M A I N   N E W S

No takers for RS seat?
By A.S.Prashar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Dec 24 — The former Prime Minister, Mr I.K. Gujral is “not interested” in contesting the Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab vacated by a Jalandhar daily editor, Dr Barjinder Singh Hamdard.

An indication to this effect was given here today by the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

The Rajya Sabha seat was declared vacant last week following the continuous absence of Dr Barjinder Singh from the Upper House. He had resigned from the House earlier, but the resignation was turned down by the Chairman on technical grounds.

Mr Gujral was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency with the support of the SAD two years ago. He tried for the Akali support during last year’s poll also, but opted out when the BJP, coalition partner in Punjab, made it clear that it was dead set against the former Prime Minister.

Mr Gujral is not a member of either house of Parliament. Now that a Rajya Sabha seat has fallen vacant in Punjab, there is speculation in political circles that he may be keen on it. But the Chief Minister today set at rest all speculation in this regard.

Another personality said to be interested in the Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Vice-President of the Minorities Commission, is also said to have indicated that he is “not interested” in view of the fact that he already enjoys a ministerial status at the Centre. Moreover, half of the six-year term of the seat is already over.

This leaves only Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, General Secretary of the SAD and son of the Chief Minister, as the likely aspirant Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal lost the Lok Sabha poll from the Faridkot constituency to the Congress leader, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, last year. He is known to have been looking for an opportunity to go to the Centre ever since.

But with his recent appointment as the General Secretary of the party, there are indications that he may prefer to carve out a role for himself in Punjab. With the assembly elections in the state just a year away, political observers have been quick to notice that Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal has begun to spend more time in Punjab than Delhi. He has also begun an extensive tour of the state with the objective of covering all 117 assembly constituencies.

It is, therefore, more or less certain that Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, too, may no longer be interested in the Rajya Sabha seat from Punjab. Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who is also the SAD chief, may, therefore, have to look for some other suitable candidate.

Mr Badal has debunked speculation that elections in Punjab might be held early some time in March or August next year. “These are baseless predictions. If somebody is willing to give me the right fee, I can make an accurate prediction”, he said in jest.

The Chief Minister also indicated that the government might secure from the government of India an extension in term for Mr R.S. Mann who is due to retire as Chief Secretary to the Punjab Government on attaining the age of superannuation on January 31, 2001.

Mr Badal said the government was looking for a suitable replacement for Dr G.S. Kalkat who was due to retire as Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, by March 31, 2001. He had offered the post to internationally known agronomist, Dr G.S. Khush but he had declined the offer.

He defended the government decision to parcel out land from the government-owned 2800-acre Ladowal seed farm to the PAU for research facilities, to the PSIEC for carving out an industrial estate and to the Punjab Police for a housing colony.