NEW DELHI: The ruling Congress (I) party and the opposition launched a strident poll campaign making charges and countercharges against each other. As top political leaders continued their extensive tours of the country.

The ninth parliamentary lower house (Lok Sabha) elections are to be held on November 22 and 24, and 26.

At Fathepur in northern Uttar Pradish state, Janata Dal president Vishwanath Pratap Singh who is also the convener of the Front accused the Congress (I) party of hatching a conspiracy to physically eliminate’ a candidate from the constituency so as to get the elections countermanded.

Singh told PTI that he had sent a telegram to the election commission making this complaint and asked for security for all candidates.

Singh is fighting against Harki shan Shastri of the Congress (1) in Fathepur Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal leader and chief minister of northern Haryana state Devi Lal said in Sikar, Rajasthan that ruling party had ignored the poor and helped the rich.

The situation had worsened with corruption in high places and kickbacks in various multicore defense deals, Devi Lal said. Lok Sabha speaker is taking on Devi Lal in Sikar.

Janata Dal leader Chandrashe khar is on a 13day election tour which will take him to at least five northern states and his own constituencies of Bareilly in U.P. and Maharajganj in Bihar.

Chief Minister of eastern west Bengal state Jyoti Basu declared in Bhubansswar in neighboring Orissa State that the Communist Party Marxist will support the Front if it falls short of majority, though it will not take part in the government.

However, Basu said he was confident of victory. The two Communist parties have made seat adjustment with the Front in several states.

Carrying on the war of words, the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in its manifesto released Wednesday that it gave top priority to ending corruption if it came to power and declared it would end the nexus between the corrupt bureaucrat, businessman and politician.

While cinema stars such as Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar and Shabana Azmi have been cam paigning for the opposition the thespian Dilip Kumar, Asrani and Nitish Bhardwaj cast as Krishna in the television serial Mahabharat”.

Seven Marathi film personalities will also be aiding the ruling party campaign in Maharashtra.

Candidates have started door to door campaigning in their constituencies, while other party workers continue pool propaganda on cars, scooters, with microphones blaring improvised songs and slogans extolling virtues of particular parties.

Prominent opposition and Congress (I) leaders are engaged in a vociferous debate on the issue of autonomy for states and Centre State relations.

The National Front announced Thursday that it would make a comprehensive review of Centre State relations in consultations with Chief Ministers if voted to power. The Akali Dal also has demanded greater autonomy for states in this election manifesto, released Thursday.

Rajiv Gandhi, on the other hand, said in his elections speeches in the Central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the North Western Region Thurs day that providing more auto no my to states would adversely affect national services which are vital in preserving national unity.

He also charged the opposition of thwarting the Congress (1) Government’s bid to give power to the people through the Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalike Bills.

Meanwhile, The Janata Dal leader Devi Lal has claimed that the National Front would win at least 425 seats in the coming polls.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 17, 1989