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Akalis pursuing vested interests: Amarinder
Makhu (Ferozepur), January 22
PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh today addressed an election rally here in support of sitting MLA and Congress candidate from Zira, Naresh Kataria. Amarinder said the Akalis have no agenda for the state as they have always pursued vested interests only. While indicating towards the crowd which had gathered in large numbers, he said that the winds of change were apparent in the state.

Once centre of political activities, Modi Mill now wears a deserted look
Ferozepur, January 22
For more than three decades, the “Modi Mill” complex had become a rendezvous for the Congressmen for all poll related activities in this border constituency. The reason: party old-timer and former minister Balmukand Sharma, who has contested all the assembly elections on Congress ticket from this seat since 1972 (except in 1997), stays here.

Once a rendezvous for Congressmen, the residence of former minister Balmukand Sharma wears a deserted look these days. Photo by writer

Over 70 pc licenced arms deposited in Fazilka
Fazilka, January 22
Over 70 per cent of the arms licence holders have deposited their arms at the police stations and armouries in the Fazilka district after the announcement of the assembly polls. As per the official figure, of the total 9,128 arms licence holders, a total of 6,549 have surrendered their weapons. Only a week is left for the polling.

Poll Effect
PPP agenda brings NRI to poll-bound native village
Abohar, January 22
Prompted by this month's unique "Loktantra Parv" (festival of democracy) as he described it, Dr Prem Singhmar decided to spend a few days at his native village Dharampura near here. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections mandate will be significant this time as members of the divided Badal family are flexing their muscles in the changed political scenario, he says.

Making a point!

BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati addressing a public rally in Muktsar on Sunday. A Tribune photograph.

BJP suspends block president
Abohar, January 22
BJP rural unit president Ram Kumar has been suspended for six years for indulging in anti-party activities. He had been campaigning in favour of an independent candidate, party core committee observed. Market Committee Chairman Baljit Jhajharia has been appointed as working president.

Panjpeer Colony residents hoist black flags
Abohar, January 22
Hundreds of families, who had developed a colony around the ancient tombs of Panjpeers on the outskirts of this sub-divisional town, have hoisted black flags atop their houses. They resented during a meeting that none of the political parties had been able to solve problem related to supply of potable drinking water for past two decades.

Revolutionary Hemu Kalani remembered
Abohar, January 22
Several functions were organised at Padampur, Suratgarh, Srivijaynagar and Hanumangarh to pay tributes to the revolutionary freedom fighter Hemu Kalani on his Balidan Diwas. While inaugurating blood donation camp at Civil Hospital, Padampur Colonel Agya Pal Singh Sidhu said, Hemu, born at Sukkur in Sind province on 23 March 1923, was a true Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter.

	Babbal claims his expulsion from Congress incorrect SP Sharma Tribune News Service Ferozepur, January 22 The Congress rebel Ravinder Singh Sandhu (Babbal) today challenged his expulsion from the party and said the step was incorrect as he had sent his resignation to Sonia Gandhi a day before filing his papers to contest the assembly election for the Ferozepur (Urban) seat. Sandhu is among the 11 Congress activists who were on Saturday expelled by the PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh on the charge of anti-party activities. By filing his papers as an independent, Sandhu was playing spoilsport for the official candidate of the Congress, Parminder Singh Pinki, in a triangular contest although there were few other candidates. Sandhu said that he had sent his resignation from the Congress on January 11 before filing his nomination papers a day later. This is not for the first time that Sandhu has been expelled from the Congress. Earlier, he was sacked in 1992 when he plunged into the election arena as an independent during the regime of Beant Singh. However, his expulsion was later revoked. He contested the election on a Congress ticket in 1997 and 2002. After winning the election in 2002, he was appointed parliamentary secretary and given the charge of Home by Captain Amarinder Singh, who was the Chief Minister at that time. Sandhu claims that as he was getting an "overwhelming response" from the electorate and he was not bothered whether he was a rebel or an official candidate of the Congress. He points out that due to bickerings in the party, the BJP has won the seat thrice in a row. After Gurdial Singh Dhillon, the Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat has gone out of the hands of the Congress since 1985. As the recent delimitation has changed the profile of the assembly constituency, the three main candidates, Sukhpal Singh Nannu (sitting MLA of BJP), Parminder Singh Pinki (Cong) and Ravinder Singh Sandhu (Ind), are concentrating their campaign in the urban areas. Pinki was seeking the mandate by highlighting the social issues in which he had contributed financially for the uplift of the weaker sections and the needy. He points out that he got special grants from the Centre for treatment of 147 cancer patients. He says that his slogan was "development" of the town that has remained neglected during the present SAD-BJP regime. Pinki was confident that the rebel would not be in a position to upset his prospects as about 160 youth clubs in the area and also others were supporting him. Sukhpal Singh Nannu, who is the sitting BJP MLA and chief parliamentary secretary, inherited the seat from his father Girdhar Singh. Faced with lack of support from a section of the BJP and SAD, he has pinned his hopes on the division of votes of the Congress due to the presence of the rebel. Nannu says that he had got invested a sum of Rs 355 crores from the state government for the development of the area. The biggest achievement was approval for construction of a Rs 62 crore bridge over the Sutlej that would cut the distance by 40 kms between the Malwa and the Majha regions. Water supply has been improved by installing 45 water schemes and the road connectivity improved, he claims.
	Akalis pursuing vested interests: Amarinder Anirudh Gupta Makhu (Ferozepur), January 22 PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh today addressed an election rally here in support of sitting MLA and Congress candidate from Zira, Naresh Kataria. Amarinder said the Akalis have no agenda for the state as they have always pursued vested interests only. While indicating towards the crowd which had gathered in large numbers, he said that the winds of change were apparent in the state. Claiming that the Congress will form the next government in Punjab, Captain said that all those officials who have unleashed atrocities against the Congressmen, will be taken to task. He said the Congress has a special agenda for the education and growth of the girl child. Elaborating on the plan, he said that a grant Rs 15,000 shall be given at the time of the birth of a girl child followed by successive grants of Rs 5,000 each which will be added in her bank account when she enters Class I, VI, XI, respectively. He added that the amount of Shagun scheme will be doubled if the Congress is voted to power in the state. Sounding a word of caution to all those party leaders who were working against the interests of the party, Amarinder exhorted them to fall in line or else, face action. Congress candidate Naresh Kataria, former MP Rana Gurjit Singh, Vijay Kalra, president, Commission Agents Federation, besides other Congress leaders, was present on the occasion. Balwant Garg adds from Jaito: Amarinder said that serving the poor was the Congress dharma and it had been doing it right since the country's independence. He said it was in keeping with this spirit that the party had brought the Food Security Act which will enable the poor across the country to get flour for Re one per kg. He also expressed grave concern over the suicides by farmers as agriculture had failed to get them remunerative returns. Addressing an impressive public rally at the Ram Lila Grounds in support of the party candidate Joginder Singh Panjgraian, here today, Amarinder asked the Akalis to list out their agenda. Asking people not to get misled by the Akali propaganda, he told them to draw a comparison between the Congress rule between 2002 and 2007 with that of the Akalis between 2007 and 2012. "You will see for yourself as to which government was better," he said while seeking votes for Panjgrain. Having a dig at the SAD manifesto released today, he said, they are promising to save the riparian rights of Punjab. "They have probably forgotten that we have already enacted an Act repealing all the water sharing treaties and saving our water way back in 2005," he pointed out. Punjab today needs industrial investment which will generate jobs, Amarinder said, and pointed out there are 47 lakh unemployed people in the state. Besides, the pattern of agriculture needs to be changed and new and remunerative crops need to be sown.
	Once centre of political activities, Modi Mill now wears a deserted look Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, January 22 For more than three decades, the “Modi Mill” complex had become a rendezvous for the Congressmen for all poll related activities in this border constituency. The reason: party old-timer and former minister Balmukand Sharma, who has contested all the assembly elections on Congress ticket from this seat since 1972 (except in 1997), stays here. However, things are different this time. The place, which hitherto remained abuzz with activities during the election season, now wears a deserted look as Balmukand was denied the party's ticket for the assembly polls this time. Till date, Balmukand has contested seven assembly elections as the Congress candidate and two elections on Jan Sangh ticket before he was inducted into the Congress by Giani Sail Singh in 1972 when he had won. Thereafter, barring 1977 when he had lost to Girdhara Singh, Balmukand won the next three consecutive polls in 1980, 1985 and 1992. During the Beant Singh regime, Balmukand became a cabinet minister with Urban Development portfolio. However in 1997, the Congress offered this seat to Shavinder Kaur Johal, who had deserted SAD as its president, Mahila wing, to join the Congress. The party's decision proved to be a disaster and turning point for its poll prospects as it lost all subsequent elections since then. The seat has been wrested by the BJP time and again since 1997 when Girdhara Singh (BJP) won by a handsome margin followed by two successive wins by his son Sukhpal Singh, who inherited the political legacy after his father's demise. Gulshan Sharma, son of Balmukand Sharma, said, "Notwithstanding the denial of ticket, "Pandit Ji (as he is popularly known) would have been active in the elections, but for his ill health as he has been hospitalised for the last fortnight." Though the local Congress unit is missing "Pandit Ji" in action but hopes the party will reverse the trend of losing this seat repeatedly. However, the rebellion within the party has become a matter of concern as the official party candidate Parminder Singh Pinki is facing internal challenge from ex-MLA Ravinder Singh Sandhu aka Babbal, besides taking on the mite of Sukhpal Singh, who intends to score a hat-trick by the wining the elections third time in a row.
	Over 70 pc licenced arms deposited in Fazilka Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, January 22 Over 70 per cent of the arms licence holders have deposited their arms at the police stations and armouries in the Fazilka district after the announcement of the assembly polls. As per the official figure, of the total 9,128 arms licence holders, a total of 6,549 have surrendered their weapons. Only a week is left for the polling. SSP, Fazilka, Ashok Baath claimed that the remaining weapon holders would soon deposit their arms. The administration and police are taking stringent measures to ensure free and fair poll. Of the 129 persons, suspected of disturbing peace, 59 have been bounded not to indulge in violence. They have been warned of cancellation of their bail enlarged to them under Section 107 and 151. The police have seized unaccounted money of Rs 19, 45, 000, 6.5 kilogrammes of contraband opium, 120 kilogrammes of poppy husk, 7,700 intoxicating capsules, 2,750 tablets, 640 grams of powder, nearly 3,200 litres of different varieties of alcohol from different persons in the scattered areas of the district after the model code of conduct has been imposed. In yet another step, of the total nine companies of the para military forces demanded, officials of the four companies have already been deployed on patrol and vigil duty. "The remaining five companies would soon arrive for conducting a fair poll," said Ashok Baath.
	Poll Effect PPP agenda brings NRI to poll-bound native village Raj Sadosh Abohar, January 22 Prompted by this month's unique "Loktantra Parv" (festival of democracy) as he described it, Dr Prem Singhmar decided to spend a few days at his native village Dharampura near here. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections mandate will be significant this time as members of the divided Badal family are flexing their muscles in the changed political scenario, he says. An eye surgeon by profession, Dr Prem had been a student of the DAV College here before pursuing his MBBS degree from the Srinagar-based medical college. He and his wife Dr Saroj served in Libya for four years and shifted to Alberta in 1985. The family started their entrepreneurial adventures in northern Alberta with a chicken farm. Slowly they moved into real estate and development, taking a series of clever risks. Now, the Singhmar Group builds and operates hotels. They have become philanthropists and community leaders in Edmonton. His family donated Rs 2.51 lakh for senior citizens' home here last year. PPP chief Manpreet Badal's vision has inspired Dr Prem Singhmar to visit his native place after a long time. He claims that thousands had supported Manpreet's message in Canada, New York and California. " We felt one owes much to the motherland and this is the time we should extend moral support to the former finance minister of Punjab who quit the office as he found the policies of the ruling coalition impossible to support," he says.