains a BJP member. BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha member Prabhat Jha told The Hindu that the rebels would be pacified and made to

BJP MLA resigns, may defect to Cong over ticket denial

NEW DELHI BJP's four-time MLA, Harsharan Singh Balli, resigned from the party after his seat Hari Nagar was given to Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) for the assembly polls. The former minister is now in negotiations with Congress and is willing to contest polls on the rival party's ticket. "I have resigned from all posts in the party . BJP went down on its knees to maintain its alliance with Akalis. If my talks with Congress turn out fruitful, I may contest on the Congress ticket," Balli said. He further said that senior BJP leaders had assured him that his ticket will not be cut at any cost. Not just Balli, party leader and north Delhi mayor Azad Singh also resigned from his post and membership of the party to express his displeasure over not getting a ticket, from Matiala seat. BJP sources said Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel rejected both resignations and is holding talks with dissidents. "I am confident we will be able to persuade the two leaders to take back their resignations. The contributions made by both leaders very valuable to the party," Goel said. The party's former state secretary, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, has also resigned. According to party sources, more resignations from disgruntled leaders are expected.

Meanwhile, protests continued outside BJP party offices and residences of senior party leaders including Nitin Gadkari and VK Malhotra for the second consecutive day. Supporters of Imran Ismail, a former councillor who was seeking a ticket from Ballimaran, held a demonstration at the party's Pandit Pant Marg office and gheraoed Goel. A group of people protested outside the residence of Gadkari demanding changes to the candidate list. Supporters of other candidates who missed out on tickets were seen making rounds of the offices and homes of leaders including party president Rajnath Singh and LK Advani.

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Rajasthan

WE THE STATE

BJP leaders in Rajasthan warn dissidents

SANGEETA SHARMA E-mail: sangeeta.dsharma@gmail.com JAIPUR

ith rising voices of dissent in the party , BJP state leaders have warned the dissidents and their supporters of disciplinary action and blamed other parties for the protests at its state headquarters. As hundreds of supporters of those who were denied tickets thronged the state party headquarters, a senior leader claimed that the protestors were not party members. "These people who are creating a ruckus and disturbing things here are not members of the party . These protests and mobs are supported by other political parties,'' said Onkar Singh Lakhawat, party's vice-president in the state. Lakhawat, though, also had a warning

for the rebels, several of whom have threatened to contest independently . "The party is observing the developments closely and disciplinary action would be initiated against rebel candidates after November 16,'' he said. Lakhawat along with a few office-bearers have had to face the brunt of protesters for the past two days. The party candidate on over a dozen seats is expected to be facing a rebel candidate in the elections. Though, there are reports of opposition from more

than 20 seats, senior members anticipate that only about 10-12 might actually contest elections as independent candidates or join another party . "Small groups in the respective areas are protesting, which will have no impact on any the results. The crowd will soon disperse and only a handful of rebel candidates will be left behind for the party to deal with,'' said a senior leader. Meanwhile, former minister Madan Dilawar and Manek Chand Surana have announced to contest independently . Four other members, who had lost elections last time, have also announced to do so. Over 400 members from across the state have sent resignations to state headquarters. While BJP legislator from Kathumar Babulal Birwa has joined Rashtriya Janata Party , Khanpur legislator Anul Jain and Baseri legislator Sukhram Koli have an-

nounced they would contest independently . BJP candidates in Shekhawati, Tonk, Karauli, Bharatpur and Udaipur regions among others are facing strong opposition from party workers. On Thursday , supporters of Manish Yadav, who was aspiring for a ticket from Shahpura, broke doors and furniture as the protest turned violent. Yadav, a former student union leader, found support of several youngsters, who protested for a long time at the state headquarters. The party has repeated sitting legislator Rao Rajendra Singh from Shahpura. Protests were also staged at the state party headquarters against party's candidates Suresh Dhakar (Begun), Gautam Deg (Badi Sadri), Surendra Parikh (Hawa Mahal), Shankar Sharma (Dausa) and Phool Chand Bhinda (Virat Nagar).

BJP repeats all sitting MLAs in Jaipur

JAIPUR: BJP's list of candidates has given rest to all speculations about sitting legislators from Jaipur constituencies being dropped as the party seniors showed confidence on all of them. As expected, the party has fielded state vice-president Arun Chaturvedi from Civil Lines while general secretary will contest from Satish Punia. Both the senior members, who share a RSS background, are firsttime contenders. Names of Chaturvedi and former Yuva Morcha president Ashok Lahoty were doing the rounds as candidates from Civil Lines but with Lahoty losing out on the election ticket, his supporters sent in their resignations as a mark of protest late on Tuesday night. Chaturvedi is fielded against sitting MLA Pratap Singh Khachariawas, of the Congress and considered a strong candidate. The party has also shown confidence on Surendra Parikh who will contest from Hawa Mahal. He is fielded against cabinet minister Brij Kishore Sharma. The party continued to play safe and tread the safe path in Jaipur, repeating all its sitting legislators. Initial reports hinted that most of them being replaced as they had not fared well in the surveys conducted by the party . Some of them were even reportedly seeking tickets from elsewhere as they faced opposition in their own constituencies. However, the senior leaders, as they had announced a week ago, gave the sitting legislators a preference over the rest. Narpart Singh Rajvi has been repeated from Vidyadhar Nagar, Ashok Parnami from Adarsh Nagar, Kalicharan Saraf, the party's candidate from Malviya Nagar, will contest his sixth election while Ghanshyam Tiwari will represent the party from Sanganer and Mohanlal Gupta from Kishanpole. Rajpal Singh Shekhawat will contest from Jhotwara while Rao Rajendra Singh continues to fight from Shahpura.

Meritorious students to motivate first time voters in Rajasthan

BJP facing the ire of disappointed supporters of party

JAIPUR: Voices of protest grew shriller and stronger as several supporters of different aspirants marched to the state party headquarters. Among the first to react were supporters of former yuva morcha president Ashok Lahoty, who had contested from Civil Lines in 2008. Lahoty was seeking a ticket again this time but lost out to state vice-president Arun Chaturvedi. Supporters of Lahoty protested at the state headquarters. Party councillors from Civil Lines also faxed their resignations to party president Rajnath Singh. Supporters of another former yuva morcha president Rishi Bansal called a two-hour bandh in Roopwas in Bayana to oppose Bansal not being given a ticket despite the sitting legislator Gyarsaram Koli being dropped. The entire team of the mahila morcha has threatened to resign to protest against state president of the morcha Suman Sharma not being given a chance. The women's wing of the party is also upset about morcha members not being included in the list. "During the 2008 assembly elections, the party had fielded 32 women candidates while this time of the 176 only 20 are women. We were hoping that the number of women candidates would be more than last assembly election but on the contrary, it is lower. Moreover, the suggestions of the mahila morcha have been completely ignored,'' said a senior mahila morcha member of the city. Similarly, the state office-bearers of the party's minority cell are also upset about state president Amin Pathan not being given a chance. Sitting legislators Kiran Maheshwari (Rajsamand), Rajpal Singh Shekhawat (Jhotwara) and Vasudev Devnani (Ajmer North) are also facing opposition in their constituencies, with several party members demanding they be replaced. Similarly, party's candidate from Amber, Satish Poonia is facing opposition with locals refusing to accept an 'outsider' while Dausa candidate Shankar Sharma is facing opposition as he only recently had joint the party . Supporters of Promila Kundara, sitting legislator from Chaksu who has been dropped, are protesting against Laxmi Narayan Bairwa, whom the party has fielded this time. Support groups of several members staged a protest at the state headquarters, raising slogans against the candidates announced and demanding they be replaced.

JAIPUR The chief electoral office, Rajasthan, has come up with a novel idea of appointing meritorious college students as 'campus ambassadors' to motivate first-time voters in an apparent bid to increase the voting turnout in assembly and parliamentary elections. "This is a very unique way of sharing responsibility to attain a common goal-high voting turnout. The commission wanted to introduce it in all colleges but due to time constraints, we have limited this concept to a few colleges only. The concept will be effectively introduced in all colleges once the assembly elections are over," said Ashok Jain, chief electoral officer, Rajasthan. The campus ambassadors' job is to use creative endeavours to inform, encourage and motivate students to register for the electoral rolls and to vote. Notably, the registrations for assembly elections were over on November 5. The commission is likely to reach out to constituent colleges of Rajasthan University and those institutes which would like to have such ambassadors in their colleges. The higher education department has been roped in for identifying colleges for the purpose.

The state has over 17 lakh first-time voters registered against a total population of 27 lakh in the age group of 18-19 years. Most of the first timers are in colleges or in Class XII. The poor voting turnout from among them fail to achieve the desired result even after the Election Commission's aggressive publicity on social media platforms. Earlier, the EC had appointed teachers as nodal officers to motivate students to register for voting. The Election Commission has also roped in both government and private schools via district education officers to introduce a 'Sankalp Drive' to reach out to 50 lakh students across the state. The district education officers have issued directions to all schools in this regard. The drive will begin on November 11. "Students will be given a letter-cum-undertaking stating that family members of 18 years and above to cast their vote. The idea is to spread the message that when a student reaches home and discusses about the undertaking, he or she will motivate parents and others to vote. Students have to submit the later on November 14," a government official said.

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Glamour

WE THE STATE

Mallika Sherawat plans holiday

with her Mr Right Vijay

D
haramsala: After winning hearts in reel life, model Vijay Singh, winner of The Bachelorette India Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika, and Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat may come here on a vacation together. We are planning to spend some time together off camera to understand each other, Singh, who is from Dharamsala, told IANS. They might take a holiday in this picturesque Himalayan hill station, which has lured hundreds of thousands of from the West and Hollywood stars like Richard Gere since Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama settled here in 1960. I am planning to return to my hometown (Dharamsala) for a few days Nov 14, Singh said over phone from Pune. Mallikas search of a soulmate came to an end Friday in the dating reality TV show The Bachelorette India Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika, aired on Life OK, after the actresses chose Singh as the king of her heart. Singh, 24, the youngest among seven siblings, said in the finale episode of the show: From now on I will always be there for you. I will do whatever I can to keep you happy . Singh, who became Mallikas dream man after defeating 29 contestants, said Mallika is heading to Los Angeles for a shooting schedule soon. After her return to India, we are likely to go for a holiday . It can be of 10 days or more. Even during the shooting of the show, we got enough time to understand each other, he said, adding she can even come to Dharamsala for a holiday break. But Singhs eldest sister Usha, who is settled here, said he is still too young to think about taking this newfound relationship with Mallika to another level. Choosing a soulmate at this point in time is too immature. That was in screen only, not in real life. He still has miles to go, she said on being asked about his marriage plans. Before working for this reality show, Singh, who passed graduation from a local college, was a TV anchor. Since his school days, he has an interest in modelling and fashion designing. He prefers to spend most of his time in a gym, she added. Singh, whose father retired from Himachal Pradeshs directorate of health, pipped Karan Sagoo, an NRI restaurant owner from London, in the final round of the TV show.

Sunny Leones heavy duty action goes wrong

New Delhi: Jism 2 starlet Sunny Leone, who is shooting for her first full-fledged action film Tina and Lolo, has injured herself while performing some stunts for the movie. Sunny, who stars alongside actress Karishma Tanna in the film, managed to escape with bruised ribs. The doctor has asked her to rest for a few days to recover from the injury . But instead of heeding to her docs advice, Sunny is diligently reporting for the shoot of the film in Mumbai. "It was unfortunate that Sunny got hurt as utmost care is taken with both the girl`s safety while they are doing action scenes. We all are glad that she wasn`t hurt badly and admire her professionalism. Both the girls insist on doing their own stunts and so we take extra precautions with them," director Devang Dholakia said to the reporters. The action scene involved both the girls to jump over a car onto a group of villains who were firing at them and bring them down the car. While Sunny did her act right, she got down inappropriately with her ribs getting hurt because of the force of the other persons knee. The actress, on her part, thanked her fans for wishing her quick recovery on Twitter. I am my biggest competitor&am always challenging myself.sometimes I get hurt but thankfully it wasn't too bad.ill be more careful next time.

Nicole Kidman bonds with Katie Holmes?

London: Actress Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, who were both previously married to Hollywood star Tom Cruise, have reportedly struck up a friendship. The 46-year-old actress, who divorced Cruise in 2001, sporadically shares a chat with Holmes, reported Contactmusic. "(They had) a really nice conversation. They talked a little about what it was like being married to Tom and have stayed in touch ever since," a source said. "They haven`t discussed intimate issues and mostly chit chat about their kids and what`s going on in their lives," the source added. Holmes separation to Cruise finalised last year and the `Top Gun` actor has admitted that his controversial religion Scientology did play a part in his divorce with the actress.

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Must Read

WE THE STATE

Work Smart, Not fast!

SWECHCHHA OJHA E-mail: swechchhaojha@gmail.com o you remember how it sometimes happened in school exams that you thought you were writing slowly and you were going to be unable to complete the exam in time? And then you hurried everything up and finished the exam too early and had nothing to do when everyone else was still writing! If you remember something like this happening to you then you are probably not the only one who felt very odd sitting idle in the exam room with everyone silently writing their papers and you looking down for you have nothing to do. And if you are feeling even more stupid thinking duh! This happens to me even now!! Dont you worry, you are still not the only one. Have you seen, sometimes in the kitchen, when the dish you are preparing is ready to fast and you are very excited, get ready and serve the dinner, and then theres a voice from out of the blue Hey! The vegetable is a bit raw!! and all you can do is stand there like someone took all your money as soon as you stepped out of the ATM, and you do not even have money to get a taxi back to home. Oh how I wish I would have checked the dish once before serving it! Yes! That is the point! If any work gets finished way too soon just check it once, for you have all the time to make it better than it already is! And who doesnt want to get appreciated for something they did to be perfect As soon as you understand the need of checking things once they are done, you will understand as to how to make it perfectly organized and do it slowly so that you do not have to go through it again and again and lose the chance to do other things in the remaining time. Identifying how fast or slowly one should work, at home, at school, at office or anywhere else, is a big technique as well as part and parcel of an efficient person. No matter how hard you work it is all ruined if you have worked in hurry and with a thought that you are going to be late and so you must be faster. Something or the other will always be left out no matter how sure you are of what you have done. For you are no super hero to work fast and not make a single mistake and everyone will clap at how fast the work was done. You are a human and even though the line to err is human is famous, no one will think of it when you make a small mistake at workplace while showing your super hero powers. In the end the only thing that matters is that the work is done right, after two months when your appraisal is being done no one will remember how fast you finished that file, all they will remember is how you were seen thrice with the file correcting the mistakes and looking for loopholes after you said you were done with it. No matter how many super powers you have got, if you make mistakes, you will always be reminded of how many mistakes you made while acting over smart. Just do what you want to do. No problem if you cannot stop yourself from doing it fast, but also remember it is to be done right. Will you like a taxi that runs super duper fast and promises to drop you to your destination within half the time other taxies take, but just before reaching the destination it crashes because of speed? It is clear by now that everybody likes speed but more than that they like correctness and reliability more. It is just a matter of proper planning as to how you distribute the extra time evenly between different responsibilities you need to fulfil. Some people know how to do it, while some others keep all the extra time for the end when everything is over and none is perfect. Sure, working fast is a good thing, but working fast and spoiling things is not cool! For when you work super fast you work even harder than required and still are not happy with the result in the end. So, work smart, not fast. Enjoy . Smile. Cheer up. Happy Monday!

Mangalyaan launch could lead to

creation of vibrant Indian space industry C
ompleting the first stage of what is expected to be a long and arduous mission, the successful launch of Mangalyaan - India's first probe to Mars - is encouraging. The launch provisionally catapults India into an elite club comprising the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union and the European Space Agency . Should Mangalyaan successfully reach Mars, India would become the first Asian nation to make it to the red planet - earlier attempts by China and Japan having failed. Over the next 300 days, the 1,350 kg craft carrying five instruments to study the Martian surface should chart a steady course towards its destination if all goes well. That the Mangalyaan launch was achieved within 15 months of government approval and on a shoestring budget of just Rs 450 crore bears testimony to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) ambition. It's noteworthy that the Mars probe had to be launched using a modified PSLV launch vehicle instead of the high-performing GSLV rocket, which is yet to achieve a reliable launch record. This is not ideal. But it will highlight Isro's ability to make do with available technology if the mission succeeds. It's this aspect of the Indian space programme that can be commercially exploited on a large scale. Thanks to its growing reputation, Isro is looking to secure satellite launch contracts from several countries including Germany, Canada, France and Indonesia. And with Nasa and other foreign space agencies increasingly looking to outsource space missions, Isro could compete for these multibillion-dollar contracts. This in turn would lead to the creation of a vibrant Indian space industry, generating a large number of skilled jobs. It's good that Isro has demonstrated ambition at a time when a large number of Indian institutions, including political ones, are oriented towards mediocrity . Clearly , there's a lot riding on this mission. If it succeeds it will serve as a technology demonstrator, boosting Brand India as a whole at a time when the latter has taken some hard knocks. Meanwhile, Mangalyaan's on-board instruments are programmed to search for traces of methane and water on Mars. Should such finds be confirmed, they would provide a huge boost to Mars missions all over the world.

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Chhattisgarh

WE THE STATE

Wave has developed in favour of Cong: Jogi

neither of the state nor of the respective regions. "BJP government allowed even the lower level bureaucracy to do whatever they liked," he claimed. Pointing out that there is resentment among people against BJP leaders at many places, the former chief minister said, "Many of them have become filthy rich in the last one decade. They have started displaying their wealth. Many BJP workers have become contractors and suppliers." "All these factors have contributed to make chief minister Raman Singh ineffective in the eyes of people", he claimed adding that the Congress was set to sweep the polls. Asked whether the ambiguity in Congress camp over its chief ministerial candidate could affect party's prospects in the polls, the senior leader said, "It's the tradition of Congress to allow its legislators to choose its leader. The opinion of the legislators is then conveyed to the Congress president, who takes a decision on the leadership," he added. Asked whether the state could see a Jogi government next month, he quipped "I am sure. You can expect a Congress government." Confined to wheelchair since a near fatal road accident in 2004, Jogi is now on an intensive election campaigntouring more constituencies and addressing more meetings than any other politician. The bureaucrat-turned politician had sustained critical spinal injuries that had left his legs paralysed. He later opted for stem cell therapy that has helped him to some extent. This election, Jogi is using a helicopter to tour the constituencies and canvass support for Congress candidates.

RAIPUR Senior Congress leader and Chhattisgarh's first chief minister Ajit Jogi has said that there was nothing called 'Raman Singh's image' working in the ongoing polls being claimed by the BJP, instead a wave has now developed in favour of the Congress. "Where is the Raman effect in these polls? In fact, he is being seen as one of

the most ineffective chief ministers, under whose regime the Maoists have spread their influence to more than two-third of geographical area of Chhattisgarh," Jogi said. At the time of formation of Chhattisgarh in November 2000, he pointed out that the activities of the Maoist rebels were just confined to certain pockets of tribal Bastar and other areas close to the state's inter-state borders with

neighbouring states. During the last one decade of BJP rule, the Naxalites have even come closer to districts surrounding the state capital. Claiming that corruption at all levels has touched a new high, Jogi said the BJP regime has allowed plunder of state's vast natural resources by outsiders, leading to a situation in which the benefits of these resources did not percolate down for the development-

BJP rebels woo Karuna Shukla

to canvass for them

RAIPUR The ruling BJP's rebel candidates in Chhattisgarh are wooing former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's niece Karuna Shukla, who had quit BJP last week over denial of party ticket, to canvass for them in the next week's assembly polls. Tribal leader and former minister Ganesh Ram Bhagat, who was a minister in Raman Singh government during from 2003 to 2008, has jumped into fray from Jashpur (ST) constituency as an independent candidate. Another former minister Rajinder Pal Singh Bhatia is the BJP rebel candidate from Khujji constituency in Rajnandgaon district. Jagjeet Singh Makkad, a former MLA too has joined the Shiv Sena after being denied BJP ticket. BJP circles said that these rebel candidates are in touch with Karuna Shukla, who had quit the BJP alleging that the leadership had ignored her and did not take her into confidence on party matters. She was seeking ticket to contest from Beltara assembly constituency but the party fielded an octogenarian Badridhar Diwan to seek re-election. Shukla has dropped hints in party circles that she might accept the rebels' candidates request to campaign for them. On the other hand, BJP leaders maintain in public that the party was making efforts to persuade Karuna Shukla to return to BJP . "Karuna ji is a very senior leader. We are trying to persuade her", chief minister Raman Singh said.

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BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Commerce

WE THE STATE

Air Indias Dreamliner Nightmare

ir Indias troubles with Boeing Co.BA +1.48%s 787 Dreamliner aircraft just dont seem to end. On Monday, the airline experienced glitches on two separate Dreamliner flights. On a London to Delhi flight, the aircrafts pilots received a warning about a possible fault with the brakes as they prepared to land in the Indian capital. On another Dreamliner between Delhi and Sydney, the aircraft developed a crack on its outer windshield while landing in Melbourne for a stopover. It was later found that there was no fault in the brakes. There was an issue with the warning system, which is being looked into, an airline spokesman told India Real Time. The aviation regulator has initiated a probe into the incident. Another spokesman for the airline said the outer windshield on the Delhi-Sydney flight cracked because of variations in temperature. He said the Dreamliner, which has been grounded in Melbourne, will likely take off later Tuesday after the windshield is replaced by an airline engineering crew from India.

Boeing executives didnt respond to phone calls on Tuesday . Air Indiaone of the first customers for the Dreamliner is no stranger to problems with the aircraft. In October, the aircrafts spoilerspart of the wings that are used to slow down the aircraftmalfunctioned onboard one of the carriers Dreamliners. That same month, an underbody panel fell off another Dreamliner aircraft while landing in Bangalore. A federal probe is on. Boeing said last week that the panel that detached from the aircraft was an access panel and not a pressurized panel and therefore wasnt a safety hazard. In July, an oven overheated in a 787 jetliner on a domestic flight in India causing smoke in the galley-oven area. The incidents also follow the worldwide grounding of the Dreamliner for four months, after the jets lithium ion batteries heated up in two separate incidents in mid-January . The series of incidents aboard the Dreamliner

come at a time when Air India is taking several steps to turn profitable after five years of losses. The flag carrier operates the Dreamliner to longhaul destinations including Paris, Frankfurt and Birmingham, in addition to some domestic routes. It says the Dreamliner is crucial for its turnaround as it allows the airline to operate not only its current routes profitably, but also open up new destinations. Air India ordered 27 aircraft in January 2006. However, production problems at Boeing delayed delivery of the jet by several years. Air India has received nine Dreamlinerssince September 2012 and is scheduled to receive an additional aircraft in 10 days time, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president for sales in Asia-Pacific and India for Boeings commercial airplanes, said last week. Boeing says the Dreamliner is 20% more fuel-efficient than similarly sized wide-bodied jets and produces 20% fewer carbon dioxide emissions. However, for now Air India must be hoping that more than the fuel-savings, the Dreamliner turns out to be an aircraft that flies without any hiccups.

New Banking Rules Seen Leveling Playing Field

branches they can open and how they raise funds. Its bound to change the landscape, Mr. Roy said. Increased competition may even spur a round of consolidation among mid-tier Indian lenders, according to analysts at CLSA. While expansion of foreign banks can increase competition and costs, it may also support M&A prospects among the mid-cap private banks, they said in a note. Morgan StanleyMS +2.45% strategists said operating as a subsidiary would offer foreign banks two main benefits: broadly equal treatment of branch-expansion plans by regulators and the potential to more easily buy Indian banks. This is much more liberal than the current guidelines, they said in a note. Still, it wont all be plain sailing. Expanding across India will be expensive at a time when the worlds biggest banks are feeling the strain of tough new capital-requirement rules. Whats more, Indias economy has been hit hard. It is expected to grow at less than 5% for the financial year that ends in March, its worst pace of growth in more than a decade. Still, signs of stabilizing economic growth, a return of foreign capital and suggestions that lawmakers have a growing appetite for reforms bodes well for India, said Udith Sikand, an analyst at GK Research. The political climate seems finally to be turning more favorable to economic reform, he said.

Demand to ban opinion polls is ludicrous

T
he right of citizens in a democracy to information and freedom of expression must not be lightly taken. There is no evidence to show that opinion polls impair in any way the ability to hold free and fair elections. Mature democracies like the US, UK, Germany and France allow them during elections. Even neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh don't have any restrictions on them. Congress's anxieties over opinion polls may stem from recent surveys that predict defeat for the party in elections to the five assemblies. Opponents of opinion polls will claim that pre-election surveys of voters skew results in favour of one party . Another argument against opinion polls is that they are based on a restricted sample and therefore cannot be truly accurate. But all democracies which permit free speech do not ban opinion polls months before elections. India should not be the sole exception in this regard. BJP slammed Congress for demanding a ban on the mood-tracking exercises ahead of the coming round of assembly polls and in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election, saying that Congress's stance influenced the right to freedom of expression and reflected its fear of an impending setback. The Congress hastily clarified that it had merely responded to a question from the Election Commission (EC), which had sought the opinion of all parties. Political parties themselves seemed to be split over the issue. While BSP supported a ban on surveys, CPM opposed it but demanded that the findings of surveys should not be released after the election process had started. AAP, like BJP, said banning the surveys would be unconstitutional, but demanded more transparency in the way these exercises are conducted. The varied response showed the continued misgivings of political parties about efforts to sound out the public mood.

or foreign banks, India may finally start to shine. Analysts say new banking rules announced Wednesday will make it easier and more appealing for big names such as Standard CharteredSTAN.LN +1.82% Plc and even regional banks such as Singapores DBS Group Holdings Ltd.D05.SG +0.36% to ramp up their retail operations in India. The [rules] are giving foreign banks a level playing field to compete with the domestic banks in terms of network, in terms of access to local markets, said Robin Roy , associate director of financial services at PricewaterhouseCoopers in India. Under the new rules, some international banks already operating in India and some new banks entering the market will be required to set up local subsidiaries and abide by many of the same rules as Indian banks. However, those subsidiaries will be permitted to open more branches and to raise money in local debt markets. Until now, foreign banks in India have operated as branches of their parent banks, and have faced strict limitations on the number of

11

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Sports

WE THE STATE

Why Sachin Tendulkar shouldnt have announced his retirement

Viswanathan Anand shows his cards; Carlsen refuses

C
hennai, Nov 7: Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko was the surprise inclusion in defending champion Viswanathan Anand's team even as his Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen kept his cards close to his chest ahead of their much-anticipated World Championship match starting on Saturday. Krishnan Sasikiran and Sandipan Chanda were the two Indians in the team of five-time world champion apart from his regular second' Radoslav Wojtaszek of Poland. Sasikiran was an expected inclusion and Chanda's name had also been finalised long back. Surprisingly, Carlsen refused to comment on his team for the championship. "I appreciate Mr. Anand's openness about his team. Alas! I am not going to return the favour," Carlsen said. Leko's inclusion could be the masterstroke that Anand is known for. It may be recalled that Anand had former FIDE world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan as his team member for his 2008 match against Vladimir Kramnik and floored the Russian in all departments. Peter Leko is known to be a tough customer who has played with Anand several times in various tournaments and also in a Rapid-match organised in

his home country . Leko was known for his formidable approach when keeping the game quiet and outplaying opponents from level position in his prime, something Carlsen has mastered and executed with much more confidence than anyone. In fact, Anand's whole team is a typical mix of 'positional masters' Krishnan Sasikiran has been in top 50 of the world rankings previously and is a renowned researcher in the game.

K
especially

olkata likes to it

deal in hyperboles when comes to their sporting heroes. But even then, the preparations for Sachin Tendulkars 199th Test cant \'strike anyone as less than ridiculous. Yesterday, as Sachin Tendulkar entered the Eden Gardens around 11:00 am, he was showered with rose petals. The master batsman sped through it as quickly as possible but frankly, he looked embarrassed. A few days back as he made his way to Lahli to play his last Ranji Trophy game, Times Now trailed him from the Mumbai airport all the way to Lahli they said they didnt want to capture every move of his but it certainly felt like a stalking mission. Moving back to Kolkata, the rose petals were only the start. As Tariq Engineer tell us: The front faade of Indias largest cricket stadium has been adorned with lifesize cutouts of Tendulkar, with two of them guarding the entrance. There is a sketch of a young Tendulkar curly hair and all that on the tickets, there are giant hoardings and posters all over the city, there is a photograph exhibition with exactly 199 pictures showcasing various moods and highlights of Tendulkars life, as the batting genius gears up for his 199th Test match.

Sania Mirza I got 500 calls for my academy after appearing on Big Boss

f you thought Sania Mirza's recent appearance on the reality TV show Big Boss and her upcoming appearance on Comedy Nights with Kapil was to extend her Bollywood ambitions, you are very wrong. Sania is making these appearances in order to spread the world about her new tennis academy , which she recently opened un Hyderabad earlier this year. Speaking to the Indian daily The Deccan Chronicle, Sania says, "I was talking to Salman and I had just mentioned the academy in passing, and to my surprise, I got a call from him inviting me on the show. I've known Salman

and his family for a long time and meeting him is always a great experience. I had a lot of fun during the shoot. We danced and enjoyed talking to the contestants too. The reach of the show is huge. We got close to 500 calls, all enquiring about the academy , the very next day ." I want to get the message about the academy out and what better way than these popular shows? The academy is my way of giving back to the country and to tennis. Sania is back to the practice courts in Hyderabad this week, training for the upcoming season when she will partner with Zimbabwe's Cara Black.

Mismanagement in candidate selection forces Sonia to intervene

ers of the party in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Sonia summoned the election managers and leadchange of ten candidates who had made it in the earlier lists. The development comes on the heels of six MPs Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and chastised them for not getting their act together and playing politics within the party instead of taking on the BJP unitedly . from Madhya Pradesh barging into a screening committee meeting being held here under Mistrys chairmanship. They abused and roughed up Mistry them, asking them to go and complain to Rahul. over not consulting them when he tried to browbeat Not only these MPs but other senior leaders were agement entirely to her son Rahul, but she decided Party sources said Sonia had left the poll manto step in after getting reports of the mismanageagement, coordination, campaign and crowd mobilisation. ment in the candidates selection, political manalso angry with Mistry and Mohan Prakash shortlisting the candidates without consulting them. They pointed out to Sonia that the candidates were being selected at the instance of Mohan Prakash de-

12

BHOPAL November 11 to November 17, 2013

Nation

WE THE STATE

have been messed up by the people who were given

Realisation dawned on her belatedly that things

crucial responsibilities by Rahul despite their inadequate experience in the poll management. She decided to take matters in her hands and asked

spite the fact that it was wrong selection of the candidates by him in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as the screening committee chairman that the party was routed in the state.

Ahmed Patel, who had been totally ousted by the the political management in the poll-bound states.

Rahul brigade from the election exercise, to oversee Sources say Sonias decision to take control of the

paratively poor attendance in Rahuls rallies as tracting huge crowds. She is also believed to have advised Rahul not to limit his speeches to 10 to 15 minutes as that does not sway the masses. She was

Sources said Sonia was also concerned over com-

compared to BJP leader Narendra Modis rallies at-

S. MANI New Delhi

Email: sastrymani@hotmail.com he gross election mismanagement by Conpicked leaders in poll-bound states has fi-

trusted political secretary Ahmed Patel to take the command. General secretary Digvijay Singh is another sen-

poll management in her hands from Rahul came af-

ter she were anguished over a ticket aspirant, Narsingh Malviya, for the Agar seat in Madhya Pradesh leaders of the state for an emergency meeting here committed suicide. She summoned all the senior early this week, including the states incharge general secretary Mohan Prakash and Mistry. Mohan Prakash and Mistry quietly heeded to Ahmed Patel and Digvijay Singh sitting together to review the

particularly worried over no big crowds in Rahuls public meetings in Uttar Pradesh as she reportedly told Mistry, the general secretary incharge of the for mobilising crowds if they want to continue

ior leader asked by Sonia to clean the mess created by two general secretaries Mohan Prakash who is husudan Mistry, who was chairman of the screensembly election in the state. incharge of the Madhya Pradesh affairs and Mading committee for selection of candidates for the as-

gress vice-president Rahul Gandhis hand-

state, to take help of the union ministers and MPs these rallies. A meeting was held here on Saturday at 10 Janpath to discuss the issue of the crowd mobilisation.

nally compelled party president Sonia Gandhi to intervene and bring back the old guards led by her

list of the Madhya Pradesh candidates and order

devastated by massive flooding

disha withstood the October 12 cyclone saving many lives, but the flood that followed has proved too much. A month after It's been a month since Cyclone Phailin swept

Odisha withstood cyclone but Cong, BJP dissidents joining AAP

Phailin, Odisha is looking at devastation and rehagraphs by Debabrata Mohanty

bilitation on the scale of 1999. Report and photo-

Odisha. Just as the people were congratulating themselves for surviving the cyclone, they were hit by a wave of flooding that few had bargained for. It isn't the super cyclone, but the 2013 storm now looks

to have left a larger area devastated in the state, putto 1999, that is, for some.

clone-affected areas.

ting people's lives back by at least 5-10 years. Almost Estimated losses in the floods are Rs 21,770 crore; Phailin cut a neat arc of calamity through the dis-

more than a million people out of harm's way before Phailin bore down. As a result, the death toll this time, from the affected 18 districts, stands at just 59.

Haunted by the failures of 1999, Odisha had moved

more than Odisha's Plan outlay for 2013-14

In the second round of flooding though, Ganjam alone saw 800 mm of rain instead of its usual 170odd mm in October, swelling the rivers Rushikulya and Bahuda beyond levels hardly ever seen before.

tricts of Ganjam, Puri and Balasore, dumping huge amounts of rain in 18 of the 30 districts of the state on the night of October 12. But while Phailin and the accompanying rain were bad enough, it was the second round of flooding a week later that hit these districts the hardest.

those luckier have found shelter in school buildings. The government will give Rs 15,000 for a fully-damaged kutcha house, but the amount is meagre. Pow-

For many, polythene sheets are their only cover;

S. MANI Email: sastrymani@hotmail.com

as thousands of acres of paddy fields lie covered in mud or sand. Inside homes or what remains of them, furniture and clothing are yet to lose their moisture completely, and a dank smell hangs in the air.

In most of the villages, the tree cover is gone, even

er situation in the state is also grim. A total of 1,756 feeders, 42,753 substations, 36,885 km of low-tension lines, 4,074 km of extra high-tension lines, 4.08 lakh been affected. With power supply yet to be restored electric poles and 93 extra-high tension towers have to more than 65 per cent of the affected population in Ganjam, people are managing with portable generators or kerosene lamps. Sceptics are worried that despite the initial good work, the whole rehabilitation process may slow down as administrative tar-

been disillusioned with their respective parties and subscribe to AAP's agenda," said a source. Anil Kumar Vajpayi, a candidate from Gandhi

NEW DELHI

everal Congress and BJP dissidents who

Nagar, had been a member of the Congress for claims to have fought corruption in the party for years but his latest falling out with the chief

realized that they did not have a future

25 years before he quit the party to join AAP . He

ing home in the Aam Aadmi Party . Of the 54 candidates declared by the latter so far, there are 13 people who were part of either Congress or BJP

with these political outfits are now find-

minister happened over the hike in power tariff. in August 1987 and left it on August 19 this year.

Rajesh Garg Rohiniwala joined the Congress

and one each from Janta Dal and CPM. Two persons contested, and won, the last elections as independent candidates. While the party defends its choice saying an

"I had no intention of leaving Congress, but I party never supported me when I raised the is-

super cyclone, but it's widespread," admits Odisha Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, who was clone that saw close to 10,000 deaths.

"The devastation may not be as intense as the 1999

was disillusioned with the people there. The sue of corruption. I filed a corruption case

Revenue Secretary at the time of the 1999 super cy"Unlike the 1999 cyclone, where people suffered the

exhaustive background-check was carried out ocratic process, another section believes that had no future in their parent party .

diness takes over. "It's difficult to maintain the temsays Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP general secretary. athy may become the norm."

for each and they were selected through a demsome of them could simply be opportunists who "Around six of these candidates have been as-

against a media house in the Lokayukta, which

is how Arvind came to know about me. He asked me to join AAP and stand for elections," he said. The Janata Dal's all-India secretary and chair-

wrath of nature for a few days, 2013 has been one

po among subordinate officials over a long time," "Once Phailin becomes a distant memory, official ap-

long ordeal," adds Debabrata Patra, a senior official of voluntary agency Action Aid, working in the cy-

man of its minority commission, Irfan Ullah ized this party has a worthwhile agenda," he said.

sociated with the Anna movement and were a

Khan, is AAP's candidate from Okhla. "I real-

part of AAP when it was conceived. Each has

Owned Printed and Published by M.M.Baig. Printed at lucky, 267, Pragati Nagar, Shahanshah Garden, Bhopal (MP) and published from H.No.101, A-SECTOR INDRAPURI BHEL, WARD NO.63 DIST BHOPAL-462021, M.P. Tele/FAX 0755-4292545,Mob.09425029901 email-editor@wethestate.com RNI No. MPENG\2012\46415 Editor: M.M. BAIG -Responsible for selection of News & Articles under PRB Act, Subject to Bhopal jurisdiction