INDIA BJP targets Diggy, Jogi PTI All it takes is 10 bucks...
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CMYK The Times of India Speednews, New Delhi INDIA INDIA Friday, November 28, 2003 9 speD K speD281103/CR1/09/K/1 speD speD281103/CR1/09/Y/1 speD M speD281103/CR1/09/M/1 speD C speD281103/CR1/09/C/1 Laloo adds spice in Chhattisgarh Raipur: RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav was in Korba the oth- er day and he made no bones about his visit, candidly admitting he was seeking votes for his friend Ajit Jogi. He impressed the audience with his inimitable style when at Ambikapu, he ad- vised people not to get too close to his chop- per as the rotor may cut their necks. TNN All it takes is 10 bucks to get support and votes in Bastar Jagdalpur: Making peo- ple listen to netas comes cheap here. You don’t even need buses to ferry them to the rallies. Large lorries do the job. And the people are lucky to be paid Rs 10 per listening. Welcome to Bastar, one of the poorest regions in the country. There is only one crop of paddy here. Even those with 10 acres of land, probably the biggest landholders, go to others’ fields during harvest time and are paid Rs 10 for cutting the crop and Rs 25 for bundling it. ‘‘Even if they can do without this Rs 10, they cannot afford to hire labour at a higher rate from elsewhere for their own fields. So, harvesting becomes a communal affair,’’ says Hilurius Ekka, a teacher. Contrary to the popular perception of an impene- trable jungle, Bastar has huge tracts of plains with- out forest cover. And what ought to be fertile land lies fallow for want of water from December till the start of the next monsoon. Barely 5% of farmers cul- tivate vegetables. For the rest of the year, they de- pend on menial labour. Damrudhar, a local, wraps up the electioneering issue saying: ‘‘Whoever spends money gets votes. There is no bondage with the Congress. In fact, re- cently, local BJP workers have been helping us and that would definitely count.’’ — Rajesh Ramachandran BJP targets Diggy, Jogi New Delhi: A number of political delegations visited the Election Commission office on Thursday with com- plaints about their ri- vals misusing official machinery. The most important — though the last — to make their representa- tion before the EC’s members was the one led by BJP general sec- retary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi which alleged vi- olation of the model code of conduct by Con- gress chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Digvijay Singh and Ajit Jogi. Earlier, J K Jain, one- time BJP leader, met the EC and alleged that a reporter of his TV channel was beaten up under the orders of BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan’s Jha- lawar district, that too, in her presence. The first delegation to come calling was one of DMK leaders who complained to the EC about malpractices by the Jayalalithaa gov- ernment in the annual revision of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. Emerging out of the meeting, Naqvi told re- porters the BJP delega- tion, comprising Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Bal Apte and others, had a wide-ranging discus- sion. ‘‘But we especially drew the EC’s attention to the terror tactics em- ployed by the MP and Chhattisgarh govern- ments in threatening voters,’’ he said. TNN Congress expresses faith in Lyngdoh New Delhi: Despite strictures and actions ordered by the Election Commission against the state governments run by it, the Congress on Thursday expressed full confidence that the December 1 polls would be ‘‘free and fair’’. ‘‘Is the BJP trying to question the credibility of the EC?’’ spokesman Anand Sharma coun- tered when asked if the BJP delegation meeting the CEC and other com- missioners was trying to put pressure on the poll body. The EC has repeated- ly pulled up the admin- istrations in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattis- garh and has also ac- cused Congress presi- dent Sonia Gandhi of using the Chhattisgarh government aircraft for poll campaign — a charge denied by the latter — in violation of the code of conduct. TNN Uma Bharti hugs a little baby during her campaign in Kamalpur on Thursday. PTI Neelabh
Transcript of INDIA BJP targets Diggy, Jogi PTI All it takes is 10 bucks...
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Laloo adds spicein ChhattisgarhRaipur: RJD chiefLaloo Prasad Yadavwas in Korba the oth-er day and he made nobones about his visit,candidly admitting hewas seeking votes forhis friend Ajit Jogi.
He impressed theaudience with hisinimitable style whenat Ambikapu, he ad-vised people not to gettoo close to his chop-per as the rotor maycut their necks. TNN
All it takes is 10 bucks to getsupport and votes in BastarJagdalpur: Making peo-ple listen to netas comescheap here. You don’t evenneed buses to ferry them tothe rallies. Large lorriesdo the job. And the peopleare lucky to be paid Rs 10per listening.
Welcome to Bastar, oneof the poorest regions inthe country. There is onlyone crop of paddy here.Even those with 10 acres ofland, probably the biggestlandholders, go to others’fields during harvest time and are paidRs 10 for cutting the crop and Rs 25 forbundling it.
‘‘Even if they can do without this Rs10, they cannot afford to hire labour ata higher rate from elsewhere for theirown fields. So, harvesting becomes a
communal affair,’’ saysHilurius Ekka, a teacher.
Contrary to the popularperception of an impene-trable jungle, Bastar hashuge tracts of plains with-out forest cover. And whatought to be fertile land liesfallow for want of waterfrom December till thestart of the next monsoon.Barely 5% of farmers cul-tivate vegetables. For therest of the year, they de-pend on menial labour.
Damrudhar, a local, wraps up theelectioneering issue saying: ‘‘Whoeverspends money gets votes. There is nobondage with the Congress. In fact, re-cently, local BJP workers have beenhelping us and that would definitelycount.’’ — Rajesh Ramachandran
BJP targets Diggy, JogiNew Delhi: A numberof political delegationsvisited the ElectionCommission office onThursday with com-plaints about their ri-vals misusing officialmachinery.
The most important— though the last — tomake their representa-tion before the EC’smembers was the oneled by BJP general sec-retary Mukhtar AbbasNaqvi which alleged vi-olation of the modelcode of conduct by Con-gress chief ministers of
Madhya Pradesh andChhattisgarh, DigvijaySingh and Ajit Jogi.
Earlier, J K Jain, one-time BJP leader, metthe EC and alleged thata reporter of his TVchannel was beaten upunder the orders ofBJP’s chief ministerialcandidate VasundharaRaje in Rajasthan’s Jha-lawar district, that too,in her presence.
The first delegationto come calling was oneof DMK leaders whocomplained to the ECabout malpractices by
the Jayalalithaa gov-ernment in the annualrevision of electoralrolls in Tamil Nadu.
Emerging out of themeeting, Naqvi told re-porters the BJP delega-tion, comprising VijayKumar Malhotra, BalApte and others, had awide-ranging discus-sion.
‘‘But we especiallydrew the EC’s attentionto the terror tactics em-ployed by the MP andChhattisgarh govern-ments in threateningvoters,’’ he said. TNN
Congress expresses faith in LyngdohNew Delhi: Despitestrictures and actionsordered by the ElectionCommission againstthe state governmentsrun by it, the Congresson Thursday expressedfull confidence that theDecember 1 polls wouldbe ‘‘free and fair’’.
‘‘Is the BJP trying to
question the credibilityof the EC?’’ spokesmanAnand Sharma coun-tered when asked if theBJP delegation meetingthe CEC and other com-missioners was tryingto put pressure on thepoll body.
The EC has repeated-ly pulled up the admin-
istrations in MadhyaPradesh and Chhattis-garh and has also ac-cused Congress presi-dent Sonia Gandhi ofusing the Chhattisgarhgovernment aircraft forpoll campaign — acharge denied by thelatter — in violation ofthe code of conduct. TNN
Uma Bharti hugs a little baby during her campaign inKamalpur on Thursday.
PTI
Neelabh
