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Left, UPA discuss economic issues

     New Delhi: The Left parties and UPA government met today to discuss and exchange views on major economic issues including banking sector reforms. During the meet, the Left Parties insisted on consolidation of rural credit and protection of jobs. Briefing about the 90-minute-long meet, the Finance Minister said, "There was a general exchange of views on the working of the government and the implementation of the programmes under the Common Minimum Programme." "There was general satisfaction that the rate of inflation had gone down to 5.7 per cent as on January 01 this year compared to 6.4 in the corresponding period last year", he said. Speaking on the banking sector reforms, Chidambaram said, there is still "no roadmap" to undertake the exercise but the Left Parties wanted that the Indian banks be protected from predatory take overs and there should be no loss of jobs.

     CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the rural credit target was over 1 lakh crore, on which the FM exuded confidence that the target will be exceeded. Yechury further said that while reforms should aim at strengthening public sector banks, private sector banks also must be protected and steps should be taken to ensure that they do not collapse. Replying diplomatically to a question about differences between the Left Parties and the UPA government on economic issues, Chidambaram said "Exchange of views with the Left cleared my mind." Referring to the withdrawal of Press Note 18, Yechury said that domestic private sector should be protected and added that the Prime Minister clarified several issues in this regard. The 90-minute meet was attended by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, PM Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, Congress leader Ahmed Patel, CPI (M) Gen Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja and Abani Roy of RSP.

Congress and LJP in seat-sharing pact (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Congress and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have reportedly reached a seat-sharing pact for next month assembly elections in Bihar. Disclosing this, LJP chief Ram Bilas Paswan said today that his party would contest 162 seats, while the Congress contest 80 seats. He also said one seat would be contested by an independent candidate. Paswas also said that talks are still continuing and a final arrangement would be disclosed soon.

Bihar BJP chief denied ticket; Congress chief unhappy (Go To Top)

     Patna: Things are not looking very rosy for either of the political fronts in Bihar. While the Congress Bihar unit chief has been made to run from a constituency, which he did not wanted to, the Bihar unit BJP chief has been denied a ticket. BPCC president Ram Jatan Sinha has been made to run from Warsaliganj, a constituency he never wanted to run from. He was keen on putting up a fight from Makhdumpur assembly constituency, where he was denied a ticket. Congress is supporting RJD in the Makhdumpur assembly constituency under the 'seat sharing'. Sinha was quick to resent. He said, "I was deprived of a ticket. I had hoped I would be allowed to have a friendly contest, but they didn't agree".

     On the other hand, BJP Chief Gopal Narayan Singh, who was denied a Lok Sabha ticket by the party, has again been denied a ticket in the assembly elections. But Singh, unlike Sinha is putting up a brave front. Singh said, "Given the circumstances in Bihar, we thought it best to stay out of the electoral process. This way we get to work for the party's victory." Earlier, Congress has already lost two very senior leaders, Ramashray Singh and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the past few days. While Ramashray joined LJP, Sarfaraz went on to join RJD. Both of them have secured a ticket from the respective political outfits from the constituencies of their choice.