ID :
60845
Sat, 05/16/2009 - 05:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/60845
The shortlink copeid
Indian general elections:Counting to start Saturday
Indian general elections:Counting to start Saturday
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) With the nation on the edge,
Indian political parties Friday made deft moves on the
political chess board to rope in allies even before the first
of the 42 crore votes are counted Saturday morning.
The two leading parties ruling Congress and main
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at the centrestage,
scrambled to woo potential allies with AIADMK's leader J
Jayalalitha and BJD's Naveen Patnaik, being the star
attractions.
Even smaller parties like Chiranjeevi of the fledgling
Praja Rajyam in Andhra Pradesh were getting considerable
attention.
In the absence of numbers, which will be known only
Saturday after the counting of votes begins 8 A M IST , these
manoeuvres did not not result in anything concrete but it was
clear that most parties were keeping their options open with
no indication as to who would go with whom.
The much-sought after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar caused a flutter by saying that he would support
which ever government at the Centre that would grant special
status to his state, a statement which undoubtedly caused
unease in the BJP-led NDA although it said he was with NDA.
The Congress, feeling good with exit polls projecting
it well ahead of the NDA, lost no no opportunity in saying
that it would be "sensitive" to Kumar's pre-condition. It also
established contact with Patnaik.
As part of efforts at cobbling up numbers, senior
Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee met SP leader Amar Singh last
night.
The meeting took place close on the heels of the AICC
General Secretary Digvijay Singh seeking to break the ice with
Amar Singh by telephoning to express regrets for any personal
attacks during the campaign.
Highly-placed Congress sources denied reports that
portfolios were a topic of discussion in the meeting between
Mukherjee and Amar Singh.
The NCP, a Congress ally, meanwhile softened its stand
on prime ministership for Sharad Pawar saying the Congress
would be the biggest party in the UPA and the top post would
go to it naturally.
However, his senior colleague and former Lok Sabha
Speaker P A Sangma struck a different note saying the Congress
should gracefully offer the prime minister's post to Pawar.
With reports speaking of Congress and BJP leaders trying
to woo BSP chief Mayawati, the party denied them saying she
was not touch with anyone from these parties.
Mayawati's confidant S.C.Mishra met CPI(M) leader
Prakash Karat and discussed the post-poll strategies.
PTI VSC
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) With the nation on the edge,
Indian political parties Friday made deft moves on the
political chess board to rope in allies even before the first
of the 42 crore votes are counted Saturday morning.
The two leading parties ruling Congress and main
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at the centrestage,
scrambled to woo potential allies with AIADMK's leader J
Jayalalitha and BJD's Naveen Patnaik, being the star
attractions.
Even smaller parties like Chiranjeevi of the fledgling
Praja Rajyam in Andhra Pradesh were getting considerable
attention.
In the absence of numbers, which will be known only
Saturday after the counting of votes begins 8 A M IST , these
manoeuvres did not not result in anything concrete but it was
clear that most parties were keeping their options open with
no indication as to who would go with whom.
The much-sought after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar caused a flutter by saying that he would support
which ever government at the Centre that would grant special
status to his state, a statement which undoubtedly caused
unease in the BJP-led NDA although it said he was with NDA.
The Congress, feeling good with exit polls projecting
it well ahead of the NDA, lost no no opportunity in saying
that it would be "sensitive" to Kumar's pre-condition. It also
established contact with Patnaik.
As part of efforts at cobbling up numbers, senior
Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee met SP leader Amar Singh last
night.
The meeting took place close on the heels of the AICC
General Secretary Digvijay Singh seeking to break the ice with
Amar Singh by telephoning to express regrets for any personal
attacks during the campaign.
Highly-placed Congress sources denied reports that
portfolios were a topic of discussion in the meeting between
Mukherjee and Amar Singh.
The NCP, a Congress ally, meanwhile softened its stand
on prime ministership for Sharad Pawar saying the Congress
would be the biggest party in the UPA and the top post would
go to it naturally.
However, his senior colleague and former Lok Sabha
Speaker P A Sangma struck a different note saying the Congress
should gracefully offer the prime minister's post to Pawar.
With reports speaking of Congress and BJP leaders trying
to woo BSP chief Mayawati, the party denied them saying she
was not touch with anyone from these parties.
Mayawati's confidant S.C.Mishra met CPI(M) leader
Prakash Karat and discussed the post-poll strategies.
PTI VSC
