Jalandhar, January 29
The 1984 Riot Affected Welfare Society has decided to favour the SAD-BJP candidates during the Vidhan Sabha poll.

At a press conference here today, Mr Surjit Singh, its president, blamed the Congress for not fulfilling their demands. He said Rs 2 lakh that was disbursed recently as relief amount did not reach affected families. As many as 2,000 families did not get the relief amount despite the fact that they possessed all required documents. The members of the society said they would hold protests at all those constituencies where Ms Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief, would be visiting for canvassing.

“We would show her black flags and burn her effigies,” said Ms Gurdeep Kaur, president of the women wing.

The members also pointed out that they had held a meeting with the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who promised to provide benefits to them.

Jalandhar, January 29
As many as 238 candidates were left in the fray for total 25 seats of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts in the Doaba region after the withdrawal of nomination papers today.

According to information gathered from various District Returning Officers, 126 candidates are trying their luck on 10 seats of Jalandhar district; 51 for eight seats of Hoshiarpur; 31 for four seats of Kapurthala; and 30 candidates are in fray for three seats in Nawanshahr district.

Nawanshahr: With the withdrawal of one Independent candidate from the Banga constituency, Mr Jog Raj, there are now 30 candidates in fray for three Vidhan Sabha seats in Nawanshahr district.

This now leaves 10 candidates contesting from each constituency, including Banga, Nawanshahr and Balachaur.

JALANDHAR: Eight candidates withdrew their nominations, leaving 126 in the fray from 10 Jalandhar constituencies.

From Adampur, an Independent candidate, Mr Sukhjit Singh, has withdrawn his name.
From Jalandhar (Central), Mr Pritam Singh Parmar, an Independent candidate, and Mr Ajay Kumar Chatrath from the Bhartiya Jan Shakti Party have forgone their candidature.

In Lohian, Naib Singh, an Independent candidate, withdrew his papers, so did two Independent candidates from Noormahal, Mr Mela Singh and Ms Rajwinder Kaur.

However, no candidate has withdrawn nomination from the Jalandhar North and South, Kartarpur and Phillaur constituencies.

KAPURTHALA: Election symbols were allocated to Independent candidates on the day of withdrawal of the nomination papers here on Monday. Meanwhile, 31 candidates were left for four seats of the district.

While direct contest is expected on all four seats between the Congress and SAD-BJP combine candidates, however, candidates from some other political parties, including the BSP and Independents, are also trying their luck.

According to the information provided by the Deputy Commissioner-cum District Returning Officer, Mr Raminder Singh, 16 candidates withdrew their papers in the district.

While six withdrew from Phagwara (SC), four from Kapurthala and three each from Bholath and Sulanpur Lodhi seats. Those who withdrew including covering candidates of several candidates.

Now only five candidates are in the fray for the Bholath seat. They are Congress candidate Sukhpal Singh Khaira, SAD contestant Bibi Jagir Kaur, Tilak Raj of the BSP, Amar Nath of the Democratic Bharti Samaj Party (symbol Book) and Balkar Singh of the Bharti Gaon Taj Dal (Bat). Similarly, seven candidates, including sitting MLA Bibi Upinderjeet Kaur (SAD) and Navtej Singh Cheema (Congress) are in the race for the Sultanpur Lodhi seat. The other candidates are Gurdas Ram (BSP), Balwant Singh (BSP Ambedkar, `Nagaara’), Independents Amarjeet Singh (ceiling fan), Kashmir Singh (Bat) and Ranjeet Singh (Balloon).

In the same way, eight candidates are in the race for the Phagwara (SC) seat. They included old rivals Joginder Singh Mann (Congress) and Swarna Ram (BJP).

The remaining candidates are Harbhajan Singh (BSP), Ashwani Kumar (Shiv Sena, camera), Sucha Singh (SAD Mann, aeroplane), Santokh Singh (Democratic Bharti Samaj Party, book), Tulsi Ram Khosla (BSP Ambedkar, ‘nagaara’) and Independent Jasbir Singh (table lamp).

Interestingly, 11 candidates are in the fray for the Kapurthala seat. While Jalandhar MP Rana Gurjit Singh’s wife Rajbans Kaur is the Congress candidate “by default” as she had filed as covering candidate of official Congress contestant and her sister Ms Sukhjinder Kaur.

Sitting MLA Sukhjinder Kaur’s papers were rejected as several discrepancies were left “intentionally” in the form.

Direct contest is expected between Rajbans Kaur and Raghubir Singh (SAD). However, Sukhwinder Singh (BSP) and Zia Lal Nahar (BSP Ambedkar “nagaara”) are also in the fray.

Besides seven Independent candidates, Amar Singh (table), Arjun Singh (bat), Guljar Singh (ceiling fan), Darshan Singh (axe), Balwinder Singh (rail engine), Mangal Singh (road roller) and Mohan Singh (aeroplane) are also trying their luck.

GURDASPUR: Seven candidates, including Mr Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Congress) and Mr Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal (SAD), have been left in fray from Qudian; 12 from Batala, including Mr Ashwani Sekri (Congress) and Mr Jagdish Sahni (BJP); eight from Shri Hargobindpur, including Mr Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa (Congress) and Mr Balbir Singh Badh (SAD); 10 from Kanuwan, including Mr Pratap Singh Bajwa (Congress) and Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan (SAD); five from Dhariwal, including Mr Irshad Ahmad (Congress), Mr Sucha Singh Langah (SAD) and sitting MLA Mr Sucha Singh Chottepur (Independent); nine from Gurdaspur, including Mr P.S. Bhinder (Congress) and Mr Gurbachan Singh Babaehali (SAD); five from Dinanagar, including Ms Aruna Chaudhary (Congress) and Mr Sita Ram (BJP); 10 from Narot, including Mr Rumal Chand (Congress), Mr Bishan Das (BJP) and former MLA Mr Ram Lal (Bhartiya Jan Shakti Party); seven from Pathankot, including Mr Mohan Lal (BJP) and Mr Ashok Sharma (Congress) and eight from Sujanpur, including Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri (Congress) and Dinesh Babu (BJP).
With the withdrawal of nomination papers, the stage has been set for straight fight between the Congress and the SAD/BJP in the district. However, for the Dhariwal constituency the fight is between Mr Sucha Singh Chottepur, who is close confidant of the Chief Minister, and a former minister of the SAD, Mr Sucha Singh Langah.

HOSHIARPUR: Five Independent candidates withdrew their nomination papers, reducing the total number of contestants to 51 in the eight segments of Hoshiarpur district.

Seven candidates in Garhshankar; 12 in Hoshiarpur; six each in Mahilpur, Shamchaurasi, Tanda and Mukerian; five in Garhdiwala; and three in Dasuya segments were left in the fray. Mr Ranjit Singh, Mr Sunil Dutt Walia and Mr Vinod Kumar Walia, all Independents, withdrew their nomination papers from Hoshiarpur, while Mr Joginder Singh and Mr Sukh Ram, both Independents, withdrew their papers from Tanda and Garhdiwala segments, respectively.

Jalandhar, January 29
Demanding the CBI probe into the violence in Beas, SAD General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today called for the deployment of central forces in Punjab till elections.

Condemning the incident, he said he and his party men had been apprehending such misdeeds by the Congress candidates who were finding their positions insecure. He said the situation was tense in various constituencies, including Patiala, Lehragaga and Malerkotla.

Mr Dhindsa blamed the sitting Congress MLA of Beas, Mr Dimpa, his brothers, Mr Harmanbir Singh, who is posted as SP in the Punjab Police, and Rajan, for ensuing violence.

He said despite the fact that the SAD candidate, Mr Manjinder Singh Kang, had repeatedly complaint about the high-handedness of Mr Dimpa and his SP brother to the Election Commission, no action had been taken in this regard.

Hoshiarpur, January 29
The state unit of the BJP has rejected all resignations of those office-bearers who had recently resigned from various offices. This was stated by Mr Rajinder Kumar Bhandari, General Secretary, state BJP unit, while talking to mediapersons here this afternoon. He said the officer-bearers had announced their support to Mr Tikshan Sud, the BJP nominee from Hoshiarpur.

Mr Bhandari said Mr Arun Jaitely, General Secretary, BJP, assured them that all of their grievances would be redressed after the elections.

Those who resigned, including Mr Vijay Aggarwal, president, Mr Om Parkash Kapur, general secretary of the district unit, Mr Gopi Chand Kapur, city president, and Mr Rambha Sethi, president, District Mehila Wing, were present at the press conference. However, Mr Vikram Kumra, a member of the district executive of the BJP, opposed Mr Aggarwal and resigned from the executive committee under protest against the latter for retaking the control of the district unit with others without sorting out the issues.

Later talking to mediapersons, Mr Kumra alleged that Mr Aggarwal and his associates had exploited party workers for earning their goodwill before the high command.

Meanwhile, Mr Sanjiv Talwar, vice-president of the state unit of the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, who had also resigned from his office along with Mr Aggarwal and others, reached there and supported Mr Kumra’s demand.

Hoshiarpur, January 29
The District Consumer Forum, Hoshiarpur, headed by Mr P. D. Goel, President, and Mr A. S. Jauhar and Ms Vandna Chowdhary, both members, accepted the complaint of Mr Ashok K.Attri, resident of Civil Lines, and directed the Post Office, Hoshiarpur, to pay Rs 2,500 as compensation, including litigation expenses, by holding that the post office is guilty of deficiency in service in not delivering the parcel at the destination.

Mr Ashok K.Attri filed a complaint before the Consumer Forum under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, asking the Senior Post Master, Hoshiarpur, to compensate him as the letters sent twice through speed post for Chandigarh Passport Office reached passport office, Jalandhar, and did not reach its destination.