SENA BJP SEEKS CHANGE

Political parties in Maharashtra formally got into poll-mode as the date for Assembly elections was announced today with ruling Congress-NCP banking on their "development" record while the Opposition pushed for "change". Congress and NCP, ruling the state for 15 years, said they have put behind the Lok Sabha election debacle and were confident of defying the anti-incumbency factor to pull off a fourth straight win at the hustings. Buoyed by the success in Parliamentary polls, the Shiv Sena-BJP-led combine is making a determined bid to capture power after being in Opposition since 1999. Congress and NCP, whose seat-sharing talks are deadlocked over the number of seats each of them would be fighting in the 288-member Assembly, have already started their election campaign separately. State Congress president Manikrao Thakre and NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said the seat-sharing formula is likely to be announced in 2-3 days. "We are focusing on the development works done by the state government in the last 15 years. We will also tell people how the tall promises made by Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha campaign have remained a pipe dream," they said. "Congress is positive about continuing its alliance with NCP," Thakre maintained, while Malik said a decision on the poll pact would be arrived at by Monday. Malik said NCP will formally kick-start its election campaign from Kolhapur on September 16. Congress will once again bank on its star campaigners like party chief Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi. It will also invite other Central leaders. Thakre said a campaign strategy is being finalised and the party is likely to invite leaders like Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Mallikarjun Kharge for poll rallies. Malik said NCP president Sharad Pawar would share stage with Sonia Gandhi at rallies, while the party's youth brigade would address joint rallies with Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, state BJP president Devendra Fadanvis said the state is ready for "parivartan" (change). "The Sena-BJP-led 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) is confident of wresting power from the Congress-NCP and we would achieve this goal with help of the people of Maharashtra." Fadanvis expressed confidence that seat-sharing talks for the October 15 elections with 'Mahayuti' allies will be completed in 2-3 days. Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena spokesperson, said time has come to bring a change in the state which has seen "poor governance" in the last one-and-a-half decade.

MAHARASTRA & HARYANA GO TO POLLS

Assembly elections will be held in Maharashtra and Haryana in a single phase on October 15 that may well be the first for the 'Modi wave' after the Lok Sabha polls.
Counting of votes in the two states will take place on October 19, the Election Commission announced today.
Giving details of the poll chedule, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said apart from the elections in the two states, bye-elections will also be held on the same day in five assembly seats in five states--Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Bye-elections to two Lok Sabha constituencies of Beed in Maharashtra and Kandhamal in Odisha will also be held on October 15 and counting of votes in all the seats will also take place on October 19.
Haryana is now ruled by Congress while Congress-NCP coalition runs the Maharashtra government.
The BJP and its allies in the NDA did very well in both the states in the May Lok Sabha elections. In Maharashtra, the NDA won 42 of the 48 seats while in Haryana the BJP won 7 of the 10 seats.
However, in the Assembly bye-elections in Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, the BJP suffered a jolt, especially in Bihar, where the JD(U)-RJD alliance got the better of the saffron party.
Tomorrow, another round of by elections is being held in three Lok Sabha and 33 Assembly seats in 10 states.
The Beed Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the death of senior BJP leader Union minister Gopinath Munde in a road accident here in June and the Kandhamal seat following the demise of BJP MP Hemendra Chandra Singh a few days ago.
The Model Code of Conduct comes into effect immediately in Maharashtra and Haryana and in all the districts where bypolls are being held, Sampath said.
Notification for polls will be issued on September 20 and last date for filing nomination is September 27 for all seats except Kandhamal for which the notification will be on September 19 and last date of nomination is September 26.
Asked about elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is witnessing worst-ever floods, Sampath said the Commission was watching the situation very closely and "a decision will be taken after things come to some shape".
The term of 90-member Haryana assembly expires on October 27 while that of Maharashtra, which has 288 seats, ends on November 8.
"We still have time for Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
The term of the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly ends on January 3 next year, while that of the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly expires on January 19.

VIJAYAWADA...CAPITAL OF AP

Putting an end to months of suspense, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today announced that the new capital of the state would be located "around Vijayawada". Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly amid a din caused by opposition YSR Congress, Naidu said, "The Cabinet met on September 1 and resolved to locate the capital city in a central place of the state, around Vijayawada, and go for decentralised development of the state with three mega cities and 14 smart cities. "It is proposed to go for land pooling system to be worked out by a Cabinet sub-committee," he said. "This decision of the Cabinet is a reflection of the popular sentiment, and is affirmed by views expressed in the representations received by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee (appointed by the Centre)," he said. "Nearly 50 per cent of the representations received by the Committee favoured Vijayawada-Guntur region as the best location for the capital area," Chandrababu said. The state government, as resolved by the Cabinet, was of the opinion that the interests of the entire state and its balanced development could be best served by locating the capital city at a central place around Vijayawada. This would enable equal access to people from all regions of the state, he observed.

TO REGAIN GLORY

With Vijayawada being announced as the capital city of residuary Andhra Pradesh today by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, this historical and cultural hub is all set to regain its glory and pre-eminent position. Vijayawada in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh has traditionally occupied a prominent place in the history of Telugus. Krishna district gets its name from Krishna, the third largest river that flows in India. The holy river originates near Mahabaleswar (Maharashtra) and joins the Bay of Bengal near Hamsaladevi Village in the district. Krishna is considered the kernel of Telugu culture and is the birth place of the famous Indian classical dance form - Kuchipudi. The dialect of Telugu spoken in Krishna is often considered to be the standard form of Telugu. A commercial hub, the Vijayawada region, is also known for the contribution of its freedom fighters, entrepreneurial spirit and strides in the cultural field. Dharanikota in present day Guntur district, neighbouring Vijayawada, was the first capital of Simukha, the founder of Satavahana dynasty in 3rd century BC, according to official records of Andhra Pradesh government. The present Nagarjunakonda in Guntur district, which was known as Sriparvata and Vijayapuri, was the capital of Ikshvaku kings. After the Ikshvakus, a part of the Andhra region north of the river Krishna was ruled over by Jayavarma of Brihatphalayana 'gotra'. Salankayanas ruled over a part the East Coast with Vengi (near Eluru around 60 kms from Vijayawada) as their capital. After the Salankayanas, next to rule were Vishnukundins who occupied the territory between the Krishna and Godavari. The Vishnukundins extended patronage to architecture and sculpture.

The cave temples at Mogalrajapuram and Undavalli near Vijayawada bear testimony to their artistic taste. The ruins of the fort at Kondapalli in Krishna district hail back to Reddy Kingdom. Subsequently, the area came under the Vijayanagara Empire. The temple in Srikakulam village in Krishna district was built by the Vijayanagara Kings. The area then passed on to the Qutub Shahis and later to the Nizams. The office of the two important ministers during the Qutub Shahi rule – Madanna and Akkana –was in Vijayawada due to their reverence towards Goddess Kanaka Durga, the famous temple in Vijayawada. The rulers from Golconda were the first to patronise European traders to establish themselves in Masulipatnam (now Machilipatnam, the administrative capital of Krishna district). The Portuguese may have been the earliest, followed by the Dutch and the English. In 1611, the English founded their settlement at Masulipatnam, which was their headquarters until they finally moved to Madras (Chennai) in 1641. In 1761, in return for supporting Nizam Ali Khan in his succession to Golconda, the English secured their first division at Masulipatnam from the Nizams. Initially, the division was administered by a Chief and a Council at Masulipatnam. In 1794, Collectors, directly responsible to the Board of Revenue were appointed at Masulipatnam, making Krishna Collectorate, one among the oldest collectorates in the country.

KCR NAIDU DISCUSSED THE ISSUES BETWEEN STATES

Putting aside their differences, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao today met in presence of Governor ESL Narasimhan to sort out differences between the two states on various issues.
Both the chief ministers told reporters after the meeting here that the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and with "give and take" approach.
During the meet, issues related to employees distribution and entrusting responsibilities to the chief secretaries of both the states, were discussed.
Earlier, Governor Narasimhan had brought Naidu and Rao together on the occasion 'At Home' hosted at the Raj Bhavan on Independence Day.
The Governor also had a closed door meeting with the two leaders and their senior officials, an attempt seen as a move by the governor to break the ice between the two chief ministers.
Speaking to reporters, Rao said the discussion was held on three key issues -- on legislature accommodation (sharing of legislature buildings), distribution of employees and sharing of state-level educational institutions.
"Issue of legislators' accommodation has been resolved. On distribution of employees, Kamalanathan committee has been set up. The committee is looking into distribution of 67,000 employees belonging to the state cadre, of which 22,000 vacancies are there. And only 45,000 employees are to be divided. We have told chief secretaries to sit and discuss the issue...they will sort out that problem," Chandrasekhar Rao said.
The Telangana Chief Minister termed the talks as "fruitful" and said they sought to move ahead with the same spirit of cooperation, because the two states are mutually dependent.

Telangana being a land locked state may need to get its imports from Machilipatnam port in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrasekhar Rao said.
On issue of educational institutes, he said, "Institutions will finally go to the state where they are presently located."
On the request of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh has agreed to conclude Budget session of its Assembly, beginning tomorrow, by September 7 to avoid clash with the Budget session of Telangana assembly, Rao said.
Meanwhile, Naidu described the talks between the two governments as a positive development.
"Bitterness has cropped up between the two sides. These discussions would reduce that. It is good for people. Give and take is needed. We need to move ahead in a spirit of cooperation. This meeting would help towards sorting out those issues," he said.
To a query, Rao said the next meeting between the two chief ministers would take place as per requirement and in a spirit of cordiality.
Naidu and Rao have been bitter political rivals for long, though Rao was a TDP leader and serious differences have cropped up between the two states over issues like sharing of power, water, admissions to engineering and other professional courses.

CONGRESS FACE REVOLT IN ASSAM AND MAHARASTRA

Revolt erupted in Congress' backyard in Maharashtra and Assam when two senior ministers today quit the party governments opposing their chief ministers.
Sulking senior Congress minister in Maharashtra Narayan Rane today met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, gave his resignation and later slammed his for "slackness" in decision-making. He does not want to be a "partner in defeat" in the assembly elections due later this year, he said.
Similarly, another senior Congress minister in the Assam government Himanta Biswas Sarma met the state Governor and submitted his resignation. He claimed he met the Governor along with 38 MLAs and expressed non confidence in the Chief Minister. Assam goes to polls in less than two years.
Coming two months after Congress debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in both the states have raised questions on the strategy the Congress high command and Rahul Gandhi propose to adopt to stem dissidence.
Congress leaders in Delhi, however, ruled out suggestions that it was a revolt by state leaders against the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
Both the ministers had resigned once earlier recently but were persuaded to withdraw it. Sarma said this time he would not withdraw the resignation and made it clear that he would not contest elections under Gogoi's leadership.

SPEND TIME IN LIBRARY

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today said legislators should develop a habit of visiting Assembly and Parliament libraries and also pressed that they should maintain decorum of the House. "It is very essential for the members of the House to visit Assembly library and read records of old debates on any issue which they wanted to raise on the floor of the House," Mahajan said, addressing the concluding programme of the two-day lecture here organised by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. She said visiting library will help leaders attain knowledge of proper language (words) to be used and also raise issues effectively. An eight-time MP from Indore, Mahajan said an MLA is a bridge between his voters, Assembly and the government and has to solve the problems of the people. "Those who (MLAs) address people's problems ccessfully by coordinating with local officials, civic bodies and other institutions, become popular among voters," she said. The Speaker on the occasion also advised legislators to behave in a decent manner in the House, take part in Question Hour and attend committee meetings actively. "By merely raising any issue in a noisy manner won't serve the purpose. One has to be sincere in approach and I must tell you that sincerity always pays," Mahajan said. The Lok Sabha Speaker also praised Madhya Pradesh Assembly for its glorious historic past, specially for passing laws like Public Service Guarantee Act. In a reference to Mahajan's address, it could be noted that former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma had advised legislators to travel across the country and devote maximum time in reading. Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker, Dr Sitasharan Sharma and Leader of Opposition, Satyadev Katare also spoke on the occasion. Katare also advised the legislators not to waste time of the House by stalling its proceedings.

LESSONS FROM EMERGENCY TAUGHT MORE

Terming the Emergency as the worst post-independence chapter of Indian democracy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said it gave him the best political education of his life as it taught him that some compromises are "just not possible". The senior BJP leader, who was President of Delhi University Students Union when the Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 and was detained for 19 months, also said that it displayed the weakness of the Indian constitutional order where press could be silenced and judiciary "made pliable". "For many like me who underwent Emergency experience in Delhi and successfully fought against it, this became a turning point in our lives. The Emergency was perhaps the best political education of my life. It taught me that some compromises were just not possible," he said, in an article on the 39th anniversary of the 1975-77 Emergency which falls tomorrow. Jaitley, who is also the Defence Minister, said June 26 marks the 39th anniversary of the Emergency whose oppressive phase lasted 19 months (excluding two months of election) and said "this monstrosity" is perhaps the "worst" post Independence chapter of the Indian democracy. Recalling some of his personal memories on the Emergency, he said he received a midnight knock at his residence past 2 AM when he escaped from the backdoor to a friend's house in the neighbourhood. Jaitley said with no newspapers and the entire opposition political leadership including Jai Prakash Narain, Morarji Desai, Choudhury Charan Singh, Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani arrested, he along with his co-ABVP workers organised a protest at Delhi University campus next morning. "This was the only protest against the Emergency which took place that day in the whole country...I requested my colleagues to quietly disappear since I had been surrounded by the police. I courted arrest. I was also taken to the Timarpur Police Station where I was handed over a detention order under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA)," he said.

Jaitley said he was taken to Tihar jail and lodged there for eight days before being transferred to Ambala Jail in Haryana where he was kept for about three months. "I had been detained for 19 months in prison under preventive detention. Needless to say I was deprived of my right to continue my education in Delhi," he said. Jaitley said Indira Gandhi began to rethink on Emergency after pressure of international opinion but "miscalculated" and decided to hold elections in which people vent out their anger against Emergency and Congress was trounced with both Gandhi and her son Sanjay defeated from Rae Bareli and Amethi. Critical of the Judiciary at the time, he said, "The Supreme Court in perhaps the worst amongst post independence judgments, in the habeas corpus case, ruled that even though political detainees have been illegally detained, they have no right to approach the court and seek the relief." Jaitley said High Courts in the country "showed some courage" in giving relief to the detainees, but the "extremely pliable Supreme Court overturned each and every favourable order of the High Court." He said the Representation of People Act was amended retrospectively to "legitimise and validate the invalid election" of Indira Gandhi. "The Constitution was amended to make the election of Prime Minister as non-justiciable. The proclamation of emergency was made non-justiciable," he said, adding that opposition party governments in states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu were dismissed and President's rule imposed.