Lonely Sheila Dikshit fires final salvo

NEW DELHI: Sheila Dikshit cut a lonely figure on Monday as she brought to a close her party's campaign with a press meet. She faced shutterbugs, TV cameras and fielded queries all by herself.

In the final half hour of her party's sagging campaign, she soldiered on wooing Delhi with promises of "more development" and a rearguard attack on Narendra Modi. She had figures to show Delhi was miles ahead of Modi's Gujarat. Caught in a difficult triangular fight, the CM still insisted BJP was her only rival, refusing to acknowledge Aam Aadmi Party as a force. Not only did no Congress heavyweight share the dais with her, even her cabinet ministers and MLAs had given the event a miss. She stood alone on the deck firing salvos at her opponents.

BJP, she said, was misleading the public and launched on an attack on Modi. She compared Delhi and Gujarat's development figures to drive home the point that her government had delivered. Trashing opinion polls and internal surveys of parties as a matter "of personal discretion", she emphasized it was a contest between her party and the BJP. At 5pm, the CM's staff brought the press meet to an abrupt close saying: "Campaigning is over".

Serving as the lone voice of the Congress challenge, Dikshit said: "There are some (Modi) who say Delhi is poorly administered. If that was the case, how did we win power thrice? Our campaign was directed at voters who were children when we came to power in 1998 so they understand the change over 15 years. We hammered home the point of what Delhi was when we took over and what it is now."

"The contest will be between BJP and Congress. I am confident of a fourth term," she said. "Either the opposition parties are naive or misleading people. How come they don't see the change in the city," she said. "We want to make Delhi one of the most talked-about cities in the world. There is a lot of unfinished work and we need people's support to complete them."

"The gentleman who claimed Gujarat is the best-served state, will have to answer this," Dikshit said quoting from statistics. Dikshit said 19% people in BJP-ruled state are under severe poverty as against Delhi's 3%. On sewerage, she said 96% areas in Delhi have sewer connections against 47% in Gujarat.

"In Delhi, we provide Rs 1,000-1,500 as monthly pension to vulnerable section like old people and widows while the amount in Gujarat is Rs 200 to 400. Our green cover is much impressive than Gujarat. I expect people of Delhi to understand these," she said.

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GoM to settle Airport Metro line issues

NEW DELHI: The group of ministers (GoM) on mass rapid transit system ( MRTS) will take up the case of Airport Metro line mess on Thursday. Out of the three issues to be considered by the panel, the major one is on making termination repayment to the former operator of the line since it has exited from the project.

Though the Union urban development ministry's proposal has not specified the exact termination amount, it has suggested that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) make the payment pending arbitration. DMRC has objected to this and even Delhi government has supported the stand saying that since the arbitration is on DMRC should not make any payment to the private firm.

As per the contract, DMRC has to pay 80% of the loan provided by banks to the project in case of termination due to concessionaire's fault. In this case, while the original debt approved by the government was Rs 1,247 crore, bankers have written to DMRC and ministry submitting the loan amount was Rs 2,270 crore. If the former amount is approved then the termination payment would be around Rs 1,000 crore and it would be around Rs 1,600 crore in case the GoM approves the latter.

It's learnt that the GoM will go through a status report on the project and will also consider whether CISF personnel can be deployed for security on this premier Metro line on the lines of other stretches. In those cases government doesn't raise a bill to DMRC.

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Terror bosses plan to upset elections

NEW DELHI: As campaigning ended at 5pm on Monday, the Election Commission issued directions for poll day, while Delhi Police conducted a security review. There is intelligence of fidayeen strikes at sensitive poll booths conducted by terror outfits like Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba. There are also specific inputs about threat to some politicians. To counter this, police will field commandos at booths and members of anti-terror cell in plain clothes.

On its part, EC has declared December 4 as a public holiday. Markets will be closed during polling, while dry days will be observed till end of polling on Wednesday. "The number of FIRs against political parties this time is the highest at 346. Total 105 FIRs have been recorded against AAP, making it the highest against any political party. Congress has 88 such cases against it, BJP has 86 and BSP has 27," said Vijay Dev, Delhi's chief electoral officer, at a press conference.

In the past one month, 70 unlicensed arms and 60 cartridges were seized by electoral officers deployed in all nine districts of Delhi. "A total of 3,024 non-bailable warrants have been issued against people involved in illegitimate activities to create havoc during elections," Dev said. The figure for preventive action taken against political party volunteers stands at 46,085. EC officials also seized Rs 1,31,32,504 that was being distributed in different constituencies in the last one month.

Besides this, 413 warning notices were issued against parties for illegitimately organizing public meetings, Dev said. The CEO's office has so far distributed over 50% of voter slips. He further said model polling stations will be set-up at nine locations across 11 districts to cover 45 polling stations. "The model space will take care of the essential requirements like signage for dire8c8tions to booths, facility for drinking water and toilets. There will be waiting areas to prevent overcrowding," Dev said. This time, there are two novelties: none of the above option for voters, and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail system which will generate a receipt after a vote is cast.

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BJP: Congress has thrown in towel, eyes on AAP

NEW DELHI: As campaigning drew to a close on Monday, senior BJP leaders targeted Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP), insisting surveys showing Kejriwal's party in the lead were fit to be trashed. The Congress, they said, was hardly a challenge any more and BJP would comfortably form government in Delhi.

An energized Harsh Vardhan, BJP's CM candidate, made the rounds of TV studios, addressed a series of meetings and marched through his constituency - Krishna Nagar. The impression senior BJP leaders sought to convey was Congress had been dislodged as their principal adversary even before the first vote was cast. "The loser is known (Congress). What remains to be seen is the lead BJP gets and the kind of a presence the new party (AAP) records in its maiden outing," Arun Jaitley told reporters.

Addressing road shows, Vardhan was effusive, thanking people for their "overwhelming" support. The one good thing about his party's campaign, he said, was that it remained "positive".

"We could have attacked Congress, but preferred to project our vision and plans for Delhi. I have visited many constituencies. I am touched by the public support. I have seen several elections but the response this time has been special," he gushed. In his last lap, he touched several Muslim-majority areas of his constituency — Rasheed Market, Geeta Colony.

Later, Jaitley addressed a press conference, where he talked of Congress' 'listless' campaign. "In the Congress the candidates are on their own. The party has given up. Their leaders abandoned the campaign two weeks ago."

Sushma Swaraj was convinced of a BJP win. "There is a strong anti-incumbency against Congress both in Delhi and at the Centre. Voters are intelligent. On December 4, they will resoundingly vote for a single party that is the obvious alternative. People have made up their minds to defeat Congress. She called AAP's claim that it will bag 44 to 47 seats a day dream that will be shattered."

The party presented a picture of unity. The cracks that had damagingly surfaced between Vijay Goel and Vardhan were nowhere to be seen. "This time we are united. Every leader - Goel, Vardhan, V K Malhotra have played their roles very well," Jaitley said, as Goel and Vardhan sat next to each other.

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Aurangzeb main attraction at Delhi Natya Utsav

NEW DELHI: Indira Parthsaarthi's Aurangzeb is the main highlight of the Delhi Natya Utsav 2013 to be held from Dec 9-13 at Shri Ram Centre. The play directed by K S Rajenderan will be held on the closing day, Dec 13.

The five-day natya utsav (theatre festival) opens by James Maxwell Anderson's Sukra at Nagay Pao - Barefoot in Athens on Dec 9. The play is directed by Raj Bisariya.

The following day on Dec 10, Faizel Alkazi directed Chugga Party will be staged. The play is written by Kirandeep Shrama.

While Dec 11 will witness The Janpat Kiss, written and directed by Ranjeet Kapoor, Dec 12 will stage Abducting Diana. The play is written by Dorio Fo and directed Avijeet Dutt.

Organised by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, department of art, culture and languages, government of Delhi, the festival aims to add colour to December blues for Delhiites.

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Massive blaze guts two factories in Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD: A massive fire erupted in a shoes' factory in Sahibabad Industrial area of the district in the wee hours today, gutting it completely and also engulfing a rubbed factory.

The fire started at around 3:45am and it could be doused only by 11am, fire department officials said.

No loss of life or injury was reported, officials said, adding that damage to property worth several crores of rupees could not be ruled out.

Manufacturing machines and all goods of rubber and shoes factories were destroyed, they said.

"Fire erupted in shoes' manufacturing factory which soon engulfed adjacent rubber factory," Chief fire officer, Ghaziabad, VK Singh said.

When fire fighters reached the spot, heavy smoke filled the air, fire department officials said.

"Around 13 fire tenders were pressed into service. Three fire tenders were also taken from Noida fire department to douse the flames," he said.

"Fire were completely doused by fire fighters by around 11am," a fire official said.

The fire might have been caused due to short circuit, but further investigation would reveal the truth, he said.

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Set for strong debut, AAP gives rivals jitters

NEW DELHI: The failed civil service aspirant, an IT professional on furlough, the junior government official from Jorbagh, a researcher based in Sydney and an advocate from Noida wait impatiently at a busy central Delhi crossing.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal is late, but the faithful keep an eager vigil. Waving at his supporters, he promptly gets off his campaign jeep to meet a group of visual and hearing disabled persons and shakes hands all around.

If idealism of supporters could win an election, AAP would romp home. Kejriwal might be a greenhorn in politics, but as the Delhi campaign ends, he has pitched a simple and direct message to voters: change your fate by spurning a corrupt Congress and its pale imitation BJP.

Buoyed by reports that he is snapping at chief minister Sheila Dikshit's heels, the AAP leader woos government colonies housing mid-level staff, hoping to pick up crucial support. "Dikshit will be third behind AAP and BJP," insists Narendra Tanwar, a local shopowner.

Sunday saw Kejriwal and his merry band on the streets for close to 10 hours. He began with hundreds of zealous supporters, pausing every five minutes to make speeches. In Gole Market, a man dressed as Gandhi led the march.

Kejriwal may or may not pull off a famous win, but AAP seems set for a reasonably successful debut in politics with backroom projections of pollsters giving the pugnacious outfit between 15% and 20% of the vote share. If these projections prove correct, AAP could retard BJP's progress towards a strong majority and even result in a hung assembly for the first time in Delhi. Poll trackers point out that a 20% vote means high concentrations on some seats, perhaps in the region of 35% or more. This would be a remarkable performance.

Opinion is divided over who AAP hurts more. The "BJP vote" the party is attracting is from the middle classes, a section of voters that traditionally lacks enthusiasm. Though erosion in this segment worries BJP, Kejriwal's appeal in jhuggi jhonpri clusters is a serious concern for Congress. The enthusiastic response AAP has received in JJ camps will alarm Congress. Similarly, the response of voters that they will "give AAP a chance for Delhi" but consider Narendra Modi for the Lok Sabha poll is cold comfort for BJP.

Despite its weak candidates, the fledgling party will rely on AAP as a brand of protest and Kejriwal's persona to bring in votes. If it succeeds in attracting anywhere between 8,000-12,000 votes in several seats, the results will become highly unpredictable.

Even if a hung assembly does not materialize, AAP would have managed to distort the bipolarity that has always marked politics with Congress and BJP slugging it out for top honours since the days of Jana Sangh.

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Broom now Bheem's mace, graft is Duryodhan

NEW DELHI: Cries of dekho Bheem aya filled the lanes and bylanes of northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar on Sunday. Actor Praveen Kumar, who played the role of Bheem in BR Chopra's 1988 TV serial Mahabharat, is contesting the assembly election from Wazirpur constituency on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket and his popularity has given his rivals from Congress and BJP the jitters.

Praveen has kept his campaign low-profile, so people of Wazirpur missed witnessing the Pandavas and Kauravas coming together to help one other. The 6 feet 6 inches tall athlete-turned-actor-turned-political candidate, however, said what he did to Duryodhan on screen, he will do to corruption when voted to power.

Before becoming an actor, Kumar was a champion hammer and discus thrower and won several medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games in 1965-78. He also received the Arjuna Award. After his role in Mahabharat, he did cameos in some films and survived on his savings. For the past some years, he has turned to spirituality. "Victory of good over evil is the message of The Mahabharata. For all these years, nothing good has come out of Congress rule and now it's time for AAP to take charge," Kumar said.

With two jhaadu (broomsticks) fixed atop his jeep and minus his gada (mace), Kumar made rounds of his neighbourhood. He has been a known face though some were not familiar with his off-screen name until recently. "We know him as Bheem since our childhoods-even the vegetable vendor calls him Bheem," Usha Mehta, a resident, said.

The Congress and BJP candidates from the seat are, however, putting up a brave front. BJP's Mahinder Nagpal says of Kumar that he is a good actor but elections are not his area. "People want results from their leaders. Elections are no TV serial," said Nagpal, who is also the sitting councillor for 15 years.

Sitting Congress MLA Hari Shankar Gupta, meanwhile, says with Kumar entering the fray, the contest has become entertaining. "The sitting BJP councillor has done nothing in the past 15 years. People are already upset with him and he won the last municipal elections by a thin margin," Gupta said.

Will Bheem be able to amaze people as he did over two decades ago in a programme that changed the way masses perceived mythology? "For that, people have to again tune in on Sunday (December 8) and check the results," Kumar said.

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Country’s first online govt will be ours: Advani

NEW DELHI: Addressing his maiden conference for Delhi polls, former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani came down heavily on the ruling coalition and said that two worst disasters have occurred under Congress rule — corruption and back-breaking inflation.

"Corruption is the biggest problem plaguing our society and a 'tax' on our least privileged citizens. We must have zero tolerance against corruption," said Advani, adding that the money lost to corruption can be used for providing schools, hospitals and to improve lives of people. "I have faith in the ability of state president Vijay Goel and chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan. We will soon form government and run it with complete efficiency", he said.

Explaining the measures proposed by his party to control graft, Vardhan said, "The problem of corruption can be prevented by ensuring the highest levels of transparency and the use of technology. Just as you have Tax Deduction at Source (TDS), we will introduce Prevent Corruption at Source (PCS)." We will minimize the need to visit government offices and deliver citizens public services through the internet, added Vardhan.

"Our government will be India's first online government. All government functions such as receiving applications, granting approvals, providing information, procurement and decision-making shall be made transparent and online. This would not only enhance productivity but also inculcate respect for the system," he added.

Vardhan also said that his party plans to formulate a code of conduct for senior government functionaries so they could deliver services in a time-bound manner.

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AIIMS suspends top security officer

NEW DELHI: AIIMS has suspended and shunted out its deputy chief security officer Rajiv Lochan, booked by CBI for alleged irregularities in awarding contract related to installation of security equipment at the institute.

As per the suspension order dated November 29, Lochan has also been transferred to the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project(CRHS) in Ballabhgarh and directed not to leave the headquarters without obtaining the permission of the competent authority.

His suspension order says that Lochan will be paid a subsistence allowance equal to the leave salary which he would have got on half of his average pay.

The CBI registered a case of alleged cheating and forgery against Lochan and Kamaljit Singh, the owner of Janakpuri-based Prehari Protection Services, on September 19.

CBI officials had also conducted raids at four places, including the house and office of Rajiv Lochan at AIIMS complex and at the official and residential premises of Singh in Janakpuri.

Sources said the matter is of 2009-10 when Prehari Protection was allegedly favoured by Lochan in the tendering for providing security guards and installation of security equipment on the premises of the AIIMS.

They said Lochan allegedly connived with Singh in extending favours to his company resulting in loss of Rs one crore to the exchequer.

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