B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Assembly elections
BJP to announce candidates by Dec end
National executive meeting on December 23
Moga, November 28
The BJP is likely to announce its candidates in the last week of December for the forthcoming assembly elections, which is being contested in alliance with the SAD party. To chalk out the poll strategy and select the candidates, the BJP leadership has called a meeting of its national executive at Jalandhar on December 23.

Natak Mela concludes in Abohar
Abohar, November 28
Bollywood and TV serial Crime Petrol star Anjum Batra along with the last year’s best actor national award recipient Gaurav Vij were star attractions in full length comedy play ‘Jinney Jhalley Mere Palley’ that was staged by the Sparsh Theatre Society in the concluding session of the Natak Mela here.

Sparsh artistes stage ‘Jinney Jhalle, Mere Palley’, a play at Abohar. Photo: Raj Sadosh

LJP holds ‘Lok Bachao Rally’
Bathinda, November 28
State president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Kiranjit Singh Gehri has been authoriised by the party's district presidents, state committee members and other senior leaders to take decisions, with regard to ensuing Assembly elections in Punjab.

NRI woman killed in road accident
Abohar, November 28
A Canada-based NRI Jasbir Kaur (53) was killed as the Ford car by which she was travelling collided with a truck head-on near village Gidderanwali on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road (NH 15).

• Meritorious students honoured

Assembly elections
BJP to announce candidates by Dec end
National executive meeting on December 23
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, November 28
The BJP is likely to announce its candidates in the last week of December for the forthcoming assembly elections, which is being contested in alliance with the SAD party. To chalk out the poll strategy and select the candidates, the BJP leadership has called a meeting of its national executive at Jalandhar on December 23.

Confirming this, the senior party leader and in-charge of the party affairs in Punjab Shanta Kumar, while talking to The Tribune, revealed that the national executive meeting would be presided over by Nitin Gadkari in the presence of LK Advani, in which, the state leadership would also be invited to discuss the poll strategy and finalise the list of candidates. The BJP leadership has also planned to hold a public rally in Jalandhar on December 24 to put up a show of strength for countering the whisperings going on in the political circles that the BJP has weakened in the state over the last few years.

The Congress leadership of the state is also publicly raising allegations of corruption against a few BJP MLAs, who were recently dropped from the council of ministers, which has also forced the BJP to re-think its strategy to counter such allegations. Insiders in the BJP revealed that there could be chances of dropping some sitting MLAs to pave the way for new faces, which a section of the BJP leaders feel that could give a boost to the party in the ensuing elections.

In a house of 117 members, the BJP has 19 MLAs in its kitty. They contested the 2007 assembly elections in alliance with the SAD party. The SAD won 48 seats while the Congress won on 44 seats with one independent extending support to it. It was the BJP that practically helped the SAD to form the state government.

The importance of the BJP is more required for the SAD for looking forward to repeat the 2007 performance because a former strongman of the ruling party Manpreet Singh Badal has parted ways from it forming a third front in the state. No matter, the Lok Bhalai Party led by former union minister Balwant Singh Ramuwalia merged with the SAD last week but still political observers feel that BJP's importance is much more to garner support of the urban voters.

“The senior BJP leadership is also participating in the Moga rally being held on December 18 by its alliance partner SAD to show its solidarity where a strategy would also be chalked out to make the December 23 BJP rally a success with joint efforts,” said a close aid of Sukhbir Badal president of the SAD party. For the BJP also, the Punjab elections are an acid test ahead of the elections in UP and other states for its revival. In the words of Shanta Kumar, “Victory in Punjab will pave the way for the party to win at the Centre.”

Natak Mela concludes in Abohar

Abohar, November 28
Bollywood and TV serial Crime Petrol star Anjum Batra along with the last year’s best actor national award recipient Gaurav Vij were star attractions in full length comedy play ‘Jinney Jhalley Mere Palley’ that was staged by the Sparsh Theatre Society in the concluding session of the Natak Mela here.

Notably, the play has also been scheduled for the Natak Mela at Amritsar.

Non-stop laughs coupled with thunderous applause finally emerged into a sad song prompting the elite audience moist their eyes.

This was how Sparsh sought to exhort the people do introspection by staging the play scripted by Pakistani dramatist Suhail Ahmad.

Prof Gaurav Vij of DAV College here, who had been honoured as the best actor by Punjab Sangeet and Natak Academy, directed the play and played lead role as well, the audience greeted him a standing ovation.

The others who showcased their talent included Anjum Batra, Sonu

Babbar, Anshuman Gandhi, Ruby Sharma, Ashish Makkar, Sahil Wadhwa, Shalu Dawra, Sumit Chagti, Neeraj Sachdeva, Ajay.

They were prided perfect make up by Bobby Sangha provided valuable support. DAV College principal Dr SK Arora said Sparsh has one again flown the flag of theatre high in this remote area of Punjab by targeting the system that had disillusioned all right thinking Indians.

Colonel Dilbagh Singh said Sparsh is born with special tactics in comedy generation. — OC

LJP holds ‘Lok Bachao Rally’

Bathinda, November 28
State president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Kiranjit Singh Gehri has been authoriised by the party's district presidents, state committee members and other senior leaders to take decisions, with regard to ensuing Assembly elections in Punjab.

This decision was taken by the party leaders at a meeting, held after organising “Lok Bachao Rally” here yesterday.

In a press note issued here today, Thana Singh, general secretary of the LJP, Punjab, claimed that some Congress, Akali and BSP workers joined the LJP at the rally. He said Gehri honoured all of them.

Gehri said only those persons would be fielded by the LJP in Punjab Assembly elections who had a long association and loyalty with the party, and had adopted the Ambedkar Mission in their life. — TNS

NRI woman killed in road accident
Our Correspondent

Abohar, November 28
A Canada-based NRI Jasbir Kaur (53) was killed as the Ford car by which she was travelling collided with a truck head-on near village Gidderanwali on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road (NH 15).

Family sources said that she had arrived to attend marriage function of a relative here.

The marriage party was on its way from village Chak 58 RB (Sriganganagar) to a resort located on the Abohar-Malout road.

Khuyiansarwar police said that her body has been taken to Sriganganagar for cremation.

In yet another mishap, eleven persons sustained injuries in other mishaps at Muklawa, Rasinghnagar Mahiyanwali and Ratanpura in the neighbouring Sriganganagar area.

Meritorious students honoured

Abohar, November 28
About four hundred students from different schools in the sub-division who had shined in various competitions were honoured at a function here on Sunday. Chief guest Sunil Jakhar MLA lighted lamp before former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's portrait before giving away the prizes to the winners. — OC