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| Stalwarts sign off campaign, massive star war on Sunday | | Baig, Shafi Uri, Mir, Hakeem, Kar, Harsh among 256 contenders for 18 seats | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 5: Star campaigners of all major political parties today made a whirlwind tour and pumped their lungs out in a hectic campaign schedule across four districts where campaign ended this evening.
With high staked contenders, 18 constituencies of the districts of Baramulla, Badgam, Udhampur and Reasi are going to polls on December 7. Former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, former PCC Chief and Congress rebel Ghulam Rasool Kar, presidents of two newly floated parties –PDF and Democratic Party –several former Ministers are among the 256 candidates in fray for the fourth phase which saw a high pitched campaign in all four districts.
National Conference leaders Farooq and Omar Abdullah, PDP leaders Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba, Congress leaders Saif-ud-Din Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad were among the top leaders who addressed a series of public meetings in four districts today to sign off campaign for the fourth phase.
The campaign centred around development issues in the Jammu region. But in the Valley, where as many as 13 ministers are con... | |
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| Tough to check poll spending: CEC | | | | Agencies
New Delhi, Dec 5: Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami on Friday indicated that most candidates overspend during election campaigns and that it was difficult to check who was crossing the expenditure limit set by the poll panel.
Gopalaswami said the Election Commission has its own limitations in controlling political parties from collecting money from illegitimate sources and curb the high budget campaigns.
Citing an experience in Tamil Nadu, he said there were instances when ambulances were used to carry money for voters.
"Ambulances were carrying cash, not the sick," he said while participating in a seminar on financing of election campaigns here.
He noted that the ... | |
| | | | Kashmir calls SIM sleuths | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 5: The Calcutta link in the SIM card network of the Mumbai terrorists has prompted the Special Task Force (STF) of the Mumbai police to join the probe and send two officers to Jammu and Kashmir.
The brief for sub-inspectors Partha Mukherjee and Pulak Dutta, who reached Srinagar, was to track down those who had called the terrorists in Mumbai using SIM cards bought in Calcutta.
Three of the cards used by the terrorists were traced to Calcutta. The call details of two cards are leading sleuths to Kashmir, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Muzzafarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“We have zeroed in on the locations in Kashmir from where calls were made to the SIM ca... | |
| | | | Home Minister admits chinks | | MUMBAI MAYHEM | | | Agencies
New Delhi, Dec 5: The Central Government today admitted that intelligence and security mistakes were made before last week's terrorist strikes on Mumbai. The admission comes as public anger grows at the authorities' lax handling of the attacks, which killed nearly 200 people.
The newly appointed Home Minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, said: "Ultimately there have been some lapses. These are being looked into and I will do my utmost ... to overcome the causes of these lapses and try to improve the effectiveness of the security system.
"What happened in Mumbai must be the trigger for a fundamental change of our attitude towards terrorism and combating terrorism. Neither the state... | |
| | | | Chavan new Maha CM, Bhujbal Deputy | | | | Agencies
Mumbai, Dec 5: Maharashtra Industry Minister Ashok Chavan will be the new state Chief Minister to succeed Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was eased out of office in the aftermath of the audacious Mumbai terror attacks last week.
Meanwhile, Chhagan Bhujbal of the Nationalist Congress Party has been nominated as the next Deputy Chief Minister. The post had fallen vacant after resignation of the incumbent RR Patil over Mumbai terror attacks.
The nomination of 50-year-old Chavan, the son of late SB Chavan, as leader of the Congress Legislature Party by Congress President Sonia Gandhi was announced by senior leader Pranab Mukherjee this evening, shortly after another contender Narayan Rane h... | |
| | | | Border trade runs through fears of imminent barriers | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 5: As the verbal acrobatics get shriller between India and Pakistan, the trans-Line of Control trade between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir and other forms of trade between two countries is running under the threat of breakdown and euphoria of strengthening relations is fast coming down.
“We had very little scope of trading through LoC but had all our hopes pinned on Suchetgarh-Sialkote road which now appears bleak”, said a trader in Jammu who agreed that trade via International Border could have been big boost for economy of the region. Opening Suchetgarh-Sialkote route for trade between Jammu and Pakistan occupied Kashmir was one of the major Confidence Bui... | |
| | | | HP CM Dhumal claims to build castle in sky | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 5: After touring the remote areas of Gool and Arnas where BJP can merely count votes on fingers, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Bhumal today delivered the verdict –our party with either form government or play pivotal role in formation of next ruling arrangement in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a calculation which even political novices would laugh at, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister said that “peoples’ verdict is clearly in favour of BJP”. He probably expected BJP to form government in the basis of its press statements which occupy quite a significant space in the media every day.
“Formation of new government in the state would not be possible... | |
| | | | Friday fever: Srinagar besieged | | Govt says, restrictions unavoidable | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar/Jammu, Dec 5: A symbolic scene of almost every Friday afternoon since eruption of the present round of separatist movement in Valley, a curfew like situation prevailed in the Srinagar City today amidst a complete shutdown and thick presence of the security forces.
The Friday prayers, however, could not be held at the Jamia Masjid as supporters of Awami Action Committee called for a boycott in view of house arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is the head priest. Government said that authorities were making all arrangements for Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid but Awami Action activists did not allow people to offer prayers there and instead over 10,000 people offe... | |
| | | | Close shave for Mustafa Kamal | | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 5: Hours before the end of campaigning for the fourth phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, militants made an abortive bid on the life of former chief minister Farooq Abdullah' brother and senior NC leader Sheikh Mustafa Kamal in Baramulla district on Friday.
A grenade was hurled by militants towards the convoy of Mustafa Kamal, who is National Conference's candidate from Gulmarg constituency, at Chandloora village of Tangmarg around 2 pm but the device failed to explode, official sources said.
Kamal was returning after canvassing in his constituency when the ultras made the abortive attempt on his life, they said. The grenade which hit one of... | |
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