Row won't affect drafting of Lokpal Bill: Pranab

New Delhi, April 22 (PTI) Government today said controversies involving some civil society members of the joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill would not affect its working and will work with the members to prepare a strong and sound anti-corruption legislation.

After a meeting of Congress' Core Group headed by Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said controversies "won't affect" the working of Lokpal Bill drafting panel.

"Controversies have been raised about members of the joint committee on the Lokpal Bill. I would like to make it clear that the view of government as also the view of party, the Congress, the working of Lokpal Bill drafting panel won''t be affected by these controversies.

"Government members of the committee look forward to working with Anna Hazare and his colleagues on the committee and to draft a strong and sound Lokpal Bill to fight corruption," he said.

Mukherjee's remarks came after a 90-minute meeting of the Core Group that discussed the issues threadbare.

Hazare had written a letter to Gandhi earlier this week alleging a smear campaign by some Congress leaders and sought to know whether the exercise had her sanction. Replying to it, Gandhi had said her party did not support any kind of smear campaign and was committed to rooting out corruption.

Mukherjee's statement came a day after the Prime Minister's remarks that government hopes to introduce during the monsoon session of Parliament the Lokpal Bill on which a committee of Ministers and representatives of civil society are working.

Admitting that there is little public tolerance for the prevailing state of affairs on the issue of corruption, Singh had yesterday said that his government is committed to facing this challenge boldly as people expect swift and exemplary action.

Talking to PTI today, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, in the thick of a controversy over remarks on the Lokpal committee members Shanti and Prashant Bhushan and Justice Santosh Hegde, said Congress and the government would in no way hamper the work of the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill.

2nd phase of Bengal polls today

KOLKATA: The second phase of Bengal polls is going to be crucial for Congress as it will decide the party's status in the Trinamool Congress-led alliance. What worries Congress is the Trojan horses that may queer the Opposition pitch, paving the way for the Left Front in some of the 50 seats as three districts ^ Murshidabad, Nadia and Birbhum ^ go to the polls on Saturday.

Murshidabad Congress strongman Adhir Chowdhury has the highest stakes in the 22 seats in the district. Adhir ignored Congress president Sonia Gandhi's appeal to vote for the alliance candidates and went ahead with his decision to fight Trinamool and the Left in the district. A slip in the Congress tally is likely to impact Adhir's political career.

Adhir is backing rebel Congressmen in four of the total 22 seats, namely Bhagabangola, Jalangi, Sagardighi and Hariharpara. The risk seems to be highest in the Hariharpara assembly seat ^ a marginal seat in the 2009 LS polls ^ where the Opposition led by a thin margin. Trinamool candidates are in the fray against Congress nominees at Kandi, Behrampore and Raninangar.

Like Adhir, Sankar Singh is backing four rebel Congressmen in four of the 17 seats, namely Karimpur, Kaligunj, Nakashipara and Krishnanagar (South), in Nadia. The Krishnangar (South) was a marginal seat during the 2009 LS polls. BJP holds the key in the constituency. The party bagged 19% votes during the last LS polls. The Congress leadership isn't likely to spare Sankar Singh if any of the four seats goes to the Left.

The Left can expect a few seats from the district. The Left trailed in all the 16 seats other than Kalyani where it led during the 2009 LS polls.

The Left is likely to do well in Birbhum that sprung a surprise in the last LS polls. The Left is banking on five seats ^ Sainthia, Nanoor, Labhpur, Dubrajpur and Mayureswar. Nalhati that had once backed Forward Bloc minister Kalimuddin Shams looks tough for the Left with Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit in the fray. The Opposition is confident of winning five seats ^ Suri, Nalhati Hasan, Rampurhat and Murarai.

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