May 1
THE POLITICAL CIRCUS
Pawar heads ginger group against Sonia
Said one Congress MP: "Right now there are only whispers of resentment, but my fear is that these whispers will soon turn into vociferous protests."
Vajpayee wasn't keen on a second chance
"I must confess this election is not going to be easy. It is going to be a dirty election. I hope I will be able to prevent this trend," the PM said in an interview.
Naib imam flays Mulayam's role
Ahmed Bukhari said the BJP and its allies, by giving a certificate of nationalism to Yadav for not supporting a Congress-led government, had certified the belief that the Samajwadi Party and the BJP are strengthening each other.
TDP in no hurry to tie up with BJP
"For us, the alliance will make only a marginal difference. But the BJP wants to increase its tally of seats through a tie-up with the TDP," a senior TDP leader explained.
Antony rules out support to third front
If the Congress did not get a majority, it would try to form the government with the support of "like-minded" parties. But there was no question of supporting a third front government, the CWC member said.
Fractured verdicts inevitable: Pawar
The senior Congress leader attributed such mandates to the fallout of ignored regional aspirations. Besides, the Mandal Commission had inspired assertiveness among backward classes, which political parties are still struggling to understand.
Paswan not averse to BJP
To throw out the RJD regime, which he calls the worst ever in the state, the JD leader is exploring the possibility of a new front in Bihar that could include the BJP.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
'We are not lambs before a jackal'
"We cannot defeat the RSS through armed combat. The only way the minorities can survive is to bring about political change," says the man who heads the "most dreaded Islamic fundamentalist" outfit in Kerala.
A Tae Kwon Do teacher and his vanishing trick
On April 15, three youngsters and their Tae Kwon Do teacher went missing in Bangalore. A fortnight later the police and the distraught parents still remain clueless, except for the suspicion that the martial artist may have some sinister connections.
OTHER REPORTS
Militants gun down 8 in J&K
No one has yet owned up responsibility for the killings which follow the recent claims by the CM that normalcy has been restored in the state.
Steep school fee hike has parents up in arms
Parents say the schools have been flouting a Delhi high court order.
16 of marriage party killed in collision near Nagpur
Sixteen people were killed and 32 injured when the truck carrying them overturned near Maregaon in Yavatmal district, 160km from Nagpur in Maharashtra, on Friday.
'Tudu' is second fodder scam accused to die
Ashok Kumar Tirki was unlucky not to get bail from the Patna high court on health grounds though one of the alleged kingpins in the scandal, Shyam Bihari Sinha, was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 10 cases.
Panel to help clear hurdles in 'compulsory Tamil medium' plan
The five-member committee is led by retired Supreme Court judge S Mohan.
Indo-US dialogue suffers as both sides get distracted
'US officials are concerned not only about the fate of the dialogue but also of the CTBT on which they desperately want India's signature,' says Seema Sirohi.
Forget Drucker, embrace Valmiki and Veda Vyasa
Network of India Professionals was founded in 1993 to create common social ground for the white-collar workforce in the 25-40 age group in New York.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
The enemy within
'As the fawning supplication before Sonia Gandhi (and, by implication, her backers) has shown, we have a long way to go before being free,' says Monu Nalapat.
What's keeping the Election Commission this time?
'A previous Rashtrapati Bhavan communique had spoken of the need for a quick poll to meet "the urgent needs of the nation". Suddenly, it seems those same "urgent needs" can be put into cold storage for up to six months,' says T V R Shenoy.
For politicians, April is the cruellest month
'I have no doubt the Chinese will be happy to invest a billion or two in staving off the possibility of India expanding its nuclear or missile capability, if a nationalist government comes to power again,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.
Rajasthan: Nine kids burnt alive near Jaipur
THE WEATHER
North remains in the grip of heat
Severe heat wave conditions prevailed in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and north Rajasthan.
April 30
Advani to lead BJP into electoral battle
But despite his earlier renunciation of electoral politics, A B Vajpayee will continue to be the party's prime ministerial candidate.
Third election in three years leads to funds crisis
The huge expenditure is certain to cripple the central government, which has not made any provision for it.
But what is worrying political parties is how the recession-hit Indian industry will sponsor their high-pitched campaigns.
AP Congressmen fall over each other to woo Sonia
They want Gandhi to contest the election from the state in the hope of an encore of Indira Gandhi's Medak triumph. But things may not be so rosy because of a likely TDP-BJP alliance and Chandrababu Naidu's determination to expose her 'foreign' connection.
Athavale offers to mediate between Congress, SP
The RPI leader said his party would demand at least eight of the 48 Lok Sabha seats and 40 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra this time.
Polls may not be held in June: Fernandes
The defence minister has come to the conclusion following the Election Commission's decision to hold an all-party meeting on May 3.
BJP, allies will work on common manifesto: Hegde
The Lok Shakti president said the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, which had extended support to the Vajpayee government during the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha, would be a part of the alliance.
Gamang wants full five-year terms for LS
The Orissa CM called for an amendment to the Constitution to ensure that the country does not see frequent elections.
OTHER REPORTS
Filmmaker Kidar Sharma dies at 90
A titan of Hindi cinema, Sharma's talents encompassed poetry, dialogue, scripting and direction. And it was he who discovered stars like Raj Kapoor, Madhubala, Gita Bali, Bharat Bhushan and Mala Sinha.
Charges to be framed against Jaya on May 10
The Madras high court also directed Special Judge P Anbazhagan to frame charges against the AIADMK chief's aide Sasikala Natarajan and four others in the Tansi land deal.
Soldier arrested for raping disturbed girl in public
Though the incident took place in the day, none of the 100-odd bystanders dared intervene as the soldier was armed. Some people did throw stones, but that failed to deter the soldier.
Bihar gets notice over woman's humiliation
The National Human Rights Commission has taken serious note of the incident in which the woman was stripped in public and forced to swallow human excreta.
Farooq urges Pak to recognise LOC as border
Speaking at a Washington-based think tank, the J&K chief minister said accepting the status quo would pave the way to end the dispute.
Militants 'extending arc of violence' in Jammu: report
The militants have been trying to strike at soft targets in a bid to terrorise the people, said the home ministry report.
Court asks DDA about steps to clean up Jama Masjid area
Acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice K S Gupta directed the authority to file a comprehensive affidavit by September 16 detailing steps taken and results achieved to remove encroachments from the parking place, Meena Bazaar and the vicinity of Jama Masjid.
Sena man Hareshwar Patil is Bombay's mayor
Patil and Deputy Mayor Ram Barot of the BJP defeated their rivals in the BMC by huge margins.
Actor Mohan Gokhale is dead
The end came in Madras where he was shooting for Kamal Haasan's new film Hey Ram.
Smallpox scare in Uttar Pradesh
The death of six children in Etawah district has fuelled fears of a smallpox epidemic, though government officials say they were only cases of chicken pox.
UN body calls for moratorium on executions
The UNHRC voted 30-11 in favour of the move. India, which abstained, predicted that countries that had abolished the death penalty would be seen as safe havens by criminals.
Where phool banaana is safai ka kaam
From confounding the police or alert victim to complimenting a colleague for his 'artistry', the pickpocket fraternity in Delhi has invented a language entirely its own.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'Show me where the Quran allows a man to divorce his wife at will!'
V P Suhara is a feminist and crusader for Muslim women's right. "Where does it allow him to say talaaq thrice over and throw his wife out when he feels like it?" she demands. The third of a four-part series on the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Kerala.
Tears of a talaaq victim
Fousiya, married at 13 and forsaken after a month, has only one grievance. "I don't mind him marrying again. But I wish he would send me some money every month."
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
Arms wrestling
'I believe arms dealers *have* played a part in toppling the government. They have reason to: More than Rs4000 crore in commissions are at stake as defence deals worth over Rs40,000 crore are in the works,' says Varsha Bhosle.
Thanks for small mercies
''Though at this late stage in the controversy it is out of the question to call off the project, the best alternative would be to halt the dam at 116 metres and thereby reduce the submergence,' says Darryl D'Monte.
April 29
THE POLITICAL CIRCUS
Government refuses to be mere caretaker
What has upset it is the fear that it will have to abandon some of the major international commitments the BJP had been planning to fulfil by September, including on the WTO and the CTBT.
BJP seeks President's help to ensure early poll
The PM has proved his ability. "Now our thrust will be stability of the Lok Sabha. We will appeal to the people to give our combination a two-thirds majority," party vice-president K L Sharma said.
EC officials hint at September election
Former Tamil Nadu health minister H V Hande resigned from the TMC to join the BJP "because of the very wrong decision taken by Mr G K Moopanar in voting against the confidence motion".
Vajpayee appeals for a clear verdict
"I sometimes wonder: as there was no issue, was the fact that we were doing everything possible to make India strong and prosperous the reason the government was brought down?"
Venkatraman calls for change in LS rules
The former president said the number of political parties in the country should progressively be reduced to just two if the Constitution is to function successfully.
Kalyan Singh praises Mulayam
The Uttar Pradesh CM said the choice this time will be between a swadeshi and a videshi prime minister.
Naidu dashes off letters to President, CEC
The Andhra Pradesh CM said the impact of a "likely policy vacuum at the Centre" on the economy can be gauged from the fact that the stock markets have lost an astounding Rs700 billion in less than two months. Besides, in September, AP faces the threat of cyclones.
Lok Sabha poll in AP to cost Rs800 million
As many as 61,000 polling stations will be set up. The number of voters is likely to be around 51 million.
Most Goa leaders favour early poll
Constitutional experts say the assembly elections cannot wait till September as President's rule in the state ends on August 11.
Sikkim parties favour early LS, assembly poll
All the parties welcomed the President's decision to dissolve the Lok Sabha and call for a mid-term election.
OTHER REPORTS
BJP dissidents bay for Kalyan's blood again!
They requested the party leadership to replace the UP chief minister before the coming Lok Sabha election.
Child killed in UP communal violence
But Principal Home Secretary V K Mittal said the situation was promptly brought under control in each of the places. Curfew was imposed in parts of Lucknow as a precaution.
SGPC flays Pak role in Sikh shrines
SGPC secretary Kulwant Singh has alleged that Pakistani officials have allowed certain elements to take control of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib for unleashing anti-India propaganda.
Kerala lady becomes first Muslim to earn doctorate in Sanskrit
At a time when communal hatred plagues India, Fathima Beevi has emerged as a symbol of secularism.
Veerappan strikes again!
The forest brigand has kidnapped three Tamil Nadu forest personnel near Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district.
Sikhs sack Ranjit Singh as jathedar
Giani Puran Singh is the new leader of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the religion.
Centre to order fresh inquiry into Netaji's disappearance
The decision has been taken in deference to demands made by the people of Bengal, a suggestion by the Calcutta high court, and a unanimous resolution adopted by the Bengal assembly.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
The Jihad Within
Tasni Banu, abandoned by neighbours and family for marrying outside the nikaah ceremony, is still angry. "I haven't abused Islam. It's they who did that."
Kosovo now, it can be Kashmir next
'One can easily imagine a scenario in which Pakistan creates chaos in Kashmir, with tacit US approval... Then the US intervenes with the ostensibly moral aim of preventing war, and uses the opportunity to destroy Indian nuclear capability,' says Sameer Jalnapurkar.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
Made in Italy, but so what?
'There are many reasons Sonia Gandhi should not be PM. Her birth in Italy is not one of them. If born-in-India Indians can accumulate such a record of disservice to the nation, birth alone is no disqualification to office,' says Dilip D'Souza.
Thank you Mulayam
'His principled stand has spared Indians a Sonia regime at the Centre and continuation of a 45-year Congress tradition of arrogance, greed and selfishness,' says Pritish Nandy.
Bihar: Fodder scam accused found dead in jail
THE WEATHER
Heat wave toll reaches 5 in MP
Three deaths were reported from Raipur division, where the maximum day temperature was 45.4 degree Celsius Wednesday. The rest came from Gwalior division.
April 28
35 killed, 40 injured in bus-train collision in Uttar Pradesh
The Avadh-Assam Express had left Lucknow and was heading for Ghonda when it hit the bus carrying a marriage party at the unmanned Jhukia railway crossing at 2020 IST.
THE POLITICAL CRISIS
Jaya hints at tie-up with Congress
But TMC president G K Moopanar said his party would have no truck with the AIADMK or the BJP, since his party is opposed to both corruption and communalism.
Vajpayee will lead BJP & allies: Fernandes
The Samata Party president and defence minister said the coalition would go to the people with the National Agenda for Governance with suitable changes.
BJP, Samata Party call for early poll
They said the country should not have a caretaker government for long as important decisions will be held up and development work will come to a halt.
Mulayam ends poll tie-up with Congress in Maharashtra
On Congress president Sonia Gandhi's candidature for prime ministership, the Samajwadi Party chief said he was not against any individual but "against the designs of foreign forces to ensure a government of their choice".
Congress rules out tie-up with Samajwadi Party
Party spokesman Arjun Singh said the Congress would not go in for "unequal alliances" and would decide the issue in consultation with the state units, with the working committee taking the final decision.
Laloo open to poll alliance with Congress, Left
The RJD president was also open to the idea of supporting the Congress if it asks for support.
BJP, RJD marshal forces for battle royale in Bihar
For the ensuing election, both parties are seeking to broaden their respective alliances, the first with the Samata Party and those that supported it in the confidence vote, the other with the Congress and the Left.
Badal blames Narayanan, Sonia, Jaya
The Punjab chief minister said the President should have given Vajpayee another chance to form the government.
Mamata blames President for mid-term poll
She claimed that eight more members of Parliament had agreed to support the government, and some had even called on the President.
TDP may align with BJP
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu predicted that a coalition government would be formed once again since the days of single-party rule are over.
BJD, BJP demand simultaneous election to Orissa assembly
The Opposition parties made the demand on the ground that it would save the poor state Rs250 million.
OTHER REPORTS
Pro-Tohra Akalis form youth wing
The move came as a big jolt to the Shiromani Akali Dal, which is the ruling party in Punjab.
Farm labour fleeing Jehanabad, says ABVP
Organisation secretary Harendra Kumar said the social structure in the district has been battered to such an extent that farmers are finding it difficult to employ labourers in their fields.
74 victims of '84 riots get more compensation
An enhanced compensation of Rs350,000 will be released to the next of kin of 74 victims of the anti-Sikh riots within a week, officials said.
India denies killing two persons in cross-border firing
A report from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, quoting police, had said two persons were killed in a mortar attack on Monday and 15 were injured in an attack on Sunday.
UNESCO chief calls for strengthening Indo-Pak dialogue
Federico Mayor appealed to India and Pakistan to bury the hatchet and channel meagre resources for mutual benefit.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
The Jihad within
Kerala's Islamic extremists are consuming their own people. The first of a four-part report.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
A mirror to oneself
'Perhaps it is time someone gave Dr Swamy an award for this bit of work. At least the BJP should honour him and make him MP emeritus, considering that it has come off in flying colours only thanks to him,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
A peeved President
'Did K R Narayanan forget its criticality when he pushed for a motion of confidence in unholy haste? Ought he not instead have advised patience and sanity to Jayalalitha and the motley group of Opposition leaders who rushed to him baying for Vajpayee's blood?' says Arvind Lavakare.
THE WEATHER
Jamshedpur records 45.2 degree Celsius
Patna and its adjoining areas were comparatively less hot. The maximum temperature during the day there was 43 degrees.
April 27
THE POLITICAL CRISIS
BJP, Congress begin preparing for June poll
A BJP source said the party would now not hesitate to attack Sonia Gandhi personally. "She has exposed herself by seeking power at all costs, by bringing down a government just so she could become prime minister. This time, we will not spare her."
After the machinations, the introspection
Most Congress politicians now point accusing fingers at Arjun Singh, M L Fotedar, R D Pradhan and Vincent George, who, they believe, forced Sonia Gandhi to senselessly tread a disastrous path.
President dissolves 12th Lok Sabha
Announcing the decision, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said the Election Commission would decide the poll dates in due course.
Mid-term poll may be held in September
The EC is also considering simultaneous polls to nine state assemblies whose terms expire before March next year. These are Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Gill meets senior EC officials
The chief election commissioner rushed to New Delhi from the United States after he was advised to return at the earliest by the President last night.
Jaya extends stay in Delhi
The announcement of mid-term polls forced the AIADMK leader to postpone her return to Madras by a day to continue confabulations with Opposition leaders.
50 first-timers urge Balayogi not to dissolve LS
About 50 Lok Sabha members urged the speaker to use his good offices to persuade the President not to accept the Union Cabinet's recommendation to dissolve the House.
Shekhar hails Mulayam for obstructing Congress
The SJP decried the Congress attempt to form an alternative government in "an autocratic manner". It also criticised a section of the Left for projecting Yadav as "the villain of the sordid drama".
CPI-M was ready to make Basu PM, but Congress refused
The politburo, Somnath Chatterjee said, had agreed to make the West Bengal chief minister prime minister if the Congress extended support to the government from the outside.
TDP fears simultaneous LS, assembly polls
But party chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu said the Congress would be the "biggest loser" for playing "nasty and hasty" politics.
Chautala blames Congress for untimely elections
"We are a developing country and we just cannot afford elections every 13 months," he said, and called upon the electorate to teach a suitable lesson to the Congress for sabotaging the people's mandate.
9 days of a political cliff-hanger
From April 17, when the government lost the trust vote, to April 26, the nation was witness to some nail-biting drama as discredited politicians claimed to speak on its behalf.
12th Lok Sabha had the shortest life-span
On three of the five occasions when the Lok Sabha was dissolved before completing its full tenure, mid-term polls were necessitated after the Congress pulled the plug.
OTHER REPORTS
PoK citizens tell alarming tales of Pak plans
Pakistan will not allow any movement for the right to self-determination within occupied Kashmir. This slogan is only meant to incite Kashmiris on the Indian side, a political leader from Gilgit said at the 55th session of the UNCHR in Geneva.
Militants attack army camp in Srinagar
A group fired seven rifle-grenades at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry camp at around 1930 IST. Though the grenades burst inside the camp and damaged a building, no one was injured.
Maharashtra minister facing corruption probe resigns
Social Welfare Minister Baban Gholap said he was resigning to uphold the "moral values" and "dignity" of his party, the Shiv Sena.
Atomic attack on Kashmir possible, says NHRC
Shankar Sen, adviser to the NHRC, cautioned the state administration that terrorists may use atomic, biological and chemical weapons in future attacks.
Why is Jehanabad the centre of bloodbaths?
By deliberately dragging the Yadavs into the battle, the Ranvir Sena men have made a gamble. They want to convey to the other upper castes that they are fighting the Yadav domination too.
Indian sub made operational in Russian port
After undergoing an extensive overhaul in Russia for over two years, Sindhuveer, the diesel-run submarine will shortly leave for Indian shores.
Nepal ex-PM Adhikary dead
The president of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninists) was felled by an attack of hypoxia when campaigning for the forthcoming general election in the Himalayan kingdom.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
India to halve its poverty by 2015
A World Bank report says all developing regions except for China and South Asia have lost momentum in achieving their goals.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
Immaculate Conceptions
'The Round Mound asked the Shroud why the Congress opposed the Samajwadi Party's inclusion in government. Consequently, Arjun Singh supplied her with the criminal records of several SP MPs. Mulayam's anti-Congress posture hardened thereafter,' reveals Varsha Bhosle.
The People's Backlash
'India's political parties will have to start looking beyond the compulsions of their leaders if they want to remain in the business of elections -- voters do not take kindly to those who do not think about the people,' says Kanchan Gupta.
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