Day: March 6, 2012

NEW DELHI , Mar 6 (Agencies): Riding an anti-incumbency wave, the Samajwadi Party on Tuesday stormed to power in Uttar Pradesh dislodging Mayawati while the ruling the Akali Dal-BJP combine sprang a surprise retaining power in Punjab and creating a history in the state by breaking a 46-year jinx.

The BJP bagged Goa ousting Congress which managed to hold on to power in Manipur for a third successive term.

Uttarakhand proved to be a cliff-hanger of a contest with the Congress emerging the single largest party at 32 having a wafer thin lead over ruling BJP`s 31.

The Samajwadi Party announced that Mulayam Singh would be the Chief Minister while Akali Dal said it would be Prakash Singh Badal in Punjab.

In the heartland battle in Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh-led SP knocked out BSP by winning 160 seats and leading in 61 others in the 403-member House.

The ruling party was reduced to 80 seats from 206 it had in outgoing House.

The BSP has so far won 52 seats and was ahead in 27 seats.

The Samajwadi Party had won 97 seats in the 2007 elections.

While the BJP barely managed to repeat its 2007 performance.

It has won 34 seats and was ahead in 16 others.

It had won 51 seats in 2007 elections.

Equally dismal was the performance of Congress, which sought to make big strides with spirited campaign by Rahu Gandhi, winning only 19 seats and leading in nine.

The party had won 22 seats in the last elections.

The shock for Congress came from Punjab, which it was widely expected to wrest from Akali Dal-BJP combine.

The ruling coalition has won 68 seats, nine more than required simple majority.

In all, the combine has registered a net loss of one seat from 2007 results.

But the break up shows that Akali Dal has gone up from 50 to 56 seats while the BJP lost seven seats from 19 to win only 12 now.

The Congress won 46 seats, a gain of four from last elections.

The sole relief for Congress came from Manipur where the Party registered a spectacular success winning 35 seats in a House of 60 and was leading in seven others.

The Trinamool Congress, which is set to become the principal opposition, has won seven seats.

The party lost its government in Goa to BJP which has won 19 seats in the 40-member House and was ahead in one while its ally has won three seats.

The ruling Congress put up a dismal performance bagging nine seats against 16 it won in the previous elections.

The BJP had won 14 seats in the last elections.

`Others` accounted for seven seats in Goa. Uttrakhand witnessed a see-saw battle in which the leads shifted continuously.

At 1800 Hrs, it was the Congress which had a wafer thin lead of one over the BJP.

The Congress won 19 seats and was ahead in 13 while the ruling BJP won 24 and was ahead in seven.

BJP, which has said the Governor should invite the party to form the government claims the support of lone Uttarkhand Kranti Dal (P) winner and three independents.

Interestingly, the BSP has won one seat and was ahead in two.(ST-06/03).

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/sp-storms-to-power-in-up-akalibjp-retain-punjab/

IMPHAL, Mar 6: In a significant gain in its counter insurgency campaign, the Imphal East Police Commandos arrested the s/s home secretary of United Revolutionery Front (URF) along with five other hard core cadres today in a joint operation with 28 AR and 30 AR.

On receiving specific intelligence, the joint team conducted an operation in and around Khurai in the morning leading to the arrest of s/s URF home secretary, Puyam Mongyamba Meitei @ Biren @ Ruhini @ Shukhil @ Khura, 47, s/o (L) Puyam Indu Singh of Khurai Chingangbam Leikei. He was found carrying one .32 pistol with two live rounds and a mobile phone. Based on his confession, the team moved in quickly to arrest Khangembam Memton Devi @ Ing, 47, w/o P Mongyamba of Khurai Chingangbam Leikai, Ngangkham Khagemba @ Laba, 21, s/o N Tiken Singh of Khurai Laishram Leikai, Ngankham Rocky Singh @ Bungcha, 21, s/o Ng Chaoba of Khurai Laishram Leikai, Ngangkham Ranjan Singh @ Ibungo, 22, s/o Ng Boge Singh of Khurai Konsam Leikai and Ningombam Amarchand Singh @ Boy, 31, s/o N Sanajaoba of Moirangkampu Makha Leikai.

One of the cadre N Amarchand Singh was arrested several months back but was out on bail before his arrest today.

The joint security force also managed to capture from their possessions two pistols of .32 calibre with 4 live rounds and two spare magazines, one 9mm pistol loaded with 2 live rounds, five Chinese hand grenades with detonators, 180 demand letter of URF and a computer set used in printing the letters.

With these arrests the security forces have claimed a breakthrough in several violent incidences in the last several months. Speaking to the press at Imphal East district police headquarters, district police commando OC Inspector Chandrakumar claimed that the arrested cadres had been involved in the IED explosion in the house of I Hemochandra Singh at Singjamei. He also claimed to have established the involvement of URF in the grenade attacks on Trinamool Congress candidate L Yaima Singh as well as BJP candidate Th Ibosana Singh.

In another significant move, the security forces claimed to have disrupted the proposed attack on non-manipuris during Yaoshang festival by means of grenade attacks or IEDs or gun fire from Mar 8.

It may be mentioned that URF was recently established on Jan 7, 2012 with deserters or retired cadres from other outfits. The top leadership of the outfit includes s/s president of the outfit Manganthoi, former editor of a monthly ‘Lanmeithanbi’and cormer PLA member, Jashwa Mangang @ Raghumani as Vice President, AK Pibarel of Sagolband Tera as Secy Info & Pub, Lemba Meitei of Nongren as Secy Finance and Kiyamba of Yurembam, Imphal West as Secy Defence. The entire leadership of the outfit is believed to be based in Bangladesh. URF had joined CorCom and undertaken violent activities in concert with them.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/security-forces-apprehend-urf-home-secy-along-with-five-other-ultras/

IMPHAL, Mar 6: 6/8 Gorkha Rifles under the aegis of Red Shield Division organised a one day Inter Community Peace and Harmony Meet on 05 Mar 2012 at Mangolganbi College Ground, Ningthoukhong. The meet was organised with the aim to foster a feeling of oneness amongst the various ethnic communities of Manipur and to bring forth the feeling that multi ethnicity is a strength towards making Manipur a safe, peaceful and prosperous State and not a weakness.

An exhibition volleyball match between Logtak A and Logtak B teams that were composed of local youth who belonged to different communities existing in Manipur was also organized on the occasion. A drawing and essay writing competition on the theme of Peace and Harmony in Manipur was organized which showcased the talent of the youth. This was followed by a series of talks given by various religious teachers, prominent citizens and notable social workers like RK Bishwanath from Ningthoukhong, Reverend K Opendra Singh from Ningthoukhong, Pastor Lamdan, Pastor K Kachungai from Upper Nagryan, Pastor Archung from Canen and Mr Kiramudin Maulavi from Bishenpur, who spoke to the gathering about ways and means of bringing peace and prosperity to the state. During this, a few children also shared the dais with the elders and put forth the views of the generation next on the same topic.

In the end, children and teachers of Rashtriya Bhasha Hindi Sikshan Sansthan School from Ningthoukhong presented the audience with a heartwarming group song “Hamko Bharat Ki Mati Se Anupam Pyar He”. All the eminent speakers and children who won prizes in the drawing and essay writing competition were felicitated by Brig Laove Verma, SM, the Commander Logtak Brigade, who had graced the occasion as chief guest. During his speech, the Commander brought out the fact that Manipur is a state with tremendous potential in all spheres of human activities and exhorted the youth of this beautiful state to step forward to take up the responsibility of creating a safe, peaceful and prosperous Manipur, that to rid off the evil shadow of terror.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/army-organizes-peace-meet/

UTTARAKHAND, Mar 6: The Congress was on Tuesday set to emerge as the single largest party in Uttarakhand, enjoying an edge against ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party in a nail-biting finish for half-way mark in the elections to the 70-member Assembly.

Out of the 60 results declared so far, Congress won 27 seats and was ahead in five others while the BJP bagged 28 constituencies and led in three.

The biggest setback for the BJP was the defeat of Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri who was defeated by S.S. Negi of the Congress from Kotdwar seat by 4,632 votes.

The BSP won three seats and three independents emerged successful, thus positioning themselves as possible kingmakers.

The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Panwar (UKD-P) won one seat.

Congress leader Indira Haridayesh wrested Haldwani seat from the BJP by defeating its candidate Renu Adhikari.

State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal won from Didihaat constituency. PCC chief Yashpal Arya won from Baajpur seat and leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat led in Rudraprayag seat.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/seesaw-battle-in-uttarakhand/