Kiran Bedi Missing From Posters as BJP's Big Guns Campaign for Delhi Polls

The BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi is missing from posters and some election speeches as the party changes the pitch of its campaign in Delhi dramatically. With seven days to go for polling, party president and chief strategist Amit Shah has deployed the BJP's biggest guns to take on Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Many BJP posters in Delhi constituencies now feature only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Shah and the local party candidate.

While Ms Bedi - who joined the party just days ago and was immediately announced presumptive CM - continued to criss-cross Delhi with her roadshows, the party's focused attack on her main rival Arvind Kejriwal is being fronted by senior party leaders.

Two central ministers posed a second installment of five questions to Mr Kejriwal.

Tomorrow, PM Modi will address a rally at CBD Ground in East Delhi. Today, Mr Shah spoke at a rally in Janakpuri and made not a mention of Kiran Bedi. Union minister Smriti Irani addressed another rally and she too did not mention Ms Bedi.

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PM Narendra Modi named Asian of the Year by Singapore daily

"Despite being relatively new to the job, he has already made a mark on Asia, reaching out to neighbours and receiving national leaders including Xi Jinping of China and Tony Abbott of Australia," said the Singapore Press Holdings Limited, publisher of the daily.

It said Modi has had a highly successful visit to Japan for a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.   

"Mr Modi has got India and the world excited about his country's prospects again. He has given his people a renewed sense of direction and purpose, and there are hopeful signs that he is minded to using his strong mandate to good effect in one of Asia's major powers. We wish him and India every success," Warren Fernandez, editor of the daily said.
  
On the economy, Modi's call for a Make in India campaign, if pursued to its logical conclusion with a friendlier investment climate and less rigid labour norms, could help fire up the growth engines of the USD 2 trillion economy and provide welcome ballast to the region when the top Asian economy China is slowing, and Japan is in recession.
  
"Economists project that as early as next year, India could pick up the growth baton from China. Given its huge market, its travellers who fill up hotel rooms and cruise ship  cabins from Singapore to Sydney, its hunger for capital goods and commodities, a resurgent India will be a boon for the region and the world," the editors said in their citation.

Politically and socially, Modi has energised India with his stirring calls for a development focus. In January, he will receive US President Barack Obama, the first time that a US leader will be the chief guest at the annual Republic Day celebrations in India, the citation said.

"We look forward to presenting the award to Mr Modi in person at his convenience," Ravi Velloor, Straits Times foreign editor, said.

The editors' choice was based on several factors. Modi was picked for being development-focused Prime Minister of India who fashioned an impressive victory for BJP in the polls.  

In every December, editors of the Singapore daily pick an Asian whose actions have significantly impacted his own society or the wider Asian continent in the 12 months past.

Last year, the award was shared by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The inaugural award, in 2012, went to President Thein Sein of Myanmar.

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Indo-Pak talks not at the cost of dignity, self-respect: Nawaz Sharif

He told reporters on his return from Kathmandu where he attended the SAARC Summit at which he and Modi shook hands, that Pakistan was against "talks for the sake of talking".
  
"The meeting of the foreign secretaries has been cancelled but we can exchange greetings. We can at least ask about each other's well-being. We shook hands," he said on his first brief interaction with Modi at the SAARC retreat at Dhulikhel yesterday.
  
Sharif said he twice shook hands with his Indian counterpart and exchanged pleasantries at the SAARC Summit. 
  
He said Pakistan desires a "meaningful" dialogue to resolve all issues including the Kashmir dispute.
  
Sharif also stated that if India wants to restore ties, the Kashmir issue must be discussed and "that too seriously with full sincerity".
  
"Foreign Secretary level talks were cancelled by India. Pakistan's dignity, self respect and reputation should not be marred. Keeping this in mind, talks should be result-oriented.
  
"If both sides want to solve the problem forever we should have serious talk over the contentious issues, including Kashmir," he said.
  
"We shouldn't just talk for the sake of talking, intention should be right. We should move ahead with right intentions," Sharif said.
  
Sharif said India should not have cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks, insisting that there was "nothing new" in consulting Kashmiri leaders ahead of a dialogue.
  
"We had been talking to the Kashmiri leaders in the past whenever Pakistan-India talks are held. This is nothing new as we have to seek the opinion of the Kashmiri leaders on an issue that concerns them the most," Sharif said.
  
Consultations held by Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi with Kashmiri separatists led to the cancellation of Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad in August. Since then both countries have maintained that they are willing to engage in a meaningful dialogue provided the other side takes the initiative.
  
Sharif said that India should not have cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks as was agreed upon during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his swearing in at New Delhi in May.

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