The Hindu : Front Page : Strong contingent of new faces in new Lok Sabha

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Wednesday, Jun 03, 2009
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Strong contingent of new faces in new Lok Sabha

Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI: The 15th Lok Sabha has turned up a very strong contingent of new faces, with first-timers accounting for over 50 per cent of the House. As per a rough count, close to 300 of those elected to the new Lok Sabha are on their maiden stint.

By virtue of being the single largest party in the Lok Sabha, the Congress has the maximum number of newcomers at 100. The BJP has sent 58 first-timers. All maiden entrants are not necessarily young; particularly in the case of the two big parties.

The Congress has sent veterans like Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge, N. Dharam Singh, C.P. Joshi and Jagdambika Pal. Similarly, the BJP’s list of newcomers includes party seniors Rajnath Singh and Lalji Tandon.

At least two parties – the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) – have an entirely new crop of faces.

All six TDP members and nine AIADMK MPs are first-timers. The Trinamool Congress comes close, with only Mamata Banerjee being an old-timer out of her clutch of 19 members.

In fact, as per a draft list that is under preparation by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, most parties have infused fresh blood into the House: The Bahujan Samaj Party — 18 of 21, the Nationalist Congress Party, six of nine, half the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Shiromani Akali Dal members are first-timers, the Biju Janata Dal’s count is eight of 14, and Samajwadi Party has 10 new-comers among its 23.

Corrections and Clarifications

A report "Strong contingent of new comers in Lok Sabha" (June 3, 2009) said that at least two parties - the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) - have an entirely new crop of faces. Present Karur MP (AIADMK) Mr. Thambi Durai was elected as member of the 12th Lok Sabha (March 10, 1998 - April 26, 1999) from the same constituency and also served as a Minister of Law for some time.

A further clarification: Mr. Thambi Durai was first elected as an AIADMK MP (Dharmapuri) to the Eighth Lok Sabha (December 31, 1984 - November 27, 1989). He was also the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha (January 22, 1985 - November 27, 1989). In the Ninth Lok Sabha (December 2, 1989 - March 13, 1991), records have it as Mr. M. Thambi Durai (AIADMK - Karur).

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