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Bihar elections in October-November: EC

     New Delhi: The Election Commission today said elections to Bihar Assembly could be held any time during October-November. The Commission after considering the report of the two-member team, which made an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the state, ruled out "holding a free and fair poll during the period July, August and September, 2005". "The Commission will frame a suitable time schedule for the general election in due course taking into account all relevant factors, including religious festivals, and the ground realities such as floods. It will be its earnest endeavor to complete the election process by 22nd November, 2005," said an Commission release. The Commission said since monsoon is expected to set in by the middle of June, only a fortnight from today, it was not possible to hold elections earlier than October. Besides updating electoral rolls, servicing of electronic voting machines, mobilisation of central para military forces could not be completed in such a short period of time. The decision was taken unanimously by the Commission after receiving the reports of its Deputy Election Commissioner Anand Kumar and Commission's legal advisor S.K. Mehandiratta, who visited the state last week.

MLAs challenge Bihar assembly dissolution (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Four former MLAs of the dissolved Bihar Assembly from the NDA camp today challenged the dissolution in the Supreme Court. Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia (BJP), Dr. Anil Kumar (breakaway LJP MLA from Koch Constituency), Ram Parvesh Rai ( JD(U) from Chapra constituency) and independent Kishore Kumar Munna filed a peition in the apex Court questioning Governor Buta Singh's recommendation to the Centre. The petitioners claimed that the Centre doesnot have enough material evidence to substantiate its action of dissolving the House in hurry. It has sought examination of all documents that formed the basis of the Governor's recommendation. Meanwhile, the BJP today wrote a letter to the Election Commission alleging the Congress of misusing the administrative machinery in Goa ahead of by-elections. In a letter written to the Commission, National Vice-President of BJP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said,"Congress activists in the state are openly violating the Code of Conduct. They have been caught distributing money and liquor to voters. The by-elections are very crucial as they will decide the fate of the next state government." Naqvi asked the Commission to take proper action against the misuse of official machinery and to ensure a free and fair election.

Warrant issued against Gautam Goswami, 8 others (Go To Top)

     Patna: A local court in Siwan has issued non- bailable warrant against nine people, including former Patna DM Gautam Goswami, in connection with the multi-crore flood relief scam. The court has also issued search warrant of the houses of the accused and seizure of Goswami's passport. On Monday, the State Vigilance Bureau had alerted security agencies across the country to catch Goswami. It had earlier registered an FIR against Goswami and 27 others, including an additional district magistrate-rank official and a bank manager. Meanwhile, Goswami's lawyer Tuhin Shankar has said that he would be moving for anticipatory bail in a day or two. "I am going through the voluminous FIR filed against my client and will file an anticipatory bail application in a day or two in the court of Special Vigilance Judge Jitendra Mohan Prasad," Shanker said. Goswami, a former district magistrate of Patna, has been accused of siphoning off over Rs.17 crorers meant for flood relief during last year's catastrophe. Reports say that Goswami authorized the payment for the purchase of relief material from Baba Sathya Sai Industries (BSSI), which has turned out to be a phantom group. The Bihar administration has said that BSSI does not exist. Five of the accused-IDBI bank manager (Patna branch) Sanjay Kumar Jha, employee Shailendra Kumar, Bihar small scale industries corporation's then managing director Mukteshwar Prasad, employee Amlendu Choudhury and the then additional district magistrate (Patna) Basudeo Prasad-- are already in judicial custody in connection with the scam.

     Patna District Magistrate Sudhir Kumar had submitted his inquiry report to the State Government in this connection last week in which he had pointed to the bungling of funds meant for flood relief. Bihar Governor Buta Singh has said he would not hesitate to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the vigilance probe was not satisfactory. Time magazine had cited Goswami for his "brilliant work" over the years, notably for coordinating the flood relief and rescue operations last year when hundreds of people were killed and thousands rendered homeless in devastating floods. Goswami later quit the Indian Administrative Service and joined a private conglomerate, Sahara Group of Companies, as Vice- President before the scam broke. But the State Chief Secretary K A H Subramanian has said that the Government had not yet accepted Goswami's resignation.

Advani meets Pakistan PM (Go To Top)

     Islamabad: BJP President Lal Krishna Advani on Tuesday met Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad kick-staring his week-long visit, described as "return-to-the- roots". Advani is scheduled to hold talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and other senior leaders. Before his departure Advani said the joint statement issued on January 6, 2004 between then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad forms the bedrock of the current peace process. The peace process has moved slowly, but a meeting in New Delhi between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in April fed hopes. The two leaders said their peace process is now "irreversible" but the core issues including Kashmir, undemarcated border stretches in Siachen and the Baglihar project in Kashmir remain the stumbling blocks. Advani, who is visiting that country on an invitation from Pakistan government, will meet President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.

      In a statement on the eve of his departure advani said his visit is a continuation of the "bold and historic" initiative started by former Prime Minsiter Atal Behari Vajpayee to normalise relations between the two countries. Describing the January 6, 2004 joint statement issued after talks between then Prime Minister Vajpayee and President General Musharraf in Islamabad as "a major breakthrough", Advani said it had brough about "a radical change" in the bilateral relations and "trigerred the peace process that has proceeded steadily since then." This will be Advani's second visit to Pakistan since his family left Karachi during the post-partition holocast, the in 1979 as information and broadcasting minister in the Morarji Desai ministry. Advani, who was born in Karachi, will also visit his alma mater, the St. Patrick's High School where he had his schooling and D.G. National College at Hyderabad in Sindh province. The local government and old neighbours of the family at Advani Ghitti (street) are planning to give a memorable welcome to the BJP leader when he visits there.

Army to investigate Gohar Ayub Khan's revelations (Go To Top)

     Karwar (Karnataka)/New Delhi: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said, his ministry would investigate the 'revelation' by Gohar Ayub Khan that his father Ayub Khan was able to secure India's operational plans for 1965 war from an Indian Brigadier just for Rs. 20,000. "I am afraid it is difficult to believe that an Indian Brigadier would divulge military secrets for money," Mukherjee told reporters after dedicating INS Kadamba naval base in Karwar to the nation. Mukherjee said the "matter will be looked into and will be investigated," and added that the "the way the news item has come up will require detailed analysis." Khan said he would reveal the name of the officer, who is still alive, at the time of the release the compliation based on his father, ex-Presidnet General Auyb Khan's numerous personal diaries. Pakistan Army then launched an attack in the Chamb-Jaurian sector and registered early success, but failed to make headway. It was then that the Indian Army attacked along the Punjab and Rajasthan sectors and reached the outskirts of Lahore. Gohar Ayub Khan, it seems, want to give credit to the Pakistan Army for having stationed its forces opposite Khem Karan area and made advances. The battles in the sector saw the area become a graveyard of Patton tanks. When the 22-day war ended, Indian forces were on the bank of the Icchogil canal on the outskirts of Lahore and in Burki in the south.

     Defence experts do not rule out that Pakistan military might have put together some Indian defence military plan -- a task each army does. Col. (Retd) P.N. Khera, who heads a Defence News Agency says the Army does not have its operational plan in one document. He said if Pakistan had access to secret plans, as Gohar Ayub Khan claims, where was the success that it had achieved on the ground. As far as the forward formations were concerned their battle plans change with the ground situation, he said. Col. Khera said this could be a ploy to sell his book. Lt. Gen M. L. Chibber, a former General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Northern Command, said "I do not take the charge seriously", and was not willing to be drawn into further discussions.

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