Friday, January 19, 2007, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Mulayam must quit, says Cong
Lucknow, January 18
The Samajwadi Party faced complete political isolation today as the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which helped form the government, formally withdrew support by submitting letters to this effect to Governor T.V. Rajeswar.

Punjab Votes ’07
2 more Cong MLAs out
Chandigarh, January 18
Unmindful of the mounting protests by those denied party ticket for the coming Punjab Assembly elections, the All-India Congress Committee overlooked claims of a few more strong contenders, including two sitting MLAs, while finalising a second list of 16 candidates today.

Wounded Bir blames it on liquor mafia

Mohali, January 18 Voices of dissent within the Congress in Kharar became overtly loud today when senior Congress leader and sitting MLA Bir Devinder Singh was denied the ticket from his constituency by the party high command.

‘Ab to darakhton ke saaye mein bhi dhoop lagti hai… chalo yahan se chalen aur umar bhar ke liye..... I have no option but to consider quitting the party’

A big Cong hand for four Big Bs Jittery Cong men to meet at palace (Details on Punjab page)

Big cats to battle it out in Malwa
Chandigarh, January 18
The Malwa region, once famed for its sand dunes and jungles, is now known for its political heavyweights. The region, with 65 Assembly seats, has been dominating the state’s political landscape in various forms for the past four decades. Virtually, it has emerged main electoral combat zone in this Assembly elections.

CCS discusses Pak firing in Akhnoor
New Delhi, January 18
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today met here to discuss a sensitive agenda packed with strategic moves vis a vis Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar and assess the implications of unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side in Akhnoor yesterday.

SHILPA BACKTRACKS

‘I don’t feel there was any racial discrimination happening from Jade’s (right) end. I don’t think that’s true. I think there’s lots of insecurities from Jade but it’s definitely not racial.’ — Reuters photo
In videos
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Shilpa withdraws racism charge ‘Big Brother’ sponsor pulls out

India: The Tasks Ahead
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS,
INAUGURAL SESSION

	PUNJAB: A big Cong hand for four Big Bs
	HARYANA: Rs 73-cr fish-farming proposal sent to Centre
	HIMACHAL: Rs 14,000 crore approved for 11th Five-Year Plan
	J&K: National Conference stages walkout
	CHANDIGARH:  Sector 23 Leisure Valley landscaping threatens Mother Teresa Home building
	LUDHIANA: Birmi steals a march over Mayor Gill
	DELHI: ‘DDA to finalise Draft Master Plan by today’
	OPINIONS: Uncertainty in UP
	BUSINESS: Plan to curb subsidy on LPG, kerosene
	NATION: Criminals in elections: panel opens debate
	WORLD: Pervez set for Term II
	SPORTS: Sayonara Sania in singles

Relief to seven PCS officers
Chandigarh, January 18
In a relief to seven PCS officers, whose appointment on compassionate grounds had been set aside by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 7 last, a Division Bench of the High Court today directed the Punjab Government not to remove these officers from their job till further orders.

LM Thapar dead
New Delhi, January 18
Noted industrialist and Chairman of Ballarpur Industries Ltd Lalit Mohan Thapar passed away yesterday. Assocham President Venugopal N Dhoot described Mr Thapar as one of the pillars of Indian industry and said with his death a vacuum has been created which would be difficult to fill in.— UNI

Complaints to EC Number, any number, even roll number Chandigarh, January 18 That the Election Commission receives a large number of complaints as regards irregularities and violations of the code of conduct is a fact well-known. What is not that well known to the public is the number of frivolous and non-election related complaints that the EC is burdened with during poll time.