07-11-2007, 02:19 AM
Pioneer, 10 July 2007
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cross-voting scare haunts UPA leaders
Amarnath Tewari | Patna
Pratibha visits Bihar; Arun Jaitley to campaign for Shekhawat
As the countdown begins for the July 19 presidential poll, the UPA candidate Pratibha Patil visited Bihar on Tuesday to meet legislators and MPs of alliance parties apparently to ensure their votes in her favour. Ahead of Patil's visit RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav had come descended in the capital on Monday evening and held meeting with party leaders.
Soon after her arrival the visibly shaken Pratibha Patil accompanied with the State Congress president Sadanand Singh, Leader of Opposition Rabri Devi and others met UPA legislators and MPs at a posh Patna hotel.
"Her interaction with the UPA legislators and leaders was smooth and warm, who promised their support and votes for her," said Congress leader Kripanath Pathak. Pratibha also met other like-minded legislators of Bihar Assembly, Pathak said.
After winding up her hurried Patna visit, Patil left for Jharkhand in the afternoon to repeat the same poll exercise there. The Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was nominated as the nodal officer for Pratibha Patil's Bihar and Jharkhand visit.
<b>Lalu Prasad who is making all out efforts to avoid any chance of cross-voting appealed to the UPA legislators and MPs to support her to ensure there was a woman in the President's seat for the first time in the country. Almost all the UPA leaders were present in full strength to put up a united face with the UPA presidential nominee.</b>
Though, it would be interesting to see how many of them would defy party's line and answer the call of their conscience while exercising their franchise.
Bihar has total 243 legislators including 146 from the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, 65 from the opposition RJD-Congress alliance, 11 from the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and 21 others. The State has 40 Lok Sabha MPs and 16 Rajya Sabha MPs.
<b>The total votes at stake in Bihar are 81,687 with the validity of votes for an MLA being 173 and an MP at 708. </b>
Meanwhile, in the game of numbers even the small party leaders have suddenly become most sought after important figures for the top leaders from both camps. <b>The leader of the four member BSP team in the State, Ramchandra Yadav even had got a direct call from the UPA presidential candidate Pratibha Patil requesting him for support.</b>
"Even the State Congress president has spoken to me. The haunt of cross-voting has certainly bugged them and so the calls I'm receiving these days," said the BSP leader.
The spectre of cross-voting seemed to be giving jitters to the UPA leaders as they are pulling all strings to be in touch with the independent legislators.
BJP leaders Arun Jaitely and party's Bihar in-charge Kalraj Mishra are expected to visit Bihar soon to ensure votes for NDA-backed independent nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
"Many non-NDA leaders from Bihar are in our constant touch and have expressed their preference for Bhairon Singh Shekhwat as the presidential candidate," said a State BJP leader.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and national spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday hoped that Bhairon Singh Shekhwat would win the presidential poll with thumping majority.
Pratibha Patil may be the UPA candidate but Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is country's; candidate for the post of President, said Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cross-voting scare haunts UPA leaders
Amarnath Tewari | Patna
Pratibha visits Bihar; Arun Jaitley to campaign for Shekhawat
As the countdown begins for the July 19 presidential poll, the UPA candidate Pratibha Patil visited Bihar on Tuesday to meet legislators and MPs of alliance parties apparently to ensure their votes in her favour. Ahead of Patil's visit RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav had come descended in the capital on Monday evening and held meeting with party leaders.
Soon after her arrival the visibly shaken Pratibha Patil accompanied with the State Congress president Sadanand Singh, Leader of Opposition Rabri Devi and others met UPA legislators and MPs at a posh Patna hotel.
"Her interaction with the UPA legislators and leaders was smooth and warm, who promised their support and votes for her," said Congress leader Kripanath Pathak. Pratibha also met other like-minded legislators of Bihar Assembly, Pathak said.
After winding up her hurried Patna visit, Patil left for Jharkhand in the afternoon to repeat the same poll exercise there. The Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was nominated as the nodal officer for Pratibha Patil's Bihar and Jharkhand visit.
<b>Lalu Prasad who is making all out efforts to avoid any chance of cross-voting appealed to the UPA legislators and MPs to support her to ensure there was a woman in the President's seat for the first time in the country. Almost all the UPA leaders were present in full strength to put up a united face with the UPA presidential nominee.</b>
Though, it would be interesting to see how many of them would defy party's line and answer the call of their conscience while exercising their franchise.
Bihar has total 243 legislators including 146 from the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, 65 from the opposition RJD-Congress alliance, 11 from the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and 21 others. The State has 40 Lok Sabha MPs and 16 Rajya Sabha MPs.
<b>The total votes at stake in Bihar are 81,687 with the validity of votes for an MLA being 173 and an MP at 708. </b>
Meanwhile, in the game of numbers even the small party leaders have suddenly become most sought after important figures for the top leaders from both camps. <b>The leader of the four member BSP team in the State, Ramchandra Yadav even had got a direct call from the UPA presidential candidate Pratibha Patil requesting him for support.</b>
"Even the State Congress president has spoken to me. The haunt of cross-voting has certainly bugged them and so the calls I'm receiving these days," said the BSP leader.
The spectre of cross-voting seemed to be giving jitters to the UPA leaders as they are pulling all strings to be in touch with the independent legislators.
BJP leaders Arun Jaitely and party's Bihar in-charge Kalraj Mishra are expected to visit Bihar soon to ensure votes for NDA-backed independent nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
"Many non-NDA leaders from Bihar are in our constant touch and have expressed their preference for Bhairon Singh Shekhwat as the presidential candidate," said a State BJP leader.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and national spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday hoped that Bhairon Singh Shekhwat would win the presidential poll with thumping majority.
Pratibha Patil may be the UPA candidate but Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is country's; candidate for the post of President, said Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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