11-10-2003, 09:19 PM
[url="http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp"]http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp[/url]?
ID=IEH20031108113603&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0&
Besides Sonia, no one keen to host Iftaar
Sunday November 9 2003 00:00 IST
NEW DELHI: Even though it is a pre-poll time, the minorities do not
seem to be in great demand during the month of Ramzaan this year.
Except for Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is hosting an Iftaar
on November 15, neither Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee nor
President A P J Abdul Kalam are hosting Iftaars. Janata Dal (U)
leader Sharad Yadav is also not hosting the Iftaar party, lest he
may annoy his ally, the BJP.
The reason for the Prime Minister not holding Iftaar is that he will
be away on a three-nation tour to Syria, Russia and Tazakistan and
after coming back, he will be busy with campaigning for the Assembly
polls. Vajpayee did not host Iftaar even last year though he had
hosted it in 2001.
President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has not held the Iftaar party so far,
ever since he assumed office. It is the second Ramzaan for the
President.
Sources stated that President believes in spending the money in
charity by donating it to the orphanage houses. Last time, he had
donated money to three orphanages. This time, he will be giving the
money to other orphanages.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, however, will be hosting Iftaar in
a big-way by inviting leaders of the friendly parties, which include
BSP leader Mayawati, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, NCP
leader Sharad Pawar, CPI leaders D Raja and A B Bardhan and CPM
leaders Somnath Chatterjee, Sitaram Yechuri besides others.
She would be using the Iftaar party, not only to woo the minorities
on the eve of the crucial Assembly elections to the five states but
also to win-over the leaders of the like-minded parties.
Last time, Mayawati was not in the guest-list but this time, she is
very much there. Though the move is likely to annoy Mulayam Singh
Yadav but for Sonia Gandhi, this is the right time to have a tacit
understanding with her in the states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Chattisgarh and Delhi to defeat its main rival, the BJP.
Though Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony is accusing the Left parties
of trying to topple him in the state by reaching a secret
understanding with his rival K Karunakaran, the Congress President
is unperturbed by his accusations vis-a-vis her relations with the
Left are concerned. Almost all the senior leaders of the Left are in
the guest-list of Sonia Gandhi on the Iftaar day.
Besides Sonia Gandhi, Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan
will also be hosting an Iftaar party on November 20. Paswan has been
holding Iftaar party, every year.
For the BJP, holding Iftaar is tantamount to losing the majority
vote. Since, any way, the BJP is counting only on the Hindu vote, it
does not need to woo the minority vote.
The last time when BJP hosted the Iftaar party was during the tenure
of the then BJP President Bangaru Laxman. The Iftaar party was
hosted in the party headquarters, soon after Bangaru Laxman became
president in 2001. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy
Prime Minister L K Advani had also attended the Iftaar party.
However, BJP's sole Muslim union minister, Shahnawaz Hussain did
host Iftaar party this time, where Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani
was also present.
ID=IEH20031108113603&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0&
Besides Sonia, no one keen to host Iftaar
Sunday November 9 2003 00:00 IST
NEW DELHI: Even though it is a pre-poll time, the minorities do not
seem to be in great demand during the month of Ramzaan this year.
Except for Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is hosting an Iftaar
on November 15, neither Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee nor
President A P J Abdul Kalam are hosting Iftaars. Janata Dal (U)
leader Sharad Yadav is also not hosting the Iftaar party, lest he
may annoy his ally, the BJP.
The reason for the Prime Minister not holding Iftaar is that he will
be away on a three-nation tour to Syria, Russia and Tazakistan and
after coming back, he will be busy with campaigning for the Assembly
polls. Vajpayee did not host Iftaar even last year though he had
hosted it in 2001.
President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has not held the Iftaar party so far,
ever since he assumed office. It is the second Ramzaan for the
President.
Sources stated that President believes in spending the money in
charity by donating it to the orphanage houses. Last time, he had
donated money to three orphanages. This time, he will be giving the
money to other orphanages.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, however, will be hosting Iftaar in
a big-way by inviting leaders of the friendly parties, which include
BSP leader Mayawati, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, NCP
leader Sharad Pawar, CPI leaders D Raja and A B Bardhan and CPM
leaders Somnath Chatterjee, Sitaram Yechuri besides others.
She would be using the Iftaar party, not only to woo the minorities
on the eve of the crucial Assembly elections to the five states but
also to win-over the leaders of the like-minded parties.
Last time, Mayawati was not in the guest-list but this time, she is
very much there. Though the move is likely to annoy Mulayam Singh
Yadav but for Sonia Gandhi, this is the right time to have a tacit
understanding with her in the states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Chattisgarh and Delhi to defeat its main rival, the BJP.
Though Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony is accusing the Left parties
of trying to topple him in the state by reaching a secret
understanding with his rival K Karunakaran, the Congress President
is unperturbed by his accusations vis-a-vis her relations with the
Left are concerned. Almost all the senior leaders of the Left are in
the guest-list of Sonia Gandhi on the Iftaar day.
Besides Sonia Gandhi, Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan
will also be hosting an Iftaar party on November 20. Paswan has been
holding Iftaar party, every year.
For the BJP, holding Iftaar is tantamount to losing the majority
vote. Since, any way, the BJP is counting only on the Hindu vote, it
does not need to woo the minority vote.
The last time when BJP hosted the Iftaar party was during the tenure
of the then BJP President Bangaru Laxman. The Iftaar party was
hosted in the party headquarters, soon after Bangaru Laxman became
president in 2001. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy
Prime Minister L K Advani had also attended the Iftaar party.
However, BJP's sole Muslim union minister, Shahnawaz Hussain did
host Iftaar party this time, where Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani
was also present.