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DMK threatens to review support to UPA

     Chennai: The DMK on Sunday threatened to review its support to the Congress led UPA government. The DMK has seven ministers in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet. DMK is apparently miffed with the Congress after its leader EVKS Elangovan sought power sharing in the run-up to next year's state polls. DMK leader M. Karunanidhi called a meeting of his party lawmakers and senior leaders here. "We have assured support for the Congress government only till our self-respect is protected," Karunanidhi told reporters after the meeting. DMK has 16 lawmakers in the Lok Sabha.

Congress to form Haryana Govt; hung assemblies in Bihar, Jharkhand (Go To Top)

     Panchkula/Patna/New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday made an electoral sweep in Haryana in northern India, defeating the Indian National Lok Dal led by Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala accepted defeat and said he was going to meet governor to submit his resignation. "This is a people's mandate against the INLD (Indian National Lok Dal). I shall be resigning from the post of chief minister of the state. The public has decided that we sit in the opposition. The party shall be working to strengthen itself. We will support the ruling party in all its developmental activities in the state," said Chautala. Meanwhile, a key ally of India's Congress-led national coalition lost its majority in the Bihar, with the state heading for a hung assembly.

      The unclear verdict is likely to strain ties within the federal United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but is not expected to have an immediate impact on the stability of the government, which unveils its first full-fledged budget on Monday. Ram Vilas Paswan, chief of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), said that President's rule should be imposed in the state if none of the parties could form a government. "People's verdict is not a clear one. LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) cannot go with RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) nor with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance). If a government is formed by either of the two, it is welcome. If the government is not formed, then there should be President's rule," he said in Patna. However, Nitish Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United), was confident that his party would form the government in the state in coalition with the BJP.

     "The people of Bihar have given their verdict against the RJD and have recognised the NDA alliance as the biggest coalition party. The difference of seats between RJD and NDA has been almost of 30. We will decide the future course of action in a meeting at evening," he told reporters after a meeting with its allies, the BJP, in New Delhi. The local assembly elections in Bihar and two other states had been expected to boost the strength of the Congress and its UPA allies, which came to power last May. But the Congress fought the RJD in Bihar, in alliance with another national ally, the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP), showing that UPA unity was in disarray at the state level. Congress party senior leader Ambika Sonia said the party was keen to form a secular government in Bihar. "Paswan and Lalu are both coalition partners of UPA government whose chairperson is Sonia Gandhi. They both have great respect for her. We all will definitely find out a way but Congress will definitely not compromise on the secular front," she said. With all parties and alliances short of a majority in the lawless eastern state, there is the possibility of prolonged instability and the spectre of direct rule being imposed by the federal government.

     The RJD has 24 members in the 545-seat federal parliament, including two Cabinet ministers. The Congress, headed by Sonia Gandhi, fared poorly in Bihar where it was winning or leading in just 12 seats. The Congress, at the helm of a diverse national coalition, now must calm the tensions the state elections have stirred. The Congress also fought against the RJD in Jharkhand, creating more bad blood between the UPA allies. For the BJP, who lost national power last year to the Congress- led alliance, the possibility of retaining Jharkhand is only partial consolation as it fared poorly in Haryana and its alliance failed to win a majority in Bihar, which has been ruled by the RJD since 1990. But the BJP-led alliance said it was best suited to take over in Bihar. The RJD, whose support base consists of lower castes and minority Muslims, is headed by the maverick Lalu Prasad Yadav whose image of a rustic politician cocking a snook at the urban middle classes, has helped keep his party in power for 15 years. But analysts say the state's reputation for lack of governance and widespread crime had hurt the party. Yadav holds the key railway portfolio in the Central cabinet and his party is expecting the Congress and LJP -- headed by another federal minister from Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan -- to support it to ensure the BJP alliance does not come to power in Bihar where Yadav's wife is the chief minister.

Rabri retains Raghopur (Go To Top)

    Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has retained her Raghopur seat defeating her nearest LJP rival Rajiv Ranjan by over 27,000 votes. The NDA and the RJD are locked in a neck-to-neck battle in Bihar where counting for the 243 assembly seats is underway. In the votes counted so far, BJP and its allies are leading in 93 seats, while RJD and allies are close behind in 75. Ramvilas Paswan headed LJP, which could tilt the balance, and Congress which fought together in Bihar are leading in 29 and 11 constituencies respectively. Others are gaining in 35 seats. Rabri Devi's party has won three seats of Ramgarh, Chainpur and Bhabhua. BJP has won Bettiah and Nokha, while JD(U) registered a win in the Singheshwar and Lauria seats. RJD's allies CPI and NCP have won Harlakhi and Shikarpur seats respectively, while the Samajwadi Party has won Sikta. Of the total 243 seats in Bihar, RJD contested 215, BJP and JD-U 103 and 138. Congress fielded 84 candidates, LJP 168, BSP 238, SP 143, CPI-Ml 88, CPI 15 and CPI-M 12. RJD had won 115 seats in 2000 assembly polls, while the Congress pocketed 12.

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