HEAD LINE:

• 'LS polls likely in April-May' Electoral Rolls For '09 Will Be Out By Mid-January, Says CEC, (TOI)
• BJP is 'voice of Jammu', says Jaitley (IE)
• No ultimatum given, but Pak must act: Pranab (IE)
• Engineer's murder: BSP sacks missing district chief (IE)

LEAD:

The J&K elections involved every section of society in the state, and the same inclusiveness was reflected in the verdict today. For the first time, the entire ideological and political spectrum will be represented in sizeable numbers in the 87-member House: from the Hindutva-centered BJP to the soft-separatist PDP, from a resurgent National Conference to the potential kingmaker Congress. Along with the separatist rethink of Boycott and the silence of militants' guns, it is a development that has the potential to redefine mainstream politics in the state. The National Conference is the single-largest party in the new house with 28 seats, and is likely to form the Govt in alliance with the Congress, which has won 17 seats. The PDP has improved on its 2002 tally of 16, securing 21 seats. The BJP, riding the Amarnath wave, has made spectacular gains in Hindu-dominated areas of Jammu, winning 11 seats. (IE)

• New Delhi: It is perhaps the ultimate irony of the J&K assembly elections the party that lost most in terms of vote share looks like being the biggest gainer of the elections. That's the National Conference (NC). Analysis of vote shares based on detailed results shows the NC lost 7.1% vote share in the Valley and 3.9% in Jammu and yet managed to hold on to the same number of seats as in 2002. How did this happen? The answer lies in the fact that most of its loss in vote share came in one region the southern part of the Valley. This was a region in which Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's PDP had done well in 2002 as well. Hence, the surge in the PDP's support and the decline in NC's votes here did not make much of a difference to seats. A similar process meant that the loss of votes in Jammu too did not hurt the NC. It consolidated its position in the northern parts of the Valley and more or less maintained parity in the Poonch area of the Jammu region, the parts of the state from where it had picked up seats last time. (TOI)
• New Delhi: It was a gamble which paid off. Congress may have emerged the kingmaker despite a reduced tally but it was staring at a virtual wipeout when it was asked to decide on calling elections in J&K in 2008 itself. The violent aftermath of Amarnath controversy, with the Valley in the sway of separatists, left Congress squeezed out, as BJP and PDP took guard in J&K regions. Also caught in the crossfire was National Conference, even though it tried to stay relevant by demanding that govt rescind the land allotment order, best highlighted by Omar Abdullah's speech in Lok Sabha during the July 22 trust vote. Inputs from the establishment were that holding polls on schedule would stop the situation from drifting completely towards separatists, but it would also come at the cost of Congress fortunes. Insiders say party chief Sonia Gandhi called in favour of polls, apparently remarking that Kashmir polls were above party interests.(TOI)
• Koderma (Jharkhand): Calling for demolition of Terror camps operating on Pakistani soil, India on Sunday reminded the neighbouring country of its commitment not to allow terrorist activities, but said no ultimatum had been given to Islamabad to act. Stating that Pakistan had made a commitment that it would not allow its territory to be used for terrorist activities, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Islamabad to take steps and demolish terrorist camps there. Denying any ultimatum being set for Pakistan to act, he said, "No ultimatum was set. There is no question of any ultimatum. Nobody has set any ultimatum.. (IE)
• Mumbai: Six more witnesses on Sunday identified Mohammed Ajmal Kasab as the man who fired indiscriminately on commuters at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on the night of November 26 killing 57 people. ''The six witnesses, included policemen attached to Govt Railway Police, Railway Protection Force, and a constable from DB Marg police station identified Kasab in front of designated special judicial magistrate during the (identification) parade on Sunday,'' said a senior officer of Mumbai Police. According to police, Kasab, who is lodged in the Arthur Road Jail, was identified by nine witnesses on Saturday in the case registered for theft of the Skoda car by suspected LeT terrorist and his accomplice Ismail Khan. They used the car to flee after a police jeep they hijacked broke down. The officer said Sunday's identification parade began at 12.30 and lasted till 3.00pm. The parade was in connection with the case registered against Kasab for indiscriminate firing at the CST, where at least 57 passengers were killed and many were grievously injured.(TOI)
• Pune: Himani Savarkar, the President of Abhinav Bharat, was questioned for over three hours by the ATS for the first time on Sunday. All the people arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast are affiliated to the organisation, sources said. Savarkar, who has been heading the outfit since April, was questioned at the ATS cell here and let off with instructions that she could be summoned again if required during the course of the investigation. Over ten accused including Lt Col S P Purohit, Sadhwi Pragya Singh Thakur, ex-army man Ramesh Upadhyay and Swami Dayanand Pande were arrested in connection with the blast. (IE)

MANMOHAN SINGH & GOVT

PM Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said the massive turnout in J&K was a "vote for democracy. with the party chief saying it is a "lesson to be learnt by our neighbours., an apparent reference to Pakistan. Singh and Gandhi said who wins in J&K is a "secondary issue. and what matters is that the people have expressed faith in the democratic system. "The large turnout of voters is a vote for democracy. It is a vote for national integration. As far as who wins or who loses is a secondary issue,. Singh said. Echoing the PM's remarks, Gandhi said "I have been saying from the very beginning that it dosen't matter who wins, what matters is that the people of the Valley, the people of Jammu, the people of J&K have placed their full faith in the democratic system which is a lesson to be learnt by our neighbours..(TOI)

BJP

Five months after the fiery Amarnath shrine land agitation, the BJP reaped a rich electoral harvest in Jammu, winning an unprecedented 11 seats. The BJP got 10 seats more than in 2002, its victories coming at the expense of the Congress which lost nine seats, and the National Conference, which lost one. None of those who spearheaded the Amarnath agitation actually participated in the election. Shilpi Verma, widow of a man who had killed himself during the agitation, lost in Bishnah despite a high-decibel campaign for her by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. The leaders of the agitation, however, claimed victory. Former convener of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti (SAYSS), Leela Karan Sharma, said: "The agitation was right. We fought against the discrimination against Jammu, and the candidates who supported us won. The Congress candidate from the Gandhi Nagar constituency, who had supported the agitation, also won. We will soon begin a decisive battle for the cause of Jammu now.. (IE)

CONGRESS

The Congress on Sunday looked inclined to forming an NC-led coalition Govt in J&K, even as a section of the party favoured an alliance with the "time-tested. PDP. Top leadership of the NC and the Congress were understood to have got in touch late on Monday evening. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will, however, take a decision on the coalition partner after consultations with the local leadership. She has called former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad and PCC chief Saifuddin Soz to Delhi on Monday. At the Congress Core Group meeting at PM Manmohan Singh's residence on Sunday, senior leaders were learnt to be apprehensive of the stability of a Congress-PDP coalition given the fact that the two together have only 38 seats six short of a simple majority in the House. Including two Congress-supported Independents, the tally would go up to 40. (IE)

STATES

ANDHRA PRADESH

With Assembly elections likely to be held in April or May, the legislators of the 12th Assembly can elect 11 Legislative Council members as the Legislature Secretariat has decided to issue notification for filling the vacancies in March first week. The Legislature Secretariat is gearing up to hold polls for 16 seats, including two each from teachers and graduates constituencies and one from the Local Authorities Constituencies, whose two-year term ends on March 30. In addition, four members would be nominated by the Governor. In the 87-member Council, the two-year term of 29 members, including nominations, would end in March. (HINDU)

J&K

Buoyed by its good electoral show in the Jammu region, the BJP has been quick to project itself as the "voice of Jammu.. "We are the only winners,. said party general secretary Arun Jaitley. "Having raised its tally from one to double-digit mark, the BJP is the only success story in the state,. he added. Taking a swipe, he said the loser, the Congress, was sitting like a bride in a "swayamvar. anxiously watching both her suitors, the National Conference and PDP. Jaitley, who spearheaded the party poll campaign, was dismissive of the contention of the BJP's adversaries that the saffron outfit owed its rich electoral harvest to the Amarnath shrine land row. He said the land controversy was over by the time the elections were held. "BJP has emerged as the voice of Jammu,. he added. (IE)

• Srinagar: After an election that saw voters defy boycott calls and conquer fear of the gun in the Valley, National Conference looks likely to form the next govt in Srinagar in alliance with the Congress. This would mark the return of the Abdullahs at the helm of the state after six years. NC emerged as the single largest party, overtaking the separatist-backed PDP in an election that saw a strong turnout of 60.5% in the face of a Pakistan-sponsored call for boycott, strengthening the credibility of India's democratic process. The outcome was unanimously hailed as a victory of Indian democracy and a rebuff to what chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami called the "fear factor.. NC promptly staked claim to form the next govt. But after initially indicating that he was ready to pass on the baton to his son, party chief Omar Abdullah, former CM Farooq Abdullah was quoted by agencies as saying that he wanted the job for himself. Omar said that even if his father completed a term, he would still be only 44, indicating that he is in no hurry. Earlier, he confirmed the party's plan to approach Congress even before counting ended.(TOI)

KERALA

In an attempt to snap the 'support system' of the beleaguered Chief Minister, V S Achuthanandan, the CPI(M) state secretariat has sought the removal of his IT advisor C M Joseph Mathew and senior Govt pleader D Anil Kumar, who had given legal backing to the CM during the eviction of encroachments at Munnar. The rival faction of Pinarayi Vijayan had targeted the duo as the remaining members of the 'coterie', working as a lifeline for the CM who had been struggling for help after the party left him high and dry. According to sources, Achuthanandan would be forced to abandon the IT advisor and the advocate in the same manner he had to throw out two of his close confidants. Two weeks back, Achuthananandan had to jettison former additional private secretary K Sureshkumar, after he openly locked horns with two CPI(M) state committee members, both functioning as CM's secretaries. (IE)

MADHYA PRADESH

The two-day State Executive Committee meeting of the BJP here concluded on Sunday with a resolve to work hard for ensuring party's landslide victory from Madhya Pradesh in the Lok Sabha next year. For this, the party national organising general secretary, Ramlal, rolled out an 80-day plan for the State BJP under which the party will kick off its Lok Sabha polls exercise from January 5. "We are going to hold meetings of workers, leaders and MLAs till March-end to ensure BJP's victory in over 25 parliamentary seats out of 29 in MP,. BJP State Chief Narendra Tomar said after the meet. He said his party would reach those who names did not figure in the electoral lists in the last month's State Assembly polls and also approach those who were to attain the age of 18 in the coming months and help them get their names registered in the voters list. "We are also going to organise meetings at all 230 Assembly segments, 29 parliamentary seats and districts across the State.. (HINDU)

MAHARASHTRA

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has asked politicians to stop glorifying the resilient spirit of Mumbai in the aftermath of the November 26 terror attacks and to show "the iron will. to engage the Indian armed forces in a decisive battle to crush the hostile neighbour. "Let us not forget the fact that ten Pakistan-trained terrorists who attacked the commercial capital of India taking the sea route killed over 200 innocent civilians and 16 uniformed men in the country,. he said in an editorial published on Saturday in party's mouthpiece Saamana. "Despite the universal knowledge of its springboard support to anti-India elements, Pakistan is not only denying the nationality of captured terrorist 'Kasab' but also talking about giving a fitting reply to an Indian response to the situation..(HINDU)

EDITORIAL

Winter of 62: In yet another defining moment of 2008, the voter of J&K has affirmed strong candidature as "the person of the year.. In assembly elections spaced over seven phases, J&K's voters defeated not just the separatists' call for boycott, but also every reason for postponement of elections that had been trotted out. As Govt formation predictably captures the spotlight, stop to collate the voters' most significant achievements. Consider the consistently record turnouts, averaging at almost 62 per cent for the whole state. Every region of the state Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh saw huge increases in turnout. In areas of the Valley considered separatist strongholds, voters defied calls for an election boycott. In the colder reaches of the state, they proved wrong the pre-election argument that the state's geography demanded a warm-weather election, and therefore postponement. But, more meaningfully, by voting in such large numbers, by showing confidence in electoral politics, they wrested back their voice from those who'd speak in their name. (IE)