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India, France agree to bolster N-coop, pact ready
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Taking their strategic partnership to a higher plane, India and France today decided to bolster their civil nuclear cooperation for which an agreement has been finalised.
After wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy here, the two sides also decided to push their defence ties "beyond buyer-seller relationship" and set a bilateral trade target of 12 billion euros to be achieved by 2012.
Hailing India's record on non-proliferation, Sarkozy strongly favoured changes in global rules to allow New Delhi to have civil nuclear cooperation with the international community.
The two sides signed five agreements, including one for construction and operation of a nuclear reactor in France. A pact for transfer of sentenced prisoners was also signed.
"France and India have decided to give a new impetus to their strategic cooperation for development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as an expression of their strategic partnership," said a joint statement issued after the talks.
Noting that the two countries wanted to "broaden and boost" their partnership in atomic field, the statement said "to this end, France and India have finalised negotiation in regard to reaching a bilateral agreement for civil nuclear cooperation." The agreement will form the basis of wide-ranging bilateral cooperation from basic and applied research to full civil nuclear cooperation, including reactors, it said.
Signing of the pact, however, will have to await firming up of a India-IAEA safeguards agreement. PTI
France offers to supply 40 Rafale new gen fighters to IAF
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) As President Nicolas Sarkozy began talks with Indian leaders to boost Indo-French ties, a French company today offered to sell 40 of its new generation Rafale fighters to New Delhi on a fast track basis to help IAF maintain its combat edge.
The offer was made by Charles Edelstennie, scion of the Dassult family, the makers of the Rafale and Mirage fighters.
"We know Indian Air Force, with which we have a decade-long close association, is facing force depletion. So we are ready to supply 40 Rafales, the world's first omnirole fighters to India, in a short span of time", the Chairman and Chief Executive of Dassult, a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company, told PTI.
Edelastennie said Rafale fighters could be an interim sale to India as New Delhi finalises preparations to acquire 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft at an estimated cost of 10 billion USD.
"We estimate delays in procurements of these 126 fighters. So we are offering the Rafale fighters as interim arrangement", he said.
Government has already cleared a contract for purchase of 40 additional SU-30MKI to maintain an effective air combat strength. PTI
PM hopes for early end to talks with IAEA
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Ahead of a fresh round of talks between India and IAEA for a safeguards agreement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the negotiations are moving forward and hoped that these would be concluded "without loss of further time".
"International discussions do take time," he said at a joint press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy while replying to a question on delay in firming up the agreement with the global atomic watchdog.
"The discussions are moving forward," Singh said, adding "It is my sincere hope that the discussions can be concluded without loss of further time." The comments came as the two sides prepared to hold another round of discussions, possibly next week, to thrash out the agreement.
The last round of talks was held past weekend without any result.
The agreement has failed to come through because of persisting differences over India's right to build strategic fuel reserve and corrective measures that will be required if the fuel supply is stopped because of any circumstance.
India also wants acceptance of its separation plan by the IAEA.
The agreement, which is a follow-up to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, is a crucial step for allowing the international community to have civil nuclear trade with India.
Many countries, including France, are keen to have civil nuclear cooperation with New Delhi but are awaiting the finalisation of the India-IAEA safeguards agreement. PTI
Banking, trade settlement stalled as banks go on strike
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Services in public sector banks and stock market trade settlements were paralysed, as bank employees under the umbrella of United Forum of Bank Unions went on a day's strike to protest outsourcing and merger of state-owned banks.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) claimed that about 10 lakh employees of all the nationalised banks staged sit-in protests across cities and towns, including in front of State Bank of India's northern zone head office in the national capital.
The merger of SBI's seven associate banks with itself was the main trigger for today's strike. The union also plans to go on strike on February 25 and 26 if its demands are not met.
Banking services will be out of reach of customers in almost all the 50,000 branches of state-run financial institutions for the next two days, as the strike today is followed by a holiday tomorrow on account of Republic Day which will be followed by a regular holiday on Sunday.
Stock market investors, including the NSE and BSE, were also at the receiving end as no settlement of cash and derivative trades were possible.
Earlier in the week, a conciliation meeting held in the office of Chief Labour Commissioner between Indian Banks Association and the employee association failed to yield any positive result.
UFBU's other demands include a second pension option, appointment on compassionate ground and early settlement on wage revision.
"Merger of the public sector banks would be of no help as the merged banks together too cannot stand against the global banks in terms of capital", V K Gupta, Convenor UFBU said. PTI
Harbhajan rues missing a possible ton
Adelaide, Jan 25 (PTI) Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on course to smashing his first century today but the bowler rued the missed opportunity, admitting that a "stupid shot" put paid to his chance of creating history at the Adelaide Oval.
"Had I known what was in store for me, I would have never played that shot and scored a hundred... It was a stupid shot to get out on," said Harbhajan after the second day's play in the fourth and final Test against Australia.
"A hundred was easy on this kind of wicket and the track is still good," he added.
The off-spinner, who helped India cross 400 mark with only tail-enders in charge at the middle, batted for 136 minutes for his 63 runs and hit seven fours from 103 balls.
Harbhajan was trapped when he tried to pick Andrew Symonds from outside the off-stump, but succeeded only in lobbing it on to the onside for wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to accept the easy offering.
"I got a blasting when I returned to the dressing room. Sachin (Tendulkar) told me 'it was a rare opportunity and you missed it'.
"But we learn from our mistakes and I will also try not to repeat it," he added.
The Jalandhar-based bowler scored his second successive half century against the world champions on their own soil after his 59 in Sydney. PTI
World record thrills Gilchrist
Adelaide, Jan 25 (PTI) Basking in the glory of becoming the glovesman with most Test dismissals, Australia's star wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist today said he is thrilled after achieving the milestone even though he has not been having the best of times behind the stumps off late.
"It's a great achievement even though I was expecting it today. At the same time, it also speaks volumes about the quality of our bowling," an elated Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist took his tally to 414, one more than South African Mark Boucher, when he caught Indian skipper Anil Kumble to drop curtains on India's first innings in the fourth Test here at the Adelaide Oval.
He had levelled Boucher's record when he caught Harbhajan Singh off Andrew Symonds.
"To get the record is simply thrilling," he said.
The Australian vice captain, who made his debut in the longer version of the game against Pakistan in 1999 at Brisbane, is playing his 96th Test here.
Though Gilchrist took four catches in India's innings, he did not have a good time behind the stumps, missing quite a few chances in the on-going India-Australia series. PTI
Australia 62 for no loss, trail by 464 runs
Adelaide, Jan 25 (PTI) In reply to India's first innings total of 526, Australia were 62 for no loss at stumps on day two of the fourth and final cricket Test here today.
India 1st innings: 526 all out Australia 1st innings: 62 for no loss in 21 overs (Matthew Hayden 36, Phil Jaques 21). PTI
Ace shooter Gagan wins silver at Munich Open
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Ace shooter Gagan Narang kicked off his Olympic year on a bright note by overcoming a stiff challenge from 670-strong field to claim the silver medal in men's 10 metre air rifle event today at Munich Open Shooting Championship in Germany.
Gagan shot a total of 700.4 (597+103.4) which was just 0.2 below the mark of top finisher Sokolov Denis of Russia, who carded 700.6 (597+103.6) to win the gold medal.
The Indian fired a superb series of 100, 100, 98, 100, 99, 100 to finish ahead of many illustrious opponents, including world record holder Farnik Thomas from Austria and other World Cup medalists, from 49 countries.
The high standard of competition could be known by the fact that four finalist totalled identical score of 597 while the other four were just a point adrift at 596 in the qualification round.
Gagan's brilliant performance can also be measured by the fact that he shot 50 inner tens in his way to register 597 in the qualifications.
In the finals, except Gagan's fifth shot which was a 9.9 rest of the shots were all 10 plus.
"It was a good match for me except for the third series where I only shot a 98 which made it quite challenging for me to recover from that point, however I shot well and dropped just one point in the last three series," Gagan said.
"I am happy with a good beginning in this hectic Olympic year," he said.
Serbian shooter Morosavljev Nemanja shot 700.3 (597+103.3) to win the bronze. PTI
India confident US economy will bounce back
Manoj Kumar
Davos, Jan 25 (PTI) India today exuded confidence that the US economy will bounce back, but said that a slowdown there could have an impact on global trade, including Indian exports.
"I think the US economy may bounce back and there is no conclusive evidence of recession in that economy. However, if there is slowdown in the US, Europe and other parts of the world, it will affect our exports," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said at a session 'Should we fear slowdown?' at the World Economic Forum here.
The finance minister had earlier that developments in the US were not a cause for concern as "our exports to the US are significant, but not so significant that we will be gravely affected." India enjoys a trade surplus with the world's largest economy, which is in the middle of a financial market crisis spawned by huge defaults in mortgage credit.
Besides, the developments in the US have a reflection on Indian markets, as was witnessed during the sub-prime crisis in America as also the interest rate cut by Federal MNJ KM MR 01251723 DELauthorities there. A 75 basis points rate cut by the US Fed on Tuesday buoyed investor sentiment in India. PTI
Sensex registers biggest ever gain of 1,140 pts
Mumbai, Jan 25 (PTI) Showing resilience, the stock market today bounced by 1,140 points, the biggest ever gain, buoyed by several positive developments, including strong corporate sentiment in Germany and revival confidence in the US economy after solid employment data.
The rally was also credited to firm global cues as well as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that India's economic foundation was strong enough to sustain 9-9.5 per cent growth despite international situation.
Analysts, however, expected continued volatility until the market actually bottomed out amid lingering fears of another major stocks slide in the near future.
Starting on a strong footing, the Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share index rallied smartly throughout and ended the day at 18,361.66, a gain of 1,139.92 points, or 6.62 per cent, from its previous close of 17,221.74.
The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange too posted a record single-session rise of 349.90 points, or 6.95 per cent, to close at 5,383.35 from 5,033.45 previously.
Some confidence returned among investors about the US economy following release of solid employment data yesterday and the Bush administration's USD 150 billion fiscal package leading to a sharp bounce in world markets.
Indications that the government would initiate monetary and fiscal measures if the current global financial turmoil threatened to dampen domestic economic growth also bolstered the market sentiment. PTI
Keeping inflation low high priority: Chidambaram
Davos, Jan 25 (PTI) Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said keeping inflation rate low, not high growth, was a priority for the government.
"At the moment, we are comfortable with inflation below four per cent and growth above 8 per cent... I will be in great trouble if inflation (rate) rises to 6 per cent this year," he said during a discussion on 'Should we fear slowdowns?' as part of the World Economic Forum here.
His statement comes amid fear that a possible recession in the US can affect economies of developing countries, including India.
"Between inflation and growth, what hurts the poor most is the inflation. That is why we must keep inflation low and this means reasonably high rate of growth," he said.
India's wholesale prices-based inflation rate grew by 3.83 per cent for the week ended January 12 compared to 3.79 per cent in the previous week, but was still under the Reserve Bank's target of under 5 per cent for the fiscal.
While saying that a slowdown in US economy may partly affect Indian exports, the finance minister said he was confident that the US economy would not move towards recession and would bounce back.
"I think the US economy may bounce back and there is no conclusive evidence of recession in that economy. However, if there is slowdown in the US, Europe and other parts of the world, it will affect our exports," he said.
He said New Delhi would do everything to maintain the growth rate, while ensuring prices do not rise. He forecast India's economy to expand by 8.5 per cent in 2008-09 fiscal. PTI
Gold sets fresh peak of Rs 11,760 per ten gram
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Gold prices today zoomed to a new peak of Rs 11,760 per ten gram as jewellery fabricators and bullion merchants rushed to buy the metal amid an increase in global markets.
The previous metal, which has remained on a record spree globally in the last few days on a weakening dollar, surpassed its previous record of Rs 11,710 set on January 15 in Delhi.
Trading sentiment turned firm after gold in London rose to a record amid reports that output in some South African mines has been halted due to power crunch, and as a weaker dollar raised the metal's appeal as an alternative investment.
Gold futures rose to a record in electronic trading on the Comex division of New York Mercantile Exchange, and traded higher by 15.50 dollar to 921.30 dollar an ounce.
The ripples of global trend were felt here in domestic market as gold in Delhi created a new record at Rs 11,760 per ten gram by gaining Rs 210. Sovereign joined the rally and traded at all-time high level of Rs 9,250 per coin of eight gram. PTI
Market rallies, as Sensex rises over 1000 pts at 1400 hrs
Mumbai, Jan 25 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex surged by nearly 1,005 points in afternoon trade today with all the index-related stocks rising smartly on buying by funds.
The Sensex, which commenced the day in a recovery mode, shot up by 1,005.57 points to 18,227.31 at 1400 hrs, on aggressive buying by funds triggered by reports that lawmakers in the US have formulated a plan to boost economic growth.
Similarly, the second wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty surged by 304.30 points to 5337.75, as trading sentiment was boosted by a firming trend in Asian markets.
US stocks rose yesterday, helping the Standard and Poor's 500 Index to its biggest two-day rally since November, after US lawmakers agreed to boost spending to bolster growth.
The major support to the market came in from stocks of heavy machinery, metal, bank and refinery companies. PTI
Pak test-fires nuclear-capable missile
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Jan 25 (PTI) Pakistan today test-fired a 700 km-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile which could hit targets inside India as its Army Chief dismissed as an "irresponsible alarm" concerns about the country's atomic weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.
Pakistan Army's Strategic Force Command carried out a launch of the Shaheen-1 or Hatf-IV missile at the conclusion of an annual field training exercise.
The "successful" launch, which was conducted from an undisclosed location, was carried out by a Strategic Missile Group, an Army statement said.
The Shaheen-1 missile is an operationalised weapon system that is already in service with the Pakistani military and is "routinely fired during training exercises," the army said.
Pakistan's political turmoil and an upsurge in terrorist attacks have sparked reports in the Western media about the safety of the country's nuclear arsenal and the effectiveness of its command and control system.
But Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who witnessed the launch with senior military officers and scientists, dismissed such concerns as "unrealistic and based on a lack of understanding of Pakistan's command and control mechanisms." Addressing troops in the area where the field training exercise was carried out, Kayani referred to "international concerns regarding speculative scenarios" and said the "Pakistani armed forces were a highly professional, motivated and well trained force and were capable of safeguarding and securing nuclear assets against all categories of threat". PTI
Pakistan test-fires medium-range ballistic missile
Islamabad, Jan 25 (PTI) Pakistan today successfully test-fired a 700-km range Shaheen-1 (Hatf-IV) Medium Range Ballistic Missile.
The launch was conducted at the conclusion of the annual field training exercises of a Shaheen-1 Missile Group, Pakistani media reported.
The field launch exercise of the Pakistan Armys Strategic Force Command (ASFC) was witnessed by Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, senior military officers and scientists.
Addressing the troops in the exercise area, Kiyani congratulated them on achieving high standards of training and excellent results, an official release said.
The Shaheen-1 Ballistic Missile has a range of 700 kms and is an operationalised weapon system held by the ASFC. PTI
16 bodies found in Sri Lankan mass grave
T V Sriram
Colombo, Jan 25 (PTI) Decomposed bodies of at least 16 civilians, hacked to death by suspected LTTE rebels, were found buried in Kriketuwewa in north central Sri Lanka.
"Police have found several bodies of youth dumped in a swamp at Kiriketuwewa on the Horoupathana - Kebithigollawa road by suspected LTTE militants on Thursday evening," a defence ministry statement said today.
The victims are believed to be a group of civilians who had gone searching for their cattle, it said. Initially the incident was reported to the police by the civilians in the area, the statement said, adding the victims were apparently "hacked to death".
A spokesman for the Kebithigollewa police said that all the victims were wearing civilian clothes and some had their hands tied behind their backs.
"They were in two separate graves, ten bodies in one and the rest in another," he said adding the incident came to light when a person found one of the bodies and informed the police.
Search operations lead to discovery of more bodies buried in two adjoining graves, the Daily Mirror today quoted the spokesman as saying.
It said police had exhumed a total of 16 "bullet-riddled bodies". On examination, it was found that some of the bodies had been buried for more than ten days and some for three or more days.
The spokesman said that the victims were males and probably under 40 years of age. PTI
260 illegal Indian residents held in Sharjah
Dubai, Jan 25 (PTI) Over 260 Indian nationals have been arrested in Sharjah for allegedly violating residency and labour laws.
Sharjah Department of Naturalization and Residency and Sharjah Police arrested the 267 Indians, 67 of whom had no IDs or documents, on Tuesday.
It was one of the major raids on illegal expats in the UAE since the official amnesty ended last year during which nearly 300,000 people had regularised their status.
"Some had residence visas but which had expired several years ago and they had not renewed it. Some of the arrested were working with people other than their sponsors. They were all referred to the Sharjah Public Prosecution on Wednesday," department official Major Al Shamsi said.
The official warned that those violating labour laws would face stricter penalties now that amnesty period had ended.
The raids was carried out after the police received information that a number of illegal immigrants were living in different parts of Sharjah. PTI
US ready to send troops inside Pak if asked, says Gates
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Jan 25 (PTI) The Bush administration is ready to send a small contingent of US troops into Pakistan to fight the insurgency if Islamabad asks for assistance, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.
"We remain ready, willing and able to assist the Pakistanis and to partner with them to provide additional training, to conduct joint operations, should they desire to do so," Gates, flanked by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, said at a news conference.
The top Pentagon official said Pakistan has not requested any additional assistance as it battles an increasingly active insurgency, adding the US will respect the Musharraf government's decision on how to tackle the problem.
"We're not aware of any proposals that the Pakistanis have made to us at this point....At this point it's their nickel, and we await proposals or suggestions from them," the Defence Secretary said.
"I think that the emergence of this fairly considerable security challenge in Pakistan has really been brought home to the Pakistani government relatively recently and particularly with the tragic assassination of Mrs. Bhutto. So I think it's not particularly surprising that they have not fully thought through exactly how they intend to proceed and their strategy going forward. I expect that that will happen," Gates added.
The top US commander in the region, Admiral William Fallon, was in Pakistan this week meeting with senior Pakistani officials, including the new army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani. Admiral Fallon had told reporters that Pakistani officials were now more willing to seek US assistance. PTI
Film Review: Comedy saves Sunday
Film: Sunday
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Ayesh Takia, Irfan Khan and others
Shambhu Sahu
'Sunday' is a suspense-cum-comedy film. But, some how, its USP is comedy and not the thriller plot, which is a tad too-over-stretched and not really new.
The film is about mysterious Sehar (Ayesha Takia), a dubbing artiste who has a habit of forgetting things. One fine day, a contract killer attacks her after which she approaches ACP Rajveer Randhawa (Ajay Devgan) for help. Incidentally, this chilled-out but corrupt-cop is the guy Sehar's mother has chosen for her.
The problem begins when she can't recall anything related to the incident. So police has no clue how to go about this case until the cops find some voices recorded in her cassette recorder. From there on, the cops reach to one suspect to another to another... But as one nears the climax he knows the film is one of the typical 'who-done-it' type.
The film (and the search for the culprits) slows down and is further hampered by two songs. It makes you lose interest in the suspense part of the film but thank God, Ballu (Arshad Warsi) and Kumar (Irfan Khan) are around. The duo who play a crook cab driver and a wannabe star respectively - don't let one lose interest in the film.
They offer plenty of fun while taking rides through 'Dilli di galiyan'. Arshad's fun acts - like fooling a traffic cop or reacting after getting shot at in his bum, etc. - coupled with Irfan's hilarious dialogues - while wanting to play Ravana or the Don in 'DonIII' or to turn a singer-composer to bag a lead role in some film ala Himesh Reshammiya are a complete 'paisa vassol'.
Ajay Devagn is good as a typical Dilli Policewala. He sings love songs, eats lots of Sundaes and makes you laugh. Ayesha has acted well in a character that seems to have many layer, not actually as you know in the end. Vrajesh Hirjee as Chakki, a South Indian karate trainer, is also good but has a comparatively shorter role.
Director Rohit Shetty has a knack for humour and he had a big success with his earlier film 'Golmaal: Fun Unlimited', a surprise hit in 2006. In 'Sunday' he offers comedy, action and suspense but it's the funny side of it that you enjoy the most than anything else. However, a few scenes like the chase in Chandini Chowk and Arshad's fight sequence are good and show his capability and talent which he inherited from his father, famous Bollywood fight master Late Shetty.
The film, which is shot mostly in Delhi, has a nice cinematography by Aseem Bajaj whose presentation of city locals and action scenes is a treat. A good one-time watch. PTI
Tunics and naughty bell bottoms to be hot this year
Snehesh Alex Philip
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) With fashion changing faster than the time taken to make a cup of hot coffee in this winter, fashion-conscious, suave urban Indians are facing the ever increasing dilemma of what to wear and what not.
Forecasting trends for Year 2008, Delhi based fashion designer Chiarg Joshi says, "Tunics which sold like hot cakes last year will continue to hold grip among all age-groups. This year the terrific tunics will reign, when worn with churidars, with back zips. Chic Arabian pattern of Harem pants would be trashed out, making way for naughty bell bottoms. Also time to bid farewell to dear wedges, as platforms are set to strike the market with great velocity." Joshi who worked with top-notch designers like Ritu Kumar and Ritu Beri before setting up his own designer label adds, "An exorbitant use of vegetable dyes would add finesse to the apparels. Shades of pastels and earthy colors like blue, orange, golden, and browns shall rule the fashion kingdom.
He adds, "The influence of nature would be visible in the form of floral prints. Prints of leaves and flowers mixed together will stand out strongly." Betting on cotton fabrics for the hot Indian summer, Joshi says, "Seeing the long summer season prevalent in our country, it would be safe to bet upon the cottons. The fabric suits, all body types and will be a must in everybody's wardrobe. Flowy, flamboyant silhouettes in cotton can never go out of vogue." PTI
Book: ICT, yet to conquer the last mile!
New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) It may have touched the lives of billions in every nook and corner of the world over but information and communication technology- ICT- in short is yet to conquer the 'last mile' when it comes to reaching crucial information to the needy at the times of natural disasters, say experts.
Over 3600 inhabitants in a remote village in Pudducherry were lucky in 2004 to have escaped certain death when the Tsunami struck, thanks to the timely warning that was disseminated and the villages evacuated.
Lives of over 40,000 who perished in Sri Lanka, however, could not be saved as the warning, though available with the Lankan Authorities, could not be disseminated quickly, says a research paper in 'Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2007-2008', a compilation of reports on 31 economies.
Sri Lanka's celebrated resident Arthur C Clarke remarked:the Asian Tsunami's death toll could have been drastically reduced if the warning was disseminated quickly and effectively to millions of coastal dwellers on the Indian Ocean rim.
"It is appalling that our sophisticated global Communication system simply failed us on that day", the paper quotes him saying.
Importance of risk communication in averting many public crises and natural disasters cannot be overstated. Yet risk communication has received attention only in recent years.
Moreover, ICTs (information and communication technology)has not been harnessed to their full potential to mitigate risks from natural disaster's and public health emergencies, says the paper on 'Role of ICTs in risk communication in Asia Pacific' by Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, Chanuka Wattegama and Fredrick John Abo.
(About the book: 'Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2007-2008, Sage, pages 373, price Rs.950/-) PTI
Newsletter: Its time for promises in Karnataka
M Siddaraju
Bangalore, Jan 23 (PTI) The uncertainty on whether Karnataka will go to polls by this May end or a few months later notwithstanding, the BJP has already started showering promises to woo the electorate.
There is speculation that the elections to the state assembly might get postponed to October or November in the wake of the Centre mulling to hold polls on the basis of the report of the Commission on Delimitation of constituencies.
In the event of the Centre notifying the report, the Election Commission will require time to re-draw the boundaries of constituencies.
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, however has said that the poll process in Karnataka has to be completed May 28, indicating that the elections will be held by that time.
Leaving no stone unturned to rule Karnataka for the next five years, after its week-old government was pulled down by its coalition partner JDS, the BJP is in the forefront promising free power supply to Irrigation pumpsets to woo the farming community.
BJP's chief ministerial nominee, B S Yeddyurappa has declared "if my party is voted to power, we will provide free power supply to farmers owning irrigation pumpsets upto 10 HP (Horse Power)".
The saffron party leader, who held the office of the chief minister for eight-days, one of the shortest for a chief minister in the state's history, is keen on installing the party to power, which it lost due to what it terms as JDS's act of betrayal.
The state has about 20 lakh irrigation pumps sets and majority of farmers have installed 10 HP motors. PTI
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Sensex: 18361.66, +1139.92
The sensex closed at 18361.66, up 1139.92
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1 U.S. $ = 39.325 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3656 INR
1 British Pound = 77.891 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.052 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.626 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.717 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.501 INR
1 Euro = 57.894 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.810 INR
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