BJP Core-Group Meets Today, Focus on 2014 Polls in India

New Delhi: With a focus on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the core group of the main opposition party BJP will meet on Friday for the first time since Rajnath Singh took over as the party’s national president.

According to reports, the BJP top brass will discuss the party's strategy for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in 2014. The deliberations will also focus on the upcoming national council meet of the party.

BJP sources say that the parliamentary board of the party will be reconstituted and senior leaders will be allotted various organizational responsibilities keeping in mind the assembly elections in several states this year and the 2014 General Elections.

The core group meeting comes a day after the top BJP and the RSS leaders met to chalk out a strategy for the fast approaching polls. It is believed that BJP and the RSS is planning to shift the focus on the issue of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The Sangh Parivar wants BJP to announce a time line for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Giving a larger role to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has emerged as the top contender for the prime minister’s post, and the upcoming Sangh-backed saints meet at the Mahakumbh in Allahabad are also likely to be discussed.

The BJP and RSS may also appoint Modi as the head of the party's campaign committee soon.

Yesterday’s meet was attended by new party president Rajnath Singh, BJP veteran LK Advani, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and the RSS leaders- Bhaiyaji Joshi and Suresh Soni.

After the meeting, Singh told reporters, "There is no question of a clash with RSS. I am the president of BJP and a member of RSS, so where is the question of a clash?"

Quashing suggestions of pressure from the Sangh in BJP's appointments, he said, "In such meetings, we have never discussed who should be office bearers of BJP or in the government. The Parliamentary board is the correct forum for deciding on who will be our prime ministerial candidate should be."

Singth had earlier urged party leaders to exercise restraint while airing their views on their choice for the prime minister’s post.

His remarks came in the backdrop of senior BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, CP Thakur and Ram Jethmalani voicing their open support to Narendra Modi's candidature for the top job.

The party has been officially maintaining that it will take a decision on its PM candidate at an appropriate time.

Source: Zeenews Bureau

Narendra Modi Ideal Candidate for PM Post: Shiromani Akali Dal

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday joined the Modi-for-PM bandwagon with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal saying Narendra Modi is a suitable candidate for the 2014 polls.

"SAD will support whoever BJP chooses as its PM candidate," he told TOI. When asked if he thought Modi was a suitable candidate, Sukhbir said, "Modi is certainly a suitable and ideal candidate. Modi is a good leader. He has done tremendous work in development."

Modi is close to the Badals. In 2011, he had attended the bhog ceremony after the death of Badal Sr's wife, Surinder Kaur. Sukhbir is said to be a votary of Modi's brand of "development politics" and a large part of SAD's win in the Punjab assembly polls last year is attributed to Sukhbir's promoting the development plank.

On JD(U)'s objection to Modi, Sukhbir said, "I don't comment on what JD(U) does, but we will be always with BJP."

Source: TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.Com

Congress Stares at Humiliating Defeat in 2014 Polls:BJP

Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu today said Congress would be decimated in 2014 Lok Sabha elections owing to its failure on all fronts notwithstanding the emphasis that party is laying on projecting gen next leaders.

"Nobody will be able to save Congress party from facing defeat in general elections. As and when elections are held, that party will suffer a humiliating defeat...Congress would be reduced to double digit in 2014 Lok Sabha polls", Naidu told reporters here.

Without naming Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Naidu said "the debate is that somebody is going to save the Congress is useless. They may have a youth leader or not". He said a strong wave is rising against Congress in the country as people are feeling "betrayed". "People look at Congress as betrayers. UPA government has failed on various fronts", he alleged.

Taking a dig at Congress, Naidu said Congress may opt for advancing the general elections as "the party is already facing several scams and it would not wait for more scams to be added before elections (on due date)".

Terming as unrealistic the policy decisions of government, Naidu said "the petrol prices are hiked 15 times while that of fertiliser by 20 times. Government has also restricted supply of LPG cylinders to nine per year".
Source: Indian Express

Chidambaram Promises Responsible Budget ahead of 2014 Polls

London: Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said general elections are 15 months away and the Budget to be presented next month will be "responsible".

Addressing global investors, on the fourth leg of his overseas roadshows that began last week, he said the government will implement many of the decisions and changes in the run-up to the polls.

The Finance Minister said during the meeting the investors expressed reservations over political stability and capacity of the government to take reforms forward. They pointed out that elections are due in 2014 and "will be falter in the run-up to the elections."

"I assured them that the polls are 15 months away and that the Budget that will be presented in February will be a responsible Budget, that we will implement many of the decisions and changes in the run-up to the polls," he told reporters after the meeting. He said there is no reason for the investors to doubt that "in the run-up to the polls we will be anything but responsible."

The Finance Minister said if one went by the number of people attending the conferences and questions they asked, it clearly showed there was enormous interest in and goodwill for India.

Both in Frankfurt and London, the investors want India to recapture what it achieved between 2004 and 2009.

"I sincerely hope that these roadshows have helped to answer their questions, clarified their doubts and stimulate interest in India," he said.

Asked whether Vodafone tax controversy figured during the investor meeting, he said Vodafone figured only peripherally.

"They were more concerned about fiscal consolidation, policy to address structural issues and stalled projects and how we are going to remove these roadblocks and get them started," he said.
Source: Profit.NDTV.Com

Narendra Modi Discusses 2014 Polls with BJP Chief

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a top contender as the BJP's prime ministerial nominee for the 2014 general elections, met the party's new president Rajnath Singh Sunday and held "detailed discussions" signifying his increasing national role.

After the two-hour meeting, the two leaders said they mainly discussed the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but refused to give any details.

"We sat together for a couple of hours and discussed Gujarat and the 2014 elections," Singh told reporters, adding: "The day I was elected party president, Narendra bhai called me and congratulated me. He said he would come to Delhi and meet me."

Singh refused to speak on Modi's role in 2014.

Modi, who visited Singh at his residence, said: "I sought his (Singh's) guidance for what more should the BJP do to serve the people in Gujarat and the people of India. We also had detailed discussions on the coming general elections."

Political commentator G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, who is involved with the BJP's poll reforms cell, described the meeting as the start of intensive preparations for the next Lok Sabha polls. He told IANS: "Consultations with Modi are significant as he has emerged as the most popular leader in the party in various opinion polls."

"Today's meet signifies that the BJP has begun intensive preparations for the 2014 polls and will work unitedly," Rao said.

The BJP described the meeting as a courtesy call.

"They are both party leaders so there is nothing special that they met. Modi met him (Rajnath) and congratulated him. In that context, they also talked about the 2014 polls," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS. Asked if the meeting had any connection to Modi being the party's potential prime ministerial candidate, Sitharaman said: "At the moment, its just that they met and talked about 2014. There is nothing more to it. Modi is a three-time chief minister of Gujarat. It was a courtesy call."
Source: ZeeNews.Com

Narendra Modi Set to Become BJP Head for 2014 Election

Bangalore, Jan 18: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is likely to become the chief of the campaigning committee of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during 2014 Lok Sabha elections, informed sources on Friday, Jan 18.

Despite tremendous criticism and reported differences between Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, sources informed that the ideological parent of the BJP is also likely to support Modi as the head of the committee.

However, Modi will not resign as Gujarat CM to assume the prominent role in BJP party affairs in the Centre. It is believed that Modi would become a tough competitor for Congress's Rahul Gandhi who too leads his party's election coordination committee. After his third consecutive victory in Gujarat, Modi has become the most prosperous leader of the BJP. However, it has not been revealed who will be NDA's Prime Minister candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Party vice-president Kalraj Mishra, meanwhile, was quoted as saying, "Across the country, Mr Modi has emerged as the most favoured leader among the people. Even within the party there is realisation about this fact, but the right party forum will eventually decide."

BJP President Nitin Gadkari earlier was quoted as saying, "He (Modi) was one of the front runner (for PM candidate post). There are many leaders who are capable to become a PM from Advani to Arun to Sushma, Rajnath Singh, Joshi, Narendra Modi, they all are capable for the PM post, they all are people's leaders and the group of all capable leaders is the think tank for the party and we will decide appropriate time who will be our candidate."
Source: OneIndia.in

ABP News Survey: Huge win for NDA predicted if polls held now

New Delhi: If general elections were to be held now, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will leave behind the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) by miles, finds ABP News-Nielsen survey conducted this month in 28 cities across the country.

Only 22% of the respondents intend to vote for the UPA while a massive 39% would vote for the NDA. It is important to note here that in all past ABP News-Nielsen surveys last year, BJP and NDA have shown consistent growth through out.

Even on party front, 36% of respondents in the survey are intending to vote for BJP, if the Lok Sabha elections are held now, whereas only 18% will vote for Sonia Gandhi-led Congress party. The survey was conducted across 28 cities with close to 9,000 respondents and it found that 39 per cent of respondents are intending to vote for the NDA if the elections are held now. Only 22 per cent of respondents are intending to vote for the UPA.

- - - - - - - - -

It may be noted that the survey was done before the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as Congress vice president and Nitin Gadkari's resignation as BJP president.

The BJP-led NDA comprises of Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, Janata Dal (United) and others, while the Congress-led UPA comprises of NCP, DMK, National Conference and Muslim League.

If we look back, 34 per cent of the respondents voted for BJP in the 2009 general election whereas 25 per cent trusted the Congress then.
Source:ABP News(Nielsen Survey)

Rajnath Singh Elected Unopposed as BJP President

NEW DELHI: Newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party chief Rajnath Singh defended his predecessor, saying Nitin Gadkari opted against a second term due to the "baseless allegations" made against him.

"The circumstances in which I accept this responsibility are not happy for us. Gadkari is one of our workers on whose character questions cannot be raised," Rajnath Singh said speaking soon after becoming the new party president on Wednesday.

"We wanted him to continue. We amended the constitution for it... But the way he was attacked by baseless allegations - he was hurt and resigned," he said.

"I want to tell him that the entire party stands with him. I am not accepting this as a post but as a responsibility," Rajnath Singh added. Nitin Gadkari, who was all set for a second term, had to step down at the last moment after on-field investigation by income tax department in some companies allegedly related to the Purti Group, to which he is reportedly related. Gadkari congratulated Rajnath Singh even as he denied any wrongdoing.

"I congratulate him (Rajnath Singh). I have worked under his leadership. He has the ability to make us win the 2014 election under his leadership," Gadkari said in a speech here.

"As far as the election for a second term is concerned, there had been attempts through a political conspiracy to link me to an issue I was not related to," Gadkari said, referring to the allegations of corruption against him.

Earlier, Rajnath Singh was elected unopposed as the president of the party after he filed nomination papers for the post.

A resolution supporting Rajnath Singh as the BJP chief was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary board of the party, after which he filed his nomination papers.

The returning officer announced that 17 other nominations were also filed in Rajnath Singh's favour.

Rajnath Singh has previously been the president of the party from 2005 to 2009. He first became the party president in December 2005, following the resignation of LK Advani.

Rajnath Singh and incumbent Nitin Gadkari arrived at the party office in the same car for a meeting of the party's parliamentary board, after which he filed his nomination.

On Tuesday, after rapid and dramatic developments, BJP junked Nitin Gadkari as its presidential nominee and instead zeroed in on former party chief and UP leader Rajnath Singh to lead the party in the run up to the 2014 elections.
Source: TOI

2014 General Elections:Narendra Modi vs Rahul Gandhi in 2014?

New Delhi: As Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed her party members Friday in Jaipur at the ‘Chintan Shivir’, a unanimous demand to declare Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 General Elections was put forth by the party leaders.

Interestingly, reports on Friday claimed that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lead BJP’s campaign for the 2014 polls.

Following the developments, a possibility of a face-off between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi appears quite apparent.

Congress MPs Raj Babbar, Avtar Singh Badana and some other members present at the ‘Chintan Shivir’ made the demand for Rahul as PM. The conclave was attended by over 150 members of the Youth Congress and NSUI delegates who were invited at the instance of Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters outside the brainstorming conclave, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said, "Every person in the party wants him (Rahul) to take over but please don't force him. Let him decide what he wants to do." Heaping praise for the Gandhi scion, Congress MP Ambika Soni said, "Jaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ is a little different from Shimla and Panchmarhi.

The credit for this difference goes to Rahul Gandhi ji. For the first time we have delegates from NSUI and Youth Congress who have been elected through a proper process and sent here."

At a time when Modi has proved to be an able administrator, the Gandhi scion has proved to be nothing but a mute spectator in politics. Rahul has a number of failures in his political career and has been at the receiving end not only from the opposition but even UPA allies. At the same time the Hindutva poster boy has superbly projected himself as the ‘messiah’ of ‘development’.

Rahul has failed as a strategist, which was visible during 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections where he campaigned aggressively but failed subsequently. In Bihar too Rahul proved to be a dampener, while Modi has brandished the development card successfully. Not only this, Modi is also considered as the best chief minister in the country, who has single handedly led the BJP to conquer Gujarat thrice.

Congress’ Yuvraaj has maintained his silence during many crucial issues like Delhi gang-rape incident, Lokpal Bill, 2G spectrum scam and many others. Not only this, the grand old party has been too protective and has failed to bring Rahul to the forefront. Modi too has a tough road ahead as many senior BJP leaders are eyeing the top post.

If Modi is given the charge to head his party’s polls campaign, it will be BJP’s answer to ruling Congress, which has already given the responsibility to its young general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi has been made the in-charge of Congress’ 2014 election coordination committee.

BJP sources claim that the decision to make Modi the in-charge of 2014 Lok Sabha polls has the backing of the party’s parent organisation - the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

As per sources, an announcement in this regard could be made in February, coinciding with Nitin Gadkari’s appointment as the BJP chief for a second term despite all controversies surrounding his dubious business venture.

RSS is also believed to be assessing the situation, preparing grounds and gearing up for a balancing act, if its political wing fails to get a clear majority or the required numbers to form government in 2014.

After delivering Gujarat to BJP for the third time in a row, there has been a clamour within the BJP that the leadership issue be sorted soon, as General Elections are due next year. In light of such demands, Modi is seen as the best bet for the BJP.
Source: ZeeNews.Com(ZeeNews Bureau)

Modi to Lead BJP 2014 Poll Campaign: ZeeNews Bureau Report

New Delhi: In what may an indication of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inching closer to realising his Delhi dreams, the sources on Friday claimed that the hardline BJP leader is likely to lead his party’s campaign for 2014 polls.

According to reports, the hardline saffron party leader will most likely be the in-charge of BJP’s campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Modi leading the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign will also make him the party’s main face, further boosting his Prime Ministerial ambitions.

Modi, if give the charge to head to his party’s polls campaign, will be BJP’s answer to ruling Congress, which has already given the responsibiklity to its young general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi will be the in-charge of Congress’ 2014 election coordination committee.

BJP sources claim that the decision to make Modi the in-charge of 2014 Lok Sabha polls has the backing of the party’s parent organization-the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

As per sources, an announcement in this regard could be in February, coinciding with Nitin Gadkari’s appointment as the BJP chief for a second term despite all controversies surrounding his dubious business venture.

The sources also claim that the hardline BJP leader may also continue as the Gujarat Chief Minister while accepting the key responsibilities in his party.

The RSS is also believed to be assessing the situation, preparing grounds and gearing up for a balancing act if its political wing fails to get a clear majority or the required numbers to form government in 2014.

After delivering Gujarat to BJP for third time in a row, there has been a clamour within the BJP that the leadership issue be sorted soon as General Elections are due next year. In light of such demands, Modi is seen as the best bet for the BJP.
Source:ZeeNews.India.com (Zeenews Bureau)

Congress Wooing Muslim Voters Ahead of 2014 General Elections

Lucknow: Ahead of 2014 general elections, the Congress party is trying hard to woo Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh. The party is targeting Muslim vote bank by first allocating more funds for minorities in its 12th Five Year Plan and now by holding a series of seminars in the states.

The Congress has given the responsibility of organizing the seminars to Maulana Mohammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, chairman of SEE, (Strive for Eminence and Empowerment).

Congress’ effort to woo the minorities was clearly visible on Sunday when Maulana while addressing a huge gathering of representatives of different institutions, compared the amount of money allocated to minorities during the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans. Maulana said that the people were alleging him to be a Congress worker but he was ready to accept such allegations for the sake of development of minorities.

He also congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for launching schemes related to Minorities.

Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, Congress state president Nirmal Khatri, former Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, MP Zafar Ali Naqvi along with other prominent speakers praised Maulana for his efforts for the betterment of the minorities. They all pointed out the way Maulana, a cleric from Madrassa, forced the Central government to formulate schemes based on recommendations of Sachar committee.

Rita Bahuguna, speaking on the occasion said that Madrassas had contributed immensely to India’s freedom struggle. She also praised the feelings of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi towards the sacrifice done by Muslim community.

Union Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal went on to say that, if we have leaders like Fazlur Rahim in every state then Muslims will grow and prosper.
Source: Post.Jagran.com

Modi-for-PM Chorus to Get louder at Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013

AHMEDABAD: Vibrant Gujarat summits usually revolve around tangibles - investment figures , numbers of MoUs signed and employment generated. Expect the intangibles to overshadow this summit - the last before parliamentary polls scheduled in 2014.

Apart from a lower-than-usual weightage on investments, the sixth edition of the biennial business summit has an equal degree of political significance. With the Gujarat CM, who recently scored his hat-trick win in assembly polls, poised for a bigger national role, the Modi-for-PM chorus may get louder within India Inc, which considers this former RSS pracharak a darling of development.

The chorus was at its loudest in Vibrant Gujarat-2009 which was held ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections when Anil Ambani and Sunil Bharati Mittal became his main cheer-leaders.

When Modi's office was preparing a list of invitees, a leading industrialist expressed regret for his inability to attend the inaugural event. The CM personally stepped in to ensure the tycoon rescheduled an important meeting abroad. In the previous two summits, Modi orchestrated industrialists to sing paeans in his praise - some did it openly, others subtly.

Besides industrialists, the UK ambassador and US consul general will be a part of the battery of foreign diplomats who will attend the summit - a clear sign that nobody wants to upset a man who has chances of making it to India's top office.

High security for Pakistani Team

Even as BJP criticises Pakistan for crossborder firing, the Gujarat government is working overtime to provide security to a delegation from Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Gujarat police has been asked to provide four bullet proof vehicles for the Pakistani members.

Ambassadors/Ministers::

Stewart Beck, Canada	Takeshi Yagi, Japan
Alon Ushpiz, Israel	Janusz Piechocinski, Poland
Patrick Brown, Canada	S. Bappoo, Mauritius
Gustavo de Aristegui, Spain	Karen Tan, Singapore
Gao Shuxun, Yunnan, China	Freddy Svane, Denmark
Pierre Vaesen, Belgium

Source: TOI

Is Owaisi Targeting 2014 Elections with his "Hate-Speech"?

While the poll watchers are predicting a close contest in the Telangana region in the upcoming Assembly polls, dismissing Akabaruddin Owaisi's merely as a "hate speech" would be to miss the point completely.

There was nothing in Akbaruddin Owaisi’s demeanour to suggest that he was suffering from ill-health when he landed at Hyderabad airport from London, to a rapturous welcome early on Monday 7 January morning. On the contrary, his trademark swagger firmly in place, greeting supporters and well-wishers with a salaam, Owaisi was wearing a T-shirt with '4' embossed on it.

But Owaisi has not managed to get past the fielder to reach the boundary in his latest political innings yet. His "hate speech" in Nirmal in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh last month went viral on the net, raising temperatures in the state. The BJP went for Owaisi’s jugular, demanding that he be arrested as soon he landed at the airport. The Congress that lost Owaisi’s party, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) as an ally only two months back, is seen as soft-pedalling the issue. First its police did not know Owaisi had given such an inflammatory speech, then it could not get Urdu translators in a hurry and finally, when it took suo moto notice, Owaisi ignored it saying he is unwell.

But there could be trouble for Owaisi. The Ethics committee of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly is likely to recommend action against him to the Speaker, the worst-case scenario being disqualification from the House. On Tuesday 8 January, he will be taken to a government hospital for a medical check-up to verify if the internal pain that he is talking about is true or not. In 2011, he was fired at by assailants and a bullet is still lodged in his body.

Those who know Owaisi and have followed his brand of politics, say he is notorious for making such speeches. In 2007, he got away with threatening to behead writer Taslima Nasreen if she set foot in Hyderabad. His choice of words for the late prime minister PV Narasimha Rao at a public meeting in 2011 was in extremely bad taste. And in his speech last month, Owaisi remarked that “the 25 crore Muslims will take care of the 100 crore Hindus if only the police was removed for 15 minutes” and used offensive language against Hindu gods and goddesses.

Pushed to a corner, the MIM has been trying to gain political currency from the mess. Its president, Asaduddin Owaisi, who is Akbaruddin Owaisi’s elder brother, has attacked the BJP accusing it of trying to get MIM disqualified. At a public meeting in Tandur on Saturday 6 January, Asaduddin Owaisi said, "We are not against Hindus. Our fight is against the BJP and Kiran Kumar Reddy."

But that is unlikely to help his cause now. In the past, Akbaruddin Owaisi got away because the Congress government looked the other way. A fact Asaduddin said in so many words, saying that the cases have been filed because the MIM is no longer a friendly party. Chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has no love lost for the Owaisi brothers. But even he may be unable to do much given Asaduddin’s connections with the movers and shakers in the Delhi leadership. The Congress knows that the divorce with the MIM is at best temporary and the partners would reunite sooner than later. So will the Congress play into the BJP’s hands by agreeing to its demands?

To dismiss this episode merely as angst over a "hate speech" would be to miss the point completely. It is a vicious game of political consolidation taking place, played by both the MIM and the BJP. Both parties are looking to consolidate their respective communities behind them. Already leaders are predicting very close contests in 70 out of the 119 Assembly seats in Telangana region, given the fact that the vote will be split between the Congress, TRS, TDP, YSR Congress and BJP and this may just be the first attempt at polarising voters on communal lines ahead of elections in 2014.
Source: Tehelka.com

COMET SMS System to Help Poll Monitor 2014 Lok Sabha Polls

New Delhi: In another technological leap forward from the 2009 general elections when it had launched the COMET online monitoring system, the Election Commission of India now hopes to supervise the 2014 national elections - the largest democratic exercise in the world - with a coded SMS-based alert system.

"We hope to use it in the next general elections," Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla said.

According to Shukla, the Communication Plan for Election (COMET), which aimed at creating a database of mobile phone numbers of around 1.1 million government officials deployed for the 2009 general elections so that the poll panel could reach them quickly, has transformed into a high-tech SMS-based alert system.

The system uses coded messages to collect data about officials on duty. It also helps in monitoring events down to a particular polling booth at the click of a mouse.

The new system was first used in the assembly polls in Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur in early 2012 and in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat towards the year-end.

Shukla said the new system works by and large successfully and the officials concerned had to be called only in 10 percent of the cases for resolving the complaints reported.

"COMET consisted of a control room used to collect mobile phone numbers of around 1.1 million government officials on poll duty and helped us coordinate with them. The sms-based monitoring system has reduced the workload tremendously," Shukla said.

According to the official, the new system uses coded text messages through mobile phones to collect data about officials, information about scheduled events like staff reaching the polling station, mock poll conducted, start of polling, voting percentages every two hours, number of voters in queue after voting time was over, and whether the poll party reached safely at the high security Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) deposit centre.

"Officials on the ground just need to punch in a few letters to send various coded SMSes. The information is instantly available online and can be used by the commission and poll officials in the state capital and districts," Shukla told IANS.

In case of an unforeseen event such as malfunctioning of EVMs, problems in the voter list or a law and order problem, the system alerts the superintendent of police and the police inspector of the area concerned through an sms.

"When a law and order problem is reported, quick response of the police and the commission matters a lot," said Shukla.

Information related to the scheduled and unforeseen events is relayed to all the poll officials deployed in a particular area, he said.

However, in remote areas, where the mobile phones don't work, all officials have to reach the nearest telephone to inform the call centre located in the state capital.
Source: IBNLive.in

Manmohan may Fill in for Rahul in 2014 Elections too!

With the Congress party still undecidedto project Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 general elections, party sources say, the mantle may again fall on 80-year old Manmohan Singh to head another government. But, they agree elections in eight states this year touted as mini general elections ahead of Lok Sabha polls shall decide the future of Gandhi as well as his prime ministerial ambitions.

The leaders believe the Congress president Sonia Gandhi was still appearing protective in letting her 42-year old son to be declared as the prime ministerial candidate. "She cuts short any debate, whenever, the issue of letting Rahul to be declared for top post is initiated," said an insider.

At the party briefing on Wednesday, party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said the Congress had several leaders capable to become prime minister. He said the decision will be taken by the newly elected MPs after the elections and the Congress high command. He almost ruled out projection of anyone as the prime minister ahead of polls.

Asked whether Rahul Gandhi could be the PM candidate in 2014 elections, he said, "Rahul Gandhi is leader of Congress party, all of us and the nation. He is high command and we will contest the 2014 elections under Sonia Gandhi and Rahul’s leadership."

The party has been parrying questions if it could project 67-year old finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram as next prime minister. The DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi describedhim as a potential prime ministerial candidate at a function in Chennai on Saturday in which he was also present. Amid loud applauses and cheers, Karunanidhi had said many want a "dhoti-clad" Tamilian to be the prime minister, endorsing actor Kamal Hassan’s view that Chidambaram would become the prime minister.

But Chidambaram on Monday rubbished his projection, saying he knows his "limitations" and “not so foolish" to go beyond them. "I know my limitations and I stay within my limitations, conduct myself according to my limitations. That’s my serious answer. And on a lighter note, I know some of you think I amfoolish but I am not so foolish as you think," he said. A foreign publication The Economist also had said that Chidambaram could be the PM candidate, especially if it comes to a face off wth Narendra Modi.

The party leaders say, they will remain focused on eight states which are going to polls in 2013.They are Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. “We will join debate on prime ministerial candidate etc. These are just distractions engineered by our opponents," they say. They, however, agree these elections will decide fortunes of Rahul Gandhi and whether he will be the prime ministerial candidate.
Source: DNAIndia.com

Foreign Retailers may Wait till 2014 India General Elections

If the retail sector rulebook was changed in 2012, it's only in 2013 that international chains and other foreign investors will get down to action. Apart from the slowdown in international economies, another reason that could keep retail groups cautious is the general election scheduled for 2014.

Although foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retailing has been permitted - subject to final approval by state governments - many companies may want to wait and watch till the 2014 poll results are announced.

The world's largest retailer, Walmart, in a 50-50 joint venture (JV) with Bharti Enterprises for cash-and-carry business in the country, is going slow on its India plan due to an ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate. It recently launched a probe into possible corruption in the India operation.

In an interview in September, Raj Jain, Walmart India president, had said, "Walmart is able and willing to invest in India, whatever it takes to grow a business. We know it's not a short-term investment - it's a marathon and will take time for these investments to monetise."

The next 12 months may usher in a large number of shopping centres, malls and entertainment space. While new retail brands would like to begin with the top eight cities of the country, those who are already present may expand across 10-15 cities, including tier 2 cities, said Wahi of Cushman and Wakefield.

Also, the preference may be for the franchisee and JV route, even if 100 per cent FDI is permitted in formats like single brand retail, Wahi added. IKEA is an exception.

On the whole, 2012 was about getting the retail business right in India, rather than growth, according to Technopak Advisors' Singhal, who cited examples such as the Future group and the Aditya Birla group. In 2013, retail chains are expected to focus on growth with caution.
Sourse: Rediff.com