Gehlot finds Jat support, 4 more in race

The Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party is to meet on Thursday in Jaipur to choose a new leader to be chief minister.

The Rajasthan Jat Mahasabha on Wednesday said it was not against backing Mr Ashok Gehlot for chief minister. It said it would like Mr Sis Ram Ola to be chief minister but a resolution adopted at a Mahasabha meeting added: “If the selection process for chief minister takes a different direction, then the Mahasabha supports the most popular Congress leader, Ashok Gehlot, for the post. He is also related to the farmer community. Farmers and labourers still remember the excellent work done on famine relief by Gehlot during his previous tenure.”

There are other contenders. Union minister Sis Ram Ola and Jat leader Col. Sona Ram (Retd) said they would be willing to serve as chief minister. “A leader from the farming community should be elected chief minister.

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Amar gives ‘third’ angle to Deeg fight

Deeg, the first capital carved out for the erstwhile Jat rulers, is witnessing an interesting fight between the scion of the erstwhile royal family, Vishvendra Singh, and industry minister Digambar Singh. But the BSP’s Amar Singh has made it triangular.

“Wo hamare raja hain,” says Soran Singh, a villager in Kumher town, which is part of the newly created Deeg Kumher constituency. Mr Singh had parted ways with the ruling BJP alleging tickets were sold by the BJP and resigned as political adviser to chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

Industry minister Digambar Singh is considered Mr Vishvendra Singh’s foe in the politics of eastern Rajasthan. When the BJP had declared the industry minister its candidate from Deeg, it annoyed Mr Vishvendra Singh.

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Gujjar solution likely today

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje is likely to clinch a peaceful solution to the ongoing Gujjar agitation in the final round of talks with community leader Col. Kirori Singh Bainsla on Tuesday.

Satisfied with the negotiations which took place with the state government representatives in Jaipur on Monday, leaders of the five member Gujjar team said all their demands were discussed in a cordial atmosphere.

“All our demands were discussed. The government appears to be very positive and there is no confrontation with them. We are hopeful that an agreement could be arrived at between Col. Bainsla and CM Raje on Tuesday,” Delhi MLA and member of the Gujjar delegation Ramvir Singh Bidhuri told this newspaper.

Apart from the main demand of Scheduled Tribe status, the Gujjars’ demand for Rs 10 lakhs each as compensation to all those killed in police firing during the protests and the state government’s offer of special reservation (around four to six per cent as nomadic tribe) was also brought on the table.

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12 MINS. 8 BLASTS. 60 DEAD

Eight bomb blasts triggered by terrorists over just 12 minutes on Wednesday night killed at least 60 people in the heart of Jaipur and injured 200.

The explosions, the first terror strikes in the Pink City, occurred in markets usually teeming with people and near the Hanuman Mandir in the walled city.

The bombings took place as India marked the 10th anniversary of nuclear tests conducted on May 13 in Rajasthan, but it was unclear if there was any link.

"According to the information I have received, 60 people have died and 150 have been injured," said Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

The Bangladesh-based Harkut-ulJehadi Islami (HuJI) is suspected to be behind the blasts, home ministry sources said.

The sources had earlier ruled out the use of RDX in the carefully orchestrated low-intensity explosions, which were believed to have been set off from cycles in areas frequented by tourists, including near the historic Hawa Mahal. But minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal, saying that the government felt there was a "foreign hand" behind the blasts, added later that the use of RDX was also suspected.

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