Election results: Majority eludes Congress, BJP in Uttarakhand

After a hung verdict, both Congress and BJP have staked claim to form the government in Uttarakhand. Both the parties have called their wining candidates to capital Dehra Dun for the legislative party meeting today. The Congress has emerged as the single largest party in the state with 32 seats, ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a notch in the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly.

The Congress leaders in Uttarakhand have left for Delhi to discuss strategy with their senior leaders. These leaders met the Governor late night but BJP is also not ready to leave the claim.

"We should be invited to form the government and asked to prove majority on the floor of the House where we should be able to prove majority," said BC Khanduri, the incumbent Chief Minister.

But the real power lies with four independent MLAs - Dinesh Dhanai from Tehri, Harish Durgapal from Lalkuwa, Mantri Prasad Naithani, an independent MLA from Deoprayag, and Pritam Singh Panwar, from the Uttrakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) - who are now much in demand.

The first three are ex-Congress MLAs who had quit this year when denied tickets by the party. The UKD had supported the BJP government in 2007, but subsequently split before this election. It too can play a crucial role.

And then there is Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Though routed in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, it holds the key to the government formation in the hill state where it bagged three seats, losing four from its 2007 tally of seven.

The BJP got 31, three down from last time, while others, including independents, together won four seats. Their support along with the BSP will decide who will lead the next government in the state.

"I would like to have more numbers, at least 37. We will speak to them and see what they want and if they can be accommodated," said Mr Khanduri.

The major setback for the ruling BJP was the loss of Mr Khanduri, who had led the poll campaign with a slogan of "Khanduri hain zaroori". He was defeated by Congress' SS Negi in Kotdwar constituency by over 4,500 votes.

A retired Army officer, Mr Khanduri was re-appointed chief minister of Uttarakhand last September following corruption charges against his predecessor Ramesh Pokhriyal. A known Khanduri bete noire, Mr Pokhriyal, however, won from the Doiwala constituency defeating Congress' Heera Singh Bisht by 1,272 votes.

Meanwhile, the Congress too expressed confidence that they would form the new government.

"The Congress is forming the party on its own, or with a little support," said Vijay Bahuguna, Congress MP from Tehri who yesterday staked claim to form the next government in the state. The Governor is yet to take a decision.

Yesterday, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said that "there are some undecided people", indicating that his party would be talking to smaller parties to seek their support.

Mr Khanduri's magic may not have won him his seat, but has kept the BJP in the game. While the Congress met the Governor to assert their position, a lot will depend on which party manages to persuade the remaining MLAs to shore up their numbers.

Shoe attack on Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday joined the burgeoning list of political figures that have had a shoe hurled at them. The Amethi MP, who kicked off his campaign in Uttarakhand at Vikas Nagar near Dehradun, was unfazed as a 35-year-old man identified as Kuldeep Singh hurled a shoe at the dais. It landed 10 metres short of the target.

When the shoe was hurled at Congress general secretary, most partymen on the dais got rattled.

However, Rahul looked calm and said, "Leave the man and let him throw more shoes at me." He then urged the cops, who immediately bundled the shoe-thrower into a police van, not to arrest him without asking him why he did so. In fact, just as the security personnel grabbed Kuldeep, Rahul was heard saying, "Don't hit him."

DIG (Garhwal) Sanjay Gunjyal told TOI that Kuldeep was arrested, adding that he introduced himself as a supporter of Baba Ramdev who works as a salesman at one of his ayurvedic outlets.

Gunjyal said Kuldeep confessed he had hurled the shoe in protest against UPA's opening court cases against Ramdev after his campaign against black money.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah said he approved of Rahul's reaction. "I like Rahul's reaction to the shoe throwing: 'Phenko, phenko, ek aur phenko' (throw, throw one more)," tweeted.

Team Anna back start its campaign in five poll-bound states from today

Vowing not to seek votes for or against any single party, Team Anna is due to kick-start its campaign in five poll-bound states from Uttarakhand on today.

Members of Team Anna, including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Kumar Vishwas, will campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill, against corruption and other issues such as caste and religion in the five states. Their first stop is Haridwar in Uttarakhand today.

They will also visit Dehradun, Rudrapur, Almora and Haldwani in the state.

Notably, Anna Hazare will not be taking part in the campaign in all five states.

On Friday, Team Anna released a campaign pamphlet for the upcoming polls in which it attacked the Congress accusing it of betraying the country on Lokpal issue.

The four-page pamphlet, titled 'Your Vote can Change the History of India -- Betrayal by Central Government on the Country', also targeted Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati to question them on Lokpal and land acquisition.

The BJP was also posed questions. However, Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan told a press conference that their campaign is not against or in favour of a party but on "important" issues like corruption, Lokpal and land acquisition.

When pointed out that the title of the pamphlet betrays the claims of not targeting a party, Kejriwal shot back, "Hasn't the government cheated the whole country?" Bhushan said they will raise the issues on Lokpal and what all parties did to the Lokpal Bill.

The pamphlet has listed "six betrayals" on the issue of Lokpal by Central government while another page titled "Congress' strong Lokpal Bill" cites the "deficiencies" in the anti-corruption law. Six questions were raised to all political parties which include whether they agree that the Lokpal Bill is weak, CBI should be independent of government control and whether they will oppose the bill in Parliament.

The parties were also asked about their stand on land acquisition bill. Making the campaign personal, Team Anna also sought answers from Rahul Gandhi on whether Congress will dare to bring a strong Lokpal Bill on the lines of Lokayukta Act in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.

Team Anna members would also visit Srinagar on January 24 and a few other parts of the state on January 27 and 28.

Union government set to announce Muslim reservation

In a bid to woo Muslims ahead of the Assembly Elections in five states, the Union government is set to announce reservation for the minorities on Today.

According to reports, the Union Cabinet will meet this evening to discuss the contentious issue and a decision is likely to be taken.

Sources claim that the UPA government is hurrying the decision over the issue in the wake of Assembly Elections in five states, the dates of which may be announced on December 23, after which the model code of conduct will come into effect prohibiting the government to make any announcements.

It should be noted that the contentious issue of Muslim reservation has been in constant limelight with the Congress leaders continuously indicating that the government is serious about the issue.

Earlier, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid had announced that the government will bring the reservation for minorities soon.

Speaking at a public rally in Kanpur along with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Khurshid had said, “Government is serious about bringing reservation for minorities. A decision in this regard will be taken soon.”

Maintaining that the government must fulfill the promises it made, Khurshid had earlier said, "We are elected to do what we promised. Before the five years are out, we must fulfill our promises."

Khurshid had said the government would soon take a decision on providing reservation for "backward Muslims" by including them in the 27 per cent OBC quota and a proposal in this regard would soon come up before Cabinet.

However, Khurshid has assured the OBC communities that they will not be deprived of their rights even if backward Muslims are accommodated in the 27 per cent quota fixed for them.

Sonia Gandhi: Anna should accept ‘our strong Lokpal’

Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday told party MPs that Congress was ready to fight for lokpal and women's bill, reports said. The opposition and Team Anna should accept the government's draft bill, she added.

Congress has fulfilled its poll promises on food security and Lokpal, Sonia Gandhi said.

BJP is yet to reconcile to fact that UPA has got people's confidence and is spreading canards about differences between Congress and government, she said.

Gandhi interacted with party MPs on Wednesday amid challenges galore for the party and the government in the New Year.

Not yielding to Anna Hazare's demands, the government is understood to have decided to keep CBI out of the purview of the proposed Lokpal. The CBI itself had said that it does not want to come under the purview of the Lokpal. To bring the investigating agency under Lokpal’s ambit, amendments will be needed for which the government is not ready, as is being said.

The Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Wednesday morning was the first such meeting to be addressed by Gandhi in the last few months as the Congress President had skipped the monsoon session in July-August on account of being ill.

Gandhi, who is also UPA chairperson, had gone abroad for surgery for an unspecified ailment at that time.

The CPP meeting is also being held at a time when the lokpal bill is being debated intensely.

She asked the MPs to work hard, expressing hope that the Congress will win the upcoming Assembly polls in five states.