News Reel India on Politics

Congress aimed 234 MLA, 36 MP seats

2009-03-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

The Pradesh Congress Committee aimed a total of 234 MLA and 36 MP seats from forthcoming elections.

YS Rajashekhar Reddy launched the Congress party’s poll campaign with glamour galore and he has symbolically launch the campaign at his Camp Office by beating a huge drum at 9.45 a.m., considered auspicious time.

The message was lost; the words 234 MLAs and 36 MPs were printed on the jumbo-sized drum to signify the figure that Dr. Reddy has been predicting as the Congress party’s election tally.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

PR leader Kesineni joins TDP

2009-03-09T23:27:00.001-07:00

Former Praja Rajyam party leader Kesineni Babu joined in Telugu Desham Party, yesterday.

Kesineni Babu who resigned to Praja Rajyam party recently and he took the TDP general membership in front of TD chief Nara Chandrababu Nayudu.

In this occasion TD chief asked party men not to believe in poll surveys telecast by private TV channels as they were “far removed from ground reality”. Chandrababu addressed the gathering after admitting Kesineni Babu into the party, Chandrababu Naidu referred to a private channel telecasting the survey results on Sunday without taking its name and said some channels were coming up with surveys favouring Congress.

Kesineni Babu joined with 20 other local leaders and hundreds of his supporters.

This was despite the fact that the Congress leaders themselves have lost confidence and were worried over the fate of their party, he said.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Chiranjeevi’s ‘Sankharavam’ today

2009-03-09T23:25:00.001-07:00

The Tollywood actor turned politician, Praja Rajyam Party founder president Chiranjeevi is going to organize a grand ‘Shankharavam’ programme today.

This is the first public meeting in East Godavari districts in Rajahmundry on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

A host of party leaders, including Tammineni Sitaram, Nagendra Babu, Allu Aravind, Siva Sankar, Devender Goud, K.S.R. Murthy, Upendra and others will participate in the meeting in which five lakh people are expected to attend.

A large number of people from West Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts are also expected to participate in the meeting.

The party named the venue of the meeting as Bapurao Phule grounds and stage was named after Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The party workers are making arrangements for huge stage to accommodate 200 people.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Sushma Swaraj political dance

2009-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

IT’s poll time: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj jigs with lambadi women who came from Telangana region to attend the Mahila Sankalp Rally in Hyderabad on Friday.

No ‘fake’ encounters: Chiranjeevi

2009-02-24T22:48:00.001-08:00

Ranga Reddy, February 25: The Praja Rajyam party founder president Konidela Chiranjeevi said that social justice was possible only through the ballot and democracy has come to be accepted as the best instrument for social change.

Chiranjeevi said in the Ex-naxalites Forum meeting at L.B. Nagar, Ranga Reddy districe on Tuesday. In this occasion few Maoist naxalites are joined in the party.

PRP leader said that while he had sympathy for people on the “revolutionary path”, there was no place for violence in a democracy.

He said that that there will no “fake” encounters if Praja Rajyam Party government comes to power and efforts will be made to release political prisoners and all necessary steps taken to rehabilitate surrendered naxalites. “We do not view Naxalism as a law and order problem but a socio-economic issue which has to be tackled from the roots,” he observed.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

A.P. Alliance seeks action against YSR

2009-02-18T23:38:00.000-08:00

Major Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh, including the TDP, the TRS, the CPI and the CPI(M), on Wednesday, alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had accumulated Rs. 10,000-crore worth wealth and sought their prosecution by the Centre.

The grand alliance consisting of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, CPI State secretary K. Narayana and CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavalu, led a 100-member delegation of MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the State and met Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta and sought a fair investigation into the alleged misdeeds of Dr. Reddy and his family members.

Mr. Naidu told mediapersons that the delegation would call on President Pratibha Patil, External Affairs and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and all the floor leaders in the Parliament.

They would consider moving the Supreme Court if no satisfactory action was taken by the Centre.

Rosaiah clarifies on composition of panel

2009-02-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

The committee of legislators of both Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana will after all be a government committee comprising political parties.

Amid charges that the government had taken parties for ride on the issue of constituting the committee, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah told reporters here on Wednesday that the committee announced in the Assembly by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on February 12 would comprise members of political parties.

“It is not a joint house committee as is being made out,” he said clarifying that Dr. Reddy never referred to the joint house panel. But, he said the Chief Minister would give further clarity on the issue in a day or two.

The Finance Minister’s remarks came after uproar over Chief Secretary P. Ramakant Reddy writing letters to the political parties instead of the Legislature Secretariat doing the work on the directions of the Assembly Speaker or the Council Chairman.

Mr. Rosaiah created a flutter by stating that the committee would neither concede Telangana nor oppose the statehood. “It has been constituted only to look into the concerns of the stakeholders,” he added.

It may be recalled that Dr. Reddy informed the Assembly last week the government had no objection for the formation of Telangana State in principle and that the time has come to move forward decisively on the issue. However, before taking a decision many of the issues need to be resolved as serious concerns have been raised by the stake-holders.

He further stated that the State government had decided to constitute a committee of members of both the Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana and further steps could be taken after the report from the joint committee is submitted to the government.

YSR Check to ‘Telangana’ Statehood?

2009-02-13T21:40:00.001-08:00

The Chief Minister of AP YS Rajashekhar Reddy started another game with Telangana People, also with other political party’s.

Rajashekhar Reddy give his conditional ‘accept’ to the separate Telangana state issue.

Unable to withstand the intense pressure on the Telengana statehood issue both from within his own Congress party members and the mega alliance of TDP, TRS, CPI, CPM, the CM yesterday said that he had no objection to agree to an issue of separate Telengana as long as there was consensus on the various questions raised on that front.

The Chief Minister on Thursday announced constitution of a joint committee of members of Assembly and Council to deliberate issues and concerns on formation of Telangana.

Reddy made this far-reaching political announcement in the Assembly shortly before its budget session came to a close, even while declaring that “the State government has no objection to formation of Telangana State in principle” and that ‘time has come to move decisively on the matter”.

However, the committee is being formed since many issues needed to be resolved before taking any decision and as serious concerns have been raised by stakeholders, he said. Further steps could be taken after the committee submits its report, he added, ending day-long speculation over the subject of his statement.

Members of grand alliance of Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, CPI (M) and CPI stormed the podium and threw papers, resenting that this was not they had expected of him. Unruffled by the din and disturbance, Dr. Reddy read out the two-page text.

The concerns elucidated by him included the demands raised for separate States of Rayalaseema and North Coastal Andhra, strong opposition by Muslims on the plea that they would not be safe in Telangana State and views of those who settled down in Hyderabad, hailing from different regions of the State.

“The question is whether Andhra Pradesh should be divided into three or four States,” he said, as the members of grand alliance shouted slogans against Dr. Reddy.

Congress members thumped desks when Dr. Reddy observed that the emotive issue of Telangana was close to his heart and the Congress. From the beginning, the party favored constitution of a Second States Re-organization Commission to look into all demands for separate States.

The NDA government, in contrast, rejected outright a Congress request in 1999 to form the Second SRC. Though the Pranab Mukherjee Committee strove to achieve a consensus on Telangana it was in vain.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

MRPS activist’s protest at AP Assembly

2009-02-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad, February 05: The Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti activists created a disturbance on Wednesday when they climbed atop the Assembly building and threatened to jump from there to highlight their demand for categorisation of the Scheduled Castes.

A total of 27 MRPS activists and its student’s wing entered the Assembly lobbies on Monday afternoon and ran amock.

The activists entered the Assembly on visitors passes issued by ministers and MLAs.

While 10 activists rushed to the Assembly terrace and threatened to jump, the others locked themselves in the three offices shared by the ministers, K. Jana Reddy, J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Koneru Ranga Rao, Kanna Laxminarayana, Ponnala Laxmaiah and N. Raghuveera Reddy.

They were cleared after about half-an-hour.

The Hyderabad city police commissioner, B. Prasada Rao, denied intelligence failure saying the activists seemed to have entered Assembly with valid passes.

Balakrishna road shows get crowded

2009-02-04T03:13:00.000-08:00

Kurnool, February 04: The Tollywood Actor turned politician Nandamoori Balakrishna getting heavy response from the general public for his continuous road shows in Kurnool district for the third day on Tuesday, covering Chagalamarri, Sirvel, Rudravaram, Nandyal, Panyam and Kallur townships.

Balakrishna tried to enthuse the crowd by dramatics like slapping his thigh, holding a baby in arms, riding a bullock cart, a bicycle and having lunch at the house of one of his fans at Govindapalli.

The actor Balakrishna fans and Telugu Desham Party supporters, also alliance party’s supporters showered flower petals on the actor from tree tops.

Balakrishna worshipped at a Durga shrine near Sirivel of Kurnool district.

The actor tried to bring into focus the suffering and travails of people during the Congress rule.

He also asked the supporters defeat Congress, BJP and Praja Rajayam Party’s in forthcoming assembly and parliament elections.

He said the Telugu Desham alone could ensure social justice as it had a track record of making BCs top ranking Ministers and Speakers of the Assembly and Lok Sabha.

“My job is to fulfil the promises made by the party during the election”, he promised in road show. He urged people to give a chance to Chandrababu Naidu Party and his alliance party’s leaders Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, Irigela Rampulla Reddy, Y. Venkat Reddy accompanied him.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Balakrishna Mega ‘Dhee’ with Chiranjeevi?

2009-01-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad, January 30: Andhra Pradesh politics getting ready take another turn in forthcoming legislative assembly elections.

The Tollywood star actor turned politicians are getting ready to ‘Dhee’ in assembly polls.

The Telugu Desam Party star crusader and late NTR son Nandamuri Balakrishna is more than ready to contest against Praja Rajyam Party founder president and former Tollywood lead actor Megastar Chiranjeevi in the next elections.

"If the party directs me to do so, I am prepared to contest even against Chiranjeevi. Or for that matter from any-where in the State. And I challenge that I will emerge victorious in this contest," Balakrishna said in crowded gathering at Hindupur yesterday.

On the other hand, Balakrishna made it clear that except him, no other person from NTR family would contest the elections. "Jr NTR, Taraka Ratna and Kalyam Ram will campaign for the party, but not contest the elections at present," he said.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

11 file papers for Legislative Council

2009-01-27T23:45:00.001-08:00

The 11 candidates filed papers to the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh. They filed their nomination papers for the Legislative Council elections from the Assembly constituency on Tuesday.

Of the 11, eight were from the Congress including cabinet Minister K. Rosaiah, and three from the Telugu Desam Party filed their nomination papers for the Legislative Council elections from the Assembly constituency to the Legislature Secretary Raja Sadaram on Tuesday.

All the 11 are likely to be elected unopposed as the number of vacancies are also the same. Surprisingly, the Congress did not field another candidate though the ruling party and its allies have almost sufficient strength in the Assembly to ensure the victory of nine candidates. This enabled the TDP to field three candidates and wins all.

The other Congress nominees are k. Rosaiah, Rudraraju Padmaraju, Peer Shabbir Ahmed, N. Rajalingam, K. Yadava Reddy, K. R. Amos, G. Thippeswamy and Singam Basavapunnaiah.

On the other hand, the three Telugu Desam nominees, Nannapaneni Rajakumari, B. Venkateswarlu and B. Lakshminarayana Goud, filed their papers a few minutes before the deadline at 3 p.m. They were accompanied by TDP leaders and significantly, CPI (M) and CPI MLAs led by their floor leaders N. Narsimhaiah and Chada Venkat Reddy respectively. The Left party legislators also signed on the papers of the TDP candidates. With no contest expected, the fourth of the ‘grand alliance’ partners, TRS stayed away.

The Legislature Secretary told reporters that the nominations would be scrutinised on Wednesday and the results could be announced after the last day of withdrawals on January 30.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

YSR has just 85 days: Chandrababu Naidu

2009-01-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

The Telugu Desam Party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has predicted that the Grand Alliance of TDP, TRS and Left parties will capture power in the State. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has just 85 days to go and the Telugu Desham Party is staging a comeback, if the mood of the people is any indication.

Addressing a big gathering in Srikakulam town on Monday, Chandrababu Naidu ridicule the promise made by the Rajashekhar Reddy to fill thousands of teacher vacancies by May, 2009 as people were ready to send him home by April, 2009.

Chandrababu Naidu had participated and addressed several rallies at Komarthy, Narsannapeta, Narayanavalasa, Challapeta and Saravakota villages in the Narsannapeta Assembly constituency during his day-long marathon meetings at more than 10 villages and other roadside gatherings.

At Srikakulam town, Chandrababu Naidu, who spoke at several junctions, announced that he would take steps to return the 2.5 odd acres of land occupied by Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao to its rightful owner.

At all the public meetings, Naidu took pains to convince people that Rajashekhar Reddy and his colleagues had virtually looted the State exchequer by designing such schemes which provided scope for illegal payments.

Photo Feature: KCR’s Yaagam for separate Telangana State

2009-01-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti founder president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and former actress turned politician Vijayashanti participate in the Vishwa Shanti yagam being conducted at the Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday.

The yaagam is being performed for world peace and creation of a separate state.

Pawan Kalyan’s 4 day yatra completed

2009-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

The Praja Rajyam party’s youth wing Yuva Rajyam president and film star Pawan Kalyan has successfully completed his four-day yatra in various parts of Karimnagar district from January 20 to 23 and pepped up the morale of the party rank and file in general and his fans in particular.

In his village rural yatra traversed the kutcha road to reach Yellampalli project from Ramagundam mandal on Friday. The youth came in large numbers to participate in the padayatra. The Nava Telanagna party cadres had also participated in the yaatra and cheered Pawan Kalyan at all places.

He was accorded a warm reception at all places with the youth and womenfolk coming in large numbers to have a glimpse of film star. He also tried to attract the gathering with his interactive mode with the students, youth, women, farmers and senior citizens. On the outskirts of Peddapalli town, he entered fields barefoot and spoke to farmers.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Chandrababu promises diesel in subsidy for fishermen

2009-01-23T22:14:00.000-08:00

The Telugu Desham Party president Nara Chandrababu has promised to supply diesel at 50 per cent subsidy to fishermen if his government is voted back to power.

Addressing a public meeting at Akkivaram and Bhogapuram on Friday afternoon, Chandrababu Naidu assumed that Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had proposed the coastal corridor from Tada to Ichchapuram to receive kickbacks from allotment of about 1.50 lakh acres to capitalists. If it was materialised, some 60,000 to 70,000 fishermen would be displaced along the coast, he said.

He said that Ministers and MLAs became land grabbers, particularly of the poor. With the number of scams surfacing each day, people in the State were forced to hang their heads in shame, he observed.

Chandrababu Naidu guaranteed free rice, enhancement of old age pensions, free supply of LPG connections and gas at 50 per cent subsidy. The response to his meetings was good.

Photo Feature: Actors & Leaders with School Girl

2009-01-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

Actor Junior NTR (centre) presents a school girl with a uniform and bag as the TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu and TD leader Nandamoori Balakrishna.

AP Politics: Vijayashanti join hands with TRS

2009-01-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

The Tollywood actress turned politician Vijayashanti formed Talli Telangana Party will merge with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti on January 30.

The announcement was made by Talli Telangana president Vijayashanti and TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao after a luncheon meet at her residence here on Friday.

The actor invited Chandrasekhar Rao for lunch. “I decided to merge my party with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi to avoid splitting of votes. I felt that all parties fighting for separate Telangana should come on one platform to achieve the goal,” Vijayashanti said. Sources in the TRS said Vijayashanti would get a key post and a separate office in the Telangana Bhavan. She may be appointed as the party general secretary or mahila wing chief. “She was offered a prominent post,” a party leader disclosed.
Vijayashanti, who launched Talli Telangana four years ago, said the formalities of the merger would be completed on January 30. “I also invited Devender Goud, but he did not respond. He subsequently joined the Praja Rajyam Party. I have no ego problems.” Welcoming Vijayashanti into the party fold, Chandrasekhar Rao said the merger would further strengthen the party and the Telangana movement. “When I met her three months back, I proposed the merger. I said it will be easier if all pro-Telangana parties come on one platform and take up the movement,” Chandrasekhar Rao said. “She readily agreed to the proposal,” he added. Chandrasekhar Rao said he was striving for a separate Telangana without bloodshed.

“I want to achieve Telangana politically. Violence has no place in Telangana movement,” he remarked.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

AP Politics: TRS joins in Grand Alliance

2009-01-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

The grand alliance is materialized in Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao joined the Grand Alliance comprising the Telugu Desam, CPI (M) and the CPI on Thursday, triggering a triangular contest in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.

This has effectively put to rest all hopes of the Telangana Congress leaders and the Praja Rajyam who were seeking an alliance with the TRS.

The Grand Alliance will be formally launched on January 21 when the Telugu Desam president, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, CPI (M) general secretary B.V. Raghavulu, the CPI general secretary, K. Narayana, and the CPI MP, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, will go to Telangana Bhavan to participate in a public meeting to be held from 10 am 12 noon muhurtham.

For now, the alliance partners will have their own manifestoes with a single goal of defeating the Congress in the state and Centre and strive for the Third Front at the Centre.

The Opposition alliance took this decision after a 3 hour luncheon meeting at the Jubilee Hills residence of Chandrababu Naidu.

Mega alliance in Andhra Pradesh Politics?

2009-01-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

The Andhra Pradesh politics took another Mega turn yesterday. The Telugu Desham Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and left party’s CPI (M), CPI given a clear indication on their alliance against Congress party.

The Telugu Desam Party president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday more than indicated that they, along with the two Left parties, will fight the 2009 general and assembly elections as alliance partners.

The leaders of the four parties met the President Mrs Prathibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan camp and also sought the dismissal of six ministers allegedly involved in the fisheries department executive engineer Suryanarayana scam. They demanded action against ‘Corrupt’ Rajashekhar Redy government in Andhra Pradesh.

In a sign of bonhomie, the TRS chief, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, later took the TD president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, the CPI (M) leader, B.V. Raghavulu, and the CPI leader, K. Narayana in one car from Rashtrapati Nilayam to his Banjara Hills residence for a sumptuous dinner.

Earlier in the evening, the TRS chief visited Chandrababu Naidu’s residence after a gap of eight years. Before the dinner, he announced that his party would take a political decision on the alliance on an auspicious day after Sankranti.

The TRS chief called Naidu his "friend of 20 years" and added that the issue of alliance would be discussed in party forums. "We will also take people into confidence." "Our goal is one," he added. "We have to defeat the incompetent and corrupt Congress government. We will have massive joint agitations."

He added that the CPI (M) stance on Telangana would be clarified before the grand alliance was set up.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Congress is the main villain for Telangana

2008-12-30T02:19:00.000-08:00

Hyderabad, December 30: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on Monday asked the people of Telangana, particularly students, to defeat the Congress in the 2009 elections to ensure a separate Telangana state.

“The Pradesh Congress Committee and National Congress government playing villain rolls for separate Telanagana state. Congress is now the only obstacle for carving out a separate Telangana State.

If we defeat Congress, we can achieve Telangana. All Opposition parties barring Congress support the Telangana cause,” he remarked.Chandrashekhar Rao addressed a Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana rally at Nizam College Grounds.

He asked students to lead the agitation for a separate Telangana State.

Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Editorial: Congress shines in semi-final

2008-12-08T04:19:00.000-08:00

The semi-final, as was billed by pollsters, political analysts and leaders of political parties, has come as a rude shock to the BJP and as a shot in the arm for the Congress. Bruised by the Mumbai terror attacks and the consequent media attacks, the Congress has surprisingly emerged stronger, stunning both the BJP and the media.

For the BJP, the results of the Assembly elections are certainly a serious setback. It could retain only Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (where too the margins of victory are smaller, compared to the previous elections), and lost the crucial state of Rajasthan to archrival Congress. For a party that was looking to sweep four states, and ends up with just two, the BJP’s hopes of an early return to power at the Centre have crashed. It will now go through an agonising period of soul-searching, game-blame and scapegoat-finding to push into a deeper mess.

The Delhi win for Congress has meant that it has not merely retained the national capital but also made significant gains in Rajasthan and Mizoram. For a party which has not won in the states in the last couple of years, the results are a tonic to the Congress leadership.

BJP leader L K Advani was touted as the prime ministerial candidate. But he has bitten the dust, particularly in Delhi, where V K Malhotra, projected as the Chief Minister, failed though he was Advani’s personal choice. That the Congress could grab a state (Rajasthan) from BJP’s kitty is like adding salt to his wounds. A win in the Hindi heartland is, therefore, extremely crucial for the Congress in the run-up to the LS polls.

The scorecard of the semi-final reads thus:

BJP: Retained only 2 out of 3 states it held in 2003: No gains from the Congress or any other party.

Congress: Retained its Delhi state. Gained two states from the opposition - Rajasthan and Mizoram. Narrowed BJP’s margins in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The cries from the BJP camp are strange. Poor selection of candidates in Delhi, laments one leader. If so, do they lament selecting Malhotra as their leader too? And what about the poor selection (of Malhotra) by Advani? That brings one to the question, what about the selection of Advani as PM candidate? Is he a poor choice too?

Advani’s (and that of many BJP leaders too) favourite pot-shot was that wherever Sonia and Rahul Gandhi would go, the Congress party would lose. They can’t say that anymore, the Congress having won at least 3 of the 6 states that went to the polls recently, especially after the disastrous Mumbai blasts.

Of course, Advani conveniently forgot that his party lost elections (a drubbing) in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls where he campaigned intensively for the BJP.

What is worse for the BJP is that it has not merely lost the sheen of going into 2009 with many states in its kitty, with Congress in losing vein and BJP on the upward march, the boot is on the other leg as a resurgent and triumphant Congress will strengthen its march for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Smaller parties which looked to be gravitating towards the BJP and NDA for an alliance will now do a re-think and not like to throw their lot with a sinking party. Some of them will think of the Congress as a winning horse. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Tamil Nadu is a case in point. It may decide to stick to the Congress as poll partner.

Parties like the Left, BSP and AIADMK will look at the 2009 polls with renewed hope knowing that there could be a hung Parliament, and there would be scope for a Third Front to do some fishing.

The worst fears for the BJP are that both the Congress and the Third Front will work with renewed hope and vigour and the BJP will be seized by internal convulsions as they grope for the right formula and right leaders to make their pitch.

With inflation easing, dropping to 8.40 per cent from the highs of close to 12 per cent a few months ago, as the spectre of the Mumbai terror recedes and as more freebies could come in the next Union budget, the BJP’s worry is that the Congress will widen the gap and inch closer to the half-way mark in the next Lok Sabha elections due in April-May 2009.