This Week Uttar Pradesh

Land acquisition takes a backseat after unrest

After maintaining all along that the clash between farmers and policemen at Bhatta-Parsaul in Gautam Budh Nagar was a law and order issue,and not a fall-out of unattended grievances over land acquisition,the government recently made some attempts to pacify the farmers. It increased the rate of compensation for land and also asked officials not to invoke the urgency clause of the Land Acquisition Act in future: the clause allows takeover of farmers land without giving them a hearing and has,therefore,become the source of much bitterness. Nevertheless,land acquisition has become a political hot potato. In all likelihood,there will be no land acquisition till the Assembly elections next year. This means a halt to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authoritys grand plans in the lucrative NCR region that had become a playground for land sharks.

Stakes are big in next years Assembly elections

All political parties are now focussed on UP,which goes to the Assembly elections next year. Simultaneously,elections will also be held in Punjab,Uttarakhand,Goa and Manipur,but UP is larger than all of them put together. Also,just two years later,in 2014,the country will have the Lok Sabha elections and UP has the maximum of seats,80. Therefore,the stakes in UP are really very high for all political parties. They are mobilising their forces,preparing their strategy. Recently,the Congress organised its state convention in Varanasi on May 18 and 19 which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi addressed. The BJP is bringing its entire national leadership and all seven chief ministers to Lucknow for a brain-storming session of the national executive on June 3 and 4. Next,on June 7 and 8,the Samajwadi Party national executive is meeting in Agra. The BSP has chosen to show its strength by organising dharnas at all district headquarters on May 31 in protest against the recent increase in the price of petrol.

Ahead of polls,A mad scramble for Muslim votes

The stage is getting set for a scramble for Muslim votes. Political outfits whose calculations depend almost entirely on Muslim support are multiplying. The Peace Party of India and Ulema Council have existed for the past few years. Recently,perfume baron Haji Ajmal Badruddins United Democratic Front,after its success in the Assam Assembly elections,announced that it will contest all 403 Assembly seats in UP. The Welfare Party of India,floated by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,too,has said that it will contest all seats. Samajwadi Party is working overtime to win back Muslims after the rupture caused by Mulayam Singh Yadavs handshake with former BJP chief minister Kalyan Singh in 2009. The SP has promptly supported the appeal,made by a section of the clergy,including some Darul Uloom,Deoband,office-bearers,that Muslims should support only those parties that promise reservation for the community in government jobs and educational institutions. Then there are BSP and Congress,both secular parties,which are silent,but can be trusted to come out with their Muslim agendas well in time for the elections.

A bureaucrat brings some much-needed cheer to state

When Ajit Seth was named Cabinet Secretary-designate last week,it was after long that a UP-cadre IAS officer had brought some cheerful news. In recent months,several UP-cadre officers have made headlines for the wrong reasons. Even on the day the Centre named Seth Cabinet Secretary-designate,it repatriated Sadakant,another UP-cadre officer,because he was allegedly found responsible for certain irregularities in a road project on the India-China border which is being executed by an Andhra Pradesh-based firm. The CBI is reportedly investigating the matter. Siddharth Behura,former telecom secretary and also a UP-cadre officer,is behind bars for his role in the 2G scam. The name of former CEO of Prasar Bharati Corporation B S Lali,also of the UP cadre,figured in some shady deals. Last year,Neera Yadav,former chief secretary,was convicted for illegalities she had committed in the allotment of plots during her tenure as chairperson of the Noida Authority. Akhand Pratap Singh,another former chief secretary,is under CBI scanner for serious corruption charges and is currently on bail.