TESTR

NOIDA/DELHI
2 THE HINDU WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015
When gates at BJP
office were locked
Staff Reporter
The ruckus caused by
party workers in the
Delhi BJP office here caused
the police to intervene and
escort some of them outside
the premises. Some of them
were disgruntled with the
way Poorvanchalis have been
represented in the BJP list.
When police personnel
approached protesters and
asked them what their
demands were, they replied
they were there for a “quiet
sit-in”, which was contrary to
what they were actually
doing.
The gates of the Delhi BJP
headquarters were then
locked to keep the protesters
out. However, the guards who
were in possession of keys
disappeared leaving several
journalists, party workers and
visitors to the office stranded
inside the premises with no
way out. The only escape
route was climbing the
compound wall. One party
worker broke the lamp while
doing so.
Congress’ Amar,
Akbar and Anthony
Staff Reporter
The Congress’ new face
and General Secretary
Ajay Maken chose a unique
analogy to put to rest
speculation over a seeming
rift between him and Delhi
Pradesh Congress Committee
(DPCC) chief Arvinder Singh
at a press conference a day
after Mr. Singh was asked not
to contest the Assembly polls.
Standing with Mr. Singh
and veteran leader Haroon
Yusuf, Mr. Maken amicably
declared that they were not
only a troika but the “Amar,
Akbar and Anthony” of the
Delhi Congress in an open
reference to the 1977 hit
revolving around three
brothers separated during
childhood.
The only difference,
however, according to a jovial
Mr. Maken, was that “they
had a Singh instead of an
Anthony.”
Every
Minister and
government
official will work
together. I
will bring
a clean
govt. in
Delhi, which
would focus on
every department
KIRAN BEDI
BJP's CM candidate
I never
wanted to
contest and BJP
as
a party will
work
together
and win
the Delhi
Assembly polls
this time
SATISH UPADHYAY
Delhi BJP chief
People want
to know
whether BJP will
reduce power and
water tariff, and
how it will
bring
down
prices of
essential items,
how it will put an
end to bribery and
corruption
ARVIND KEJRIWAL
AAP convenor
CM
YK
KEJRIWAL AND KIRAN BEDI TURNED ON THE POLL HEAT WHEN THEY VISITED KRISHNA NAGAR ON TUESDAY. WHILE
THE AAP LEADER DREW HUGE CROWDS, THE BJP'S CM CANDIDATE INTERACTED WITH WORKERS IN A BASEMENT
CAMPAIGN HITS THE ROAD
Kejriwal does it again
AAP supporters at Krishna Nagar on Tuesday. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
Shubhomoy Sikdar
Once bitten, twice shy. But not if you
are Arvind Kejriwal.
On a day when he received his second
notice for asking voters to accept bribe
from the BJP and the Congress, but only
vote for the Aam Aadmi Party, he made
the statement once again.
Addressing a jan sabha in support of
his party candidate S.K. Bagga from the
Krishna Nagar constituency, where the
BJP has fielded its chief ministerial candidate
Kiran Bedi, the former Delhi
Chief Minister told the crowd gathered
that other parties will offer them bribe,
but they had to make the right decision
by choosing the AAP.
Earlier on Sunday, he made a similar
statement during a public rally in Uttam
Nagar following which the BJP and the
Congress lodged complaint with the EC.
However, Mr. Kejriwal seemed undeterred
and repeated the statement while
Sowmiya Ashok
In a corner of a large tent at
the Pandit Pant Marg office
of the Bharatiya Janata
Party, a young woman is surrounded
by party supporters
sharing couplets that sang
her praise. She smiled affectionately
at them, applauded
their efforts and coaxed others
to stand up to introduce
themselves.
It was a meeting of BJP
party workers from the Gole
Market mandal and the
sooner Nupur Sharma gets
to know them, the better it is
for this “almost 30-year-old”
to begin campaigning for the
February 7 polls. It had not
even been 24-hours since
her name was announced as
the candidate from the New
Delhi Assembly constituency
and Ms. Sharma had decided
to hit the ground
running.
In the winter of 2013, it
was the same constituency
from where a newcomer
named Arvind Kejriwal had
entered the big fight against
a veteran Congress leader
Sheila Dikshit. This year,
Ms. Sharma is the newcomer
and Mr. Kejriwal is her “big
attacking Ms. Bedi at her constituency,
which is a traditional BJP bastion.
He alleged that the former IPS officer
was unaware about the ground realities
in Delhi.
“Kiranji said in a television interview
that people of Delhi did not need reduced
power tariffs and were capable of
paying their electricity bills. She has no
idea about how people live here. She
should come out and talk to people to
know what they really need,” said Mr.
Kejriwal, while reiterating claims about
relief given to the people during his tenure.
He further claimed that roping in Kiran
Bedi was a ploy by the BJP to ensure
that they have a scapegoat to blame for
an “imminent election debacle”.
“On February 10 (when the election
results will be announced), Ms. Bedi will
realise that she was brought in just to
take the blame for the defeat,” said Mr.
Kejriwal.
Schoolchildren take a peek from a classroom window as AAP chief Arvind
Kejriwal takes out a road show in New Delhi on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP
Nupur gears up for the big fight
fight”, prompting the Aam
Aadmi Party to have referred
to her as a “lamb fielded for
slaughter”.
“Was Arvind Kejriwal the
lamb ready to be slaughtered
when he fought against Sheila
Dikshit?” asks Ms. Sharma
after she is done interacting
with her colleagues. “Today,
he stands with almost 80 per
cent of his party leadership
not standing with him. You
can’t betray the trust of people,
run away from power,
come back and expect people
to accept you. You are
not a child!” she says.
Since Tuesday morning,
Ms. Sharma has received a
string of visitors, mostly
mandal and zila workers excited
that the BJP has chosen
a “local candidate”,
keeping her away from visiting
her 95-year-old grandfather
who was the one who
encouraged her to request
the party for a ticket to contest.
“When you contest
elections, people repose
their faith in you. They expect
you to be there through
happiness, sadness, problems
and grievances. You
need to stand with them,”
she says.
BUSY DAYS AHEAD: Nupur Sharma during a
meeting with party workers on Tuesday.
PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Mixed welcome for Bedi
Jatin Anand
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kiran
Bedi, on Tuesday, received a
mixed welcome at East Delhi’s
Krishna Nagar constituency after arriving
to address party cadres in
what was her maiden interaction
with them after being anointed chief
ministerial candidate a day earlier.
In tow was Dr. Harsh Vardhan, a
Union Minister who has been an
MLA from the Assembly constituency
since 1993 and evidently continues
to enjoy tremendous local
support in spite of Ms. Bedi’s newly
announced candidature from it by
BJP president Amit Shah on Monday.
Slogans of “Dr. Harsh Vardhan
zindabad” (long live Dr. Harsh Vardhan)
clashed with “Kiran Bedi zindabad”
(long live Kiran Bedi) as soon as
both arrived at the middle-class, East
Delhi neighbourhood and kept resounding
throughout the event.
On his part, Dr. Vardhan introduced
his former constituents to
Shubhomoy Sikdar
Displaying a show of strength in his
Assembly constituency of New Delhi,
Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind
Kejriwal apparently “failed” to file his
nomination papers here on Tuesday.
Mr. Kejriwal was scheduled to file the
nominations at Jamnagar House after a
road show from Mandir Marg to Jantar
Mantar. However, he announced in
front of his supporters that he had missed
the 2 p.m. deadline, attributing it to
the “overwhelming support” his show
received. He said the time taken to reach
the District Magistrate’s office at Jamnagar
House was longer than expected
due to the huge crowd.
In the days leading up to the nomination
date, the AAP had appealed people
from all parts of the city to join Mr.
Kejriwal to the nomination centre.
He was flanked by his senior party
colleagues Manish Sisodia, Ashutosh
and Somnath Bharti.
Oblivious of the fact that Mr. Kejriwal
Yet, from a party that has
in the last week “parachuted”
big netas, Ms. Sharma
believes in working through
the party ranks inspired by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
“The point is you need to
start with a strong base and I
have been working in the organisation
for a long time. As
a public representative, how
does it work if you are disconnected
from the people?
You need to be connected to
them.”
For Ms. Sharma, canvassing
in New Delhi is much
easier than manoeuvring the
lanes of Delhi University.
“Geographically, DUSU was
more spread out and it was
difficult managing traffic. It
will be easier in New Delhi
and I plan to knock on every
door.”
their new candidate as ‘behen (sister)
Kiran’. “Our sister has come
home to talk to us today,” Dr. Vardhan
said at the conclusion of a protracted
welcoming at a cramped
basement functioning as a party office
in the area.
Ms. Bedi chose to acknowledge,
and seemingly respect, the support
the gathering displayed for Dr. Vardhan
without qualms and went to the
extent of saying that she was expecting
him to be the CM and would treat
the constituency as a garden and him
as a trusted advisor.
“Krishna Nagar is a very pure constituency,
which is why I said that I
will nurture this garden well. I’m going
to be here temporarily only, as a
caretaker. I hope Dr. Sahab will be at
rest as this caretaker is also very effective
and hardworking and knows
the work which needs to be done.
He’ll be my advisor, if I have any
problem, I will go to him,” she said.
She promised longer interaction
on Wednesday when she would file
her nomination.
Kiran Bedi addressing workers during a meeting at Krishna
Nagar on Tuesday. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
Jatin Anand
Faces representing each of
the three major
contenders of the upcoming
Delhi Assembly polls took to
debating the validity of a
public debate on issues facing
the Capital, and what
solutions they are willing to
bring to the table.
Early Tuesday, after news
of AAP national convenor
Arvind Kejriwal’s challenge
to the BJP’s newly anointed
chief ministerial candidate
Kiran Bedi through a tweet
began doing the rounds, the
issue became the topic of a
tug-of-war for them, with the
Congress’ Ajay Maken
joining the fray.
Ms. Bedi chose to accept
Mr. Kejriwal’s challenge, but
only in part saying that she
would rather debate with
him on the floor of the Delhi
Assembly. Mr. Maken said he
was all “for a structured
discussion among the three
politicians who are leading
the campaign of their parties
BJP’s ally Akali Dal to
contest from four seats
Staff Reporter
The day after its ally,
the Bharatiya Janata
Party, released its list of 62
candidates to the Delhi
Assembly Polls, the
Shiromani Akali Dal on
Tuesday said it will contest
from four seats in the city,
one of which it will contest
in the weighing scale
symbol.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa
will be contesting from
Rajouri Garden, Harmeet
Singh Kalka from Kalkaji
and Jitender Singh Shunti
from Shahdara. The party
left out Shyam Sharma
from the Hari Nagar seat
and instead chose Avtar
Singh Hit.
Among the four, Mr.
Sirsa will contest on Akali
Dal’s weighing scale
for the Assembly polls”.
This lack of consensus
among them of the future
debate was echoed by
political observers and
academicians.
“Debates like these are,
and can only be, an urban
phenomenon and I’m against
these,” said Professor Sanjay
Kumar, director, Centre for
the Study of Developing
Societies. “Though dialogue
is welcome in a
Parliamentary democracy it
should centre around issues
such as poverty in a country
like ours instead of around
symbol, while the other
three candidates will fight
on the BJP’s lotus symbol.
Drug menace not an
issue: Punjab CM
Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal on
Tuesday said the drug
menace was hardly an
issue in the upcoming
Delhi Assembly polls and
described it as a “malicious
propaganda” unleashed by
the Opposition to “defame
Punjabis and tarnish the
State’s image”.
“Drug problem was
neither an issue in Punjab
nor in Delhi, but it is being
blown out of proportion by
the opposition under a
deep rooted conspiracy to
tarnish the image of hard
working Punjabis,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
AAP chief ‘fails’ to file nomination
MISSES 2 P.M. DEADLINE, ATTRIBUTES IT TO THE PRESENCE OF HUGE CROWD
FEAT OF STRENGTH: Arvind Kejriwal and his supporters during the
road show in New Delhi on Tuesday. PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY
had disbanded the road show at Gole
Dak Khana , some supporters kept waiting
for his arrival at Jantar Mantar. They
were told by the police deployed there
that the nomination had been postponed.
The former Delhi Chief Minister
would now file his nomination on
Wednesday, which is also the last date
for filing
Kejriwal challenges Bedi
for debate, Maken says yes
leaders representing political
parties,” he added.
Professor Neera
Chandhoke from Delhi
University’s Department of
Political Science seemed to
agree and warned against a
rapid build up of a cult of the
leader and the dangers this
posed to the essence of
Parliamentary government.
“There must be public
debates on substantive issues
in the manifestos between
leaders and members of the
political public, so that
instead of an audience,
citizens can become
participants,” she said.
According to renowned
social scientist Shiv
Visvanathan, however, such
debates could go a long way
in bringing politicians out of
their comfort zones provided
they were structured and
regulated.
“I’m all for these given
neutrality in issues, time
provided to each participant
and a ruthless moderator,”
Professor Visvanathan said.
ND-ND