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Sevan Brilliant Quotes

UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab hopes to win over 'sister' Mamata

Pranab Mukherjee appears set to be the next President with his candidature announced today by the ruling UPA and endorsed swiftly by supporting parties SP and BSP amid indications that he will gather more support ahead.
The 77-year-old veteran Congress leader, currently finance

minister with 43 years of parliamentary experience, was named by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at a meeting of the leaders of the Congress and the alliance partners, including DMK, RLD, NCP, NC and IUML.

Within minutes, SP, which had joined hands with TMC leader Mamata Banerjee to propose the name of APJ Abdul Kalam for the post, broke away and pledged support to Mukherjee, leaving the West Bengal Chief Minister totally isolated.

This was followed by another major Uttar Pradesh party BSP, whose supremo Mayawati also extended her support, which will take Mukherjee close to the required vote value of 5.49 lakh in an electoral college consisting of MPs and MLAs with a total vote value of 10.98 lakh.Even counting out TMC, which has a vote value of 48,000, Mukherjee is short of just about 26,000 vote value which is expected to be made up by other parties that may include the Left

Immediately after being chosen, Mukherjee expressed his gratitude to Sonia Gandhi and the other UPA leaders for the honour which he accepted with "all humility".

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lost no time in reaching out to other parties including the BJP to seek support for Mukherjee. After speaking to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati, he called up BJP leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley respectively.

A question mark now hangs over the candidacy of Kalam with only Mamata still pushing his name. Indications are he may not agree to contest, making it a virtual cakewalk for Mukherjee.

Pranab Mukherjee on Friday sought the support of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in the July 19 elections describing her as his sister.

"I also seek the support of Mamata Banerjee because she is like my sister," Mukherjee told reporters on being asked whether his appeal to political parties to back his candidature included Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.

The BJP-led NDA met earlier but failed to come up with a candidate amid reports that JD(U) had reservations over Kalam being supported. Whether the NDA would chose to contest with its own candidate remained a matter of conjecture.

The only other candidate P A Sangma was still insisting on contesting, recalling that he has been supported by AIADMK leader Jayalalitha and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik. His own party NCP, though, was pressing him to withdraw which he was stubbornly refusing to do.

Refusing to see writing on the wall, mercurial TMC chief Mamata continued to insist tonight that she was firm on Kalam's candidature.

Her own party's future in UPA alliance, after her revolt and the embarrassment caused by her to the Congress, remained uncertain. Whether UPA will jettison TMC or whether the West Bengal party will quit to save face was being debated in political circles.

Yadav was hard put to explain his volte face in supporting Mukherjee, two days after proposing the names of Manmohan Singh, Kalam and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, in the presence of Mamata.

Overnight rumours that Congress was succeeding in breaking up the TMC-SP combine came true minutes after Mukherjee's name was announced and SP chief's brother and General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav pledging support to the UPA candidate.

Mulayam Singh struggled to fend off queries from reporters and repeatedly said he agreed with his brother's announcement of support to Mukherjee whom he described as "very experienced and most able". The country needs a leader like Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhawan, he said.

via ~ hindustantimes

UPA allies push for Manmohan as Prez, new twist in race

The race for Rashtrapati Bhavan was thrown wide open on Wednesday. Two key UPA allies, the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, came out with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name, along with that of former president APJ Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee as their choices for the top post.

Their political manoeuvre probably put Congress' initial choice of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and vice president Hamid Ansari out of serious reckoning and opened up the possibility of several scenarios.

Though some Congress sources ruled out the possibility of Singh participating in the presidential race, there was no official response from the party to the odd manner in which SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee mentioned the PM name at a joint press conference.

If Mulayam and Mamata had actually challenged the Congress by proposing Singh's name, there was no outrage, as the party maintained studied silence.

The West Bengal chief minister drove to Yadav's house from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's residence where, after the meeting, Banerjee had disclosed to the media that Mukherjee and Ansari were the Congress party' choices - and in that order.

Later, ignoring both the names, Mulayam and Mamata declared that the PM, Kalam and Chatterjee were their choices, saying any one of them would be acceptable to them. They also made it clear that the names they had proposed were not in order of preference.
The name of Singh as a possible presidential candidate had done the rounds for some time. But a few days ago, the PM himself ruled out any such move, saying, "I am happy doing what I am doing."Gandhi, too, heaped praise for his stewardship of the government and the country at the Congress working committee though some Congress leaders had urged the UPA to undertake bold measures to shore up the government's image.

After making the announcement, the SP chief discussed the issue with NDA convenor Sharad Yadav while the BJP's core group decided to wait for the Congress response to their suggestion since they were UPA allies.

Earlier, Mamata said that Gandhi had informed her that her party's first choice for president was Mukherjee.

She said when she had pressed for a second choice, Gandhi mentioned Vice President Hamid Ansari's name.

She had also made it clear she was not using an economic package for West Bengal as a bargaining point in this matter.

"We had detailed discussions... Soniaji told me that she had held meetings with two-four allies and her first choice was Pranab Mukherjee and second choice Hamid Ansari," Mamata told reporters.

She said she had told Gandhi: "At the moment, I cannot say anything. We need to discuss with Mulayam Singh and my own party. Then only we can say something."

NCP leader Sharad Pawar reacted to the TMC-SP move, saying all the parties in the UPA would have to sit and consider the situation and evolve a consensus.

Meanwhile, Congress sources said Gandhi might call a meeting of UPA leaders to discuss the issue.

The PM is due to be away abroad for a week from June 16.

via ~hindustantimes

Put me in jail if I am a traitor, Anna Hazare challenges PMO

Trashing allegations that his movement against corruption is foreign funded, Anna Hazare on Tuesday hit back at the UPA daring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to spell out which are the external forces behind it.

"It is wrong to call me anti-national. The government says I am a traitor. If I am, then put me in jail," he said.

Addressing a press conference, Hazare said allegations against his team were to divert attention from the demand for a strong lokpal bill and that if anti-corruption crusaders are viewed in this way, it is unfortunate.

"They (ministers) said that there are foreign powers behind Team Anna. They blame us but who are these foreign powers. They did not tell. What foreign power, which country, they did not tell. Such false accusations are not right," he said.

"If the Prime Minister sees the anti-corruption activists as anti-nationals, that is unfortunate for the country. If the Prime Minister feels that foreign powers are behind Team Anna, then it is necessary that he clearly tell the citizens who are those forces," he said.

Hazare said a common person levelling allegations was a different matter but when PMO levels such charges it is serious.

"You have such a huge network of intelligence, why don't you work on it," he said.

Though he does not believe that Singh or his family took money in the coal block allocations, Hazare, however, added there will be "no smoke without fire" and whether the Prime Minister was "not seeing the smoke".

"It is clear from CAG report that there was huge loss and somebody has been benefitted. Who are they?" he said.

Referring to PMO letter which said Team Anna has not given any evidence, Hazare said the CAG has reported everything.

"If there is smoke, then there is some fire. Haven't you seen the fire? You should have understood that there was fire when you saw smoke," he said.

"Punish me if I am guilty," Hazare said, asking the government to show proof of foreign funding in his movement.

There is no foreign hand in our agitation, Hazare said.

Hazare denied the charge that his movement had not submitted accounts of expenditure.

"We have audited our accounts and posted it on the internet. Your party also collects so many funds, why are you not giving the statement of accounts to the people," he said.

Hazare also rubbished allegations levelled by the MoS in the Prime Minister's Office, V Narayansamy, and ridiculed the minister's statement that he has no will to fight the battle against corruption.

"We were cheated in the standing committee and in Parliament over the draft of lokpal bill," he said.

"Two days ago, we were told by the PMO that there is no evidence to substantiate charges against the 14 ministers. We have also sent the files to Sonia Gandhi, so that she can also read it, to see what your ministers are doing," Hazare said.

Hazare said the government's intentions on coming out with a strong lokpal are not genuine.

"The government is dithering on a strong legislation to curb corruption. It's intentions are not genuine," he said.

"The PMO says the lokpal bill draft has been prepared in consultation with us, our colleagues. They are misleading people.

"Last year, our draft was ready, the government's draft was ready. They could have tabled both the drafts before the Cabinet. Why was time wasted? It is clear that they lack the will to enact a strong anti-graft bill and are misleading the people," he said.

After 65 years of Independence, we still follow laws enacted by the British, he said. "What is the need of Official Secrets Act," he added.

"The government is saying... the PMO is saying that many steps have been taken to eradicate corruption. In a democracy, when a legislation is made, people should be taken into confidence. Here, the government is making the draft and also enacting the legislation," he said.

Via ~hindustantimes

2G auction: Existing players may be allowed only one slot of 1.25 Mhz

The Government may allow incumbent players to bid for only one slot of 1.25 Mhz spectrum in the upcoming 2G auction. There will be no such cap on new players taking part in the auction.

According to the auction plan being finalised, there will be at least 8 slots of 1.25 Mhz each up for grab. Even if four of the top incumbent players grab a slot each, there will be four more slots available for new players.

This opens up the door a wee bit for new operators as they will be permitted to buy a minimum of two slots each, according to the decision taken by the Empowered Group of Ministers at its meeting on June 5. In addition, the new entrants can buy one more slot.

Top Government officials said that the auction rules were being made keeping in mind the new players whose licences have been cancelled by the Supreme Court.

While most of the new operators have already shut shop, Telenor-backed Uninor and Russia's Sistema continue to offer services. The two companies have said that they will participate in the auction if the rules are conducive.

If the Department of Telecom manages to get the Defence to vacate additional 55 Mhz of spectrum, then at least two new players can hope to get start-up spectrum even after incumbent players take up the other slots.

According to industry watchers, most of the operators that have lost licences may bid selectively leaving out non-profitable circles. “Some of the new players may use this opportunity to shed unwanted circles. Having operated in the country for over a year they would be better equipped to determine where they want to play. It is unlikely that anyone will go for a pan-India presence,” said one of the new operators. The players also have another advantage because all spectrum bought in the auction will be liberalised. This essentially elevates them from being a 2G player to being a 4G operator.

Via ~ thehindubusinessline