M A I N   N E W S

Cong, TMC reach poll pact
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 20
The Congress and the Tamil Maanila Congress will together contest the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad said here today.

Mr Azad was deputed by the party along with Congress Working Committee member Pranab Mukherjee to Chennai for talks with TMC leader G K Moopanar and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha.

Mr Azad’s announcement has put to rest all speculation that the TMC may cross over to the DMK, leaving the Congress in the lurch.

The DMK has been openly wooing the TMC and has even specified the number of seats it was willing to leave if the TMC came over to the DMK-led National Democratic Alliance in the state.

SHSAD may expel Isapur
SGPC funds misused in Majitha: Josh
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 20
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) may expel Mr Darshan Singh Isapur, former SGPC general secretary and member of the working committee, for openly supporting the Congress candidate, Mr Savinder Singh Kathunangal, during the Majitha byelection

Mr Isapur had openly dissociated himself from his party decision for not entering the poll arena. It may be mentioned here that the SHSAD, Akali Dal (Amritsar), SAD (Panthic) and SAD (Democratic) had decided not to contest the byelection on the pretext that the byelection could not be held in a free and fair manner so long as Mr Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister.

When The Tribune had published a news item along with a picture of Mr Isapur meeting the Congress leaders eyebrows were raised on the decision of the rival Akali factions to not contest elections. A few days later Mr Isapur himself issued a written statement in which he supported the Congress candidate. Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, an Akali MLA and close confidant of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said the party might seek an explanation from Mr Isapur for supporting the Congress. He said no Akali could afford to support the Congress at this juncture.

Meanwhile, Mr Puran Singh Josh, veteran SGPC member belonging to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, has charged a langar was served to voters by the SGPC. In a written press note, Mr Josh alleged he was shocked to see that election flags were prepared with the cloth used for Nishan Sahib. He alleged he had come to know from reliable sources that a special langar was sent by the SGPC for the election rally of the ruling party on February 17, which was highly objectionable. He said 30 bags of wheat flour were used for preparing the special langar. He said it was against Sikh “maryada” (Sikh code of conduct).

Sounding a stern warning to Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, SGPC president, Mr Josh said he had failed to streamline the functioning of the committee. Instead, the management had deteriorated during this two-month-old presidentship. He further alleged the SGPC officials who had indulged in embezzlement during the presidentship of Bibi Jagir Kaur had become close confidants of Mr Talwandi.