Nitish ready to checkmate rival

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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is gearing up to checkmate his arch-rival and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the upcoming state Assembly elections. Mr Kumar in his bid to keep Mr Yadav struggling to revive his party in the state is learnt to be making all attempts to ensure that the 12 per cent Yadav voters get divided in multiple way.
Even senior RJD leaders have got the wind of the strategy of the Bihar chief minister and are searching for answers on how to get the Yadav voters united behind the party chief. Mr Kumar on the other hand is looking to go a step ahead from the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and this time is counting on formidable Yadav leaders to give body blow to the RJD chief, sources said.
Senior RJD leaders are of the view that the Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic) launched by former party leader Devendra Yadav, who was four time Lok Sabha MP from Jhanjharpur, would be used by Mr Kumar to severely damage Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav.

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Sonia set to be Congress chief 4th time
AGE CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi

With the last date for the nomination to contest Congress president’s post coming to an end on Thursday and no nomination yet been filed, the stage appears to be all set for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to get re-elected unopposed for the record fourth term.
Briefing reporters at a regular interaction, party media department chairman Janardhan Dwivedi said, “Since it is not necessary for an aspirant to file nomination papers in person, the same can be done by 10 proposers. But they should have consent of the aspirant and file nomination on his/her behalf.”
The last date for nomination is Thursday and a number of nomination sets are being prepared to file on Mrs Gandhi’s behalf, Mr Dwivedi said. “Each of the ten proposers will meet Mrs Gandhi and take her consent to file nomination on her behalf,” he added. Though Mr Dwivedi refused to divulge the number of sets of nomination papers, sources in the party said, 50 in number are expected to be filed by them. AICC general secretary in-charge of UP said, from his state four sets are going to be filed. Moreover, top party leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee and Mrs Gandhi’s son Rahul as also several Union ministers and party chief ministers are expected to file the documents.