The Indian Express -- Politics

Monday, December 08 1997

Shun candidates with shady past, says CEC

The Chief Election Commissioner, M S Gill, said on Sunday that the Election Commission would apply the anti-defection law fairly if it was authorised to do so and appealed to political parties not to give tickets to candidates with a shady past. Gill maintained that provisions under Section 8 of Representation of People Act, 1951, which bars people convicted for specified offences from contesting elections, would be applied to check criminalisation of politics.

Major J&K political parties in a state of shambles

All the major political parties, with the exception of the ruling National Conference, are in a state of disarray in Jammu and Kashmir even as the way has been cleared for the Lok Sabha elections. No wonder, it is only the National Conference, led by Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah which has demanded a simultaneous poll in the State with the rest of the country in the State. No other party has even reacted to the decision of the Election Commission to defer the elections from the State.

More parties to hop on DMK-TMC bandwagon

It is not often that an electoral alliance suffers from an embarrassment of riches. The Dravid Munnetra Kazagham-Tamil Maanila Congress-Communist Party of India combine has a problem of plenty, with more political parties wanting to join the alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. Even as DMK-TMC alliance is resolving minor disputes pertaining to a new seat-sharing formula, their allies in the United Front like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Janata Dal are knocking at the doors of the DMK for allotment of some constituencies.

Congress on verge of losing Manipur

BJP firmly stands behind Vajpayee...

...But Cong and UF leadership issue open

Preparations for RSS camp in full swing

VHP's Ayodhya yatra turns a damp squib

Karunanidhi to blame for TN violence

Opposition demands Rabri Devi Govt's ouster

UF motto

Major J&K political parties in a state of shambles

More parties to hop on DMK-TMC bandwagon

Shun candidates with shady past, says CEC

Partyline -- BJP sticks to ties with Sena, HVP