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Political Notes

	March 06, 2006

Assembly poll schedule announced



The Election Commission has announced the schedule for elections to West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Pondicherry Assemblies. Surprisingly, West Bengal is to have elections in five-phases stretching from April 17 to May 8. Tamil Nadu will have a single day poll on May 8. Assam will have a two-phase poll on April 3 and 10. Kerala will have a three-phase poll on April 22 and 29, and May 3. The Union Territory of Pondicherry will go to the polls on May 3 and May 8.



Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon said in New Delhi on March 1 that the elections are being staggered taking into account what he called the ground realities and availability of paramilitary forces. Observers say that the decision to have a five-phase poll in West Bengal is meant at ensuring that there is no rigging in the state, a charge often made by opposition parties.



The Left Front has reacted adversely to the Election Commission decision. The Left Front in West Bengal said the decision is an act of discrimination against the state. Pointing out that even the Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir elections had been held in four phases, they asked why this state - which has a much better record of law and order - should have a five-phase poll.



A day after the CPI(M) raised similar objections to the EC’s decision, the Front held an emergency meeting and gave the issue another twist saying the Commission had taken a similar attitude towards Kerala - a state where the Left has high hopes of regaining to power this time. Polling in three phases in that state, as decided by the EC, was unprecedented, Front chairman Biman Bose said.



The Election Commission also announced last week that polling for 58 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on March 28. These seats will fall vacant over the next few days. Among those whose terms are expiring are Union Ministers Arjun Singh and H.R. Bhardwaj, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K.Rehman Khan and senior BJP leaders, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.



The Budget session of Parliament is likely to be rescheduled in view of the Assembly elections. At an all-party meeting called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi on March 3, it was agreed that the first part of the Budget session be extended by five days to March 22. The second part of the Parliament session will now be for 13 days from May 10 to 23.





Amar Singh tapes episode : Supreme Court ruling



The Supreme Court has restrained all television and print media from displaying or publishing any part of the illegally taped conversations involving Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh. The restriction was placed in an interim order passed by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal. The order came on an application filed by Amar Singh raising objections to the alleged distribution of the illegal tapes to prominent TV channels.



On the question of displaying or publishing the contents of the tape, the court held that any such taping of conversation of any person without putting him on guard was illegal and unauthorised and such tapes ought not to be screened. When the Centre and Delhi Government were asked for their views on this proposition, both SG and ASG expressed no objections.



Arrest in Tehelka expose



The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested former Samata Party Treasurer R.K. Jain under the Prevention of Corruption Act in a case brought out by the Tehelka expose. Jain’s name appears as an accused in the preliminary inquiries registered by the CBI relating to the receipt of bribes for exercising influence with public servants and for complicity in defence deals. During the Tehelka expose, the functionaries of the portal met various persons, including Government servants, defence officers, businessmen and politicians purportedly to facilitate obtaining supply orders for defence equipment, including hand held thermal images. Such meetings were secretly video-taped, depicting various persons allegedly receiving illegal gratification.



Expulsion of Samajwadi Party MP recommended



The Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee has recommended the expulsion of Samajwadi Party member, Swami Sakshiji Maharaj, featuring in Operation Chakarvyuh on the misuse of MPs’ Local Area Development Funds aired on television on December 19. It gave the benefit of doubt to Bahujan Samaj Party member, Isam Singh, who also figured in the expose.



The Committee suggested that the agency that laid the trap, Dedicated Investigative Guild (DIG) and Star News be referred to the Privileges Committee for not disclosing their sources and not obeying its orders. The Committee took cognizance of a complaint filed by Singh with the Rajya Sabha Chairman against the channel for breach of privilege and contempt of the House for associating his name along with other MPs who allegedly accepted commissions in recommending works under the MPLAD scheme.





Steps to protect witnesses



The Criminal Procedure Code is to be amended to protect witnesses in sensitive criminal cases to prevent them from turning hostile under pressure or for a price. Home Minister Shivraj Patil said that the Cr.P.C. is being amended at the behest of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The move follows the public outcry over the Jessica Lal murder case verdict in which all the accused were acquitted as key witnesses turned hostile.



Sonia Gandhi’s letter appears to be an effort to correct inadequacies in the recently adopted Criminal Amendment Bill which does not have a provision to take care of the hostile witness problem. Post-Jessica judgment, the Bill has become a major embarrassment for the Government. The lower court verdict has shocked civil society with opinions strongly veering in favour of reopening the trial. All major political parties have expressed dissatisfaction over the judgment and demanded that the case be reopened.



The proposal on hostile witnesses was originally contained in the Bill introduced by the previous NDA Government, but was subsequently dropped following the Standing Committee’s recommendation.