<!--QuoteBegin-ashyam+Nov 24 2007, 07:26 PM-->QUOTE(ashyam @ Nov 24 2007, 07:26 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->These Gowdas are dumbs. Had they played their cards intelligently they could have ruled as a dominant partner to BJP like BJD in Orissa or JD in Bihar. They could have negotiated for that for future elections when they went for an alliance with BJP to form the government.
From Acharya's post, it looks like Congress also wanted to finish off Gowdas.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
For Congress everyone else is a rival.
Other parties have not realised this yet.
Gowda has been fooled and threatened.
He was given the threat that partnering with BJP will also bring him down. There are indications that COngress may be planning to ban the BJP party itself. THis news has been floating since 2005.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJP won Kunnumma ward election, CPI(M) shocked </b>
11/29/2007 9:49:07 AMÂ HK
ALAPPUZHA : In a sudden surprise by the political parties in Takazhi panchayat, BJP candidate P.K. Vasudevan defeated CPI(M) candidate D. Sahadevan by a margin of 8 votes in a by-election at Kunnumma Madhyabhagam ward in Takazhi panchayat of Alappuzha district. This is the first time a BJP candidate is winning a local election in Takazhi panchayat, the stronghold of CPI(M). The BJPâs surprise victory was shocked by the CPI(M) local leaders.Â
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With the return once more of the BJP to power is Gujarat, the fortunes of BJP is bound to look up. So Rajnathji may now aspire to be the next PM of India.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>When Advani declared Atal PM in 1995 </b>
Pioneer.com
Kanchan Gupta | New Delhi
Twelve years ago, addressing the concluding session of the BJP Mahadhiveshan at Mumbai's Mahalaxmi Race Course, renamed Yashobhoomi for the event, LK Advani declared on November 12, 1995, that not only would his party form the Government after the 1996 general election, Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be India's next Prime Minister.
For a moment there was stunned silence. Then followed thunderous applause. The declaration came at the fag end of Advani's speech. It was not a matter-of-fact statement, but an emotional announcement.
He later told some of us it was a "historic moment" for both him and the party, something that he had been waiting for years to declare. "Now that we are in a position to win, the moment has come," he added.
Before Advani, his voice by then choking with emotion, could return to his place on the dais, Vajpayee got up, took the microphone and, giving a pass to his long pauses, said, "The BJP will win the election, we will form the Government and Advani will be Prime Minister."
Advani said, "Ghoshana ho chooki hai...". A smiling Vajpayee retorted, "To phir mai bhi ghoshana karta hoon ki pradhan mantri...". Advani chipped in, "Atalji hi banengey". "Yeh to Lakhnawi andaaz me pahley aap, nahi pahley aap ho raha hai," Vajpayee said.
For a while, both of them looked at each other, two old colleagues and close friends who had nursed the Bharatiya Jana Sangh since its formation and later the BJP, both of them clearly moved to tears. Advani was party president, Vajpayee Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
That declaration, like Monday's, also came in the backdrop of hectic political activity in Gujarat. Shankersinh Vaghela had led a rebellion against Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and dislodged him from office with the help of 'Khajurias'. Suresh Mehta was the 'consensus' candidate who had just taken over as Chief Minister. Narendra Modi had been exiled to Delhi.
<b>As party president, Advani reluctantly accepted the terms of truce arrived at between the 'Khajurias' and 'Hajurias' to save the Government in Gujarat. But he didn't forgive Vaghela. Those covering the BJP National Executive meeting at Pune on November 7-8 just prior to the Mahadhiveshan would recall how Vaghela touched Advani's feet but failed to elicit even the slightest response</b>.
In the summer of 1996, Advani's public declaration came true. The BJP emerged as the single largest party and was invited by President Shankar Dayal Sharma to form the Government. Vajpayee was sworn in as Prime Minister. The Government fell on the 13th day after Vajpayee, failing to put together a majority, resigned.
The rest is history.
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With the first phase of Gujarat polls being over, there is media speculation that the BJP has not done well . However, if we go by the past such surveys , we find that many of the predictions have proved totally wrong. Let us hope the same holds true this time. Otherwise, it will be a major setback not only for the BJP but for many others who want to bring in many socio economic changes in India.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Vokkaliga leader quits JDS, joins BJP </b>
PT Bopanna | Bangalore
... as 14 rebels desert Gowdas
In yet another set back for the Gowdas, Vokkaliga strongman from Mysore and JD (S) leader GT Devegowda decided to quit the party and join the BJP. This development came a day after rebel JD (S) leader and former Home Minister MP Prakash announced his decision to breakaway from the JD (S).
Putting up a brave front, JD (S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said: "The split will have no impact on the party. Alternative arrangements are being made to head the party in places where some of our party leaders resigned".
The decision of Mysore leader Devegowda to join the BJP is a major blow to the JD (S) because he was one of the strong pillars of the party both in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts.
Mysore district is considered a bastion of the JD(S) and cracks in the party would have a major impact on the party. Devegowda was upset with the JD (S) chief HD. Deve Gowda and his sons, especially for their decision to go back on their word to hand over power to the BJP under the coalition arrangement in October.
<b>Over 20,000 people turned up for the rally organised by the BJP </b>to welcome Devegowda into the party. The central BJP leader in-charge of Karnataka Yashwanth Sinha was also present.
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If Vokaliggas join the Lingayat dominant party of BJP then there is every chance BJP will be the new congress party in karnataka. kannadigas please correct me if I am wrong.
After Gujarat, Congress to focus on Karnataka
14 Dec 2007, 0224 hrs IST,Bhaskar Roy ,TNN
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NEW DELHI: After the Gujarat elections are over, there is not going to be any respite for Congress. Even before the dust settles down on the fiercely fought poll battle, the party is turning its focus on the next area of conflict - Karnataka.
Placed under President's rule last month, the southern state is reckoned by party managers as tough terrain to reclaim.
What makes the Karnataka challenge all the more difficult is the presence of a formidable third force in the arena - JD(S). Party strategists argue that a direct battle with the BJP is always easier since a third force dents into the same constituency as Congress.
"Though H D Devegowda is extremely unpredictable and unreliable as an ally, we have to make sure that his JD(S) is not pushed into the BJP fold," said a Union minister dealing with Karnataka. In fact, as soon as the Gujarat elections are over, Congress managers will be busy revamping the state party unit. In an attempt to remove the deadwood in the organisation, the high command is reportedly toying with several names for the major posts.
Within Congress, an intense debate has been going on as to who should be its first target - Devegowda or BJP. The view that has prevailed calls for targeting the BJP in Karnataka.
Given the hostility between the BJP and JD(S) over the power struggle leading to the collapse of the coalition government, it is not going to be easy for the two to patch up and put up a common front.
[The outcome of the election results in Gujarat will have an immediate impact on the run up for the next general election. The Congress and the BJP both are at present very optimistic that the outcome will be in their favor. The BJP is banking on the goodwill earned by the Chief Minister Shri Modi. The Congress is banking on the possible effect of the infighting within the BJP and the reported resentment between the RSS and VHP elements.
Till the outcome of this election is not known, we have to wait .
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><span style='color:red'>BJP alliance sweeps Assam NC Hills Council poll</span>
FOC
THE ASDC-BJP alliance made a clean sweep of the NC Hills Autonomous Council elections, <b>winning 21 out of the 27 seats</b> and registered a severe jolt to the Congress, which could win only three seatsâits biggest defeat in any election in Assam in recent years.
The recently-declared results of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) is expected to have a great effect on the coming panchayat polls in Upper Assam.
The result of the much-delayed election for NCHAC in Assam has given a thumping majority to the alliance of the BJP and the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), a regional outfit.
The results declared on Tuesday gave the BJP-ASDC coalition 21 out of the total 27 seats. BJP secretary and Lok Sabha MP Kiren Rijiju said the <b>BJP won 9 out of 10 </b>seats it contested while its <b>partner bagged 12 out of 18 seats </b>it contested.
âThe ruling Congress was routed badly and could manage to win only 3 seats. <b>The Congress was in power in the hill district for the last 45 years</b>,â Rijiju said.
Interestingly, a <b>BJP candidate also defeated the sitting local MLA of the Congress</b>, who was Cabinet Minister and is presently enjoying cabinet status. Describing partyâs victory as a milestone in North-East Indian politics, Rijiju said that the Congress was wiped out because it did not solve tribalsâ problems.
Assamâs longest, largest and most controversial political dynasty has come to an end with complete rout of Congress and Langthasa dynasty in North Cachar Hills District Council. The complete defeat brought to an end half-a-century domination of one family over one of the most neglected parts of Assam. Not only the patriarch G.C. Langthasa lost the polls but also his son. âThis is the end of an authoritarian regime of one family and its colossal loot over all possible resources for the past 45 years,ââ said the opposition leader Prakanta Warisa of ASDC, who led the spectacular victory over the Congress. The octogenarian Gobinda Chandra Langthasa won the first district council election in 1962 and since then he was dominating the NC Hills politics. âIt is difficult to believe how he and his family using money, muscle power, militants, fratricidal killings have been winning every election since thenââ said state BJP president Ramen Deka.
Encouraged over the Congress debacle, the opposition camp in the state has started to gear up with an eye on the ensuing panchayat polls in the state. NCP sate president Dhirendra Deb Adhikari said the NC Hills polls is the beginning of the end to the Congress regime.
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BJP rising
Continuing its victory run in State Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has crowned its decisive wins in Gujarat and Punjab with a 60 per cent sweep of the seats in Himachal Pradesh. As 2007 draws to a close, the BJP and the Congress will surely marvel at the reversal of political fortunes. Three years ago, the BJP was a demoralised loser to a Congress basking in the afterglow of two major triumphs â in the May 2004 Lok Sabha election and in the October 2004 Maharashtra Assembly contest. Today with three successive Assembly election wins, the BJP has not just wiped off the ignominy of the 2004 defeats. It seems to have stolen a march over its rival with a maximum of 18 months left for the 15th general election. The Congressâ abysmal performance in Himachal Pradesh came as no surprise, and as much is evident from the partyâs stoic acceptance of the verdict. Unlike in Gujarat, the party made no tall claims here. In an all too familiar story, the State unit was riven by factionalism and the administration was perceived to be corrupt, inefficient, and lacking the political will to counter the adverse effects of price rise and anti-incumbency. For the BJP, the electoral hat-trick could not have come at a better time â with Lal Krishna Advani positioned as the partyâs shadow Prime Minister.
Just where did the Congress go wrong? Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have a history of rejecting incumbent regimes. But in Gujarat, even this fig leaf was not available to a party whose only selling point was the Gandhi family charisma. Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul drew big crowds in Gujarat. Nevertheless, the party lost all seven Assembly seats in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. In the aftermath of the Gujarat debacle, it held its customary introspection session only to absolve mother and son of all blame. A similar ritual can be expected to follow the Himachal rout. Ms Gandhiâs commitment to secularism and social democracy and her political skills are not in question. After all, she put in place the 2004 winning combination. Yet to regain lost ground, the Congress needs far more than Ms Gandhiâs helmswomanship. It needs a reformed party organisation, a new unity of purpose, and, above all, a fighting secular spirit that distinguishes it from the BJP and a socio-economic programme that is responsive to mass deprivation and livelihood issues. <b>The party leading the Central government will count on doing well in 2008 by tapping into anti-incumbency sentiment in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. It may also hope to do well in Karnataka. What it cannot afford to do is underestimate the tenacity, mobilising capacity, and alliance-forging and tactical skills of the BJP, which in recent months has determinedly put its house in order.</b>
<b>BJP ready to transport the prosperous model of prosperity and Hindutva in Gujarat to India as a whole</b>
Balaji Reddy
Dec. 21, 2007
BJP waits the positive outcomes in Gujarat. There are reasons for the same. Modi has some something that no Indian leaders have ever established. He took Hindutva and planted it carefully in Gujarat in a way that it cannot be uprooted ever.
Gujarat is the most prosperous state in India. It is also the pillar of Hindutva in India today. The combination of economic prosperity and Hidutva makes Gujarat the champion state for BJP.
Hindutva must be implemented in India, young BJP activists agree. Modi of Gujarat perhaps taught a great lesson to the BJP leadership. Just talking does not work. Gain power, deliver Hindutva and economic prosperity to all people. That is where the BJP Government under the leadership of Vajpayee failed. They neglected Hidutva and distribution of economic prosperity to all of India.
The BJP under Advani will not make that mistake. It will embrace the Muslims and Christians and welcome them back to the ethos of Hindutva. The new BJP will to transport the prosperous model of prosperity and Hindutva in Gujarat to India as a whole.
The world will see India as the fastest growing nation surpassing China as the growth model. Unity in the form of Hindutva gives India the edge that can create the difference.
http://pseudosecularism.blogspot.com/2007/...rous-model.html
12-30-2007, 11:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-30-2007, 11:26 PM by Shambhu.)
<b>Modi interview</b>
<b>The UPA will disintegrate</b>
December 28, 2007
Chief Minister Narendra Modi says the BJP's impressive win in Gujarat is just the beginning of the end of the UPA government at the Centre. India Today Associate Editor Uday Mahurkar spoke to Modi soon after his swearing-in.
Q: So who has won? Moditva or Hindutva?
A: The term Moditva has been coined by enemies of our ideology after they failed to defeat Hindutva. There is no such thing as Moditva. No leader can rise without the help of party workers.
Q: But now you are seen as someone who is bigger than the party.
A: Absolutely false. Those who see me as bigger than the party fail to see the shoulders of the lakhs of BJP workers that I stand on. Is politics so cruel that it asks a son whether he is taller than his mother?
Q: Pundits now say your move to Delhi is not far away and thatâs why your party nominated L.K. Advani as its prime ministerial candidate on the eve of the elections.
A: I am a man of mission and not ambition. Secondly, none can be compared with Vajpayeeji and Advaniji. They are our tallest leaders. After Vajpayeeji it has to be Advaniji, naturally. In fact, the move to make him the prime ministerial candidate was aimed against the Congress in the wake of fears expressed by CPI(M) that the Government will go ahead with nuclear deal talks after the Gujarat poll results.
Q: Many senior BJP leaders left you and campaigned against you but you seem ready for reconciliation. You even sought Keshubhai Patelâs blessings after the swearingin ceremony.
A: My voice has always been conciliatory. The only difference is, people have come to know about it this time. Now that elections have come to an end, we must be cordial.
Q: After initially talking about development, you had to ultimately fall back on Hindutva.
A: Let me be clear: our campaign was based on the twin issues of development and security. Development and security are complementary. Without security there cannot be any development. My strong anti-terrorist stand is perfectly valid. And when Soniabehn called me a âmerchant of deathâ, I had to defend myself. I had to throw the ball back into their court and remind them that they were the ones who removed POTA and blocked the hanging of Afzal Guru despite the Supreme Court judgement.
Q: If there is one message from this mandate, what would it be?
A: This is a rare mandate for a Government on the basis of its performance and not just promises. It is a positive vote for governance on a developmental agenda. We want this to be a launch pad for Gujaratâs progress and prosperity. This is also a message for the anti-Gujarat bandwagon, which has been soundly defeated for the second time since 2002.
Q: You seem to connect with people quite well.
A: Others who have observed me are better placed to answer this question. But one thing that people donât like in a leader is hypocrisy. It is possible that they donât think I am a hypocrite and so connect with me.
Q: You have had a very uneasy relationship with the media.
A: Unfortunately, Indian politics today has become very media-centric. In fact, politicians have found shortcuts to political growth through the media. Some of them survive only because of media management. I am not into this game.
Q: When you took over as chief minister six years ago, you had no experience of electoral politics and administration. Now you are recognised as a good administrator.
A: I have worked with the same system and the set of bureaucrats that have been in place for years. The message is that if you have the will, determination and vision, you can succeed in governance.
Q: Why are you so misunderstood?
A: Democracy gives you the power to criticise and debate. But I am the target of allegations and not honest, democratic criticism.
Q: What will be the impact of BJPâs victory in Gujarat on the UPA-led Union Government?
A: The Government in Delhi is literally working on daily wages. Our win in Gujarat will spur its disintegration. The non-Congress constituents of UPA will grow bolder in their demands, which it will be hard put to meet.
Q: You claim to have controlled terrorism in Gujarat to a large extent when it is increasing in other parts of the country. What do you think of the anti-terror measures taken by the Congress-led UPA Government?
A: The Congress has committed the sin of turning India into a soft state against terrorism for the sake of its vote-bank politics. It has refused to hang Afzal Guru, removed POTA, compromised with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh and with ULFA in Assam for the sake of votes. The war against terror canât be selective. The need of the hour is to bring all human forces on one platform against terrorism.
http://pseudosecularism.blogspot.com/2007/...sintegrate.html
The following article is a gem from karan Thapar. He is openly advocating the murder of Narendra Modi. I request the India Forum administrators to make sure this thread and this article is saved on the servers. In addition, please pass it on to the powers that you have access. First of all, this need to go to serious BJP folks.
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Pr...71-685eb2bbc204
Karan Thapar
December 29, 2007
First Published: 23:24 IST(29/12/2007)
Last Updated: 23:31 IST(29/12/2007)
âModificationâ of politicsNarendra Modiâs stunning victory will change Indian politics decisively, perhaps dramatically, <b>possibly desperately</b>.<b> I have no doubt itâs a turning point. Actually, it will amount to several turning points.</b> For the Congress and for the Left, just as much as for the BJP and the NDA.
First the BJP. Nothing has galvanised the party so comprehensively since Advaniâs rathyatra of 1989, imbuing it with a sense of hope, even a sense of purpose. In Modi, the BJP has discovered three elements it was anxiously searching for â leadership, issues to stand for and the first hope that it can win a majority on its own.
Of course, Advani will continue as its prime ministerial candidate, but Modi is the future. <b>The succession is settled. No other second generation leader can match him.</b> And as for the argument that Modi cannot take centrestage in Delhi because the NDA allies wonât accept him, the counter is that with Modi at the helm, <b>the BJP could attempt to win on its own. The NDA may no longer be critical.</b>
The key question is can Moditva work outside Gujarat? It depends on how you define it. If you believe it combines strong personal leadership and integrity, with an appeal to regional pride or robust nationalism â admittedly with strong communal undertones â and a stress on development, I see no reason why it canât translate throughout the country. Even the fact that it alienates minorities is counterbalanced by the promise of uniting Hindus as never before. And if in Gujarat it could cut across divisions of caste, wealth and location, then it can hope to do so elsewhere as well.
Modi and Moditva is, therefore, the challenge facing the Congress, the UPA and the Left. I donât deny it has to be fought ideologically, but that also calls for the projection of a single personality who, in herself, embodies the fight. She has to rival Modiâs appeal â both his magnetism and his myth â and symbolise the alternate vision.
Perhaps there is only one person who can do that. The pronoun âsheâ was used deliberately. Itâs Sonia Gandhi. It may be an irony that an Italian-born woman, a widow who till 1998 detested politics, should transform into one of the twin poles of Indian politics, but it could also be an inescapable fact. No other person from the anti-BJP parties has the appeal or the nation-wide image to rival Modi.
Of course, Sonia has a lot to learn. Amongst the most important is the capacity to articulate ideas that catch like fire, and the ability to sell herself to the India beyond the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. At the moment she provokes curiosity or, perhaps, awe. Now she needs to create a following.
For the rest of us, voters rather than politicians, commentators but not participants, we also have to make a critical choice. We can either accept the idea of Modi and Moditva and adapt and adjust to it, or overcome our concerns with the Gandhi dynasty and Sonia in particular, and join the fight she must lead.
<b>If Iâm right, the middle ground is shrinking, even disappearing. The emergence of a dominant idea on the saffron front and, in response, the creation of an equal but counterveiling force on the other will squeeze out everything else. The more Moditva grows, the more its opposite has to be strengthened. Increasingly the choice will be one or the other. We will have to take sides.</b>
Where does this leave the regional parties and the Left? They may retain their identity, even their present base, but they will have to line-up behind Modi or Sonia, in the saffron camp or the liberal/secular one. They may even have to submerge themselves within the broad appeal of the camp they belong to.
<span style='font-size:25pt;line-height:100%'><b>Only the sudden removal of Narendra Modi can stop this. For he is the agent forcing this change.</b></span> And whilst heâs with us, he will do just that. I have no doubt Indian politics after Sunday the 23rd is another country. We have to live with new challenges. Some of us have to accept new leaders.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Pr...71-685eb2bbc204
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times
x-post from media thread
<b>Send email to BJP, Gujarat Govt and Delhi police on Thapar comments. Lets see whether they take any action.
bjpco@del3.vsnl.net.in, cm@gujaratindia.com, dcp-newdelhi-dl@nic.in</b>
<b><span style='color:orange'>Moves afoot in BJP to woo back Uma Bharti </span></b>
By IANS
Thursday January 3, 10:52 AM
New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) With elections in Madhya Pradesh set for this year, fresh moves are afoot in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to woo back its one-time mascot and former state chief minister Uma Bharti. But opinion in the party is divided.
Some in the BJP feel that even if she does not return to the party fold, there should be an electoral understanding with her political outfit, the Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS), so as not to divide pro-Hindutva votes.
Most BJP leaders are not ready to be quoted by name while speaking on Uma Bharti.
But Amitabh Sinha, who heads the BJP intellectual cell, told IANS: 'My personal view is that she should rejoin the party. Her return will help both her and the party.'
But other sources said that there was a section in the BJP that feared her return, citing the past acrimony between her and many second-generation leaders.
A party source said: 'The original reasons (for which she left the BJP) do not exist any more. But some people fear her return. This will also be sorted out. It may take time. We have to look for an honourable way out.'
Uma Bharti was expelled from the BJP in December 2005 when L.K. Advani was the party president. In April 2006, she floated the BJS.
In the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections last year, she initially put up a few candidates in the Bundelkhand region adjoining Madhya Pradesh. Advani and some BJP leaders urged her to withdraw her candidates.
Later, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders like Ashok Singhal urged her to withdraw almost all her candidates in the larger interests of the Hindutva cause and also sounded her out on rejoining the BJP.
Again in Gujarat, Uma Bharti first announced she would take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. She withdrew from the electoral arena following appeals from Modi, Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/080103/43/6p5qf.html
01-07-2008, 02:21 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-07-2008, 02:22 AM by Shambhu.)
<!--emo&  --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Ghanchis of Rajasthan twirl moustache over Modi win </span>
By IE
Sunday January 6, 08:41 PM
Buoyed by the historical success of Narendra Modi in Gujarat, Ghanchis (the oil pressing community) from which Modi comes are looking for a bigger role in politics, in the future.
Numbering roughly over 3 lakh in Rajasthan, this miniscule community, which has just one MLA out of the 200 assembly legislators, has all of a sudden decided to take politics rather seriously, as they gear up for a bigger role in the desert state.
Parikshit Borana, a Jodhpur based wholesale pharma trader has suddenly discovered his lost interest in politics after Narendra Modi took oath as CM of Gujarat for the third time.
He shares his views, rather passionately, about Modi's Gujarat sweep, and the reason is, he also comes from the same community to which Modi belongs. "I came to know about his caste during an interview delivered to a national Magazine, where Narendra Modi stated that he comes from the Ghanchi (oil presser) caste," reveals a delighted Borana.
Even as he gets jingoistic while talking about his favourite leader, he maintains that the firebrand Chief Minister of Gujarat is above any caste and has followers cutting across all castes. Showing his ardent preference for Modi, Borana says, "It would be nice to see Modi taking the political leadership of Rajasthan but we would be more interested in getting a Modi of our own."
Defending Modi's stand on Hindutva, Borana says, "there is nothing wrong in being a tough politician. Even Sardar Patel was a very astute politician and I guess he is going on the same lines. He has also proved that media has no sense of what the masses think about their leader."
BJP MLA from Sumerpur in Pali District, Madan Rathore is jubilant to see that someone who has won the hearts of Gujaratis, is none other than a Ghanchi. Rathore clarifies later that he does not believe in politics of castes, but it encourages one to see that someone from a backward and marginalised community, has got the stature of what Modi today is. Rathore calls Modi a strong nationalist, and a person for whom everything including religions are secondary to nationalism and he fondly desires Modi to lead not only Rajashtan but the entire country.
Shri Krishna Borana an employee with the Railways, from Jodhpur feels thrilled to note that the nationally talked leader belongs to their own, Ghanchi community. Shri Krishna who learned about Modi's caste from the community leaders says he felt personal triumph in the Modi victory, " It was like a personal victory for us (Ghanchis), and we celebrated the same by distributing sweets".
Anand Bhati a businessman and former president of the Jodhpur Ghanchi community expressed his desire to see Mr Modi as the Prime Minister of the nation. He explains joyfully how his community celebrated Modi's victory. "We congratulated Modi by advertising his victory in the leading local dailies."
He also recalls one community event held at Falna of Pali district where Modi, who was then the national general secretary of BJP, was called to preside over the function. Talking about the spread of the community he says. "Ghanchis are known by different titles all over India. In Gujarat, unlike Rajasthan the community uses Modi as their title."
Vimala Borana a homemaker could not hold herself while claiming that Modi belongs to her own community. He is from our community, she exclaims, "Look his name is being taken among the big political leaders of the nation." She asserts that by winning this election he has proved that he is capable of leading not only Gujarat but the entire country, "It gives us pride when people compare his political prowess with that of Indira Gandhi," she confides.
Dr. Mahendra Patel a practicing doctor from Nagaur shares that Ghanchis of Nagaur organized a big programme to celebrate Modi's victory. Patel claims Modi's victory to be a one-man show as he reasons that the leader became more popular than his party. Patel sees hope in Modi, as he fondly declares his hearty desire, "We want him to come in the centre. We (Ghanchis) have MLAs but no ministers. We want him to help us politically and give us a stand."
Gauri Shankar, president, Ghanchi Navyuvak Mandal Committee of Jodhpur feels that Modi got the returns of the development, which he accomplished in Gujarat. He says Modi's work for Hindutva is his trademark which gave him this status, "Not only India but the whole world was focused on the fate of Narendra Modi in these polls." Gauri Shankar wants Modi to lead Ghanchis of Rajasthan the same way he lead Gujarat, as he recalls "He (Modi) once said at a community event that you work whole heartedly for your cause to get big results."
Bhimraj Bhati former MLA and congress leader admitted that it (Modi win) will act as a morale booster for the community and is a big personal achievement for Modi himself.
<!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Dushyant Patel a doctor from Naguar a central Rajasthan district is, however, not as excited to see Modi win in Gujarat again and is rather disappointed to see him elected for the third time. I hold him responsible for the communal passions in the state and was surprised to see him victorious, he vents out, "One Modi is enough, and we don't one more in Rajasthan."
Jawahar Borana a Government official from Rajasthan takes great pride in Modi's victory. He has given us (Ghanchis) a political and social identity which was so far elusive to us, asserts Jawahar. Jawahar explains how earlier it was difficult to explain who Ghanchis are, but now, he says, "We can say we are the same Ghanchi community from which the chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi comes. Moreover our community is still divided politically, but Modi has shown a new ray of hope. We will now look for more political clout in Rajasthan by following the Modi way."
http://in.news.yahoo.com/080106/48/6pagi.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Jumbo BJP panel to please all</b>- 19-member committee for state polls and 2009 general electionsÂ
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SANJAY K. JHA
Narendra Modi greets L.K. Advani at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi on Tuesday. Picture by Rajesh KumarÂ
New Delhi, Jan. 8: The BJP has formed a 19-member super body to manage the nine state polls this year and the general elections, due in 2009.
The central election management committee, announced today, may help douse feelings among some that shadow Prime Minister L.K. Advani is looking to sideline party president Rajnath Singh.
The BJP wants to nudge its allies into action, too. It has deputed Sushma Swaraj to coordinate with the Nationalist Democratic Alliance partners.
The committee, headed by Rajnath, includes<b> Jaswant Singh, M.M. Joshi, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma, V.K. Malhotra, Bal Apte, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Thawarchand Gehlot, Vinay Katiyar, Yashwant Sinha, M.A. Naqvi, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Balbir Punj and Vinay Sahashra Budhe.</b>
It was set up on the suggestion of a core group assigned by Advani to prepare a plan for the polls.
The committee will hold its first meeting on January 15, to be followed by an NDA meeting around January 25. Sushma said all partners, including Mamata Banerjee, would be invited.
George Fernandes will stay NDA convener, Sushma clarified. She said that since Fernandes had not been keeping well, she would be coordinating with the allies.
Asked if the party was peaking too early ahead of the general elections, Sushma said: âIt is late, in fact. We will fight elections the whole year, beginning with Karnataka within a month or two.â
The buzz in the party is that the huge panel has been formed to counter allegations that Advani has been ignoring Rajnath and trying to raise a parallel structure. Some said senior leaders were upset at being left out of strategy sessions at Advaniâs residence.
The super committee includes most leaders who are not seen as close to Advani.
Advani would, of course, like to work with his most trusted aides but felt it was important to present a united face. The speculation on Rajnath being sidelined ensured that the party president would head the committee.
The inclusion of Apte, Joshi and Yashwant is meant to signal that Advani is keen to take everybody along.
Asked why Narendra Modiâs name was missing, Sushma explained that no chief minister had been included.
âWe have some rules and norms. Chief ministers are not made part of such committees,â she said, adding that there was no bar on consulting any leader on important issues.
Sushma said fortnight-long consultations would be held with state party leaders to chalk out a strategy. âWe will discuss the prevailing political situation in every state and decide on alliances and strategies. This exercise will be completed soon.â
She added that Advani, though not a member of the committee, would attend all its meetings. The panel members will be allocated specific work at the January 15 meeting.
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01-15-2008, 09:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-15-2008, 09:06 AM by Shambhu.)
<b>BJP optimistic of electoral tie-up with AIADMK</b>
CHENNAI, JAN 14 (PTI)
Optimistic of an electoral tie- up with the AIADMK, the BJP said today's meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa had "created a right ambience" for an alliance for the next Lok Sabha elections.
"There is no need to rush into an alliance. All details of any alliance will come only later," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters outside the RSS office here.
Prasad, who earlier had lunch at Jayalalithaa's Poes Graden residence along with Modi, described it as "a meeting of minds between both the parties."
"But, what kind of alliance, if any, has to be discussed only by BJP national leaders and Jayalalithaa," he said.
Prasad said both the BJP and the AIADMK had common commonality of views on several issues like Ram Sethu, terrorism, LTTE and "anti-people" agenda of the UPA Government.
"Today's meeting is only a positive indication of things to come," he said.
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=535185
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