CPI(M) not to support Congress in future

New Delhi (DNS): After the break over the nuclear deal, the CPI (M) has ruled out supporting the Congress in forming the government at the centre।

It also parried questions over projecting BSP supremo Mayawati as the Prime Ministerial candidate by non-Congress and non-BJP parties in the next Lok Sabha elections।

"If you think we are going to support a Congress government, I don't know, I think people will accuse us of opportunism," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told Malayalam television channel "Kairali TV"।

He also raised a question as to why only the possibility of the Congress and BJP forming a government is raised।

"So, why do you think that there can only be a BJP-led government or a Congress-led government," he said adding there could be a third force, which could also be in that position।

Asked about projecting BSP supremo Mayawati as prime minister, he said they do not look at it in terms of individuals being projected।

"Hopefully, we will be able to present some third force in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections। We don't look at it in terms of individuals being projected as Prime Minister," he said.

Karat said that what the Left was looking for was that "there is a possibility today to have some combination which will not just reduce the country's politics to a Congress-led alliance and a BJP-led alliance"।

Replying to another question whether coming together of the Left with parties like the BSP, which have aligned with the BJP in the past, would create a durable Third Alternative, he said the Left was not going to project such an alternative।

"Be very clear, I didn't use the word Third Alternative। I have not talked about the Third Alternative...Our party's understanding of the Third Alternative is not some combination to fight elections. The Third Alternative has to be in terms of policies and programs," Karat said.

Karat said that political parties which were not part of the Congress and BJP led coalitions joined forces only after realising they had a common agenda - opposition to the nuclear deal।

"Its only after we withdrew support, we said we would contact all the secular parties who opposed the deal and who can plan with us to vote against the UPA government। And as part of the process, I met Mayawati, Ajit Singh, Deve Gowdaji.....We met all of them and then came to a common understanding," he said.

Karat sought to downplay the erstwhile UNPA (led by the Samajwadi Party) and said he never considered it a part of the Third Front।

"In our party congress held in April, we said the Third Alternative is not there। We didn't even consider the UNPA, which was headed by the SP to be a Third Alternative. We told them this is not the alternative we are thinking of," he said.

The CPI(M) leader said he told UNPA that the Left parties could co-operate with them on important issues like price rise, farmers' issues or the nuclear deal।

"But the Third Alternative means something more stable, something more based on a programme," he said.

Indian Americans lobbying for N-deal approval in Congress

Washington, July 27: Buoyed by the UPA government's victory in the crucial trust vote over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Indian-American community leaders have started lobbying decision-makers here to ensure smooth passage of the historic accord in the American Congress।

The community leaders are not wasting any more time and are organising their first strategy session here tomorrow evening। The general perception among leaders of the community is that much time has already been lost.

With the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh getting through the vote of confidence last week, efforts are on to contact top Congressional leaders right away।

"The Indian American community did its part for the Hyde Act... Now once again Indian American community has to ensure the final passage of 123 agreement by the US Congress। We are ready to do so. Leaders of various organisations are meeting in DC on Monday for this purpose," Ashok Mago, Chairman of the Dallas-based USINDIA FORUM said.

Mago is one of the community leaders who played an important role in getting most of the Texas delegation in the House of Representatives and the Senate behind the Hyde Act in 2006।

"The real focus here begins from the first week of September when members of Congress return after their District work period," a highly-placed source seeking anonymity said।

He explained that New Delhi should be expected to have wrapped up all the procedures and processes pertaining to the civilian nuclear deal by the time Congress returns from the August recess।

"It is not going to be easy। But we have no doubt that the administration and leadership of both the republican and democrat party will do everything to ensure that this historic agreement between the two nations is concluded under their watch," Mago said in a statement.

As things stand the House of Representatives has a target adjournment date of September 26 and the Senate Majority Leader Democrat Harry Reid has indicated that he has no problem in having the same timeline for the Senate।

Normally Congress sits in session until the first week of October, but this time around it is earlier because of the Presidential elections -- all 435 members of the House and one third of the 100-member Senate face elections along with the Presidential poll on November 4।

Sources say that there is no sanctity behind the September 26 target adjournment date and that this could get extended inspite of the elections। And there are others who believe that mere technicalities on the passage of the civilian nuclear agreement should not stand in the way either.

"There is a technical rule that makes it a little difficult in Congress -- the thirty day continuous session requirement। But Congress can make an exception because Senators Barack Obama and John McCain have both said they support the deal," Walter Andersen, Associate Director of the South Asian Programme of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University said.

Congressional Staffers argue that the thirty-day rule cannot be waived or shortened -- at least not without sinking the whole deal. The argument here has been that getting rid of the thirty day rule could bring in opposition from Senators who could threaten to filibuster the move.

Time to end the 'KumBha' mela

Given the recent strike rate of the ageing Kumble-Harbhajan combine - over 40 runs per wicket - India has nothing to lose and everything to gain by replacing them with young spinners।

Anil Kumble apparently requires a cracked, powdery, hard, bouncy, rough and under-prepared pitch to make any impression these days। In all other conditions, he struggles to take wickets. This has always been the case, but it seems to have got accentuated with advancing age and creaking joints. In the last two series, one at home and the other abroad, plus the first innings of the current Test against Sri Lanka, he has given away 1,051 runs for a measly 24 wickets - that's 44 runs per wicket.

Harbhajan Singh has hardly fared any better, giving nearly 40 runs per wicket in the same period। If you take away the Kanpur Test, where the pitch was so under-prepared that even Sehwag was unplayable, Harbhajan's record is in fact poorer than Kumble's. And yet Kumble and Bhajji, or the 'KumBha duopoly' as a reader of this column helpfully dubbed the pair, continue to be India's main strike bowlers.

If bowlers go at over 40 a wicket, it means the opposition is scoring over 400 on average per innings, and India can at best hope for a draw। In the current Test, it isn't just that Kumble bowled 37 overs without taking a wicket, or that Harbhajan gave away nearly 150 runs for his two wickets, it is the disdain with which all the Sri Lankan batsmen treated them, scoring at nearly 4 an over, and accelerating at will without seeming to be in any danger which signals a change of guard is overdue.

How different the so-called dead Colombo pitch looked when it was the Indians' turn to bat. Every ball had to be ground out as pressure mounted on the batsmen from both ends. Even if the newcomer Ajantha Mendis got only one wicket - and I believe he missed a second wicket by not appealing for an LBW against Ganguly who got a pad-bat - none of the batsmen could relax or score freely against him, which probably contributed to Muralitharan's bagful of wickets.

ISI to be under civilian control

Islamabad: The dreaded Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), often described as a state within state, was placed under the direct control of the civilian authority।

This has been seen as a move seen as an effort to clip the wings of the agency, which has the reputation of acting "autonomously"।

Pakistan's Cabinet Division issued a formal notification placing the ISI and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) under the interior minister।

Till now, the ISI, the premier external counter-intelligence outfit, was working under the Defence Ministry but Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani relocated the agency by placing it under the Interior Ministry, headed by his adviser Rehman Malik।

A senior security official, however, expressed doubts whether the ISI would work under the interior division, saying it would continue to work in its "previous capacity and framework".

Power crisis hits Indian states

Authorities in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have announced tough measures to deal with a power crisis।

The state's 250,000 industries will now get power only five days a week and malls and government offices have been told to reduce energy consumption।

Scanty rains, growing demand for power and lack of new power plants has led to shortages in others parts of India too।

The southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are also reeling under severe power shortage।

In the last few days the two states have also announced a slew of measures to curb their energy use।

"Industrial staggering or power cuts have been increased for industries to 40 hours per week," Maharashtra Electricity Distribution Company Limited official Ajay Bhushan Pandey told reporters in the state capital, Mumbai।

Mr Pandey said a 10% cut on electricity consumption has been imposed on all government offices, civic bodies, the information technology industry and other high-use customers।

An acute power shortage has afflicted Maharashtra for many years now, but less than average rainfall this year has worsened the situation।

Also, with the increasing numbers of shopping malls and new factories and growing foreign investments, there has been a surge in demand for power।

But, says the Power Grid Corporation's Anjan Roy, "In the last five years, no new power houses have come up in the state। The result is that today load shedding (power cuts) has become a major problem."

The power crisis has also affected farmers and common people with 12 to 14 hour power cuts reported from rural areas।

A few days ago, the government of the southern Andhra Pradesh state also directed all industries to remain shut for two days every week।

Reports say due to frequent power cuts, industries in the state are already struggling to meet their production targets and their output is likely to reduce further with the increase in power cuts।

In the neighbouring Karnataka state, the capital city and India's IT hub Bangalore has seen several hours of power cuts every day।

The state government has announced the city's power supply will be reduced by 20%.

Surat under terror scanner, 2 cars with explosives found

Surat-Ahmedabad (PTI): After Bangalore and Ahmedabad, the diamond city of Surat on Sunday came under the terrorists scanner with two cars stuffed with explosives being found and a live bomb defused and a SIMI activist was arrested in connection with the serial blasts in Ahmedabad where the death toll mounted to 49।

A live bomb was defused near a hospital and two cars stuffed with explosives were found in and on the outskirts of the city on Sunday, sparking a high security alert।

Police have seized a car laden with explosives from Punagam area on the outskirts of Surat city, police inspector M R Chavda said।

The car, bearing the number plate GJ-6-CD 3569, was found laden with explosives in Punagam area and police have recovered powder materials, gelatin sticks and shrapnels from the car, Chavda said। Vadodara Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said the registration number of the car found at Punegam village was fake as the number belongs to a scooty.

Later in the evening, the police located another car with explosives at Heerabagh locality of Surat city, Police Commissioner R M S Brar said।

Police found a live bomb near a hospital in new Citylight area of Surat after some residents gave the information।

A wooden box containing white powder, wires, a battery and shrapnels, was found abandoned near Nupur hospital in the New Citylight area। The explosives were later defused.

Ahmedabad remained on the edge with a live bomb in the city being located in a garbage can and defused, a day after it was rocked by 17 blasts in a string.

Bomb blasts rock Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Jul 26: A day after a series of explosions rocked Bangalore, 16 blasts went off in Ahmedabad capital city of Gujarat on Saturday, July 26. Reports suggests that 18 people have been killed and 30 others are injured in the incident. All blasts went off in a span of half an hour starting 6:45 pm।

The areas targeted are Raipur, Maninagar, Isanpur, Naroda, Bapu Nagar and Diamond Market। These are residential and market areas in the city. Sources say that these areas are particularly crowded on Saturday and Sunday evenings. According to police sources the blasts were of low intensity. The first bomb was kept in a bicycle while the others were kept in tiffin boxes. Police have rushed to the sites. Most of the blasts occured in and around Maninagar , which is the constituency of Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi. Most of these are communally tensed areas in Ahmedabad.

All mobile networks in te state have been jammed।

Just before the blasts took place a group called Indian Mujahiddin sent an email to a television channel saying that there will be blasts।

Ahmedabad has been cordoned off as it is a sensitive area and authorities don"t want tensions to flare up।

Delhi, Mumbai, and other metros in the country are already on the high alert।

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has applealed to the citizens to maintain calm।

BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani reacting to the serial blasts that rocked the city of Ahmedabad, said, 'Stricter laws to control terror are the need of the hour। Law and order situation in Gujarat is satisfactory. The blasts are the result of sinister designs on the part of terrorist organisations. It is something serious, and must be taken seriously by State and Centre.'

To the question that two BJP-ruled states have been targetted in as many days, Advani said, "I would not draw any conclusion on this।"

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that Ahmedabad bomb blasts aimed at disturbing peace and harmony of the country।Home Minister Shivraj Patil also condemned the incident.

BJP President Rajnath Singh also reacted to the terror attack and said, "The center should work more in co-operation with the state governments to combat terror"।

Chief Minister Narendra Modi has called for a urgent cabinet meeting at his residence and the Chief Minister is likely to visit the blast areas soon.