PM keeping options open for tie up with Left

New Delhi: Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday appeared to be keeping Congress options open for a tie up with the Left parties and other allies fighting his party in the post-poll scenario, saying he has had a good experience working with all of them.
However, he expressed confidence that the Congress would be able to form the government with its allies. At an interaction with the members of the Editors Guild of India here, he was asked whether Congress would take support of the Left parties in forming the next government.
"We will cross the brige when we come to it. As of now I am confident that the Congress would be able to form the government (with allies). I have dealt with the Left parties, MulayamSingh Yadav, Lalu Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan, Sharad Pawar."I have dealt with Jayalalithaa, DMK andPMK. I have also negotiated with Mufti Saheb (PDP leader). I have enough experience in dealing with diverse forces," he said.
Asked whether he would like doing business with the Left, Singh said "well, I think circumstances will decide. But I was quite happy when as government we were dealing with the Left." The prime minister said the Left parties had strong views on the nuclear issue and they had to leave.
"But it was a matter of great privilege (working with them)."When asked whether the Congress would support the Left in forming the government as CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat had said the Communists will not support a Congress government, he said "we will deal with this question after the election results are out.
But the fact is the present arrangement has worked well."A questioner reminded himabout his statement in November 2007 that if the nuclear deal did not go through he would live with the disappointment and his recent statement that he would have resigned in such a case and asked him what made him put his government to risk.
The government had negotiated the deal with the US for three years. It was also an issue that was being negotiated with countries like Russia, China and seeking the support of all 45members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, he said adding "we had resolved all issues to India's satisfaction."
"If after all this I go and tell them 'no, thank you' we as a government would have looked foolish. People would have got an impression that it was a waste of time (of doing business with India).India's honour was at stake. It would have been disastrous. I thought this must be avoided.

Rajasthan Royals axe Kaif, seven others from IPL 2 squad

The Rajasthan Royals, which won last year's inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, has axed former Test player and Uttar Pradesh captain Mohammad Kaif and seven other players from the squad that will do duty in the second edition.
They will now fly back to India. Kaif was purchased for a hefty 675,000 US dollars at the auction last year, but didn't have much of a role during the victorious campaign.
Kaif had played all the matches last year, but could manage only 176 runs at an average of just 16. He didn't make a single half century, largely because he was shunted lower down the order. The 28-year-old Kaif has played 13 Tests and 125 one-dayers for India so far, reports said

India rise to No.2 in ODI rankings

India rose to the second spot in International Cricket Council's ODI rankings following Australia's loss to South Africa in the fourth One-dayer at Port Elizabeth.
South Africa beat Australia 4-1 in the away series and have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series at home. Their seven victories in nine ODIs have consigned Ricky Ponting's side to its lowest ranking since the listings were launched in October 2002.
South Africa lead the table with 127 points while India are on 122 points and Australia on 121.
Remarkably, out of a total of 79 months since October 2002, Australia held the top spot for 69 months, including 52 straight months.
India's placing is the highest it has achieved in the ODI rankings and complements its third place in the Test rankings.
Australia, which moved to the top of the table after a 141-run victory in the first game of the series in Durban, will regain the No.2 position if they win the final ODI at The Wanderers.
If South Africa win Friday they will finish the series on 128 ratings points while Australia will head off to the United Arab Emirates to face Pakistan in a five-match ODI series in third place on 120 ratings points, trailing India by two.

First phase of general elections 2009

The staggered 15th Lok Sabha elections begin Thursday. Here are some facts about the first of the five phases of the polls in which 17 states and union territories will elect representatives to the parliament:
Total number of parliamentary constituencies: 124
States/union territories going to polls: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Maghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Total electorate: 143.1 million
Total number of candidates: 1,715
Total number of women candidates: 122
Parliamentary seats with maximum candidates: Andhra Pradesh (Mahboobnagar - 32 candidates), Chattisgarh (Raipur - 32).
Parliamentary seats with largest number of woman candidates: Andhra Pradesh (Mehboobnagar - five candidates), Chattisgarh (Raipur - five candidates)
Party-wise list of candidates:
Bharatiya Janata Party - 102
Bhujan Samaj Party - 111
Communist Party of India-Marxist - 23
Congress - 111
Nationalist Congress Party - 14
Communist Party of India - 15
Rashtriya Janata Dal - 18
Other state parties - 136
Independents and others - 1,185
Polling stations: 185,552
Polling staff: 900,000
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs): 300,166
Vulnerable villages/hamlets: 23,000