April 25
THE POLITICAL CRISIS
Opposition roots for Basu, but Congress is not enthusiastic
The Congress's opposition stems from the fear that the economic policies launched by it in 1992 will be reversed.
CPI-M to debate if Basu can be 'spared' to head government
Striking a bizarre note, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha is believed to have told the President that she would prefer her ally Subramanian Swamy as prime minister.
Nothing wrong with Sonia becoming PM, rules high court
The Andhra Pradesh high court dismissed a writ petition seeking to debar persons of foreign descent, including the Congress president, from becoming a member of Parliament, prime minister or President of India.
PM restrains partymen, allies from attacking President
Vajpayee cautioned them against jumping to conclusions, and advised them to "wait and not have any suspicion about the President".
The Sonia conundrum unravels itself
"If there is one person who is actually happy at Sonia Gandhi becoming prime minister, it is Sharad Pawar. Her image is bound to take a battering just as Rajiv turned from Mr Clean to Mr Suspect in the Bofors case."
The goddess of flies
Whenever she comes back to the hotel, the entire AIADMK parliamentary party and hordes from the press are lined up like devotees at the local temple. On days when things have gone well for Jayalalitha, the Maurya lobby is radiant with flashbulbs and video-lights. On other days, an uneasy calm prevails.
Joshi flays President for giving Sonia more time
"I am surprised that there has been no concern over the continuing uncertainty. This will only help horse-trading. People do not expect this from the President of India who is the protector of the Constitution," the HRD minister said.
DMK petitions President against third front
BJP politician Jaswant Singh, DMK politician Murasoli Maran and MDMK leader Vaiko told reporters after meeting the President that third fronts are "negativism of the worst kind and the surest recipe for instability".
New PM must be elected by Lok Sabha, says Naidu
"I requested the President to direct the speaker to reconvene the Lok Sabha and facilitate the election of the new prime minister on the floor of the House," the Andhra Pradesh CM said.
THE BIHAR MASSACRE
25 Ranvir Sena activists arrested
The Rapid Action Force staged a flag march in the town to restore confidence among the people in view of the Muharrum processions.
OTHER REPORTS
Famine threatens Tripura as drinking water sources dry up
Official sources said many people had died in the hilly and remote areas due to enteric diseases.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
India's Kosovo conundrum
'By taking a stance against intervention in favour of the Kosovar Albanians, India's state managers have exposed their cynicism. They are opposed to NATO's intervention solely on grounds of great power politics,' argues Gaurav Kampani.
THE REDIFF COLUMNIST
Had we known...
'More than one Lok Sabha MP is now ruing the fact that he did not vote with the government. Foremost among such is Chandra Shekhar: "I was confident that the government would survive. Had I known that it was in such a precarious position..." ' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
Jammu and Kashmir: Four militants, soldier among six killed
THE WEATHER
Kashmir isn't cool!
Severe heat wave conditions prevail in Jammu and Kashmir.
April 20
THE FALL OF THE GOVERNMENT
BJP demands another chance, counts on split in Opposition
"The combined Opposition must offer proof to the President of support from more than 270 members in the Lok Sabha. Otherwise we should be invited again rather than dissolve the assembly," said a BJP official.
President sets the ball rolling
"The present numbers in the outgoing ruling coalition and the Opposition parties are equal and no group is in a position to offer a stable government," a Rashtrapati Bhavan official told Rediff On The Net.
Congress decides it's going to be them or elections
Congressmen are increasingly veering round to the view that this is the only way out of the present political stalemate.
Sonia gets inside support, but the outside proves difficult
Gandhi's biggest worry is not pacifying Jayalalitha, but persuading the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha to stay out of the government and convincing the Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party to support it.
RSP rejects plea to back Congress government
The RSP has made it clear that it is for forming an alternative government by the Third Front to be led by veteran Marxist Jyoti Basu.
Jethmalani advises Vajpayee to dissolve Lok Sabha
The minister disclosed that the income-tax department has served a notice on Subramanian Swamy for allegedly possessing wealth beyond his known sources of income. "I believe he has Rs15 crore in his personal account," he said.
BJP's allies stand by it
The allies met at the prime minister's office in Parliament and adopted a resolution expressing their determination to work together under Vajpayee's leadership.
National Conference expels Soz for life
The MP was expelled for defying the party whip and voting against the BJP-led government in the recent vote of confidence.
Soz may form new party
"It seems the NC is getting estranged from Kashmiris. The people of Kashmir did not vote us to support the rabidly communal BJP and RSS," the sacked politician said. "The NC leadership seems to have forgotten Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah's legacy."
New government by tomorrow, says Jayalalitha
Speaking to the media for the first time since the fall of the Vajpayee government, the AIADMK leader said there was no pressure on her to stay out of the new set-up.
Trinamul gives privilege notice against Mayawati
Trinamul Congress politician Sudip Bandyopadhyay today gave a notice against the BSP vice-president for allegedly "misleading" the Lok Sabha on her party's stand on the confidence motion.
TDP decides not to play a 'negative role'
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu said his party would not prevent the Congress from forming the government. But he clarified that there is no question of supporting a Congress-led government.
Advani's announcement on Kalyan brought government down
The home minister's last-minute announcement to let the UP chief minister continue in power was what led to Prime Minister Vajpayee's fall -- but for that, the BSP would have kept its promise of abstention.
LS, RS adjourned till Wednesday
Both houses of Parliament will reconvene on April 21 to pass the Union Budget.
OTHER REPORTS
Gen Malik concerned over reference to officer in debate
George Fernandes had urged the Lok Sabha speaker to expunge the adverse references to Lt Gen S S Mehta made by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda during his speech on the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.
India moves ahead on T-90 tank deal
A defence ministry booklet said price negotiations started after the "in principle" approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security on December 3, 1998.
Raghubir Singh, ace lensman, dies in NY
Raghubir Singh, one of India's most distinguished photographers, died in New York on Sunday night after a heart attack.
SC dismisses plea on Gandhi murder
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to reopen the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case after more than 50 years so that the 'real culprit' could be brought to book.
Two infiltrators killed, Bangladeshis held in Kashmir
Unidentified militants also beheaded a special police officer at Lotta-Basant Garh village in Udhampur district on Saturday evening.
Jharkhand parties warn against holding up Bihar Bill
The parties trying to form an alternative government at the Centre will have to ensure that the Bill is adopted in this session, they said. "History will not forgive those trying to betray the people of Jharkhand this time."
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Power draws its blood...
'No, I don't get ball-mad by perceivable actualities. What gets my goat is the misplaced "ethics" of G M C Balayogi. WHAT was he thinking about when he left the option of voting to Giridhar Gamang? He should not have been *allowed* to vote -- every rule pronounced against his participating in the proceedings of the House,' says Varsha Bhosle.
Muslims can change the destiny of governments, so can the President
'Had it not been for his initiative in asking Mr Vajpayee to seek a confidence vote, India would have been spared the agony of political and economic instability and the ignominy of being shown up as a fragile democracy yet to master the art of parliamentary governance,' says Kanchan Gupta.
Threshold of a dream
'Each time Sonia gives in to the CWC, to the canny veterans and wizened dealmakers, she makes a mistake. Already, the situation has moved so quickly that it is nearly out of her control. Only a fool or a power-hungry Congressman will fail to recognise the obvious: there is enormous sympathy for Vajpayee and a general disgust with the antics of India's politicians,' says Vir Sanghvi.
Kerala: 25 hurt in train mishap
Tamil Nadu: Jaya told to file fresh petition for valuation of seized wealth
Sundaram does it again!
The AIADMK legislator had the Vaishnavite symbol of namam on his forehead when he presented himself in the Tamil Nadu assembly Saturday. Why, you ask? Well, read on...
THE WEATHER
Temperature soars in Assam, Meghalaya
Heat wave conditions also prevailed in parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and north Rajasthan.
April 19
THE FALL OF THE GOVERNMENT
Congress finds the going tougher than it had thought
Political pundits said the most likely scenario seems to be the formation of a Third Front-led coalition supported from outside by the Congress. The BJP, meanwhile, has told its strategists to try and rustle up the numbers once again to return to power.
RSP, Forward Bloc adamant about not supporting Congress-led government
Some Leftist politicians have again floated the idea that West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu may be the best candidate to head an alternative government. Significantly, Basu has not rejected the proposal.
President begins deliberations to decide on next step
Some constitutional experts said the President is under no compulsion to invite the second largest party or group of parties to form the next government.
Laloo invites BJP's 'secular' allies over
"They are welcome back as by now they must have tasted the BJP style of functioning," the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha convenor said, without naming any of those he was welcoming.
Badal rules out ditching the BJP
But senior Akali politician Gurcharan Singh Tohra said the government fell "because of its own contradictions as it failed to keep up its promises".
Mayawati keeps her options open
The BSP vice-president did not rule out the possibility of joining an alternative government, and said the party would decide only after the new political formation takes a "proper shape".
Swamy's next project -- to "finish off" the RSS
The Janata Party president claimed that 72 MPs will break away from the BJP if an alternative government provides a stable administration for three months.
April 18
THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Vajpayee loses by 1 vote; 269 for, 270 against
After the defeat, the exodus?
Seven MPs from the BJD and five from the Samata Party are reportedly on the verge of walking over to the Opposition ranks when the new ruling coalition emerges next week.
Congress wakes up to reality of Opposition politics
While Mulayam Singh has refused to accept Sonia Gandhi as PM, the Forward Bloc and the RSP, with seven MPs between them, have declared that they will not support any government in which the AIADMK is a partner.
Corrupt should be kept out: Moopanar
The Tamil Maanila Congress president said such ministers should not be allowed to "go out of one door and re-enter the government through another".
Samajwadi Party worried about Congress plans
"As a major party, the Congress has the responsibility of carrying along all those secular parties which voted to bring down the government," general secretary Amar Singh said.
BSP, SP plot Kalyan Singh's removal
Emboldened by the Vajpayee government's ouster, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have trained their guns on the BJP-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh.
Mulayam confident of alternative government
The Samajwadi Party has authorised its chief to hold discussions with 'friendly parties' to form a new government at the Centre.
Congress expects defection from Samata, BJD
The BJP, meanwhile, has claimed that the country is heading for election. "We expect elections soon, maybe by June. The Opposition cannot last since they are such a hotch-potch combination," party general secretary Narendra Modi said.
Woman power knocked government off its pedestal
While not many are sanguine about the stability of the new coalition that will emerge, the coming together of Sonia Gandhi, Jayalalitha and Mayawati has lent a new angle to Indian politics.
What forced the BSP to vote?
Where the BJP erred is in not following up with the BSP and ensuring its abstention. The Opposition worked the other way. According to sources, when the Opposition realised it lacked the numbers, it went all out to woo the BSP.
Left parties will decide on government's contours
Senior Marxist politician Somnath Chatterjee said the CPI-M would support a Congress-led coalition from outside.
CPI-M politburo to review developments
Party general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu feel the Congress should head any alternative government.
OTHER REPORTS
Tamil Nadu set for political realignment
The TMC may have to swallow its pride and help Jayalalitha share power at the Centre. If that happens, the TMC's honeymoon with the DMK will be as good as over. This will also spell danger for the coalition government in Pondicherry.
Pakistan says political turmoil is India's affair
Islamabad said it remains committed to negotiations regardless of who is in power in New Delhi.
GSLV to fly in 2000
ISRO chief Kasturirangan said work on the launch vehicle would begin immediately after the launch of the PSLV-C2, which is scheduled to take off from Sriharikota in the last quarter of May.
Aides urge Bhutto to stay away from Pakistan
They suggested the step so that she could avoid imminent arrest after her conviction and sentencing by a court in a corruption case.
Student shoots principal in Multan
The killing occurred after the principal refused to declare a holiday to allow students attend a Muslim League rally.
Survey ordered into radiation from uranium mines
Many people in the area are afflicted with cancer, physical disabilities and other diseases, allegedly owing to the radiation from the Uranium Corporation of India Limited's mines.
Two dead, three hurt in Delhi train blast
The bomb exploded in the rear motor coach of the Delhi-Panipat electric motor shuttle.
Two hurt in Amritsar explosion
Police say the blast was minor and aimed at causing panic.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
For Clinton, China can do no wrong
'The endless list of export licences granted to China presents a sharp contrast to the "deny, deny, deny" policy toward India. While sophisticated technology is sold directly to the Chinese military, even paper clips are denied to the Indian defence department after last May's nuclear tests,' says Seema Sirohi.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Jaya was ready for compromise!
The last straw was, sources say, the Vajpayee Cabinet's formal rejection of her demands. "She took that as a personal affront," says former AIADMK minister M R Janarthanam. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
Bring back 'untouchability'
'In his eagerness to stay put in his prime ministerial chair, Atalji had counted on the abstentious support of a woman who is possibly even less reliable than Jayalalitha: delightful Mayawati. Sure enough, when it came time to vote, she pulled the wool from over his eyes to spectacular effect,' says Dilip D'Souza.
Jammu and Kashmir: Two militants killed in encounter
Manipur: Minister escapes attempt on life
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