CHEAP SHOTS
"Mahajan and Naidu are agents of multinational companies. They are out to confuse Assam voters."
TARUN GOGOI,
ASSAM CHIEF MINISTER

"He can say this because his party leader is of foreign origin and 80 per cent of his voters are illegal immigrants."
PRAMOD MAHAJAN,
BJP GENERAL SECRETARY

WOOING MINORITIES
Vote All Ye Faithful

Once every five years or so, Abdul Nasser Madani, a rabble-rousing Muslim lodged in the Coimbatore jail for his alleged role in the bomb blasts in the city eight years ago that nearly killed among others, BJP leader L.K. Advani, becomes the most sought after politician from neighbouring Kerala. Leaders of all political hues line up outside his cell, seeking the support of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the party that he founded a decade ago. During the last Assembly elections in 2001, he backed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) after party leaders visited him in jail and promised to do their best to get him out. This time, Madani, who enjoys considerable clout among Muslims in the state-they account for about 22 per cent of Kerala's population-has decided to support the Marxist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), no doubt in protest against the UDF government's failure to fulfill its promise. Two months ago, it was the UDF that had taken the initiative to have a resolution adopted by the state Assembly demanding that bail be granted to the ailing Madani. Nothing came of it and Madani has now called on his faithfuls to back the Communist-led Front.

"We should express our support to the Left parties for their principled stand against US President George W. Bush's crusade against Islam", said Madani in a statement released from jail.

If the UDF, as is expected, fails to retain power in the state, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and company can put the blame on Bush.

THWARTING ILL-LUCK
Superstitious Moves

Jayalalithaa's supporters have a thing about superstitions. Last week, party workers halted her motorcade in Valavanoor in Villupuram district when they heard that a funeral procession would cross Amma's path. A day later, a train was halted to enable Amma's cavalcade to cross and reach a meeting venue at an auspicious time. And a day later, she travelled a long way to stay overnight at an "auspicious" house in Cuddalore, where she had stayed before the 2001 Assembly polls. Will she be twice lucky?

DRAVIDIAN SLIP
Action... Cut!

It is a pity that there are no re-takes in real life. At a poll rally, actor Vijaykanth told voters, "You have voted for the AIADMK and the DMK alternately. Last time you voted for the DMK. This time you must vote for the AIADMK". He recovered in time to correct himself and remind his voters that his new party was in fact the DMDK. The audience reacted in an obvious manner. They thoroughly lapped it up.

THE CROREPATIS
Assam may be a poor state but there are more than 13 crorepatis contesting the elections.

THE CRIMINALS
An NGO in the state points out that as many as 34 candidates in Assam have criminal cases pending against them.

WOMEN POWER
Having a woman member in the Politburo works. While the CPI(M) had fielded 23 candidates in the 2001 polls in West Bengal, this year they fielded 10 more, followed by Mamata Banerjee's TC with 32 women.

INDECENT ASSAULT
Payback Time?

Nalini Netto was secretary in the Ministry of Transport in Kerala when, one day in early 1999, the then state transport minister A. Neelalohithdasan Nadar summoned her to his office and tried to molest her. A few months later, Prakruti Srivastava, an officer of the Indian Forest Service lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Nadar, who was the state forest minister, had summoned her to his room in a government circuit house and tried to assault her. The unprecedented political upheaval that followed prompted the then chief minister E.K. Nayanar to ask Nadar to step down from the cabinet. Nadar, who has been denied a ticket by the Left Democratic Front in the current elections is contesting as an Independent. It is perhaps just a coincidence that Netto is the state's Chief Electoral Officer.

MAULANA MONEYBAG
Splitting to Conquer

Badruddin Ajmal is no ordinary Islamic cleric. He is the richest candidate in the election fray in Assam with a net worth of over Rs 30 crore. A leading perfume manufacturer, Ajmal now heads the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), which is giving sleepless nights to the ruling Congress. An alumnus of the Darul-Uloom Deoband which is famous for producing orthodox clerics, the Maulana formed the AUDF with a vow to wipe out the Congress. A few believe that his outfit will win many seats by splitting the Muslim vote. This will come as a hard blow to the Congress and help the BJP and the AGP.

EAT LESS, FIGHT MORE
Warrior's Diet

At 83, V.S. Achutanandan, Kerala's Marxist chief minister-in-waiting displays energy levels that would make men half his age green with envy. Lest you think this has something to do with the Alappuzha equivalent of the Atkins Diet, perish the thought. It's just a glass of boiled ginger water and two idlis for breakfast and some boiled rice for lunch, while dinner consists of just one roti and vegetables which he eats while watching the 10 p.m. news on the CPI(M)-owned Kairali TV.