What146;s out

The results of the latest five assembly elections 8212; in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Delhi 8212; have shown to us all how mature the voter has been.

The results of the latest five assembly elections 8212; in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Delhi 8212; have shown to us all how mature the voter has been. In each state result an appropriate message has been sent. Minor irritants like Uma Bharti have been rightfully defeated and shown their place. We all hope such clear mandates deter fringe players and single-seat parties from forming a 8220;government8221; which then cannot run coherently. In Delhi her hard work and image have won Sheila Dikshit a third term. The Rajasthan chief minister got a reality check. In Chhattisgarh the incumbent chief minister, Raman Singh8217;s pro-poor, non-corrupt policies and accessible image gave him his second term. Madhya Pradesh gave the Congress a lesson again that a campaign has to have a face, especially if the other party has a strong one.

8212;Hemant Sant, Vadodara

A turnaround

Kudos to the Congress for winning Delhi the elections were held immediately after the Mumbai terror attack,

Rajasthan and Mizoram, and to the BJP for retaining

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattishgarh. The election results are surely a setback for the BJP and a morale booster for the Congress, coming as they do just before the general election.

Yes, the BJP can draw some satisfaction by retaining two states but overall the BJP has reasons to worry 8212; because of it projection of terrorism, opposition to the nuclear deal, backing to the accused in the Malegaon case as innocent 8220;Hindu8221; victims, etc.

8212;Bidyut K. Chatterjee, Faridabad

Too soon to say

There is no cause for the

Congress to be euphoric after the assembly election results in MP, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. It only needs to recall the scenes of euphoria in the BJP camp after it had won three out of four state assembly elections that were held just before the last general election in 2004. Those victories had resulted in such a sense of overwhelming comfort and bravado for the BJP that it made bold to senselessly dissolve Parliament and advance the general election.

History tends to repeat itself and now-a-days, it does so with some agonising twists!

8212;Shahabuddin Nadeem, Bangalore

UN-worthy

It is the first and foremost duty of the Government of India to convince the UN Security Council with the existing proof in hand that Pakistan is not only a threat to India but is also a global threat. We have to also fight our own war without depending on the US. Because Condoleezza Rice8217;s visit shows American double standards: saying one thing in India and another in Pakistan.The world knows the truth, that Pakistan is the breeding ground of terrorism. So it is the right time for the UN Security Council to take up this issue.

8212;Anjan Kumar Samal, Delhi