Chandigarh, May 6
“Shooting the voter” has been Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Sajjan Singh’s only interest since he took over his present position in November 2006. With the voter as his “target”, Sajjan Singh has managed to achieve voter identity card coverage of 100 per cent in the state in a span of just over two years, earning applause from even the Chief Election Commissioner, Navin Chawla. Since the announcement of elections, over 37,000 new voter identity cards have been issued.

With 1.20 crore voters and 12,894 polling stations of which 1,925 are sensitive and 1,283 are highly sensitive, Haryana will have 53 Central Paramilitary Force companies on duty in addition to 62,000 cops from the Haryana police.

Q. How has Haryana managed to achieve 100 per cent identity card coverage of the voters?

A. It has been a long drawn out process, which has taken two years for completion. All our voters have photo identity cards. In fact, we are better than Kerala, which only has an epic and photo electoral rolls of 82 per cent of the voters while we have photo rolls of all voters.

Q. By how much has the percentage of photo identity cards gone up since the last Lok Sabha elections in 2004?

A. In the last election, we had an epic coverage of 87 per cent and photo rolls of 75 per cent voters. To get every voter’s shot has been a tedious exercise and my staff in the field has known no rest since we wanted to be up to date for this election. In fact, even after the announcement of elections, we have made 3,70,013 new identity cards of which 13,073 are in Gurgaon alone.

Q. How many complaints of violation of model code of conduct have been reported during campaigning? What has been the nature of these complaints?

A. We received a total of 305 complaints of violation of code and all have been attended to. The more serious ones were those made by the INLD. However, most of them were frivolous, made against government employees by colleagues to settle personal scores.

Q. What is new in the elections from the point of view of the EC?

A. The EC has been very strict in this election. To keep a tab on sensitive and hypersensitive booths, we will not only have additional cops on duty but the entire booth and voting (except the area where the votes are cast) will be videographed in a focused fashion. In view of the heat, the EC has made arrangements of drinking water and first aid kits at all polling booths mandatory for the convenience of the voters.

Q. Have the voter helplines started by the state at all district headquarters served any purpose?

A. The phone helplines made the task of the voters easier. They only needed to dial a number to know details of their vote — the polling booth, the address et al. Besides, we installed touch screens in eight districts to enable voters to check their details.

The BJP and its alliance partner the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal smell a possible electoral gain in the Jat-belt around Delhi and in areas abutting the Yamuna. If poll pundits are to be believed, the two parties could end up with a substantial number out of the total 12-14 seats in this belt of western UP.

At the ground level, the upper-caste Hindus and Jats are openly showing their “discontentment” with the Mayawati government. The resentment wave is particularly strong in villages of Mathura, Meerut, Baghpat, Amroha, Gautambudh Nagar (Noida) and Muzzafarnagar. A BJP leader claimed that rallies by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi saw a good turnout of Jats, Gujars and Thakurs. In private, even the supporters of the other parties admit “it is a tough fight and Ajit Singh could very well have the last laugh.”

It has just been two years since Mayawati swept to power on the basis of her social engineering formula. The BJP-RLD combine is hoping for a dramatic “rejection” of the BSP.

Surprisingly, the idea of Harit Pradesh, a separate state carved out of UP, to meet the aspirations of the people of Western UP, is not a poll issue. The educated want to be de-linked from UP due to sheer logistics of distances. As Ehsaan Rizvi of Amroha puts it “ we are in neglected state now. A smaller state will do better.”

The Jats will not vote for Mayawati, claimed Ajit Singh, while blaming her for ignoring farmers. The issue of not lifting wheat at the minimum support price of Rs 1,080 per quintal will have an impact, he told the Tribune. The BSP has a solid chunk of committed votes but that will not be enough, he claimed, while admitting that his fight was directly with the BSP and with the SP on a couple of seats. The Congress has no base or followers here, he added.

At the national-level, the BJP leaders admit that Ajit Singh holds sway over a block of votes that could mean the vital difference between victory and defeat. For Singh, a former Union Minister, this election will decide who is the Jat-chief of the area. Both the SP and congress had tried for an alliance with him.

However, one thing is clear: the Muslims will vote with a vengeance against the BJP. The alliance partners are not worried as they feel that the Muslims votes will be split between the BSP, the SP and the Congres, while the Jats who always vote in good numbers, will outdo the others. On its part, the

BJP is helping Ajit Singh hard. Rajnath Singh, the BJP chief is a candidate from Ghaziabad. Arun Jaitley, Modi and Hema Malini have addressed rallies here. A senior BJP leader, who is coordinating the party work in the area said, Ajit Singh has been given a fair number of seats and he is happy.

Chandigarh, May 6
“Mehangai” is the buzzword, but it has failed to become a poll issue in Punjab and Haryana, unlike in the past when rising onion or sugar prices which brought down governments. Credibility of contesting candidates, local issues and the fight for supremacy between the leading political families of both the states have captivated the attention of the electorate, which talks about “mehangai”, but may vote on emotional lines.

The rising prices of essential commodities have failed to turn kitchens into the (electoral) battleground. With prices of sugar, pulses, edible oils, LPG and diesel having shot up by over 50-100 per cent in the past one year, the opposition parties led by the BJP had a ready issue to hit out at the Congress-led UPA government. Before the realpolitik caught up, the opposition had bet its victory on this issue, hoping that people would reject the Congress-led government. After all, in the past, the BJP had lost elections in Delhi and Congress in Punjab after rising prices of essential commodities became the deciding factor for electorate.

No wonder that the BJP and its allies launched scathing attacks in its electoral meetings, print advertisements and radio and television jingles on the ruling Congress-led alliance for failing to rein in the rising prices. If the Congress launched its “Jai Ho” campaign on the issue of development and stability, its opponents attacked it with another “Jai Ho” campaign that highlighted how the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-linked inflation had fallen, “Par ghar ke budget ki to Jai ho gayi hai”. Another jingle sponsored by the BJP on FM radio “chini mile aate ki mehangai mar gayi, powder mile doodh ki malai mar gayi, ghaslet line ki lambai mar gayi, do kamron ke ghar ki banwai mar gayi, baki jo bacha tha mehangai mar gayi,” might have brought smiles on the lips of most listeners, but if it would translate into votes for the party is yet to be seen.

Across Punjab and Haryana, voters, especially women, farm labourers and other marginalised section of voters, rued that the rising prices of commodities were burning a deep hole in their pockets, making it difficult to make both ends meet. However, they said local issues and personal credibility of the candidates would be the deciding factor while using their mandate. “After all, we want someone who will be able to deliver and undertake development works in our area. Sarkar kisi bhi party ki aaye, mehangai to kum nahi hoti. Doosri party wale vaada karte hain ki har cheez ki kimtein kum karenge, par log usko vote denge jo hamare area ke muddon ko samjhe,” said Sushma, a farm labourer in Shahabad (Kurukshetra).

This time elections are being fought on local issues. The personal credibility of candidates and performance of the incumbent MPs from each constituency, too, have become important. In fact, in some of the Jat-dominated areas of the Hisar constituency, incumbent MP Jai Prakash was reportedly questioned by the voters at village chaupals about his achievements. Agreed Rajinder Bhanadari, chief of BJP’s Punjab unit, “Price rise may not be the only factor which will dictate the voters’ choice,” he says.

Chandigarh, May 6
Nearly 2.5 million Punjabi NRIs in North America, who have Indian passports and are also registered as voters in their respective hometowns, cannot vote unless they are present in their constituency at the time of polling.

Besides, nearly one lakh Indian students in Australia, who are registered voters back home, will also miss the chance to vote in the elections.“It is just because that no one has taken care to amend the law to make provision for overseas Indians to cast votes in the general elections. Other countries, like Australia, the US and Canada, have rules in place that facilitate their citizens to cast votes even when they are travelling abroad,” says Vikram Bajwa, who looks after overseas cell of the BJP.A group of Punjabi NRIs, he says, approached the Indian Consulate in Vancouver to ascertain whether there is any provision that they can use postal ballot to exercise their franchise.

The Consulate responded with a circular from the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs saying that according to the rules, “there is no procedure for a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) to cast vote unless he or she is registered in the electoral roll of that constituency and is present in the constituency during the general election.

Bajwa says a large number of Indians, including students, who are on overseas assignments, lose the right to vote in the election.

Why cannot India have a law that makes it compulsory for every Indian citizen to vote in the general election? Australia imposes a heavy fine on those who do not vote in the general election. Like Australia, Canada and the US, India should also make arrangements at its missions abroad to allow Indian citizens travelling or temporarily stationed there to come and vote for the candidate of their choice.

Dholpur-Karauli, May 6
The last year’s Meena-Gurjar showdown seems to have had its reverberating effect on this entire desert state and this newly carved out constituency encased in the corner of its eastern part has not been left out of the battle.

Independent Ganga Ram Koli has been pledged support by Meena community leader Kirorilal Meena, who has with him a sizeable 2.25 lakh votes. On the other hand, BJP’s Dr Manoj has been assured of Gurjar votes --- again a mammoth 1.5 lakh --- by Kirorilal Lal Bainsla, who, incidentally, is contesting from the neighbouring Sawai Madhopur constituency on the BJP ticket. The Congress candidate Khiladi Lal Bairwa is depending heavily on the fact that recently six BSP MLAs from the area joined the party and their vote bank would naturally shift with them.

Political calculations aside all the candidates are working hard to attract votes on two most important issues: Water and development. Besides, the improvement of backward Dang area of the region is also high on the priority of all the candidates. Regarding water, the candidates have promised in their manifestos that canals would be carved out. While there is a major shortage of drinking water in the region, agricultural land has also been cracking up in the event of water crunch.

In Dang, the problem of dacoits persists even after surrender of the notorious Jagan Gurjar. The candidates feel that the area would become peaceful once there are adequate job opportunities. Koli was elected to Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996 and 1998 from this constituency. In 1998, he defeated Jagannath Pahadia, former CM. Bairwa, a known face in Karauli, has the credit of fighting and losing the Assembly polls from Khandar in 1993. On the other hand, BJP candidate Manoj Rajoria spends most of the time explaining his position in this alien land. Carved out of Dholpur, which was part of Bayana constituency earlier, and Karauli that was with Sawai Madhopur constituency, the segment alos has important three lakh SC votes.

While the 1.5 lakh Jatav and Bairwa votes seem to be going in favour of Congress, the BSP might take away a major chunk of the remaining part, which incidentally would create a dent in the former’s vote bank.

Elections in Rajasthan are not just about berating opposition or engaging in bravado, they are also about sentiments and traditions nicely mingled in poll rhetoric and served with utmost diligence to the public. Several female candidates in Rajasthan are invoking traditions and making emotional appeal to garner votes. While some are invoking their relations with the region as a daughter or a granddaughter, some others are talking about a culturally rich heritage. — PTI

Who can enter the polling booths?

Excepting the voters, no one without a valid pass from the Election Commission can enter the polling booths.Ministers of the Central or state government cannot enter any polling station or place of counting except in their capacity as a candidate or voter or authorised agent.

Power has gone into the hands of wrong people at the Centre

— BSP chief Mayawati

Having never seen poverty, Sonia Gandhi cannot understand the plight of crores of people in the country, who go to bed every night without a meal. They talk about the poor while sitting in air-conditioned rooms

— Gujarat CM Narendra Modi