02-02-2009, 05:31 AM
Acharyaji, Andhra will be Congress's waterloo! May get only single digit seats if Praja Rajyam somehow decides to have alliance with BJP and the TRS splits.
<b>Alliance woes for UPA, NDA</b>
2 Feb 2009, 0315 hrs IST, Akshaya Mukul , TNN
NEW DELHI: With barely months to go for the 2009 general election, the two principal political formations â UPA and NDA â are in disarray. While NDA is left with barely few partners and BJP itself is facing unprecedented power struggle among leaders in the winter of their career and ego clashes among second rung leaders, UPA has failed to replicate its 2004-like coalition.
Telengana Rashtriya Samiti in Andhra Pradesh, after waiting for months for a positive response from Congress, and Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar have formally announced they will not go with Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal respectively. In neighbouring Jharkhand, UPA is hardly in a sound position. Defeat of former chief minister Shibu Soren in a by-election points to hard times ahead.
These three states together have 96 seats in Lok Sabha. In 2004, UPA did extremely well, winning 35 out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 26 out of 40 in Bihar and 12 out of 14 in Jharkhand. To add to it, Left had three seats -- two in AP and one in Jharkhand. On the other hand, NDA could manage only 12 seats, 11 in Bihar and one in Jharkhand.
Five years later, UPA has no ally in Andhra Pradesh and there will be no seat sharing arrangement with Left. TRS, after waiting for a positive response for a long time, formally announced tie-up with TDP. Left is already in alliance with TDP. Together TDP-TRS-Left has more than 45% vote share. BJP with 8.4% votes and no alliance partner is hardly a threat. The battle here is within the "secular" parties.
In Bihar, UPA's success hinged on RJD-LJP alliance that contributed to more than 40% of votes. Congress itself has just over 4% votes. But this time, Paswan wants to hunt alone. With RJD unlikely to repeat its 22 seat performance, many see Paswan's announcement of going solo as a bargaining tactic. To add to the problem, Left parties â CPM, CPI and CPI-ML(L) â are on the verge of stitching up an alliance. Barring a few seats, Left parties do not have winning chance anywhere in the state but this alliance could harm the "secular" camp more than the NDA.
On the other hand, NDA is banking on the performance of the four-year-old JD(U)-led state government
. While the incumbency and state government's role during massive flood in north Bihar could go against it, the split in UPA can work to its advantage.
After 2004 general election, Jharkhand politics has been in a constant flux. Three chief ministers, one even losing the by-election, and finally President's rule. On the face of it, UPA's alliance will be intact in the state, but it remains to be seen if this alliance will not have to pay for contributing uncertainty and confusion in the state. BJP never recovered from Babulal Marandi's exit. It also failed to make most of UPA's failure.
<b>
Battle over UPAâs Bihar boss post</b>
NALIN VERMA
Patna, Feb. 1: If Ram Vilas Paswan uses fire and brimstone against rival Lalu Prasad, the latter returns it with words sweeter than sugar.
The two stalwarts are now eyeing the post of the UPA boss in the state in the run-up to the polls. The Union minister, Paswan, openly asserted yesterday that he wishes to lead in Bihar. âMy friend Laluji led the UPA in the 2004 Lok Sabha and 2005 Assembly polls. It is time that I lead.â
The maverick RJD boss today turned up with an answer to the request. âI am happy that Ram Vilas bhai wishes to lead, he has the experience to lead an alliance. If everyone else can, why canât a Dalit leader,â he said.
In a bid to augment his bargaining power after polls, Paswan has announced the LJP candidates for as many as 16 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The party was given eight seats during 2004 polls out of which it managed to win four.
On the other hand, Lalu Prasadâs RJD contested 28 seats, of which it won 24, increasing his power to bargain. Paswan who was willing to take the railway portfolio found Lalu Prasad taking on the mantle instead. Paswan sensed that Lalu had deprived him because he had a bigger bargaining power with more MPs in his kitty. Paswan does not want to yield any ground to Lalu Prasad this time.
Given the situation, the Dalit leader is in a position to ask for more seats this time. The UPA won 30 out of 40 seats in Bihar when Lalu and Paswan contested in alliance in 2004. The UPA lost power to NDA in 2005 after Paswan decided to go it alone in 2005 Assembly elections.
Moreover, Paswan has proved that with is support base among the Dalits, he is in a position to tilt the balance in favour of a group he joins. For instance, he sided with the NDA in 1999 and the side won handsomely. Alone, Paswanâs party, which usually gets 14 per cent of the votes, can not win. But, it leaves a dent when it joins either the UPA or NDA.
âI am not going to join hands with Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar. I will join Nitish Kumar only when the latter snaps ties with BJP,â Paswan has said. It is clear that Nitish and BJP are inseparable at least in the coming polls and Paswan will evidently be with the UPA. But then Paswan is insisting on (at least) 16 seats for his LJP. Asked if he would spare 16 seats, Lalu Prasad plays it safe.
âI am not the UPA leader in Bihar. The seat sharing modalities have not been decided. We will sit and work it out.â Again in an apparent bid to keep Paswan in good humour, Lalu said: âSeat sharing will not be an issue. The UPAâs goal is to keep the BJP out of power. And on this ground there are no differences among us.â
<b>
Love guru Lalu</b>
Lalu Prasad today advised youngsters to take their parentsâ consent while choosing life partners while referring to the Chand Mohammad and Fiza love story. Asked to comment on the Chand-Fiza saga, the RJD chief said: âItâs a sad end to a love story, but it has ended the way it was destined to. Such stories usually end up in similar fashion.â
When informed that a young lady had remarked that she âlovesâ Lalu Prasad in a blog, the railway minister said: âI, too, love the girl the way I love my daughters and daughters of India. Love is a very sacred word.â
<b>
Goud slighted by TRS chief</b>
2 Feb 2009, 0257 hrs IST, TNN
HYDERABAD: NTP president T Devender Goud feels slighted by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao who refused even to talk to him on phone on Friday
and went ahead with firming up an alliance with TDP and Left parties.
An angry Goud on Sunday alleged that KCR was playing the role of a broker to help N Chandrababu Naidu become chief minister. He said KCR had done the same thing in 2004 when he had an alliance with Congress party.
At a press conference, Goud said that in the process, KCR had left the issue of separate state at crossroads by forging alliance with those parties which are opposed to Telangana. "For KCR, what matters is to remain at centre stage of politics. For him separate state is not the main agenda", he said.
Agreeing with PRP president Chiranjeevi's comment that it was Mayakutami, Goud said NTP and PRP would expose the "great betrayal" by TRS. "The grand alliance has one single point agenda and that is to make Naidu the chief minister", he said. He predicted that TRS would bite the dust in the elections and the state politics was in for a change. Only PRP and NTP would render justice to the cause of Telangana.
He said TRS has a moral responsibility to explain to the people as to why it had shown so much of vacillation and why it finally decided to go with TDP and Left parties whom KCR had been criticizing all these years.
<b>Alliance woes for UPA, NDA</b>
2 Feb 2009, 0315 hrs IST, Akshaya Mukul , TNN
NEW DELHI: With barely months to go for the 2009 general election, the two principal political formations â UPA and NDA â are in disarray. While NDA is left with barely few partners and BJP itself is facing unprecedented power struggle among leaders in the winter of their career and ego clashes among second rung leaders, UPA has failed to replicate its 2004-like coalition.
Telengana Rashtriya Samiti in Andhra Pradesh, after waiting for months for a positive response from Congress, and Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar have formally announced they will not go with Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal respectively. In neighbouring Jharkhand, UPA is hardly in a sound position. Defeat of former chief minister Shibu Soren in a by-election points to hard times ahead.
These three states together have 96 seats in Lok Sabha. In 2004, UPA did extremely well, winning 35 out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 26 out of 40 in Bihar and 12 out of 14 in Jharkhand. To add to it, Left had three seats -- two in AP and one in Jharkhand. On the other hand, NDA could manage only 12 seats, 11 in Bihar and one in Jharkhand.
Five years later, UPA has no ally in Andhra Pradesh and there will be no seat sharing arrangement with Left. TRS, after waiting for a positive response for a long time, formally announced tie-up with TDP. Left is already in alliance with TDP. Together TDP-TRS-Left has more than 45% vote share. BJP with 8.4% votes and no alliance partner is hardly a threat. The battle here is within the "secular" parties.
In Bihar, UPA's success hinged on RJD-LJP alliance that contributed to more than 40% of votes. Congress itself has just over 4% votes. But this time, Paswan wants to hunt alone. With RJD unlikely to repeat its 22 seat performance, many see Paswan's announcement of going solo as a bargaining tactic. To add to the problem, Left parties â CPM, CPI and CPI-ML(L) â are on the verge of stitching up an alliance. Barring a few seats, Left parties do not have winning chance anywhere in the state but this alliance could harm the "secular" camp more than the NDA.
On the other hand, NDA is banking on the performance of the four-year-old JD(U)-led state government
. While the incumbency and state government's role during massive flood in north Bihar could go against it, the split in UPA can work to its advantage.
After 2004 general election, Jharkhand politics has been in a constant flux. Three chief ministers, one even losing the by-election, and finally President's rule. On the face of it, UPA's alliance will be intact in the state, but it remains to be seen if this alliance will not have to pay for contributing uncertainty and confusion in the state. BJP never recovered from Babulal Marandi's exit. It also failed to make most of UPA's failure.
<b>
Battle over UPAâs Bihar boss post</b>
NALIN VERMA
Patna, Feb. 1: If Ram Vilas Paswan uses fire and brimstone against rival Lalu Prasad, the latter returns it with words sweeter than sugar.
The two stalwarts are now eyeing the post of the UPA boss in the state in the run-up to the polls. The Union minister, Paswan, openly asserted yesterday that he wishes to lead in Bihar. âMy friend Laluji led the UPA in the 2004 Lok Sabha and 2005 Assembly polls. It is time that I lead.â
The maverick RJD boss today turned up with an answer to the request. âI am happy that Ram Vilas bhai wishes to lead, he has the experience to lead an alliance. If everyone else can, why canât a Dalit leader,â he said.
In a bid to augment his bargaining power after polls, Paswan has announced the LJP candidates for as many as 16 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The party was given eight seats during 2004 polls out of which it managed to win four.
On the other hand, Lalu Prasadâs RJD contested 28 seats, of which it won 24, increasing his power to bargain. Paswan who was willing to take the railway portfolio found Lalu Prasad taking on the mantle instead. Paswan sensed that Lalu had deprived him because he had a bigger bargaining power with more MPs in his kitty. Paswan does not want to yield any ground to Lalu Prasad this time.
Given the situation, the Dalit leader is in a position to ask for more seats this time. The UPA won 30 out of 40 seats in Bihar when Lalu and Paswan contested in alliance in 2004. The UPA lost power to NDA in 2005 after Paswan decided to go it alone in 2005 Assembly elections.
Moreover, Paswan has proved that with is support base among the Dalits, he is in a position to tilt the balance in favour of a group he joins. For instance, he sided with the NDA in 1999 and the side won handsomely. Alone, Paswanâs party, which usually gets 14 per cent of the votes, can not win. But, it leaves a dent when it joins either the UPA or NDA.
âI am not going to join hands with Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar. I will join Nitish Kumar only when the latter snaps ties with BJP,â Paswan has said. It is clear that Nitish and BJP are inseparable at least in the coming polls and Paswan will evidently be with the UPA. But then Paswan is insisting on (at least) 16 seats for his LJP. Asked if he would spare 16 seats, Lalu Prasad plays it safe.
âI am not the UPA leader in Bihar. The seat sharing modalities have not been decided. We will sit and work it out.â Again in an apparent bid to keep Paswan in good humour, Lalu said: âSeat sharing will not be an issue. The UPAâs goal is to keep the BJP out of power. And on this ground there are no differences among us.â
<b>
Love guru Lalu</b>
Lalu Prasad today advised youngsters to take their parentsâ consent while choosing life partners while referring to the Chand Mohammad and Fiza love story. Asked to comment on the Chand-Fiza saga, the RJD chief said: âItâs a sad end to a love story, but it has ended the way it was destined to. Such stories usually end up in similar fashion.â
When informed that a young lady had remarked that she âlovesâ Lalu Prasad in a blog, the railway minister said: âI, too, love the girl the way I love my daughters and daughters of India. Love is a very sacred word.â
<b>
Goud slighted by TRS chief</b>
2 Feb 2009, 0257 hrs IST, TNN
HYDERABAD: NTP president T Devender Goud feels slighted by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao who refused even to talk to him on phone on Friday
and went ahead with firming up an alliance with TDP and Left parties.
An angry Goud on Sunday alleged that KCR was playing the role of a broker to help N Chandrababu Naidu become chief minister. He said KCR had done the same thing in 2004 when he had an alliance with Congress party.
At a press conference, Goud said that in the process, KCR had left the issue of separate state at crossroads by forging alliance with those parties which are opposed to Telangana. "For KCR, what matters is to remain at centre stage of politics. For him separate state is not the main agenda", he said.
Agreeing with PRP president Chiranjeevi's comment that it was Mayakutami, Goud said NTP and PRP would expose the "great betrayal" by TRS. "The grand alliance has one single point agenda and that is to make Naidu the chief minister", he said. He predicted that TRS would bite the dust in the elections and the state politics was in for a change. Only PRP and NTP would render justice to the cause of Telangana.
He said TRS has a moral responsibility to explain to the people as to why it had shown so much of vacillation and why it finally decided to go with TDP and Left parties whom KCR had been criticizing all these years.