Ballia by-Election on 29th December

Bye-elections in Bhojpuri belt























Ballia MP Chandrashekhar died after a prolonged illness

















Bikramganj MP Ajit Singh died in a road accident

The by-election to the Ballia Lok Sabha seat was necessitated following the death of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar. Samajwadi Party nominee and former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar's son Neeraj Singh has also filed his nomination papers.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nominee Vinay Shankar Tewari filed his nomination papers for the by-election to the Ballia Lok Sabha constituency scheduled to be held on December 29. Tewari, son of former Uttar Pradesh Minister Hari Shankar Tewari, joined BSP recently.

Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate Virendra Singh has already filed his nomination papers.

Twenty-one nominations have been filed for the bye-election for Ballia Lok Sabha seat in the eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Those who filed their papers include Vishwamitra of Indian Justice Party, Bhim Raj from Rastriya Lok Dal, Tej Narain (Independent), Girishram from Lok Jan Shakti Party.y

Counting of votes for both Ballia and Bikramganj would take place on January 2, 2008.

P.S: Chandrashekhar, was born in Ibrahimpatti in 1927. He was an active member of the Socialist Party. Chandrashekhar was a prominent leader of socialists. He joined Congress in 1964. From 1962 to 1967, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. He entered the Lok Sabha in 1977. As a member of the Congress Party, he vehemently criticised Indira Gandhi for her activities. This led to a split in the congress in 1975. Chandrashekhar was arrested during the emergency
and sent to prison.

After the emergency, he became the President of Janata Party. In the parliamentary elections, Janata Party did very well and formed the coalition government headed by late Morarji Desai. In 1988, his party merged with other parties and formed the government under die leadership of VP. Singh. Again his relationship with the coalition deteriorated and he formed another party, Janata Dal socialist faction.
With the support of Congress (I) headed by Rajiv Gandhi, he replaced VP.Singh and became the 11th Prime Minister of India in November 1990. His four-month-old government ended on March 6, 1991, from the floor of the Indian parliament as the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi withdrew support which led to his resignation as the Congress party accused Chandrashekhar of spying on Rajiv Singh. The party boycotted parliament and as Chandrashekhar`s government only had about 60 MPs, he resigned in a nationally televised address. He remained the caretaker Prime Minister. After Chandrasekhar's resignation, no one came forward to form a coalition government and the President dissolved Parliament and elections for the 10th parliament were announced for June 1991. Chandrasekhar remained as the caretaker Prime Minister.
His government lasted for 7 months.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at an election rally at Sriperumbudur near Tamil Nadu capital Chennai.

Chandrasekhar government handed over the investigation of the murder to the CBI on May 24 and it constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under D R Karthikeyan, who had earlier been in Sri Lanka during the time of the Indian Peacekeeping Forces. Unfortunately, Chandrasekhar's government failed to disclose whether there were any special reasons for them to appoint Karthikeyan to lead the SIT, who was by that time a sworn enemy of the LTTE.

Meanwhile, nine days after the assassination, on May 31, the Intelligence Bureau reviewed various scenarios and possibilities. According to its review, there had been 13 instances of bomb blasts in Tamil Nadu between 1986 and 1991. It became clear, according to the review, that Sri Lankan militants, including the LTTE and the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army, took recourse to explosives to achieve their ends.

According to the IB's review, Rajiv Gandhi's murder was narrowed down to two possibilities - it was executed either by Sikh militants or the LTTE. But the government found that Sikh involvement in a murder in Tamil Nadu was unlikely, leaving the LTTE as the prime suspect.

Gandhi had disapproved of the Chandrasekhar government's refuelling facilities given to US war planes that were heading for the Gulf during the first war against Iraq.

Vikramganj by Election on 29th December

Does anyone need to know as to why Kanti Singh left Vikramganj constituency without fulfilling her obligations towards the voters who elected her. She is now a MP from Arrah constituency.

Meena Devi, wife of former Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] MP Ajit Kumar Singh will be the party's candidate for the December 29 by-election to Bikramganj Lok Sabha seat, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The by-election has been necessitated by the mysterious death of Singh, also chairman of NAFED, in an accident.

Bye elections for Ballia Lo Sabha seat will also take place on the same day.

Predicting the victory of Meena Devi by a comfortable margin, Kumar said that she was elected party's candidate on the recommendation of the local unit and JD(U) MLA from the constituency. People will vote for Meena Devi as her husband was a popular figure in the area and many steps initiated by the government in the past two years for the development of the state, Kumar said at the "janata durbar".

The RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has put up Ashok Kumar Kushwaha, belonging to the Kushwaha community, which has been fuming at Kumar after the expulsion of its leader Upendra Kushwaha from the JD(U).

It appears to be a contest between JD(U) and RJD. Candidates of the CPI-ML and the BSP are among the 12 in the fray.

Given the fact that Vikramganj is the former constituency of Kanti Singh. It would be revealing to note what Manushi wrote about her in Sept. 1996

Once upon a time Kanti Singh was the Minister of State in the Human Resources Development Ministry, called a meeting a few days after she got the job. Officials prepared themselves well, expecting that they would have to brief the first-time Minister from scratch. They needn't have bothered. The Minister sat through the meeting and asked a few questions. But every time she would say something, her eyes would swivel to Mr Kanti Singh, who sat beside her for the entire 75 minutes.

His manner was unintrusive, but the message was clear: in this ministry, it was the Ministers husband who wore the pants. But not just her husband. The few weeks that she was Minister apparently qualified her for a promotion.

From Human Resources Development, she was shifted to the far more powerful Coal Ministry. Yeh sab Lalooji ke chalte hua hai, she told reporters. That a housewife like Kanti Singh with hardly any experience of politics could rise to such a powerful office was testimony to the United Fronts commitment to the empowerment of women, say partymen. But in many ways, Kanti Singhs rise and rise is a metaphor for all that was wrong with the United Front(UF).

Those who were involved in the anti-Emergency movement in Bihar in the mid 70s say they never saw Kanti Singh on the scene, but we have to take Laloo Yadavs word for it that Singh came into politics at that time. Keshaw Prasad Singh, Kanti's husband, was an over seer with the Bihar Public Works Department in the 70s.

No one remembers Kanti as displaying any extraordinary talent for mobilisation, leadership or politics. But Laloo Yadav must have detected some spark. For in 1992, he thought she was politically mature enough to be appointed party General Secretary. Amid unspoken hostility, Kanti Singh was given charge and was later made to contest the assembly election.

In 1996, Laloo felt she could become a member of Parliament (MP). She was given the Vikramganj seat in west Bihar to contest from. Laloo not only went to Vikramganj himself to campaign for his protege, but also ordered four or five ministers in the state government to work for her. She had a formidable opponent Vashist Narayan Singh, a senior Samata Party candidate who had been close to Laloo at one time.

Though the election is under dispute, she won by a margin of 800-odd votes. Her name was recommended for a ministership and when Laloo felt she hadn't got her due, she was given a better ministry.

No one would have objected if Kanti Singh had been competent and talented and Laloo had tried to further her career. But when he was asked why H.D. Deve Gowda had appointed Kanti, he said: Because we needed a woman in the government. A mystified Maneka Gandhi asked the same question. Not only was she expelled from the party, but the party's womens wing pilloried her for it.

Laloo Yadav can be excused for defending Kanti. He needs reliable right-hand men and women in Delhi and the Coal Ministry has a direct bearing on politics (and finance) in Bihar. The UF was a hostage to then Bihar Chief Minister. So competence had to be defined by the yardstick Yadav set.

The net result was, India had a woman Minister of State for coal, but the decisions were all taken in consultation with : Laloo Yadav and Mr Kanti Singh. Those who can see things going wrong keep quiet. After all, wasn't Kanti Singh the embodiment of woman power? asked Manushi.

Kanti Singh was born in Pachhahar, village of Rohtas district. From 23 May 2004 to 28 Jan. 2006, she was Union Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Currently, she is the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the Dr Manmohan Singh government under Rashtriya Janata Dal quota.

In February 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, Narendra Kumar Pandey alias Sunil Pandey of JDU won from Piro in Bhojpur district defeating Keshaw Prasad Singh, husband of Kanti Singh by over 35,000 votes.

Kanti Singh represented Vikramganj in 1996 and 1999 by defeating Vashishta Narayan Singh of JD(U).

P.S: Manushi should have also informed its readers as to whether Maneka Gandhi is the embodiment of woman power? What is her status in Bhartiya Janata Party?

Paswan predicts premature death for Nitish Government

Ram Vilas Paswan's organised the Sankalp rally on 28 November, Paswan made a fervent appeal to the people to help him come to power. Paswan had booked 27 special trains to ferry his supporters from across the state. He had toured Bihar and held public meetings for a month to mobilise people to come to his rally.

His Lok Janshakti Party sought a chance after 15 years of Lalu-Rabri regime, and the last two years of Nitish government’s performance. He indicated that he wanted to widen his support base beyond the Dalits in his preparation for theassembly elections are due in 2010. He was of the view that due to the internal bickering within the JD(U), the Nitish government may die a premature death.

“I contested the Lok Sabha polls in 1999 with NDA and ensured that I won more than 30 seats. Vajpayee formed the government and I was given the ministry of telecommunication. However, despite my performance being outstanding, I was duped and shifted to the coal ministry."

Similarly, in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls I contested in alliance with the RJD and Congress and the UPA won 30 seats from here which helped it form the government. But Lalu duped me and grabbed the railway ministry. He also worked hard to get my candidates defeated at many places,” Paswan alleged.Lalu Yadav had held his party’s Chetawani rally at the same venue on the same date last month.

Cop killer arrested

Ara: The proverbial long arms of law appeared short enough for three decades, before they finally caught up with a criminal.

According to the PTI release November 27, 2007 Suraj Singh, who allegedly shot dead Bharat Lal Prasad, officer in-charge of Udwant Nagar police station in Bihar's Bhojpur district in 1977, was arrested from his native Karisat village. Superintendent of Police Umesh Kumar informed the PTI.

Now 48, Suraj, who plunged into the world of crime by shooting Prasad and a co-villager Jainandan Singh when they had gone to Karisat to settle a land dispute, dodged the law all along though the 13 other accused in the case either surrendered or were arrested and even sentenced for various durations for their involvement in the crime.

"He will be tried and police will seek his conviction," the SP said.

No weapons were found on Suraj at the time of his arrest, though police claimed that he was involved in several crimes all these years of absconding.

Who is Reshma Khatun?

Mokama MLA Anant Singh's involvement in the alleged rape and suspected murder of
Reshma Khatun deserves more attention. In the aftermath of the attack on the journalists, it appears that the MLA has succeeded in diverting the attention of the media from the case of Reshma Khatoon who had despatched a letter to various TV channels claiming that she was raped by the MLA and his associates Mukesh Singh and Bipin Singh.

Later a man, who identified himself as Reshma's brother Munna had called up NDTV to inform that she had been killed and her body dumped by the roadside in Shastri Nagar,Patna. The antecedents of Reshma and Munna are not known.

Moakama is the same area which witnessed a gruesome attack on Dalits in Belchi in 1978 that horrified public opinion. After Emergency and electoral defeat Indira Gandhi was isolated and unpopular but her response to this atrocity brought her center stage. In the face of the apathy of the Janata Party rulers, she moved into the country side in the monsoons that had made the roads impassable, reached Belchi on elephant back to meet victims of atrocities on Dalits late at night. Belchi and Mokama blocks of Barh Subdivision in Patna district. Emergence of likes of Anant Singh shows that not much has changed since 1978 despite India Gandhi and her party's return to power. Not surprisingly, Congress party is on the verge of extinction in Bihar.

Anant Singh is a MLA from the ruling Janata Dal (United) party, who was arrested Thursday afternoon for having an NDTV crew beaten up, has promised that he will get the NDTV correspondent Prakash Singh killed. MLA Anant Singh, a noted Patna don, is in custody but he says that's no problem, he will get Prakash Singh killed even if he remains in jail. Bihar is known for its criminal-turned-MLAs and Anant Singh is no different. Singh is a much-feared figure in Patna and is a known history-sheeter. He has two dozen criminal cases against him, including murder, kidnapping and extortion. A dozen of those cases are lined up for a speedy trial. Singh won his assembly seat from Mokama seat in 2005. Soon after he was released from Buxar Jail.

Prakash was at Anant Singh's house for an interview when the attack took place. He went Singh's house to get his comments on allegations that he is responsible for a rape and murder case of a woman in Patna.

But instead of a comment supporters and bodyguards of the MLA at his residence attacked the NDTV and ANI crew. They were beaten badly. The NDTV cameraman, Habib, escaped but the reporter, Prakash Singh, was held captive for almost two hours during which time he was beaten further. The police refused to respond initially but after journalists staged protests they went and freed the two journalists. Habib Ali has been taken to the Patna Medical College Hospital after he complained of chest pain.

Attack condemned

Leaders cutting across political spectrum strongly condemned the attack on NDTV correspondent and other mediapersons in Patna by a ruling JD(U) legislator on Thursday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while describing the incident as unfortunate, said he had asked the state police chief Ashis Ranajan Sinha to take immediate action and added that five persons, including the MLA Anant Singh, have already been arrested.
Two of those held are the MLA's supporters, one is a personal bodyguard and one an official guard. The Bihar government has also decided to hand over to CBI the case of alleged rape and murder of a woman, which had led journalists to query JD(U) MLA Anant Singh triggering a brutal assault on them. ''The state Home Secretary has been asked to recommend a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a woman by Anant Singh's associates. A journalistic inquiry into this incident led to the unfortunate attack (on media),'' Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters. ''Those shedding crocodile tears over the attack on journalists and shouting from rooftops demanding a CBI probe are the people in power at the Centre. They are requested to use their influence to ensure that the CBI, which functions under the Prime Minister, takes up the inquiry,'' Kumar said.

Shameful incident

Asserting that his government was acting without ''fear or favour'', Kumar said Anant Singh and four of his associates were arrested and the case would be brought to its ''logical conclusion''. Two of the accused named in the FIR Mukesh Singh and Bipin Singh are absconding, Kumar said adding raids were going on to apprehend them and, if need be, police would move the court for attachment of their properties.

JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said the incident was condemnable and added that state government would take strong action. Rubbishing charges of lawlessness leveled by RJD supreme Lalu Prasad, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said ''this is not 'Lalu Raj' where criminals are given protection. We have already arrested the MLA and others''.

Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly Rabri Devi said the attack on the mediapersons is an assault on the freedom of the media. RJD has called a statewide Bihar bandh on Friday in protest against the attack. The RJD President described the incident as ''very shameful'' and demanded action against ''all the criminal elements in JD(U)''. LJP President and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan demanded stern action against the MLA. He criticised the Nitish Kumar government saying its claim to providing good governance was hollow. (

Prakash Singh recounts assault:

We wanted to get the ruling party MLA's version on allegations of his involvement in the rape and murder of a woman whose corpse was found yesterday, said Singh.

But when we reached his house Anant Singh's supporters attacked us under the watch of government appointed guards.

Some climbed over the gate and chased my colleagues. One car of the media was damaged and the keys of NDTV's OB van were snatched by the MLA's goons. My cameraperson Habib Ali managed to run away to get help.

I was held captive inside the MLA's house and was beaten repeatedly with rifle butts

It took the arrival of the police to rescue me and ANI cameraperson Ajay Kumar. His leg was injured because of the beating

It was only after the protests by the media that the MLA and four of his supporters were arrested and sent to jail for 14 days. They are charged with attempt to murder and under the Arms Act.

Many in Bihar would say that the trauma we went through today is a fact of everyday life here - living with goonda raj.

Bhojpuri Workers Under Attack in Ludhiana Bomb Blast

The bomb blast in a Ludhiana cinema hall 14th October night caused the death of seven people and injury to some 40 people. The blast occurred inside the Shringar complex, housing three cinema halls, in the heart of city, where Bhojpuri film 'Janam Janam Ka Saath' was being screened. Six peole, including one child, were killed on the spot and 33 others injured in the blast. A majority of the victims were migrant labourers.

A representative of the Bihar government is likely to visit the families of the dead and injured. The multiplex has a capacity for 1,050 persons and being a festive Sunday evening, it was full.

Bhojpuri films were earlier shown only in a couple of Ludhiana movie halls, Swarn and Nirmal. Now they are also screened in theatres like Arora Palace, Basant, Society, Shingar, Deepak and many others. The Naulakha theatre strategically shifted to Bhojpuri films earlier this year.

Bihar and eastern UP’s migrant labour population is the primary audience for these films. Shingar, where the blast took place, is in the centre of the town’s famous hosiery industry where thousands of migrants work.

The audience was watching ‘‘Janam Janam Ke Saath’’ when the blast took place. The film has four of the hottest stars of Bhojpuri films: Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kissen, Naghma and Bhagyashree. Industry sources say the film has done business worth Rs 2 lakh in the first three days since its Friday release.

These migrant labourers constitute the backbone of Punjab's farms and factories, have often been targeted by terrorists in the past too.

The first attacks were made against labourers working for the Satluj Yamuna Link canal project in the 80s, during the heydays of terrorism. But that was mostly to scare them away and destabilise the ambitious venture. Later, it got bloodier and more vengeful. In one of the biggest strikes against those Punjabis have learnt to call 'Purbiyas', 30 farmhands from Bihar were massacred in Majat village, Ropar district, in May 1988. Twelve others were injured in the strike.

Soon, this was followed with the killings of 19 Bihari migrants in Lakhowal, Ludhiana.
A clear attempt had begun to instill terror in the minds of the hungry hordes coming in from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the search of livelihood and dignity.

This blast once again shows that labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh continue to be soft targets sometimes to underscore misplaced regional nationalism.

Punjab Police has said that the Ludhiana multiplex blast could be the result of collaboration between jihadi groups and local Khalistani outfits like Babbar Khalsa International.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denounced the bomb blast in a cinema hall here, and visited injured in the hospital. He also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs two lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the blast.

The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, PVSM VSM, have also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in a blast incident in Ludhiana

Who Killed Rizwanur Rahaman?

It was first in the Arena Multimedia Animation Academy where Rizwanur, a teacher, met his student Priyanka Todi in 2006. She was 23 and he 30. Riz wanur would stand at the blackboard in this very classroom teaching his students and Priyanka. But he never showed any sign of affection towards her. Every effort was made to ensure that their love remained a private affair.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee on 17 October has been compelled to remove five police officers, including the Kolkata police commissioner, a day after the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rehman. The officers removed were Police chief Prasun Mukherjee, two deputy commissioners Gyanwant Singh and Ajay Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of the Anti-Rowdy section Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Ghosh. They were allegedly involved in the death of the computer graphics teacher Rehman who was pressurised to part with his wife, Priyanka, the daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi.



The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the unexplained death of graphic designer Rizwanur Rehman whose body was found by the rail tracks last month. In a stinging rebuke to the ruling government Tuesday, Justice Soumitra Pal said the investigation conducted by the CID was "illegal".
The court has asked for a report in two months. The case has provoked immense public outrage with Rizwan's family alleging the state police were involved in the death.
The family said the police had been harassing Rizwan for marrying the daughter of prominent industrialist Ashok Todi.


Rizwanur Rehman was found dead besides railway tracks at Dum Dum far from his home in Park Circus in Kolkata on September 21. Two days later, Commissioner of Kolkata Police Prasun Mukherjee admitted that the couple were threatened by police officers after their marriage and Rizwanur was told to part with his wife. He had also admitted that Rizwanur and Priyanka were summoned to Lalbazar, the police headquarters, thrice on September one, four and eight.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had ordered a judicial inquiry on September 27.

On the same day, Rizwanur's mother Keshwar Jahan and brother Ruqbanur filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI probe.

On Tuesday, Sadiq, a witness to the civil marriage of Rizwanur and Priyanka, and who had gone into hiding, told a TV channel that he had been threatened by a senior police officer who said he could damage his education and career.

In his letter to various human rights groups before his death, Rizwanur Rehman wrote: "On Tuesday, 11 September, she (Priyanka) spoke to me for the last time. She told me that her father wanted details of my collegemate Pompy Roy. Our friendship broke off in 2004 due to personal differences. May be my wife's parents wanted to influence her to say that I do not have a good character... I gave her details of Pompy's address on phone... That was the last I heard from my wife.”

Chairperson of West Bengal women’s commission Yasodhara Bagchi and its team met the mother of Rizwanur Rehman, whose mysterious death has led to a public outcry, and faced protests by local people who accused the Commission of helping those responsible for his death.Commission members had met Rizwanur's wife Priyanka at her father Ashok Todi, the owner of Rs 200-crore-plus Lux Hosiery Industries. She married 30-year-old Rizwanur on August 18.



The Todis allegedly pressured Rizwanur to sever connections with Priyanka, but he did not yield. Police said they are clueless about the family’s whereabouts. “We have been trying to get in touch with Ashok Todi,” said Gyanwant Singh, the deputy commissioner of police (headquarters).The Todis have been in the hosiery business for 35-40 years. The company, based in Calcutta, is giving national brands like Rupa Frontline a run for their money. Lux products have been endorsed by stars like Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and Prosenjit.

He has braved the protests of Singur and weathered the uprising and police atrocities in Nandigram, but Bhattacharya is finding it hard to cope with the controversy and public fury generated in the Rizwanur Rehman case.

The residence of the Rehmans at Tiljala in east Kolkata was visited on 13th October by Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, followed by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on 14th October besides state Congress leaders.