By IANS,
New Delhi : Security concerns are so high during election time that even spontaneous actions of politicians are screened! And that’s exactly what happened when Rahul Gandhi carried a boy and broke the security cordon at a rally in Kerala Monday.
The Congress general secretary caused some anxious moments for the security personnel when he broke the security ring and shook hands with a large number of people in the crowd at the Fort Maidan in Palakkad in Kerala.
As soon as he finished his speech, Rahul was seen carrying a little boy and walking down the podium. He came very near the crowd and shook hands with a few women. He then handed the child back to his mother and went back up the podium.
But the police did not take any chance.
Said Palakkad Superintendent of Police Vijay Sakhre: “He (Gandhi) wanted to meet some of the people. The boy was frisked (before Gandhi could carry him).”
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A royal friendship!
Congress candidate Raninder Singh is the 13th descendant of the Patiala royal family and is contesting elections from the Bathinda constituency in Punjab. But in the heat and dust of campaigning these days, he is being accompanied by another royal – who has come all the way from Bhutan – to extend royal support.
Jigme Wangdi Wangchuk, uncle of the present King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, the world’s youngest reigning monarch – is these days seen taking active part in the campaigning.
Singh, son of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, is facing a tough fight from Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the wife of Punjab’s deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Belonging to the youngest democracy in the world, Bhutan’s royal descendant seems to be taking first hand lessons. Or maybe Singh needed some extra royal support.
But a few days of hectic campaigning – in which he did not speak – seems to have taken a toll on Jigme Wangdi Wangchuk as recently he was seen resting in the air-conditioned comforts of the luxurious car rather than accompanying Singh into the interiors of Punjab villages.
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Mayawati’s prime ministerial ambitions online now!
Leaders of both the Congress and the BJP are going all guns blazing to attract netizens ahead of the forthcoming general elections. They are using not only social networking sites but also advertising heavily in the virtual world.
Not to be left behind, Mayawati too has put her might online. The party’s advertisements are quite visible on websites these days.
The advertisement shows the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief sitting on a big chair with a question ‘will she be the first Dalit prime minister of India?
Only time will tell.
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Is Lalu a spent force, asks a native from Bihar
With the first phase of elections only days away, it’s a common sight to see people discussing politics at tea stalls or at street corners.
At one such tea stall in south Delhi, there was a heated debate about politicians and their winning prospects – especially in Bihar.
There was one man – popularly known as Jha – in his late 50s who has been working in Delhi for the past few decades who declared loudly that Lalu is “a spent force.”
“This time, Nitish (Bihar chief minister) would win. I can give you a guarantee. He has made a change in Bihar. One just cannot imagine how much he has worked in the state. Lalu is no longer a force,” said Jha, who works as a guard.
But in his agitation or excitement – he called Nitish sometimes as Nishid. So much for total recall.