"We are opposed to the Indian political system as it has taken away the traditional rights of local indigenous people," HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued here on Monday.

Mr Nongtraw criticised the move of the Central Government to extract uranium in Meghalaya and accused New Delhi of being insincere about initiating "political dialogue" for peace.

Calling Assembly election as "puppet game", the Khasi outfit also warned political parties and candidates not to utilise the service of surrendered HNLC men in the poll.

HNLC, however, apologised to the people for causing them inconvenience by suddenly calling bandh on Saturday last to protest Congress chief and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visit to Jowai. "The bandh was necessitated for the greater cause of the people," the rebel group added.

Meanwhile, officials of the elite Special Protection Group (SPG) and senior police officials on Monday discussed security arrangements for the Prime Minister's first visit to the State on February 27. The chopper carrying Dr Singh will land at Polo Ground here at 2 pm.

MPCC president OL Nongtdu said all the 60 party candidates had been asked to bring the maximum number of people to Polo Ground where the Prime Minister would address an election rally.

The organisers plan to have more than 20,000 people at the rally. There would be also local bands to entertain the crowd before the rally, he said.

NEW DELHI: Biennial elections to 56 Rajya Sabha seats, which could render the UPA in a minority in the Upper House, would be held on March 26 following retirement of as many members, including rebel BJP leader from Gujarat Keshubhai Patel.

The largest number of seven members are retiring from Maharashtra followed by six each from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, five each from West Bengal and Bihar, four each from Orissa and Gujarat.

Three members from Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan, two each from Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh would retire in April.

Mr Robert Kharsiing of NCP, who is presently representing Meghalaya, will retire on April 12. Notification in this regard will be issued on March 8 and polling and counting, if needed would be on March 26, an official announcement said. March 15 is the last date of nomination and March 19 is the last date of withdrawal.

Accusing Congress of taking money from businessmen and contractors for electoral advantage, UDP, NCP and BJP on Monday called for proper monitoring of election expenditure of Congress and sought the Election Commission's intervention to ensure free and fair elections on March 3.

About Rs 24 lakh in cash was recovered by election observers from AICC secretary Capt. (Retd) Praveen Davar and his accountant Vijay Malhotra during a raid at a city hotel on Sunday. The amount was reportedly kept for use by four Congress candidates during their election campaigns.

Talking to The Shillong Times, UDP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said Sunday's recovery of Rs 23.80 lakh from AICC officials proved that Congress was trying to use unfair means to win the elections with money contributed by business houses from Delhi and Shillong.

"After the elections, those business houses will ask for favour and this kind of illegal activity would definitely affect development and cause rampant corruption in the State," Mrs Lyngdoh said, while asking people to vote out Congress in the coming polls.

NCP leader from Garo Hills Conrad Sangma alleged that there were reports of Congress wooing voters by offering them money in Garo Hills.

In the past, Congress said NCP and PA Sangma were distributing money to people, but in reality, the Congress is engaged in promoting money power in election, the youth NCP leader said.

Urging voters not to get influenced by Congress money power, he said there were indications that some Congress candidates had exceeded the permissible limit of Rs-5 lakh poll expenditure.

Meanwhile, BJP has called upon the Election Commission to consider barring the Congress candidates concerned from participating in any electoral activity till the investigation into the matter was completed.

In a complaint filed with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Naik, State BJP president HS Syiemlieh said that the party had asked the Election Commission to deploy more para-military forces and enhance monitoring of the poll expenditure of Congress to ensure free and fair polls.

The BJP leader felt that the Congress funds might be related to the approval of certain projects by the ruling party before commencement of the electoral process and enforcement of the model code of conduct.

Meanwhile, CEO Mr Naik said the Election Department was doing its best to see that political parties adhered to the guidelines given by the Election Commission.

On election expenditures of parties, he said candidates were filing their daily expenditure reports and that till now the department had not detected any anomaly.

Mr Sangma, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar, had left Congress over the issue of foreign origin of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and formed NCP in 1999.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Mr Kyndiah said the decision of Mr Sangma to leave Congress was not just "a Meghalayan blunder but a Himalayan blunder."

He pointed out that during his tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker Mr Sangma was the tallest leader of the North-East as well as the country, but he ceased to be so ever since he had joined NCP.

Continuing his attack on the NCP general secretary, the Union minister said Mr Sangma had failed to make NCP's presence felt in the North-East as the party was limited to Meghalaya only and that his dream of becoming party chief was shattered by Mr Pawar, compelling him to join Nationalist Trinamool Congress (NTC).

"Mr Sangma won the 2004 general elections from Tura seat on NTC ticket. He resigned as MP following the MBoSE controversy and decided to contest the next elections on NCP ticket, which he won, again," Mr Kyndiah said, adding, "At present, Mr Sangma is not given much importance in NCP as he deserted the party once."

SHILLONG: So the cat is finally out of the bag. This is the first time that a political party has literally been caught red handed with hard cash. In the past, stories about political funding was in the realm of the intangible and a closely guarded secret. Now it is official. The Chief Election Commission has set an upper limit of Rs 5 lakh for election spending. This, according to many candidates is peanuts. Ms Margaret Alva says elections should have more sound and fury and more excitement to distinguish it from a mournful funeral.

But funerals in Meghalaya are pretty expensive. Mrs Alva should find out from her acolytes how much it costs an MLA to visit a bereaved family. MLAs are expected to give money (Rs 1000 being the minimum) and there are at least two deaths a week in the constituency and more outside it. He/she is expected to provide water in the ubiquitous syntex tank. Chairs and benches by the hundreds purchased from MLA schemes are used free of cost. Sometimes families also demand tents and shamianas to be put up. When an elderly person dies, at least two pigs are slaughtered and hundreds of people fed. No one asks where the money comes from. And yes there is a lot of noise and laughter tea and snacks, lunch and supper and political discourses. The idea is to make the bereaved family forget their loss, the earlier the better.

This writer spoke to a cross section of people to find out what they thought of the low key electioneering in Meghalaya. Dr David Syiemlieh, Professor of History, North Eastern Hill University says candidates can now concentrate more on door to door campaigning. "This gives them a feel of how people live and the actual condition of the constituency. I also take it that this somber atmosphere shows that our electorate has matured. They no longer believes in noise and fanfare. Candidates have the option of appealing for votes at an individual level and through their appeals. That is good enough", Syiemlieh observed.

Mr Toki Blah, President ICARE, an organization with overarching concern for good governance, commenting on Alva’s remarks says, "When people are caught with their pants down, the best they way to divert attention from themselves is to point at the scenery. In view of strict enforcement of the EC on election spending where is the necessity for so much money? And where will a candidate spend except to distribute the money to voters?".

Padmashree Ms EN Shullai, echoing Toki Blah says it is wrong to bribe voters and corrupt them. "Let people choose with a free mind. All this corruption in Meghalaya is precisely because of vote-buying during elections. Don’t think this money is given free. All of it and more is recovered after the elections. I also believe that door to door canvassing is best. But if you look at the manifesto of all parties they read alike. Everyone promises change but do they really mean it?

Nonagenarian, Padmashree Silverene Swer has a different take. "Elections are an occasion in the life of the State and its people. It comes once in five years. We must have some decent kind of jubilation. Elections put life in an active mode and we must rejoice at the opportunity to elect a new MLA. But not by violating the election code of conduct, of course. These days elections are too quiet. We hardly know our candidates", Ms Swer quipped. Rajesh Dev, Lecturer Women’s College and political analyst says, Ms Alva’s comment about lackluster elections is correct but the excitement should come not from posters and banners but from within the electorate. "Excitement should be generated by discussions about political values, ideologies and issues. But none of the parties are doing this. The only excitement is news of political corruption like the 24 lakh rupees in the AICC cache Moreover, urban voters are so demoralized by the non-performance of successive governments they have become cynical", Dev remarked. But people are not complaining about this sedate election scenario. Time was when Meghalaya looked forward to elections and the formation of a new government. There was an element of hope and expectation. Now, the only people who see elections as a windfall are the thousands of poverty stricken voters. For them this is an opportunity to suck up to different candidates, promising each one to vote for him/her and finally not making it to the polling booths. But can anyone blame them?

TURA: Election rivals of NCP leader, Purno A Sangma, have questioned the rationale behind his decision to return to State politics saying that a huge vacuum would be created at the Centre which would be difficult to fill.

Speaking to The Shillong Times both Tura legislator Billy Kid A Sangma and sitting MDC John Leslee K Sangma, who are his principal rivals for the prestigious Tura seat, have said that the former Lok Sabha Speaker would do well staying in Delhi to fight for the cause of the Garos rather than returning to State politics where his area of influence would be limited.

The NCP strongman is pitted against six other candidates in the constituency having 39,698 voters. He has also been projected by the party as its Chief Ministerial candidate in this election.

"People are surprised with his latest decision. He is a big man with big ideas for Parliament, not the State Assembly" Billy Kid A Sangma said while John Leslee K Sangma remarked that "Purno has shattered the people's confidence with his return".

Both the contenders also termed it an honour to take on the veteran politician who has represented Garo Hills for a record nine times as Lok Sabha MP and once in the State Assembly. However, they had their word of respect for the senior Sangma as they referred to his glorious days during his stint as Union Cabinet Minister.

"The corridors of New Delhi are intriguing and five years will yield no results for a newcomer whereas Mr Sangma has learnt about it as the back of his hand," said Billy Kid Sangma.

Billy Kid Sangma is using his talent to mingle with common people as the most powerful strategy of his election campaign. On an average, he is holding as many as seven meetings a day.

Not to be outdone, John Leslee Sangma is also organising an equal number of public meetings in the interior areas of Tura constituency meeting people and listening to their grievances. Known as a firebrand leader during his heydays, John Leslee has made influx issue as his main poll plank.

Interestingly, both candidates, who are in their early 40s, are keeping the densely populated areas of the town particularly Tura Bazar for their final 'onslaught' of the campaign.

The duo as also Cyrus Tangseng D Shira (Congress), former FKJGP leader Tinash Ch Momin (UDP), Albert A Sangma (BJP) and Kulert Ch Momin (Ind) are confident of upsetting Purno Sangma's apple cart this time round.

"Why should he (Purno) be given a smaller chair (read MLA) when he deserves the throne (MP). By not voting for him in this election, we can retain him as MP and end the controversy once and for all," chided Billy Kid Sangma.

On the other hand, John Leslee Sangma said that Purno's decision was not the people's decision. "He should have consulted the public. The people of Garo Hills, including me, had reposed faith in him to lead us in Delhi but he has broken that. We are capable of looking after the problems of Tura even without him" John Leslee Sangma said.

JOWAI: The Chairman of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council Wanbait Chullet has asked for special police protection. In a letter to the Superintendent of Police, Jaintia Hills MK Singh, signed by the Legislative Secretary of the Council, the JHADC Chairman said that he has been receiving threats from unknown people in many ways.

Talking to The Shillong Times, Mr Chullet said that he has been in the target of some unknown people in his constituency. "In the last few days, I received a phone call and the person who speak on the other end of phone had threatened me," he said.

Shillong: Hard cash, sponsored picnics and a variety of other freebies are common things witnessed in most constituencies of the State as candidates try to keep their supporters in good mood before the March-3 Assembly election.

According to sources, most of the candidates, including those contesting in urban constituencies, are coughing up a lot of money to their supporters and even as common voters are taking advantage of the "once in five year opportunity".

In some constituencies, young voters are getting free buses, and even money, to enjoy New Year picnics in popular picnic spots of the State. Such "sponsored-picnics" have seen places like Sohra, Ri-Bhoi district, Lum Symper crowded with picnickers.

"It's a chance that we should never miss. After all, who won't want to enjoy and have good picnic when a candidate is willing to sponsor that" said Michael S Buhphang from Nongthymmai.

Similarly, there were several reports that candidates were distributing money for buying of text-books and exercise books for students. But for that, one has to produce his EPIC card to prove that he is a genuine voter of a particular constituency.

As in the past, this time too there were reports that candidates were distributing money to voters during house-to-house canvassing. The amount ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 2000 depending on the size and economic condition of the voter's family.

"It is a common feature in every election. People used to say that they will take the money given to them by a candidate on the ground that he will become a thief when he is elected" an elderly voter who did not want to be named said.

For sitting legislators seeking re-election, the expenditure is much higher.

Another thing is the last minute implementation of MLA Schemes for construction of footpaths, approach roads, water tank etc before official announcement of the election.

More so, there were reports of distribution of blankets, umbrellas, tarpaulins, chairs and utensils to people in villages and city localities by the sitting legislators to make their presence felt and garner more support from the electorate.

Tea and food is compulsory in the house of a candidate either in the city or in villages. There are rural constituencies where a candidate has to hold a daily feast of rice, pork and beef as streams of people, young and old, flock to his house to make hay while the sun shines.

Most of the poll observers felt that election is a very expensive affair in Meghalaya and that a person who is not rich or affluent cannot venture into politics, regardless of his potential or good objectives, in view of the nature of the voters.

They also said that unless the culture of freebies is stopped, the political future of the State would go from bad to worse.

In a statement issued here on Monday, Mr Kharkongor warned against any breach or violation of the Representatives of People Act (RPA), 1951 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

He also said that all the Rangbah Shnongs and village elders have been notified that the Act prohibits any person to obstruct or cause disturbance to any political meeting, prohibits against promoting enmity between classes and communities, religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony in connection with election.

Mr Kharkongor also informed that he has decided to ban holding of common platform for election campaign by various political parties and candidates.

KHNAM Malki Nongthymmai circle has refuted the claim of MDP that there was an exodus of party workers from the KHNAM unit.

Denying the report of "exodus", KHNAM president Malki-Nongthymmai circle Balawan Pala on Monday said, "In fact leaders and supporters of MDP and other parties are joining us to support our candidate Latiplang Kharkongor."

Mr Pala, however, tried to underplay the fact that some KHNAM workers led by Mrs Pretty Kharpyngrope had recently joined MDP.

The UDP Malki-Nongthymmai has refuted reports of mass resignation of its members from Lumpyngngad unit, a statement issued here on Monday said.

Meanwhile, Mr E Marbaniang and Joe Swer, former NCP office bearer from Lumbatngen (Law-u-Sib) and KHNAM Rynjah unit office bearer respectively, have joined the UDP, the statement added.

KHNAM will hold a public meeting on Tuesday at Wahingdoh basketball court, Block-II at 6 pm. KHNAM president Paul Lyngdoh and Glenbert Lawrence Khongwir, KHNAM candidate from 20-Mawkhar constituency, will address the gathering among other prominent party members. The meeting would enlighten the public on the party objectives and its motto for the coming election.

It was billed as the mother of all auctions. Where 77 ‘men in blue’ were paraded as prized bulls. And Corporate India’s Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Ness Wadia jostled with Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta to get a slice of the action and own the czars of cricket. Each cricketer went under the hammer ranging anywhere from Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 6 crores. An auction which has clean bowled the way we play cricket for ever. All in a matter of seconds. Paisa phek tamasha dekh!

Welcome to the Great Indian Bazaar of Indian cricket. Of big bucks and million dollar boys. Who could’ve imagined that the auctioning of 77 players for the five Indian Premier League teams would result in mass hysteria. Never mind, that the true blue-blooded sportsmen are horrified by this brazen gambling and commercialization at its crassest best.

In addition, it has kicked off a political controversy with the Left Front, Janata Dal President and Union Cabinet Minister Sharad Yadav and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray lambasting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) as "a gambling game of industrialists and a shameless, obscene demonstration of money-power."

Think. The eight franchisees of the IPL forked out a combined Rs 7000-plus crore first to buy the team franchises. Then, they spent a whopping Rs.160 crore on purchasing players at the auction. Before this, the telecast rights were sold for a huge Rs.3,672 crore for 10 years and the title sponsorship for another Rs 200 crore for a five-year period.

Raising a moot point: when money becomes the driving force of the sixes, bumper, silly mid-off, first slip, LBW, googly et al what happens to the "desh ki izzat?" Will Team India give its heart and soul to play for the country? Will being selected on it continue to be treated as the ultimate honour in the life of a cricketer? Or, will club identities come to replace national loyalties? After all, whoever pays the bucks gets the loyalty.

Has cricket in India entered the age of sponsored gambling where its stake-holders are abdicating their responsibility and letting the 'free-market' forces take control of the sport? Will it only create a super-elite category of overpaid, arrogant superstars at the cost of domestic cricket? Will the new cricket corporate czars have any emotional attachment to the sport? Importantly, will substance become the first casualty of the hoopla and hype of the auctioning? Will it widen the gap between cricket and other sports?

True, the BCCI and IPL promoters dismiss these fears as much ado about nothing. Why is everyone raving and ranting about the cricketers earnings? What about other sports like Golf, tennis and car racing. The Jeeva Singh’s, Sania Mirza and Kartikhen, they assert. Besides, money raised would be spent to improve the standard of sports in India and also to promote other sports, specially at the grassroot-level.

How one wonders will paying Messers Dhoni, Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly, who already earn crores for playing a year's cricket for India and more from sponsorships, raise the standard of the sport? Rather, wouldn’t it widen the gap between the haves and have-nots in cricket and other sports?

Besides, the American experience, on which the IPL is based, clearly shows that players more often than not prefer their club over country thanks to the money being bank-rolled by it. In addition, club owners too become possessive as they want to protect their investments at any cost. And, more often than not refuse to release the players for matches played for the country. Besides, the recall value of club teams is more. People identify with the Chicago Bulls rather than the US Olympic basketball team or the New York Yankees instead of the US baseball team.

Sadly, the auction has once again underscored the ugly reality that cricket has ceased to be a sport. It has become a mammoth corporate conglomerate which lacks transparency and is all about wielding power and money. Worse, it has become another pocket borough of our netagan. Wherein crores are spent in deals over-the-table and under-the-table in keenly fought elections for the control over the BCCI. Imagine, its kitty is virtually the same as the budget allocation of a Union Ministry.

Not just cricket, Indian sports as a whole is controlled by politicians and vested interests. The justification trotted out is that netagan are ‘experts’ in raising funds, even for khel-kood! If the truth be told, sports today has per se degenerated from purely a sporting activity, physical prowess and competitiveness to downright object of a nexus between politics and bodies controlling it.

The entry of paid sponsors for games and sportsmen has added an ugly dimension to an already murky arena. The decline of standards in sports is in direct proportion to the increase in the players’ affluence. Plainly, a sport gets corrupted when money is involved. From harmless betting in schools and colleges, it today has an international pattern. The racket is like a business between players, managers and bookies. They initiate betting, running into crores of rupees and funneled abroad via the hawala channel. The high-stake punting on winning teams has increased the greed and led to collecting inside information on a team’s strategy, forecasting the outcome to match fixing.

This all pervasive malady has grown to monstrous proportions and is now being referred to as a full-fledged industry and trade with a turn-over running into hundreds of crores. With big money and bigger events, sports stars get big sponsors. With the IPL auctioning, celebrity endorsement of sports is simply mind-boggling.

Some will argue that India is only following the ground rules set in the international arena. Where David Beckham and Michael Jordan, the world’s best football and basketball players respectively, made history with multi-million dollar tie-ups. Major sports goods manufacturers like Reebok, Adidas and Nike outbid each other to sponsor anything and everything from caps, footwear, T-shirts and balls etc they wore. And, the ‘sacred’ Wimbledon, the Australian, the US and French Open tennis tournaments and football, hockey and baseball competitions are simply following suit.

In this free-for-all vicious circle of avarice lies the forgotten Greek philosophy of sports: The health of a nation depends upon the proficiency of its youth in sports and games. It led to the start of the Olympic movement in 1884, which won the support of even Hitler, who went out of his way to make it a grand spectacle in 1936 in Berlin.

It took wings in India under Nehru’s patronage who conceptualized the Asian Games Federation and organized the first "regional Olympiad" (Asian Games) in New Delhi in 1951. His message was clear: "Play the game in the spirit of the game". The National Sports Federations too adhered to the Olympic ideals of amateur sports, namely, anyone found guilty of monetary benefit from sports was disqualified from participation in international competitions. In fact, way back in the early 1960s, a woman athlete and a swimmer from Kolkata were disqualified for appearing in a Bata advertisement for sports shoes.

Tragically, all is forgotten. Most of our sports bodies today are controlled and headed by ambitious people with powerful connections and clout: Varying from industrialists, businessmen, politicians to small-time managers. They have little to contribute, but a lot to gain. Unlike the past, where sports patrons like the princely rulers of Patiala, Bikaner, Jaipur and Jodhpur graciously spent time and money for the healthy promotion of sports.

Sadly, the ball game started changing once black money started increasing with each passing year. So did the Government’s contribution, with budgets spiraling from Rs.13 crores during the Second Plan to about Rs.300 crores in the Ninth Plan. Sports, is now controlled by a Ministry at the Centre and in the States. But sports management continues to falter at all levels.

Finally, the million dollar question: How is the Government going to stall the domino effect? The day crores replaces honour as a player’s driving force Indian sport might as well say set-game-match. Let’s face it, rescuing sport from the Octopus-like grip of deceit and money will be a lot of sweat and tears. We need to stem the rot. Time to win and do a Chak De India! ---- INFA

Sir,

The write-up "Enough of the election double-speak" (ST, Feb 15) by Patricia Mukhim is a sad commentary on today's corruption-ridden politics and a poor reflection of the political class. Congress party has had many election victories to celebrate, but has failed to deliver the goods. The emergence of regional parties as a viable political alternative appears to be the only hope for now and future. The frequent political turbulence on the one hand and the reluctance of politicians to come to terms with the coalition mantra on the other shall continue to haunt the formation and functioning of the new government primarily because none of the political parties has shown any resolve and commitment towards the social, economic, development and intellectual issues that confront the people of the state. So, for any party to make the claim of getting a majority or near majority at the hustings is misleading. The fractured mandate will further shake up the already volatile political climate.

Regional parties that supported Congress are as much exposed as Congress itself on their double-speak. Over the years Congress party and its power hungry leaders have made a mockery of democratic norms and indulged in political impropriety. Their leaders are forever running to Delhi to take instructions from their masters. The sordid drama of removal of Mr JD Rymbai as Chief Minister and reinstatement of Mr DD Lapang is a case in point. The entire drama scripted by the High Command and supported by state Congress legislators and regional parties is still fresh in the minds of the electorate. What were the grounds for asking Mr Rymbai to step down? Political or Economic- What has the politics of the state reduced to? A puppet show. Yes, I am fully in sync with the author that having supported this political manoeuvre the regional parties have lost the high moral ground to seek votes on development and corruption plank. They are actually perpetuating another fraud on the electorate. How can they absolve themselves of their responsibility and role in this sordid drama? The electorate must be wary of such leaders and parties.

Creating political instability for personal or party reasons has pushed back the economic prosperity and development of the state. While governments in other states are pushing ahead in empowering their people in social, economic and intellectual capabilities, we are caught up in political gamesmanship and egoistic battles that are best fought outside the political arena. Sadly the state Congress leadership has failed to arrest this disease and is forever looking for diagnosis outside the state. This is a big question mark on the overall health of state Congress party and their ability to provide the much-needed durable and qualified governance.

Yours etc.,
Shaiq Parvez Kraipak
Via e-mail

Sir,

I am a regular viewer of Doordarshan, Shillong and I make sure to find time to watch its programmes especially now when the election to the State Assembly is round the corner. On February 15, I watched 10 to 12 minute election telecast of Indian National Congress and BJP and was quite impressed by their views and agenda for the forthcoming Assembly elections. However, it was shocking to witness UDP's election telecast next day where the party representative spoke only for 2 - 3 minutes on the party's points and programmes and at the same time tried to teach the viewers how to spell the word "change".

If my eyes were not deceiving me, I assume that the representative was not in a condition to be entrusted with the task of representing the largest regional party (UDP) in the state. Does UDP lack more responsible people?

Yours etc.,
U Jngoh Pyrnam

This was her fourth child. (UNI)

Agartala:Tripura made electoral history when a record 92 per cent votes were cast in Saturday's election to the 60-seat Assembly, officials said here on Monday.

"About 92 percent of the 2.03 million electorates have exercised their franchise and this was an all time high percentage of votes polled in any election in India," said G.S.G. Ayyangar, the chief electoral officer of Tripura.

He said: "Since the first elections in 1952 in the country, this was an all time record in the electoral history of India."

According to Ayyangar, the previous record of high polling percentage was in Sikkim, where more than 87 per cent votes had been polled in the 2004 assembly elections.

The CEO said that of the 60 assembly constituencies, maximum of 95.69 percent votes have been polled in Birganj assembly segment in south Tripura.

Interestingly, the country's smallest polling station is in Tripura - the Jampuijala JB Colony School under the tribal reserved Takarjala assembly constituency in west Tripura, about 35 km west of here, has only four voters and three of them have cast their votes.

The ballots will be counted March 7. Sixty counting halls are being set up in 17 locations across the State.

"For the first time 10 to 15 counting observers would be appointed in each counting hall to supervise the counting of votes," Ayyangar added.

Meanwhile, both Congress-INPT and CPI(M) are optimistic about the poll outcome.

"The huge turn out will tilt in favour of ruling Left Front as it has done enough to improve socio-economic condition of the people during the last five years, an optimistic Khagen Das, CPI(M) convener, said on Monday.

"It had been experienced that whenever the voting percentage increased, the Left Front always gained," he claimed dismissing the anti-incumbency factor.

He claimed that people want all round development and that has been ensured during the fifth Left Front government and electors will continue to vote for the Left Front to speed up development activities.

Likewise, Congress is also hopeful to make a come back after 15 years of long wait.

Tripura Congress president Samir Ranjan Barman said "In 1988 Assembly elections, the turn out was 85 per cent that led to collapse of the second Left Front Government. This election too, the unprecedented turn out (92 percent) is set to vote out the fifth Left Front government," he asserted.

According to Barman, Congress-INPT is expected to win 32-34 seats that would be well enough to run the Government.

Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), an ally of Congress is also hopeful of gains. (IANS & Our Tripura Correspondent)

New Delhi: Students from the North-East studying in the national capital will soon have a dedicated bureau to provide them legal assistance.

The National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) along with the Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA) will soon set up the bureau.

"The bureau will comprise of a district judge, a deputy commissioner of police, a representative from the social welfare department and two students of the northeast studying law in the capital to help other students to fight for justice," said Justice Manmohan Sarin, Delhi High court judge and Chairman of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee.

He was addressing the nine-day 'national conclave of the Northeastern states for access to justice to women of the region', which concluded on Monday.

Delhi's Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna expressed his concern over the increasing cases of violence against women students from the region.

He added that Delhi Police were also taking effective measures to help the northeastern students to feel safe in the capital by increasing patrolling, especially in the areas where they are in good numbers. (IANS)