"The BJP is not at all against any community".
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
Electorate: 13.1 lakh
Main rival: Noor Bano (Congress)
He is one of the BJP's most potent weapons, a Muslim MP draped in saffron ... He performed kar seva at Ayodhya ... Twice he lost assembly elections ... No longer is the BJP guilty of lacking Muslim representation.
Akbar Ahmed, 45, BSP -
"I have wrested this seat in spite of strong-arm tactics".
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh
Electorate: 12.08 lakh
Margin of victory: 15,368
Main rival: Ramakant Yadav (Samajwadi Party)
A loud-mouth landlord and former Sanjay Gandhi acolyte ruled the roost during the Emergency. Now heaps abuse on every politician. He says, "My ambition is to serve the people" ... Can this high-profile feudal lord sit quietly at the feet of Mayawati? (Source: The India Today)
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On human rights, I make no concessions to anybody. Be it the BJP or the CPM. I cannot be silenced just because I am part of a coalition that governs India. I will speak out my mind, whatever the consequences may be. - George Fernandes, Minister of Defence, India |
