Quote:In Punjab, it seemed to be a 'waveless' election. Neither corruption, nor prices dominated the poll discourse. Anna Hazare was not an agenda-setter. No one referred to Khalistan, which had once aroused the state. Nor did people talk about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The elections saw a new trend, of deep rifts emerging in Punjab's political families. This may turn out to be a healthy development for democracy, and will affect the fortunes of both the Congress and the Akali Dal.
OBC is a big issue and based on my experience in UP, OBC will unite on this issue. They consider this as main issue. I won't be surprised that this will unite rest of India's OBC.
Whenever there are riots in UP, they are always between Muslims and OBC. There is a strong dislike among them. Both compete each other in population growth also, keeping in mind, one or two may be used in riots.
Congress is going with Khurshid input, big big mistake.
The spirit of democracy in Uttar Pradesh (UP) could not be dampened by inclement weather and it recorded 62 per cent peaceful polling, the highest so far, in the first phase on Wednesday.
The earlier maximum polling recorded at under 58 per cent was in 1993.
Polling started sluggishly in the 55 assembly constituencies across 10 districts in central and eastern UP due to early downpour that kept electorates indoors.
The polling percentage, which started at a mere 13.38 per cent, finally clocked a whopping 62 per cent at the end of polling, owing to improvement in weather.
862 candidates being in fray in this phase, it includes 796 males and 65 females and one eunuch with 17 million voters eligible to vote.
In the 2007 assembly poll, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had bagged the maximum 30 seats, followed by Samajwadi Party (SP) 18, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 4 and Congress 3.
Elaborate security arrangements had been made with the deployment of 55,000 central paramilitary forces and 10,000 Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel, besides local police, to maintaining law and order and manning the 18,000 odd polling stations/booths.
According to election officials, about 2,125 polling stations had been flagged sensitive and 3,425 hyper sensitive.
Phase-I polling is expected to be the litmus test for neo-Congressman and Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma to prove his credentials as the tallest Kurmi leader in the region. His son Rakesh Verma is seeking election from Dariyabad constituency in home turf of Barabanki.
Other prominent candidates in fray included former assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey (Samajwadi Party/Itwa, Siddharth Nagar), state finance minister Lalji Verma (BSP/Katehari, Ambedkar Nagar), former state minister Munna Singh Chauhan (RLD/Bikapur, Faizabad), Mitrasen Yadav (SP/Bikapur, Faizabad) and Congress parliamentarian Jagda-mbika Palââ¬â¢s son Abhishek from Basti.
The Congress is counting on its good show in the 2009 general election and the untiring canvassing by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to improve the partyââ¬â¢s fortunes and end the 23 years of political banishment in UP. The party had bagged 5 Lok Sabha seats in 2009.
The first phase polling encompassed Ambedkar Nagar, Barabanki, Basti, Bahraich, Balrampur, Faizabad, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar, Shravasti and Sitapur districts. UP would witness polling in seven phases viz February 8, 11, 15, 19, 23, 28 and March 3, and counting would start on March 4 for all the five states.
Quote:Narendra Modi scores a hat-trick in Gujarat, praises voters for making 'right choice'
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi seeks blessings from his mother after his victory in Gujarat Assembly polls.
Fresh from the hat-trick in Assembly polls, which pitchforked him in the BJP's prime ministerial candidates' race, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi today said if he had committed any 'mistake', he seeks forgiveness from the people.
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[url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/KarnatakaElections2013/Congress-BJP-face-litmus-test-as-polling-begins-in-Karnataka/Article1-1055052.aspx"]Congress, BJP face test as polling begins in Karnataka[/url]
Quote:Prominent among them are chief minister Jagadish Shettar, opposition Congress leader Siddaramiah, Yeddyurappa, KPCC president G Parameshwara, deputy chief minsiters K S Eswarappa and R Ashoka.
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