SUVA: Fiji military chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama was reappointed as prime minister Saturday — 24 hours after the president of the volatile South Pacific state abrogated the constitution and assumed executive power.

President Ratu Josefa Iloilo swore in Bainimarama at a ceremony at Fiji's Government House, from which international media were banned. He also declared a 30-day state of emergency in the country.

The radical moves by the titular head of state to overturn the Constitution, sack the judiciary and reappoint Bainimarama ensures the armed forces chief who seized power in 2006 retains control despite a senior court's ruling Thursday that his coup — and therefore his government — was unlawful.

The Bihar-Uttar Pradesh troika, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Mulayam Singh Yadav, are holding their first joint rally at Saifai in Uttar Pradesh. Saifai is the hometown of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh.

The Fourth Front, comprising the UP-Bihar troika, was formed in March 2009, and will contest 120 seats in the two states.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad has repeatedly said that the new coalition is part of the UPA, and that they have come together to stop communal forces from coming to power.

New Delhi: The opposition BJP-led NDA is expected to have a minor edge over Congress-led UPA in the Lok Sabha elections, a pre-poll survey has claimed.

According to the survey, NDA is predicted to get 187 seats, while the UPA is expected to bag 178 seats. The BJP with 144 seats may win more seats than Congress which is predicted to win in 133 constituencies.

The pre-poll survey conducted by a TV channel claims that if UPA can bring back its former constituents like Samajwadi Party, RJD and LJP, it will reach the figure of 235.

LONDON: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism in the world" and said it had failed to take effective action against militants, in an interview published Wednesday.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Singh said Islamabad was either "unable" or "unwilling" to control Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which New Delhi accuses of staging the November attacks on Mumbai that killed 165 people.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating," he said.Singh said that despite pledges by Pakistan throughout the past decade that it would not be a launch pad for attacks against India, "in practice no effective action has been taken to control terror."

Sending out a clear message to the US, India on Monday opposed any third party mediation in its ties with Pakistan and ruled out resumption of composite dialogue between the two south Asian neighbours till Islamabad takes "credible" action to dismantle terror infrastructure.

At the same time, New Delhi welcomed the new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan unveiled by US President Barack Obama last week and expressed readiness to play a "constructive role as a responsible power in defeating extremism of all kinds".

"Our view is quite clear. India-Pakistan process has been most successful when it is bilateral," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters here when asked to comment on Obama's intention to engage in "constructive diplomacy to lessen tensions" between India and Pakistan.

Lucknow: UP Minister Jaiveer Singh has been slapped with a notice for violation of model code of conduct while an FIR has been lodged against a party MLA for holding a public meeting without permission, state election office said here on Sunday.

The Minister for Minor Irrigation in Maywati government, Singh has been served notice for using a red beacon light in his private vehicle during an election meeting in Mathura yesterday, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) Amrit Abhijat told reporters.

He said that the minister had been asked to submit his reply within a week.

Police said that a meeting was held in Chatikara area in support of BSP candidate Shyam Sunder Sharma in which the minister came in his private vehicle fitted with a beacon light. The entire rally was videographed.

NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed BJP candidate Varun Gandhi's petition seeking quashing of an FIR filed against him for his alleged communal speeches in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

In its order, a division bench comprising justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and S C Nigam said, "the petition stands dismissed", PTI reported.

Varun had on March 19 moved the Allahabad High Court seeking quashing of the FIR which, he claimed, was a result of "a political conspiracy".

The BJP candidate had also approached the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail which was granted to him till March 27. The judge rejected the submission of Delhi Police that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition as the FIR against him was lodged in Uttar Pradesh.

A full blown conflict is now on between the BJP and the Election Commission over Varun Gandhi. The BJP has become the first party to be asked by the commission not to nominate a particular candidate.

BJP president Rajnath Singh says: "As far as candidature is concerned I would like to reiterate that he will remain our candidate. Of course , we will campaign for him." Varun avoided the cameras all day, but shot off an angry letter to the Election Commission, alleging that "the action has been pressurized by political considerations."

The confrontation has even got personal. BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj says: "We all know that the top election officer Navin Chawla and what sort of relations he has with Sonia Gandhi's family."

New Delhi: Founding it cornered over Varun Gandhi’s communal remarks, more so after the Election Commission found the young leader guilty of violating the model code of conduct, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to censure the Gandhi scion for his hate speech but might still field him in the Lok Sabha polls, sources said on Monday.

However, sources added that the BJP is likely to challenge the EC order on grounds that it is legally incorrect. Distancing itself from Varun’s speech, BJP spokesperson Prakash Jadvekar said, “Such remarks are not party policy but it still has to be proved that the CD is genuine.”

The party will decide later in the day on whether to field Varun from Pilibhit or not.It may be noted that late last night, the Election Commission found the 29-year-old Varun guilty of violating the model code of conduct and suggested the BJP not to give him ticket. In its verdict it said that the party should prove its disassociation by not fielding him.

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief KS Sudarshan on Saturday announced his retirement giving health reasons.

Mohan Bahgwat is the new 'Sar Sangh Chalak' (chief) of the RSS. KS Sudarshan stepped down after nearly nine years at the helm, paving way for general secretary Mohan Bhagwat to succeed him, RSS sources said.

The change of guard in the Sangh Parivar hierarchy came on the second day of the RSS' three-day Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha, which is in progress at Reshimbagh Smruti Mandir in Nagpur, PTI reported.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi has to file a reply with the Election Commission on Friday, explaining his controversial speech in Pilibhit earlier in March.

On Thursday, Varun tried to cover his back, desperately looking for options to avoid arrest.He first petitioned the Allahabad High Court for quashing the FIR against him, and has also filed for anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court fearing arrest.

Meanwhile, the young leader has more to worry about. There are allegations that Varun and his supporters have been distributing money in Pilibhit where he hopes to contest from.His party, the BJP, has further isolated him, saying he is not their candidate just yet.

New Delhi: Trying to settle the issue once and for all, the Congress has asked its ally NCP leader Sharad Pawar to issue clarification on the PM issue. This after Pawar voiced his political ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister.

“I was the first to ask for Manmohan Singh to be made PM candidate. But Congress didn't accept my proposal. They decided to take the case of each state separately. Then how are they posing single candidates. In that situation all parties can have their own candidates,” Pawar had said after Manmohan Singh was posed as their PM candidate by the congress.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan will hold talks with Praful Patel on Thursday to settle the issue.

NEW DELHI: After BJP, it was Congress's turn to scream betrayal on Tuesday. The party was stunned when its partners - railway minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and steel minister and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan - did a Naveen Patnaik to it, parcelling out 37 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar among them, humiliating the lead player of the ruling coalition with a measly three.

The ruthless hand dealt by Lalu, who fancied himself as the oldest and all-weather ally of Congress, marked a blow to Congress's plan to re-take power at the Centre and could potentially lead to the reconfiguration of UPA as well as Third Front's expansion, besides starkly bringing out the RJD boss's vulnerability on his home turf.

In contrast, Paswan was a clear winner, forcing Lalu to acquiesce to his tough terms for a seat-sharing pact. The LJP, which had contested eight seats in 2004 and lost four, has walked away with 12 seats.

The war within the BJP between two of their top leaders, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, is intensifying. Jaitley may not attend a key BJP meeting on Tuesday to select candidates because his fight with party president Rajnath Singh isn't over.

On Monday, Rajnath snubbed Jaitley by meeting Sudhanshu Mittal to discuss election strategy. Yet, the party's response to the crisis is confused. "Jaitely has raised some issues, which the party is trying to resolve. But we don't discuss intra-party issues in public," party leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.

But the BJP is worried that it's top GenNext leaders are fighting and Jaitley -- the party's top election manager -- is isolated. Even the RSS mediators are trying to defuse the situation.

Islamabad: In a setback to Pakistan's ruling PPP, senior party leader and Information Minister Sherry Rehman on Friday resigned from the Cabinet after differences emerged with top leadership over the government's handling of media.

Rehman, a former journalist and a close aide of slain PPP chairperson and former premier Benazir Bhutto, put in her papers early this morning after differences emerged on the issue of handling the media in the context of the ongoing political crisis at a high-level meeting, media reports said.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has not yet accepted her resignation, sources were quoted as saying by TV news channels. There was no official word on the development.

Rehman's resignation comes at a time when the PPP is already hit by a political crisis due to a confrontation with opposition PML-N on various issues.

MUMBAI: Mulayam Singh is not the only politician in trouble with the Election Commission for allegedly distributing money during Holi festivities. Closer home, actor-turned-Congress MP Govinda Ahuja has also been accused of similar misconduct. Taking note of the complaints against Govinda for distributing cash outside his Juhu residence on Wednesday during Holi, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Debashish Chakrabarty has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

"The suburban city collector, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO) has been directed by the CEO to submit a detailed report on this issue,'' said a senior official from the election department. Suburban collector Vishwas Patil confirmed this: "I have directed the returning officer Ashwini Joshi to find out whether the model code of conduct has been violated by Govinda. Once the report is ready, it will be forwarded to the CEO.''

Govinda said, "I really don't know why such a big issue is being made out of this. This is a ritual I do every year. I donate money to the poor and needy, and these include eunuchs, poor people in my area and actors who are financially in a bad shape.''

Controversy has dogged Govinda's political carrier. During the 2004 parliamentary elections, the BJP had accused the actor of violating the code of conduct for using pictures of national personalities and saints on his campaign rath.

The stage is set for the launch of the Third Front which attempts to emerge as an alternative to the Congress and BJP.

The Third Front is so far an amalgamation of eight parties including the CPM and the TDP and the launch rally will take place later on Thursday in Tumkur near Bangalore. The constituents of the Third Front at the moment include the founding members of t he JDS, the CPI, the CPI-M, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the Telugu Desam, AIADMK, Forward Bloc and RSP.

Naveen Patnaik, who has broken ties with the BJP, has agreed to join the Front though he has made no formal announcement. He will not be attending the rally.Deve Gowda of the JDS is playing a key role in stitching the alliance.

AIADMK's Jayalalithaa will not be attending the rally for unspecified reasons. She is sending a representative instead. Mayawati's BSP is not a part of the Third Front yet but is expected to send a representative.

Bhubaneswar: Orissa's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), whose government has lost the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), vowed to win Wednesday's trust vote in the state assembly.

The BJP withdrew legislative backing to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday night after the failure of talks over seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJD, which has 61 members in the 147-member legislature, needs the support of 13 members to win the trust vote. The BJP has a 32-member bloc but three of them have resigned and decided to back the government.

BJD general secretary Damodar Rout told IANS that his party enjoyed the support of more legislators that needed to prove its majority in the house. "We are confident we will prove the majority," Rout said.

NEW DELHI: Just when NDA's challenge appears to be floundering, Congress has stepped up efforts to seal its alliances, with a feeling that a contrast of Mamata Banerjee hugging Sonia Gandhi with LK Advani's grim looks after Navin Patnaik's Left hook, could seal the case in war of perceptions.

AICC is pushing forth a deal with Trinamool Congress, declared as clinched `in principle', urgently seeking to thrash out the nitty gritties over seats in South Bengal where Congress feels it should get some winnable constituencies. The seats Trinamool left for it are in Left strongholds.

Sources said once details are worked out, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee would meet Sonia Gandhi to put a final seal on the alliance.

Navin Patnaik's Biju Janta Dal may officially join the Third Front on Monday after splitting with BJP over seat-sharing issue.

He has a few Third Front MLAs supporting him in his stake to form a government without the BJP.Left leader Sitaram Yechury is in Bhubaneshwar to hold meetings on Monday on BJD joining the Third Front.

Former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda has already written to the Orissa chief minister asking him to be part of the Third Front.

New Delhi: Amid hard bargaining for seats with its ally BJD in Orissa, the BJP on Friday denied reports that its senior leader L K Advani had offered 25 seats to BJD.

"The talks are on but the reports of Advani talking to Naveen Patnaik on the issue is not correct. Advaniji is on an election tour in West Bengal," party spokesperson Sidharthnath Singh told repotrers.

There were reports that in a bid to placate its Orissa ally and persuade it to stay in the NDA fold, BJP offered 25 more seats to the state party in lieu of two more Lok Sabha seats there.

NEW DELHI: Her political journey has been a roller-coaster ride. Mamata Banerjee, the lone enduring symbol of Opposition politics in Bengal, is now a force thanks equally to the tactical follies of the Left and her success in mobilizing resistance to the Tata project in Singur and the doggedness of her cadres who stood up to CPM in Nandigram.

And now with rural masses rallying behind her, as the victory in Bishnupur by-poll has shown, this could be Didi’s best opportunity to serve a blow to the Left. The firebrand leader is wiser — at least that’s what seems so far. The way she used the land acquisition issue was commendable, say political pundits.

With the smaller parties and a section of intellectuals rallying behind her, her party is stronger than ever before. Ever since she defeated veteran Somnath Chatterjee to wrest the Jadavpur LS seat in 1984, Mamata has taken rapid strides. She should be glad she did not compromise on her single-point agenda — banishing the Left.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni has told NDTV that the Indian government will do everything possible to ensure that Mahatma Gandhi's belongings are brought back to India with or without auction.

She said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has, in fact, authorised the government to bid for the items if all other efforts fail.

The statement by the minister has raised fresh hopes that the Indian government may just be able to prevent Bapu's belongings from going under the hammer at an auction in New York later on Thursday.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday expressed shock at the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers near Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, and urged Pakistan to take urgent steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.

Sounding a word of caution to the international community Mukherjee said, “The international community must take note… such kinds of attack will continue if steps are note taken to address the problem.”

Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram strongly condemned the shootout near Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, in which six Sri Lankan players were injured, and said the security of the players was "hopelessly inadequate".

NASHIK/NEW DELHI: On the eve of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, political parties swung into action, resorting to both sweet talk and thinly-veiled threats in a bid to stitch together winning alliances while maximizing individual benefit.

In a late-night development, the Trinamool Congress formed an alliance with Congress in West Bengal to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the Left Front. The decision was announced after Pranab Mukherjee met Mamata Banerjee at a guest house. "We will jointly fight the coming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal," Mukherjee told reporters with Banerjee sitting beside him.

That was a welcome development for the Congress which had earlier in the day been put on notice by Sharad Pawar. The NCP chief warned the Congress that if it persisted with its policy of not having alliances with UPA partners at the national level, then NCP, JDU and SP would be forced to consider a mutual understanding among themselves and fight against Congress.