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MARCH 1
DD Exit Poll: BJP - 244; Cong-140; UF - 118
The BJP gains 59 seats. The Congress loses 3 seats. The big loser this election is the United Front which loses 53 seats. A Doordarshan Exit Poll points to a hung House. It also indicates that the Sonia Gandhi factor has not boosted the Congress in a way that the party hoped it would.
Exit Poll: BJP sweeps Uttar Pradesh, might win 58
Exit Poll: Major parties gain in small north states
Exit Poll: Laloo's RJD has limited impact in Bihar
Exit Poll: Close fight in Rajasthan, but BJP ahead
BJP likely to sweep Madhya Pradesh
Exit Poll: BJP gains at Congress's expense in Gujarat
Exit Poll: BJP-Sena, Congress likely to share honours in Maharashtra
Exit Poll: Congress stays at 22, BJP wins 4, TDP 15 in AP
BJP gains at JD's expense in Karnataka
Exit Poll: UDF gains 2 seats in Kerala
Exit Poll: DMK-TMC lose 4 seats in Tamil Nadu
Exit Poll: AGP trounced in Assam
Exit Poll: CPI-M holds out, Congress wiped out in West Bengal
BJD/BJP, Congress neck and neck in Orissa
Exit Poll: Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka electorates disappointed with state govts
Exit Poll gives youth vote to BJP
Exit Poll: Women back BJP
Exit Poll says BJP bridges rural/urban divide
55 per cent poll turnout recorded in last phase
West Bengal topped the list with nearly 65 per
cent balloting, followed by Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. The process, unlike the previous phase, was peaceful.
Coimbatore goes to polls under the shadow of the gun
What is happening here is not voting. It is a 'Mirror mirror on the wall/Who is the better rigger of us all' situation. Prem Panicker reports from behind the barricades.
Fear stalks Wandhama on election day
Old woman Fazi can feel it in the cold morning air. A chill, a certain sense of
dread, which has been growing on her. Sitting inside her compound, she experienced it all the more powerfully now, as she watched the small group ascending on Wandhama...
Bihar devises strategy to counter violence during counting
A highly placed police source said the government feared outbreak of large-scale violence and vandalism by these elements as soon as the election results starts pouring in, with
counting beginning on March 2.
Gori bahu goes to Gujarat
Like Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress is of little consequence
electorally, Gujarat will be another litmus test of the difference
the 'Sonia factor' can make.
'If my father is a rapist, I cannot, should not, defend him only because he is my father'
'Smaller parties -- like mine -- are always looking to extend their spheres of influence, to attract more public attention. If the government. I am part of functions well, fine, I get my mileage by being a part of it. If my government functions ill, I got mileage by opposing it -- so you can be sure I, and the other coalition members, have everything to gain and nothing to lose by playing watchdog.' Samata Party leader George Fernandes, in an illuminating election result-eve interview.
A Princess Remembers
'Sometimes you catch a tear in their eye because they think you are the Rajmata's daughter, who has come to see them. It is then that I think ''Oh God, we've really failed.'' ' Yashodhara Raje Scindia, in a fascinating interview.
'Ultimately, the Sena's rank and file will merge with the BJP. But today, Thackeray is a necessity for us'
Sardar Angre, RSS ideologue, in conversation.
'Those who challenge Mrs Gandhi, they should first make
it clear whether they are democrats or not'
Madhavrao Scindia, caught on the campaign trail.
'I want to release politics from the confines
of the mahal and bring it to the common people'
Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, former Bajrang Dal president, has taken on the might of Madhavrao Scindia.
'The next government will be Congress-led and not BJP-led'
Prithviraj Chavan, rising Congress star, brims with confidence.
For the Scindias, it certainly pays to be royal
Another engrossing chapter in this bitter tug-of-war between mother
and son, between royalty and royalty, between ideology and ideology,
is now getting a fresh coat of paint.
Oh for an ink-remover...
'Where's mine, I yelled. Dripping frost, she said, Bai,
it's not up to me -- now let the Name vote. The Name voted. I
screamed, I'm going to sue that bloody Gill! The Lady With The
List said, Bai, zaroor kara, now let the queue move.'
Varsha Bhosle's Election Day ordeal.
The 50 % Democracy
'Voter turnout in this election has been similar to the last three. So, one of the most crucial elections of our democratic life will be decided by the choice of around 50% of the people.There is something wrong,' says Shalabh Kumar, 'about a democratic system which gives executive power to a political group with popular support of around 15% of the voting population.'
Over to the President
'Going by his record,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy, 'he is not going to agree to any inherently weak bloc ascending the
throne in New Delhi without satisfying himself about its shock
absorbing capacity, over its internal grievance redress mechanism,
and, of course, the strength of its commitment to stick together
under adverse circumstances.'
OTHER REPORTS
Major breakthrough in blasts in north India
The Delhi police says it has solved 25 of the
37 bomb blasts in Delhi,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since December 1996.
BJP will put Bhandari in dock if it comes to power
Madan Lal Khurana says Bhandari's 'role' in the 'coup' amounted to 'murder of democracy.'
Expelled Loktantrik leader accuses Naresh Agarwal of hatching plot to topple Kalyan
Pooran Singh Bundela told newspersons in Lucknow that Agarwal was "dissatisfied" with Chief Minister Kalyan Singh for not giving him the post of deputy chief minister. This was the motive behind the conspiracy, he alleged.
Kalyan may coopt five rebel BSP members into cabinet
The five rebel BSP members who joined the Jantantrik BSP on February 24 and voted for Kalyan Singh, are Shiv Ganesh Lodhi, Ved Prakash, Jay Narain Tewari, Rajendra Singh Patel and Munna Lal Maurya.
Tamil Nadu: 20 killed, 41 injured in Madurai road accident
FEBRUARY 28
Four dead, 22 hurt in Bombay blasts
One bomb went off, killing two, when a man dropped a bomb at Nirmal Nagar, near Santacruz; another killed the man carrying it to Virar station; the third went off at Kandivli railway station claiming one life.
ELECTIONS '98
BJP readies strategy to counter Congress-UF pincer movement
Though official talks have not begun and the leaders have not returned to Delhi after their tour of various states, the BJP is taking precautions to avoid an Uttar Pradesh-like ganging up of the non-BJP entities to prop up a United Front-Congress government.
Security gears up for violence in the last phase of polling
Special security steps have been taken in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining Himachal Pradesh, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Purulia and Midnapore in West Bengal and Bombay in Maharashtra to prevent miscreants from disrupting the elections.
CBI to investigate Sonia assassination attempt
The request comes in the wake of conflicting reports about the exact place and date of recovery of the body of one A R Venkatraju, an assistant engineer working with the South Eastern Coal Fields Limited, and his actual home town.
Muslim support likely to place UDF on top in Kerala
Muslim political forces
and cultural organisations, who earlier stood alone or helped
the ruling Left Democratic Front, have adopted a pro-Congress, pro-UDF stand.
Women candidates on sticky wicket in Kerala
The 10 women candidates who have entered the electoral fray in Kerala are finding the going tough against their male counterparts.
Leadership problems plague BJP in Gujarat
The BJP will certainly win a majority of the Lok Sabha and assembly seats.
But how long will the new government last is the question.
'Thackeray has increasingly become a liability, not an asset'
'He is a peculiar kind of character. If he is your friend, it is a one way thing. He believes he has every right to insult you, whether in public or private. But if you attack him or say anything against him, he goes crazy, he says stupid things, and increasingly, his sayings are proving to be an embarassment for his party.' Sharad Pawar, in his most eloquent interview ever.
'Is election ne Madhavrao ko mahal se sadak par utaar diya hai'
Scindia is known to have become far more accessible this time than ever before. The 'Maharaj' took many by surprise by sitting on the floor with local traders during the campaign. Though he has had a scintillating record in every election, the general
sentiment in Gwalior is that he faces a real challenge this time.
A life in the day of Baramati
One thing is a given in Baramati -- that Pawar has no opposition. "Arre, as long as Sharad Pawar is alive, no one else has to bother contesting from here," says Shankarrao Reddy, of Jyoti Cycle Works, in the heart of the town.
'Let's stop the talk about mandir and masjid'
The BJP's star-on-the ascendant winds up his campaign...
Amid slush and filth, campaigning goes on in full swing
A dog was attacking something there. "Last week, too, a dog
was eating something there. When we went to see, it was small
child who had drowned in the filth. I hope it's not another one
today."
The gunslinger rides into town
A A Khan, the controversial former police officer from Bombay, takes on the Mahatma's kin in Bombay North West.
'If the BJP comes to power, they will tear the country apart'
Tushar Gandhi, the Mahatma's great-grandson, during the final hours of
his campaign in Bollywood land.
Vaghela, Modi fight proxy war in Dhandhuka
Battle between Dilip Parikh and Bharat Pandya becomes a matter of prestige for the two leaders
'Caste factor not always important'
Gujarat finance minister Babulal Shah takes on former chief minister Suresh Mehta in the Rapar assembly seat.
Issues 98: 'India needs a goal to aim for'
Businessman Anand Mahindra asks for a vision for all Indians.
India Speaks! 'My biggest hope is the youth of this country'
Gautam Solanki, 67, retired school teacher, Rajkot, on what he expects from this election and the politicians.
OTHER REPORTS
Supreme Court approves UP floor test
But the court chastises the speaker for not deciding on the issue of the 12 truant BSP legislators.
Kalyan drops Jagadambika Pal, two others, from ministry
Naresh Agarwal claims he joined the rebels only to woo them over.
'Tell me, why must I resign?'
Feisty Uttar Pradesh Governor Romesh Bhandari defends his actions which he insists were constitutional.
Floor test not absolute, says Surjeet
But Marxist leader denies showing disrespect to the President while Ghulam Nabi Azad attacks UP
speaker.
Marak sworn-in again as Meghalaya CM
The 56-year-old Congressman had just completed a full five year tenure.
TODAY'S COLUMNIST
Flamingo Pink, Bombay Blue
'It is a crowded, polluted, noisy and sometimes violent city I live in,' says Dilip D'Souza. 'But there are still some places where, some times when, the crowds and the noise are only memories. Where it's hard to remember even recent, even important reasons for anger. They are only as far as an afternoon watching flamingos on the Sewri shore.'
•
Forgive me lord...
Twentyeight year old Mannar, a burglar by profession, has gone
and built a temple on the outskirts of Madras city.
FEBRUARY 27
THE UP CRISIS: DAY SIX
Kalyan Singh makes it home in style
225-196.
President-PM meet to seal UP governor's fate
"The President is waiting for a nod from the prime minister to axe Romesh Bhandari," a Rashtrapati Bhavan official told Rediff On The NeT. "He expects it soon."
Don't politicise Presidency, says Vajpayee
Regretting that Prime Minister I K Gujral and the council of ministers had not condemned the efforts to denigrate the President's office, Vajpayee alleged that some ministers were actively conspiring with the
UP governor.
The stage is set for a classic battle
between two pillars of democracy
If it weren't all so sad, the Uttar Pradesh drama would have been
a rich comedy, feels T V R Shenoy.
ELECTIONS '98
Saffron may conquer Coimbatore as fear spreads
As Coimbatore still grapples with communal tension, canvassing has come to a standstill. But the DMK posters have been torn up at most places, and the Bharatiya Janata Party may win the Lok Sabha seat easily.
Plot to kill Sonia in MP, alleges Congress
Najma Heptulla says the body of an engineer was recovered under mysterious circumstances two days ago near the meeting venue near Bilaspur. A diary containing detailed maps of Sonia's meeting places and the plan to place a bomb under the dais were recovered from the deceased.
Bad weather puts paid to Sonia's campaign in Bengal
The Congress's star campaigner cancelled all the four public meetings on the last day of electioneering.
J&K Congress reject party order, continue to oppose Omar Farooq
Sitaram Kesri asked the J&K Congress candidate to withdraw and help Farooq Abdullah's son. His advice was rudely rebuffed.
Aska taken up completely with Naveen Patnaik
Both Patnaik Jr and his election symbol, the conch, have totally won over the villagers from this constituency.
There's another Scindia in town!
Yashodhara Raje, who returned to India last year after spending 18 years
in the US, has been her mother's campaign manager for the last
two elections.
'Jyoti Basu is the biggest fraud, cheat and conman in West Bengal'
Who else would say that, but Mamata Banerjee?
'BJP and the Trinamul will be wiped out'
West Bengal Congress chief Somen Mitra breathes fire.
'Gandhinagar should be proud Advani chose it as his constituency'
Keshubhai Patel, who was ousted from the chief ministership by Shankarsinh Vaghela, discusses the BJP's prospects.
'The party machinery is not properly geared up to transform the Sonia enthusiasm into votes'
"The unfortunately myopic vision of some Congress leaders led to the breaking-off of the alliance with the RJP. The BJP will certainly benefit from this," says Harubhai Mehta, the Congress candidate for the Ahmedabad Lok Sabha seat.
Uphill task for Khalap
Goa gets raw deal as leaders bank on caste votes.
Lotus blooms in Khadia-Raipur
In this Gujarat's constituency, BJP candidate Ashok Bhatt is the monarch of all he surveys.
Amreli set to throw out BJP legislator
Despite being an MLA for two terms, he has done precious little and the constituency is seeking revenge.
Congress struggles in strongholds due to Karunakaran
The former Kerala chief minister refused to concede the Mukundapuram seat to sitting MP P C Chacko, forcing the party leadership to shift him to Idukki. Caught in the crossfire, A C Jose had to settle for Mukundapuram, deserting his Idukki constituency.
'If we win Bombay North-Central, the Sena government should resign'
RPI candidate Ramdas Athavale believes his party will wrest the prestigious seat.
'Sonia will stimulate the Congress cadre, not the voter'
Krishnam Raju, the BJP's candidate for the Kakinada Lok Sabha, on the state's response to the saffron brigade.
It's a straight fight between Sena and Congress in Satara
And with Congressmen of all hues sinking their hues, the Sena's sitting MP could be in serious trouble.
'Our lives are a burden. No water to drink, no water for our fields...'
Both the Congress and the BJP candidate in Kalahandi are assured of their respective vote banks. But the angry, uncommitted voters far outnumber the party faithful.
Goddess of Small Things hasn't had any effect on Aymanem electorate
Communist veteran E M S Namboodiripad and comrades have emerged unscathed from Arundhati Roy's
Booker-winning effort.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
'Yeh Hindutva kya cheez hai? For instance, everybody "knows" I'm a
fundie who advocates murder in the name of Hinduism. But do you
also know that I'm an agnostic who never visits a temple except to
admire its architecture? That I think the dogmatic VHP is a bag of
nuts?' says Varsha Bhosle.
A Case for Action
'The neo-liberal believes, absolutely, in action. Therefore, our icons are people
like Baba Amte, Medha Patkar, Sunderlal Bahuguna, Sri Narayana Guru, Madhu
Kishwar, Mohammed Yunus (of Bangladesh's Grameen Bank) -- visionaries and people
of action at the same time. These
dedicated and determined people have shown that just a few people can make a difference.'
Rajeev Srinivasan proposes a new ideological manifesto.
'Sonia and her family have much to hide'
N Ram expounds his views on dynasty and the reasons for India's backwardness.
India Speaks! 'I am not scared of anything, not even Jayalalitha'
Devyani, 60, from Marakkanam village, on what she expects from this election and the politicians.
OTHER REPORTS
200 kg of explosives seized in Coimbatore
The police is probing the Kerala connection of Tamil fundamentalists says Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
Powerloom centre finds government policy a millstone around its neck
Ichalkaranji is losing out to other cities as the production centre for saris and dhotis because of the latter's lower cost of production, enabled by a more friendly government than in Maharashtra.
Lalitha, an actress and a gentlewoman
Lalitha Pawar, the renowned actress of yesteryears who passed
away in Pune early this week, enjoyed a most chequered career on the silver screen.
Tamil Nadu: Radha Ravi's plea against bank tribunal's order quashed
FEBRUARY 26
THE UP CRISIS: DAY FIVE
Bhandari may step down at 'appropriate time'
The President, it is understood, mentioned various controversial actions of the governor and inquired of the PM whether a change was not called for. The President's letter to the premier, the second since the UP crisis erupted, reflected his strong feelings regarding Bhandari, who had ignored his suggestion not to rush into dismissing the Kalyan Singh government.
Kalyan is buying MLAs, alleges Pal
Jagdambika Pal, who maintains he is still chief minister, has expressed serious doubts over the impartiality of Vidhan Sabha speaker Kesrinath Tripathi.
President takes a hard knock for frowning on Bhandari
Launching a frontal attack on Narayanan, CPI-M general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet accused him of transgressing his powers and leaking to the media his letters to the prime minister on UP
developments.
BJP to mount 'operation UP' after election results are known
"Mid-term elections to the UP assembly is not the only way out, there are other possibilities also. We couldn't do anything in Gujarat or UP because we were not in power at the Centre. Once we have the central government we can even get the Loktantrik members to merge with BJP," says a high-ranking BJP leader.
Mayawati demolishes list of BSP rebels, says speaker is biased
The BSP leader charged the speaker with dilly-dallying in deciding the issue of disqualification for the benefit of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, to which he belongs.
UP assembly gears up to vote for CM
For the first time in the history of the state, a vote of confidence will be obtained by a chief minister by open ballot system with the ballot box being kept before the dais of speaker
Kesrinath Tripathi.
ELECTIONS '98
Vajpayee, Thackeray flay Sonia at massive rally
The Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena had a point to prove: that the combine could hold a rally bigger than the one held by Sonia Gandhi at the same venue. And they pulled out all stops to do so.
Trick knee, determined rivals and vengeful Pawar add to Kalmadi's uncertainty
Pawar seems hellbent on teaching his former protege a lesson. He stormed into Pune on Tuesday afternoon and promptly hit the stump, addressing rallies at Hadaspar
and Swargate, besides a series of impromptu street-corner meetings.
His speech is hard-hitting and 'a beggar in a Mercedes Benz' is his leitmotif.
'Sonia is no factor in Indian politics'
'The crowds in her meetings have been manipulated. But there is no machinery in the Congress to follow the climate created by Mrs Sonia. Why should we bother about her? I don't know where she will be after the election.' Leading BJP ideologue S S Bhandari tells the Rediff Chat.
Coalitions a result of weak leadership, says Gujral
Nehru, Gandhi, now they were some leaders, says PM, advising people not to vote for those who don't care for their sentiments
Cong gives Sena a run for its money in Ratnagiri, a near walkover in Rajapur
The people of Konkan usually vote the way their chakarmanis working in Bombay do. Trouble this time is, even the elders aren't certain which way to lean
Congress faces tough battle in Ichalkaranji
It scorned Nivedita Mane, daughter-in-law of a former Congressman. And may now pay the price
'Muslims can be divided into two. Those with the BJP and those who are indifferent'
Gujarat BJP leader Narendra Modi explains why his party will sweep the polls in the western state.
Dull campaigning for Kutch seats
The contest for the six Kutch assembly seats and the lone Lok Sabha constituency is marked by an apparent lack of enthusiasm, despite the presence of some big names.
'I want to expose Advani'
Chaitanya Shambu Maharaj is the Hindu priest whom Shankarsinh Vaghela has chosen to take on the BJP president in Gandhinagar.
In Guna, Congressmen hope the Palace's influence has waned at last
Party members point out that previous Congress candidates did
not have the resolve to win against the Rajmata. "They thought
it was their good fortune to lose against her," says one Congressman.
Ram Pyari versus the Rajmata: A strange contest in Guna
Her head covered under a georgette sari pallu, Ram Pyari Bai says she has no political inclinations.
Vajpayee beats Sonia in crowd turnout, but will Goans vote BJP?
Sonia Gandhi, the 'last hope of the Congress' was greeted by only 4,000 Goans but Vajpayee broke all records this time, attracting around 8,000 people.
Bickering in Bolangir royal clan may hurt BJP's chances
A tour of several villages spread across the constituency indicate that, unlike other constituencies in the western Orissa belt, there is electricity in the air here as polling day approaches.
'Mamata is the best among a dismal lot'
The Muslims of Calcutta are shocked by the Trinamul
Congress's recent alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, true -- but educated members of the community still prefer to vote for the party.
Poll officials provided high security in Srinagar
Polling in Kashmir requires extra-ordinary arrangements. And so do polling staff.
Women candidates find poll battle 'daunting' but 'worthwhile'
It is a mammoth exercise requiring 'finance, energy, time and stamina'. But, given a chance, they would go for it again.
Issues '98: 'No party has focused on the issue of judicial reforms'
Former Chief Justice A M Ahmadi on why the Saikia Committee report should be implemented.
India Speaks! 'The Indian woman is facing more and more problems every day'
Falguni Parekh, 26, beautician, Rajkot, on what she expects from this election and the politicians.
OTHER STORIES:
Coimbatore car bomb was a pro job, says army expert
Although the 203 Bomb Disposal Company has defused many an unexploded bomb and improvised explosive devices in the past, working on the Coimbatore bomb was a "challenging task", according to Captain Sanjay Chawla.
The Muslim Sena
N Sathiya Moorthy on the rise of Muslim fundamentalism in
Tamil Nadu.
The Arabian Nightmare
What Saddam Hussain's regime has informed the US is let hell freeze over, the so-called inspecting personnel flaunting the UN emblem will not be permitted to desecrate Iraq's presidential palaces. If we don't have the courage to praise them for this, we
should at least have shame for not supporting them, says Ashok Mitra.
Police defuse 'tiffin box bomb' in Madras
The four kg bomb packed in an aluminium tiffin carrier with a time device, was set to go off at 0855 hrs. Around the same time, Karunanidhi passed that way to take part in an official function.
•
Their master's order
So you want to win the Ratnagiri and Rajapur seats of
Maharashtra's Konkan region? Yes? Well, then, don't go campaigning in 'em constituencies. Hold your meetings in Bombay!
FEBRUARY 25
THE UP CRISIS: DAY FOUR
Loktantrik now supports Kalyan
Uttar Pradesh Loktantrik Congress Party leader Naresh Agarwal on Tuesday said his party will support
Kalyan Singh on the floor of the house during the February 26 trial of strength in the state assembly, and that he has already expelled Jagdambika Pal, Puran Singh Bundela and Hari Shankar
Tewari from the LCP for their anti-party activities.
SC orders UP trust vote on Thursday
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to stay the Allahabad high court order directing restoration of the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh and asked that a vote of confidence be conducted on February 26.
President cannot remain a spectator, says Vajpayee
It is not necessary for the President to wait for the cabinet recommendation to recall the governor. Only a consultation with the prime minister was sufficient, the BJP leader said.
Kalyan's insistence on majority with governor saved his day before SC
Soli Sorabjee drew the attention of the court to the two portions in the governor's orders where Kalyan
Singh's assertion that he was still in majority had been recorded. The Chief Justice observed that if Kalyan Singh had ever admitted that he was in a minority and asked the governor for more time to prove his majority on the floor of the house, the governor would have legitimately declined.
Bhandari welcomes SC order
This is a decision which the governor could not have taken. It is an innovative and salutary decision which would strengthen our democratic processes and which could now deal with unique situations
as have prevailed in Uttar Pradesh, governor Romesh Bhandari said in his reaction.
'I will do anything, repeat anything, to defeat the BJP'
"It is very flattering to know that I can pull down a government. I didn't do it. Jagdambika Pal and
Naresh Agarwal and all the Loktantrik Congress ministers did it together. Now the Loktantrik
ministers have once again proved that their loyalty is with the government of the day and power and
not with anyone else. And it is for everyone to judge what kind of followers Kalyan Singh has. These
former Congressmen who have been adopted by the Sangh Parivar." The Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh unspooled.
ELECTIONS '98
For Bhopal residents, politics is a lot of gas
Thirteen years after the world's worst industrial disaster, the small colony opposite the factory wears an everyday look. The slogans on its walls demanding justice for the gas victims ironically
muted by the saffron BJP flags fluttering from most houses.
I am not in the race for PMship, says Manmohan
Manmohan Singh said the present election was being contested not to project any face but on issues
like stability, economic development and secularism and the need to check the rise of communal forces,
and the party regarded the issues more important than faces.
Debutant BJP candidate has a tough fight against Sanat Mehta
Mehta, former Gujarat finance minister's campaign is going on strongly, while BJP leaders admit in private that they can only dent his victory margin in Surendranagar.
'The CPM is doomed because the Trinamul has bloomed'
The rivals in Jadhavpur are Malini Bhattacharya of the CPM and sitting MP Krishna Bose, formerly of the Congress and lately of the Trinamul Congress. Both have overlooked much of the 'dignified' campaigning associated with women candidates, and have gone straight for each other's jugular.
Six-time MP is facing the toughest battle of his life
An impressive electoral record of over two decades in the tribal-dominated Mandvi (ST) Lok Sabha constituency notwithstanding, Congress MP Chhitubhai Gamit of the dissolved Lok Sabha will find it difficult to retain the seat.
'The BJP is not untouchable'
Churchill Alemao, the first-time MP from Goa who defeated Eduardo Faleiro in 1996 and who had a pack of indepenents with him in the 11th Lok Sabha, spells out his course of action.
BJP seeking Muslim support in Rajkot
A prominent Muslim leader recently joined the right-wing party, and BJP leaders are hopeful that the new entrant will bring votes with him.
Sonia has cast a spell on
Thackeray's magic: Pawar
To quote the senior Congress leader, Sonia has, with her
Shivaji park speech, 'defused the batteries of Bal Thackeray's remote control.'
TCC chief calls for ban on RSS
Action necessary considering all the trouble it has caused, claims K V Thangabalu
Issues '98: Declare population control a national emergency
Dr Prem Aggarwal, chief of the Indian Medical Association, on healthcare and need to treat its various aspects as a right.
India Speaks!: Is not dynastic rule a kind of dictatorship?
Dattatray Desai, 58, taxi driver, Belgaum, Karnataka, on why he prefers the BJP this time.
OTHER STORIES
CBI draws Interpol attention to supply of arms, explosives to north-east, J&K
D R Karthikeyan reiterates Indian demand for a universal extradition treaty at conference
Cop tells probe panel he didn't know about desecration of Ambedkar statue
Suspended sub-inspector Manohar Kadam of the Maharashtra reserve
police also said he saw pieces of burning tyre being thrown at the tanker parked in Ramabai Nagar on July 11.
Indian, Pak troops exchange fire
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged small arms fire for several hours at Bandipora and Karotana Khurd, while a militant was killed and four army personnel were injured in a
fierce encounter at Saloora Ganderbal on Tuesday.
Maharashtra: Antulay's kin involved in Bombay blasts, charges Joshi
Tamil Nadu: PMK leader goes on fast, blames DMK-BSP for statue desecration
Tamil Nadu: Police recover another bomb
FEBRUARY 24
Court reinstates Kalyan Singh
The governor is at liberty to summon the assembly and direct Kalyan Singh to seek a vote of confidence,
Justice B Dixit and Justice D K Seth said in their interim order.
Vajpayee calls off fast, asks Bhandari to quit
Vajpayee's grand-daughter Niharika offered him a glass of juice in the presence of former President R Venkataraman and the BJP's wellwishers at his residence after he was told that the Allahabad high court had restored status quo ante and Kalyan Singh had assumed charge as chief minister.
Kalyan Singh moves in but Pal refuses to vacate
Utter confusion prevailed in Uttar Pradesh secretariat on Monday with Kalyan Singh assuming charge as chief minister following the high court order and Jagdambika Pal refusing to quit the office.
President needs to be advised by cabinet to sack governor
The President, who had termed Bhandari's act as "unwise and incorrect" is learnt to have reached a decision not to recall or remove the governor because technically the Union cabinet has to recommend such a course of action.
Sonia effect offset by Bhandari, crows BJP
As far as the ongoing parliamentary elections are concerned, the BJP feels that they have the stolen the thunder from the rest of the parties who were waiting to get together to form a government in case of a hung Parliament.
Pal says it was murder of democracy, non-BJP group claims majority
The Congress said it respected the judgment of the Allahabad high court on the dismissal of Kalyan
Singh government, but made it clear that non-BJP parties commanded
majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.
BJP bandh stirs up trouble in UP towns
Curfew has been imposed in parts of
the greater Gorakhpur city following violence in the Ratei area.
ELECTIONS '98
Independents's action may lead to fresh elections in Maharashtra
Congress may demand fresh elections in Maharashtra if SS-BJP lose independents's support.
'They tried to bury me alive. How can I tolerate that?'
Former NTR acolyte Mudragada Padmanabham who left the Congress recently after his ticket was yanked away, now speaks for his new party, the BJP.
Not naming Congress choice for PM was an error, says Sathe
The former information and broadcasting minister blasts the BJP and other opposition parties who claim that Sonia Gandhi is a foreigner and, therefore, unfit to be PM.
Wait a minute... Just how literate is the Indian electorate?
Well, not very. Ninety per cent of the women voters in 26 of India's 543 Lok Sabha constituencies are
illiterate. And two-thirds of its male electorate unlettered in 48 constituencies... All the statistics you don't want to know about polling in the world's largest democracy.
Witch's spell has little effect on Hoogly voters
Congress candidate Ipsita Roy, who is contesting from Hoogly, is a self-confessed witch.
Father, son and the holy votes
The NC is putting all its influence to ensure that Omar's entry into the twelfth
Lok Sabha takes place with a sizeable margin, but trying to
thwart just such a possibility the Congress has fielded Aga Syed Mehdi,
a local Shia leader.
Left wrestles with idea of backing Congress from outside
A senior CPI leader said if the UF strength in the Lok Sabha gets depleted against
the Congress after the election, the Left Front will lay down
rules for the next political formation.
Moopanar, circa 1998, comes out swinging
Moopanar appears to have finally arrived as a politician. Thus, where earlier his campaign style was tame, he now shows himself ready to take on challenges hurled at him, to hurl a few gauntlets of his own in turn.
Cakewalk for Indrajit Gupta in Midnapore
Veteran Communist parliamentarian and Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta (CPI) is all set to win this prestigious parliamentary seat for the fouth time in a row.
Security tightened as Coimbatore terrorists cross Kerala border
A red alert has been sounded in the northern districts of Kerala following intelligence reports about the possibility of Coimbatore-type blasts taking place in state.
India Speaks!: 'Corruption is the bane of this otherwise great country'
Haresh 'Bobby' Kothari, 27, STD-PCO booth owner, on what he expects from this election and the politicians.
Issues '98: 'Committed politicians should join hands to fight corruption'
H D Shourie, director, Common Cause, an organisation for ventilating common problems of the people, on the biggest evil faced by the nation today.
Jammu and Kashmir:3 killed, 14 injured in the valley
New Delhi:Arms intended to disrupt UP elections seized
Maharashtra:Srikrishna report to be made public next week, says Munde
Tamil Nadu: "We now know what a battlefield looks like!"
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Trim 'em bellies down!
Vice-President Krishna Kant lands one right where it hurts
the Delhi cops most.
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