Left will not support Congress-led alliance

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which propped up the Congress-led coalition before the two groups parted ways last year, will not support it again after coming elections, party chief Prakash Karat said on Saturday.
The communists supported the Congress party government for four years after the last 2004 election, giving it a majority in parliament. A refusal to do so again could lessen the chances of Congress forming a government again.
The communists are spearheading a loose grouping of smaller regional parties popularly known as the "Third Front", which pitches itself as an alternative to Congress and an opposition Hindu nationalist-led alliance.
Karat, general secretary of the CPI(M), said he will not back a Congress-led coalition even if it emerges as the single largest grouping.
"In that situation we will sit in the opposition. We will not support them," Karat, sitting at a spartan desk in his party headquarters, told Reuters.
"In case there is no clear result -- which is also possible, it is a very complicated election -- the post-poll situation will show which combination has the capacity or the credibility to muster the larger number. Let the Congress try. We will try.
While the Congress-led alliance is still the frontrunner, polls say, the Third Front could hold the balance of power or even emerge as the single largest grouping in parliament.
Karat said the party was open to talking to the Congress about the formation of a government provided it was led by the Third Front.
No party or combination of parties has been ever been able to form a government without the support of either Congress or the opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
But the communists are hoping several fence-sitting parties, who in the past have allied themselves either with the Congress or the BJP, will this time join the Third Front.
A strong showing by the Third Front would mean the communists would be able to negotiate with the Congress from a position of strength.
"I do foresee a realignment after the elections of the parties. Most of these parties have decided to fight the elections on their own and then say after the elections we will see what is to be done."
US DEFENCE DEAL
The CPI(M) and smaller left parties blocked many economic reforms such as privatisation after the 2004 election.
Their pact collapsed after the communists walked out angrily last year over a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.
Karat said the Third Front would push to "rework" the nuclear deal and abrogate defence agreements with Washington like one which allows U.S. ships and aircraft pitstops in India for refuelling and maintenance.
"Our platform would be we would like to rework the 123 agreement," Karat said, referring to the nuclear deal.
"We would be more stronger on the defence framework agreement which was signed with the United States in June, 2005. We would definitely like to rescind that agreement."
New Delhi negotiated the defence framework pact but has not signed it yet, primarily because of domestic opposition.
Karat said pacts like the logistics support agreement (LSA) would only further Washington's military campaign in Afghanistan and the Third Front would not allow it, potentially undermining President Barack Obama's new war strategy against al Qaeda.
"Take a situation where the Obama administration's increased military involvement, sending in 17,000 troops," Karat said.
"So under the LSA it would have meant probably U.S. naval ships coming to ports on the west coast of India for refuelling, maintenance, getting supplies and then going back for operations off the Pakistan coast from which they launch their cruise missiles or things like that."
India holds a general election from April 16 to May 13. Votes will be counted on May 16.

Gambhir grinds to century, India inch to safety

Gautam Gambhir ground his way to his fifth test century as India edged closer to saving the second test against New Zealand by the close of play on the fourth day on Sunday.
The tourists, who won the first match of the three-test series in Hamilton by 10 wickets, reached 252 for two at stumps, 62 runs behind New Zealand's 619 for nine declared after being dismissed for 305 in their first innings and forced to follow on.
Gambhir was on 102, while Sachin Tendulkar was on 58 -- his 52nd test half century -- and with a day still to play he is well placed to convert that into his 43rd test century on the benign McLean Park wicket on Monday.
Gambhir, who was on 14 when play began on Sunday, was watchful all day with few false strokes and only one nervous moment when a James Franklin outswinger squared him up while he was on 84.
Initial reactions from the New Zealand fielders were that wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum had dropped a sharp chance, though television replays showed Gambhir had been comprehensively beaten and the ball had brushed his back leg.
The 27-year-old, who had spent almost an hour stuck on 83 after tea finally brought up his milestone with an aggressive lofted shot over wide mid-on for his 14th boundary. He had taken 265 balls to achieve the mark.
Rahul Dravid (62) was the only wicket to fall on Sunday after he had shared in a four-hour, 133-run partnership with Gambhir, though his dismissal was controversial.
Dravid was given out caught in close by Jamie How off Daniel Vettori by umpire Ian Orchard, but the batsman was visibly upset with the decision and television replays showed the ball had ballooned off his front pad without touching his bat or gloves.
India lost Virender Sehwag for 22 late on Saturday when the stand-in captain attempted an outlandish slog sweep to a straight delivery from off-spinner Jeetan Patel and was trapped in front.

Supersonic BrahMos successfully tested in Pokhran

New Delhi: For the second time in a month, the Block II version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile with a striking range of 290 km, successfully hit its target during a test at the Pokhran firing range today, DRDO officials said.
"The missile was successfully launched at 1115 hours in the morning and in the next two-and-a-half minutes, it hit the bull's eye in the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan," said the official.This was the third test-firing of the latest Block II version of the missile.
During the test, Army's Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General A S Sekhon, Artillery School Commandant Lt Gen Rao and Additional Director General (Artillery) Major General V K Tiwari were present.The launch of the latest land attack version of the missile being developed for the Army was also witnessed by DRDO's Chief Controller and BrahMos Aerospace Chairman A Sivathanu Pillai and DRDL Director P Venugopalan.
After today's test, officials said the development phase of the Block II version of the missile was over and it was ready for induction in the Army. They said the mission objectives of the test were completely fulfilled.The third trial of the missile has come at a time when the Army has not yet come out with its findings about the analysis of the flight and the mission of the March 4 test, when the missile hit its target from a distance of around 90 kms at the Pokharan test-firing range.
In the first test on January 20, the missile failed to hit its target due to glitches in the homing device of the missile. The missile had taken off successfully but deviated from its path in mid-course and landed far away from its target. Sources said the defects were rectified at the time of the last test when it went on to hit the target.
They said that the "unique" technology in the Block II missiles made them "unparallelled" and would help the armed forces hit even "insignificant targets" hidden in cluster of buildings."The new seeker is unique and would help us to hit our targets, which are insignificant in terms of size, in a cluster of large buildings.
India is now the only nation in the world with this advanced technology," an official claimed.DRDO officials claimed that BrahMos would be able to start deliveries of the 240 missiles ordered by the Army in two years from now as per the original schedule.
The Army has already inducted one regiment of the Block I version of the missile. BrahMos is an Indo-Russian joint venture company with its headquarters in Delhi.

Force India to start 15th and 16th after Toyotas punished

Force India's second qualifying goal didn't materialise but lady luck smiled on them and Giancarlo Fisichella [Images] will start 15th while his teammate Adrian Sutil [Images] 16th after the Toyota [Images] cars were pushed to the back of the grid for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix for breaking technical rules.
Force India's hopes of making the second qualifying (Q2) session went up in smoke after Fisichella (18th) and Sutil (19th) found themselves among the slowest five drivers who dropped out after the first qualifying session (Q1).
Luckily for them, the Toyotas of Timo Glock [Images] and Jarno Trulli [Images], who had finished sixth and eighth respectively in the qualifying session, were later pushed to the back of the grid after stewards found their cars to be in contravention of the rules.
A post-qualifying inspection by the FIA found the TF109s' to have 'extreme flexibility' in their rear wings, thus breaking Formula One racing's technical regulations.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton [Images] will start 18th after his McLaren [Images] gearbox suffered troubles, which also benefited the Force India drivers.
In fact the grid may see some more changes following Williams' complaint about the wings of Red Bull and Ferrari [Images] cars.
For Force India, Sutil's ninth place finish in Friday's practice sessions raised the hopes of the VJM02 car making it to the Q2 for a better start in the season opener tomorrow but it proved false dawn in the end.
With the field proving even closer than last year where 1.5 seconds covered 10th to 20th, Fisichella and Sutil were among the five drivers who dropped out after the first qualifying session.
"For sure we were hoping after yesterday's performance to be able to make it into Q2 but in the end it was not possible. Things looked better in practice but perhaps the others were not showing all their potential," said a candid Sutil.
The German said the car needed downforce and said his priority would be to take to the chequered flag tomorrow.
"We know we have plenty to work on, our main problem is that we need a lot more downforce. My main goal now will be to make it to the end of the race tomorrow and then let's see where we are. It's even tighter than last year," Sutil said.
Fisichella, meanwhile, was not too surprised by the outcome.
"We knew that it would be difficult today, but considering what we have done so far this year, with the limited pre-season testing, being just two tenths slower than the 2008 world champion is a good result," said Fisichella.
"Being so close shows it's already a very challenging season. I had a good lap and I am happy as I have been struggling a bit with the brakes and locking all weekend and I'm not driving as I want.
"But all this considered, there is really good potential in this car so we are looking forward to working it through," he said.
"For Sunday, first of all we need to get to the end of the race - that's the main goal and then we'll see," added the Roman with more than 200 Formula One races under his belt.
Chief race engineer Dominic Harlow expected both Sutil and Fisichella to make it to Q2 but still insisted any thing can happen tomorrow.
"Unfortunately it was not the outcome we'd hoped for as both drivers narrowly missed out on Q2. The drivers and engineers got close to getting the best they could from the car this weekend," he said.
"Given how our programme started late, we've made enormous progress already and we know that there is plenty in the pipeline," Harlow said.
"The race is going to be a good one, and it will be interesting to see the strategies that are adopted now that all the teams must commit to a race start fuel load just two hours after confirming their grid position," Harlow added.
Jenson Button claimed the pole position, edging out teammate Rubens Barrichello [Images] as the Brawn team occupied the front row tomorrow.