The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	ZP Poll 65 pc polling in Doaba amid stray violence Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, May 12 The polling for the zila parishad and block samities passed off peacefully in the district with about 65 per cent of the voters casting their franchise. A few minor scuffles were reported from a couple of places. Starting off at a slack pace in the morning, polling picked up at noon and by 2 pm over 45 per cent voters had cast their votes. Braving the hot weather, the young and the elderly, including women, could be seen standing in long queues till the closing time at 5 pm. Being a holiday today, people wanted to make most of time but were called out by party workers to cast their vote. Party candidates could be seen ferrying voters to near the polling stations all day long. But the poll circus of yore was not witnessed due to strict compliance on the display of buntings and party flags. By evening, the fate of 59 candidates contesting the 21 zila parishads and 462 candidates for the 184 block samities in the district lay sealed in the ballot boxes. Strict security arrangements were in place to prevent any untoward incident. At Mehatpur, Narinderjit Kaur, a candidate of the CPI (ML) for the Umerwal Billa Zone, and her polling agent, Sadiq Masih, alleged that their supporters were not allowed to cast votes at Sangowal village in spite of having voter identity cards. The protesters staged a dharna at Sangowal village and on hearing the development scores of supporters converged at the village following which polling had to be stopped for more than one and a half hours. The dharna was lifted only after tehsildar Rajiv Verma and DSP Kulwinder Singh assured the agitators that they would look into the matter. Similar complaints were received from Aulakh, Rapur Arian, Chohley and Rasulpur villages in the district where the polling staff did not assign any reason to voters for stopping them from casting their vote despite having voter cards. Zila Parishad candidate from Baghela zone Anita and block samiti candidate Gurdip Singh from the same zone alleged that 50 voters were not allowed to cast their vote by the polling staff on the plea that their names did not figure in the voter list. Similarly, 25 voters from Vehran village could not exercise their franchise as their names too had been deleted from the voter list although they had voter cards. There were reports from other parts of the district that voters had been turned away even after they showed passports, power bills and driving licences to buttress their right to vote. Condemning the ruling alliance of large-scale irregularities, Pendu Mazdoor Union chief Tarsem Peter said the regime was trying to browbeat their rivals and had distributed intoxicants and booze to woo the electorate. Officials too had been instructed not to let a large section of voters to cast their votes on frivolous grounds, he alleged. He said they would oppose such practices in the panchayat poll to be held later this month. SAD, Cong workers clash Kapurthala: The zila parishad and block samiti poll witnessed 65 per cent polling amidst sporadic incidents of violence here today. The only clash reported was outside booth 72 at Dhapai village a few minutes after the voting started at 8 am. The clash between SAD and Congress workers left at least seven persons injured. According to eyewitnesses, swords and other sharp-edged weapons were used in the clash. Congress candidate Jasbir Singh Randhawa, contesting from the area, alleged in a complaint to the state chief electoral officer that SAD candidate Ranjit Singh, along with his 30 supporters, attacked Congress workers. Demanding a repoll at the booth, he said his supporters could not cast their votes because of fear after violence. Deputy commissioner J.M. Balamurugan claimed there was no hindrance in the polling and the electorate cast their votes without any fear. However, he did admit that there was a clash between two groups outside the polling booth and said the necessary action would be taken against the culprits and instigators. He said proper arrangements had been made for smooth counting which would start on Wednesday at 9 am. According to the preliminary data, 63 per cent votes were polled in Kapurthala block, 60 per cent in Phagwara, 73 per cent in Nadala, 62 per cent in Dhilwan and 66 per cent Sultanpur Lodhi blocks of the district. Heavy turnout in Balachaur Nawanshahr: Barring a few poll related skirmishes, polling for the 10 zila parishad and 89 panchayat samiti seats of the district went off peacefully here on Monday. Upkar Singh, general assistant to the deputy commissioner, said 66.9 per cent votes were polled in Nawanshahr block, 71.7 per cent in Balachaur, 67.2 per cent in Aur, 62.2 per cent in Banga and 70.35 per cent in Saroya. Due to a fierce electoral battle between chief parliamentary secretary Nand Lal and former Congress MLA Ram Krishan Kataria, a heavy turnout was witnessed in Balachaur and Saroya blocks. Kataria accused the ruling SAD-BJP alliance for flouting the code of conduct and misusing official machinery. On the other hand, Nand Lal, rubbishing allegations, said it was just an indication of desperation in the opposition. He said residents had endorsed the development and welfare schemes launched by the Badal government by voting in its favour.
	Glitches in voters’ list: Bagewal becomes Begowal Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, May 12 Out of the 8,53,188 electorate, 62.2 per cent have exercised their right to vote for 24 zones of the zila parishad, Hoshiarpur, and 203 for 10 block samitis of the district in the panchayati raj elections here on Monday. Deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer N.K. Wadhawan told reporters that polling had largely been peaceful. The presiding officer of booth 19 at the Beyding polling station in the Talwara block samiti was replaced at about 1.45 pm during polling. According to official sources, voters of the area lodged a complaint with the authorities that presiding officer Paramjit Singh was allegedly under the influence of liquor. The Talwara station house officer got a medical examination of Paramjit conducted at the BBMB Hospital there. Later, Prem Sukh was appointed presiding officer in his place. As many as 142 voters of Bagewal village (reportedly bechirag maujen in revenue records) could not cast their votes due to the name of the village being wrongly published as Begowal in the voters’ lists. It is reported that there were 142 voters in Bagewal who had to cast their votes at Bairowal Kangari village of zone 15 of Behroon (Hariana) in the block samiti, Hoshiarpur-I.
	‘Babus favouring SAD,BJP’ Batala, May 12 Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, while addressing mediapersons here on Monday, came down heavily on the bureaucracy for its partisan role during the zila parishad and block samiti elections held on Monday. She cited the example of illegal rejection of nomination papers at a mass level at Fatehgarh Churian, Dera Baba Nanak, Qadian and surrounding areas. She stated that all those involved in poll rigging would be taken to task through judicial means as many of the candidates whose nomination papers were rejected by the returning officers were allowed to contest the elections by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Bhattal was accompanied by AICC member and former MLA from Batala Ashwani Sekhri. She termed BJP leaders as “pitthus” of the Akali government. She criticised the government and said the SAD had no moral right to continue in the government. — OC
	Three buses damaged; commuters feel the heat BSP workers seek SHO’s suspension, block NH Dharmendra Joshi/TNS Phillaur, May 12 Several BSP activists blocked national highway number one in Phillaur for nearly two hours on Monday evening in support of their demand of suspension of a Phillaur SHO. According to them, the SHO had beaten a BSP worker. At least three buses (two PRTC buses and a private bus) were damaged as some youths pelted stones at them during the blockage. BSP workers led by state general secretary MP Singh Goraya and district president Ram Swarup Saroya started the dharna on the highway at about 4.10 pm. Hundreds of people had to suffer a lot as they were stranded in the blockage. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the roads. BSP workers agreed to lift the dharna at 6.10 pm when SSP Arpit Shukla assured them that proper action would be taken against the SHO after two days if he was found guilty in the investigation. Talking to The Tribune, Goraya said BSP activists had blocked the highway as Phillaur SHO had beaten an Ambedkar Sena leader Amritpal Bhonsle, who was an election agent at the Garha village (of BSP candidate Baldev Singh Khera, zone 17 block samiti Ganna Pind). The SHO also misbehaved with Garha village sarpanch Harmesh Garha, whereas two Congress workers used casteist remarks against Amritpal, he alleged. On the other hand, denying the allegations the SHO Jaswinderpal Singh told The Tribune that he had gone to Garha village after information of some dispute between some BSP and Congress workers. When he reached the spot, some BSP workers were beating a person who had nothing to do with the dispute. “I asked them not to do so but they tried to stop me from performing my duty,” he said. “I did not beat anyone.” On the contrary, the SHO alleged half of BSP men present near the Garha booth were drunk and they used abusive language against him and other policemen.
	Chhina chief of Service Club Our Correspondent Amritsar, May 12 The Chhina-Adlakha group walked away with a decisive victory over its rival group, led by Dr S.P.S. Dhillon, in the Service Club elections here on Sunday evening. The office-bearers elected include president S.S. Chhina, vice-president Subhash Arora, secretary Brij Mohan Vinayak and joint secretary Tajinder Singh Arora. Out of 1,300 voters more than 849 were polled.
	Youth hacked to death in Batala Our Correspondent Batala, May 12 Gurpreet Singh alias Mundi (25) of Belowal village here was hacked to death by some unknown assailants on Sunday night. Mundi’s body was found lying in the fields. The deceased had been missing from his house since Saturday evening. Mundi’s uncle Sardool Singh was the first one to notice the body. He informed the cops, who rushed to the spot and conducted inquest proceedings. ASI Narinder Singh said a case has been registered and the body has been sent for the post-mortem examination. Gurdwara sevadar murdered Amritsar: Mahinder Singh, an elderly sevadar of Gurdwara Nirbhai Singh situated in village Gumanpura, was strangled to death by some unidentified persons here on Sunday night. Theft seems to be the reason behind the killing as golak of the gurdwara was found broken.