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Is J&K ready for polls? |
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 W hile
on the one hand, the Election Commission is busy making plans for
holding the crucial Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, a section in
the government is trying to get the entire process postponed on the
ground that enough ground work had not been done. The ruling National
Conference is sulking over the denial of the post of Vice-President to
Farooq Abdullah. The choice of Kalam for the post of President has
pushed Farooq out of the race. Besides, there’s yet no "political
package" for Kashmir which was to follow the economic package
announced by the Prime Minister during his last visit to the State.
However, Farooq , on his part has denied any move to put off the
polls.
The Hurriyat is unhappy over the
arrest of Geelani. The government is still studying the Hurriyat
proposal for a visit to PoK and broker a truce between the militant
groups operating from there and the security forces. The formulation
of a strategy and policy in J&K is reportedly caught between the RSS
and Home Minister L.K. Advani on the one hand and National Security
Adviser Brajesh Mishra on the other. Advani favours going in for a
controlled election with or without the All Parties Hurriyat
Conference while Mishra, who also has a strong influence over P. M.
Atal Behari Vajpayee, is keen to involve the separatist groups in the
exercise through a series of calculated sops if the need so arises. |
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Congress in doldrums |
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 A fter
virtually losing its battle with the NDA over the election of the next
President, the Congress is all set to surrender on the
Vice-President’s election too. Obviously, the situation does not
reflect well for the Congress which, until recently, was said to be a
party to be reckoned with. The results of the Goa Assembly poll has
dampened whatever expectations the people had from the Congress. Lack
of pragmatism seems to have gripped the party once again. Otherwise,
how come Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs are not taken into
confidence on matters relating to their respective States. The
Congress tension over the recent Maharashtra trust motion, shows that
Sonia has to act fast to .put the house in order. |
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It’s ‘Videshi agenda” now! |
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 W hatever
happened to the much touted "Swadeshi agenda" of the Sangh Parivar?
There’s hardly any sector in which foreign firms have not made their
presence felt. There seems to be an unseemly hurry to dispose off all
the PSUs, irrespective of the fact whether they are profit-making or
incurring losses. Whether it’s road transport, shipping or airlines
industry, the government wants to wash its hands off and turn them
over to the biggest bidder. In this "great sale" rules are bent or
flouted to ensure that favoured companies stay in the race. The Prime
Minister has more or less silenced the critics in the party, with the
threat that he would rather quit than stay on, if he is not allowed to
function freely. Obviously, it’s the "Videshi agenda" that’s the
deciding factor now. |
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