The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Poll-Pourri

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Tuesday, Apr 06, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Poll-Pourri

Kalla's tea party

The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, B.D. Kalla, says that his playing host to the public who were turned away from the Raj Bhawan on April 1 was not politically motivated. However, the Governor, Madan Lal Khurana, is not buying it. Those at Raj Bhawan are convinced that the rush at the "Garib Sunwai'' (Listening to the poor) programme on Thursday last was the handiwork of the Congress which brought in poor persons by the truckload. . The Governor had arranged provisions for 1,000 persons but the crowd swelled to 5000 to 6000. Mr. Kalla, whose bungalow is nearby, offered those turned away water and tea.Suffice it say that the Raj Bhawan is not pleased with Mr.Kalla's tea party.

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Brahmin angst

The Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh find themselves in a limbo. Smarting from the experience of being `cold-shouldered' by the major political parties in giving due representation to them in ticket allotment, the community is out to prove a point by setting up an AP Brahmin Political Forum post haste. A `Brahmana Garjana' meeting (Brahmins' war-cry) at Visakhapatnam said the community itself was to blame for failing to assert itself politically. Invoking Chanakya and alluding to the historical role played by Brahmins in shaping the political destiny of the country and citing the success of community-based Bahujan Samaj Party and the Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen, the meeting resolved to float a party for Brahmins. As a run-up to that, the forum wanted the community to ensure the "resounding victory'' of the Brahmins contesting in the State.

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A conundrum

The Warangal district administration is faced with a conundrum: should it set up a polling station for just 21 voters in an most inaccessible forest hamlet or transport them to nearest polling station for the election? Under the election rules, voters cannot be transported and the authorities are obliged to set up a polling station come what may. But to set up a polling station, the authorities have to draft policemen, one returning officer and four election personnel. And they have to walk at least 10 kilometres with the ballot boxes to reach Chauledu hamlet, polling station number 163 in Mulug Assembly constituency.

Speaking to The Hindu, the District Collector, N Siva Sankar, said they were planning to put up a temporary structure to house the polling station as there were no buildings, schools or panchayat office in the hamlet. There are only 13 families living in the hamlet. The house of Laxmaiah alone has 13 votes, including that of the families of his two sons.

— Sunny Sebastian, Shakeel M. Rasheed, Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

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