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Campaign frenzy at its peak
Auto-rickshaws and vans used for campaigning in Jalandhar on Monday. Photos: Sarabjit Singh
Poll panel’s toll free number receives 175 complaints
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Suave Chaudhary strikes a chord with voters
Former minister and veteran Congress candidate from Kartarpur segment Chaudhary Jagjit Singh interacts with people in Jandu Singha. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
Two turncoats face each other
Constituency Watch
Phagwara Commuters face problems due to delay in completion of six-laning project of Nathinal Highway. A Tribune photograph
Illegal constructions thrive ahead of elections
Political parties should commit to green agenda, says Seechewal
25-yr-old killed in mishap
Travel agent booked
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Campaign frenzy at its peak
Jalandhar, January 23 Dinesh Dhall, Congress councillor and independent candidate from Jalandhar (North), has been distributing flutes among children. Residents of areas around Mai Hiran Gate showed colourful, plastic and wooden flutes which they had received from the candidate. The PPP candidates are distributing kites. The autos and cycle rickshaws loaded with public address system with songs and appeals in favour of candidates from various political parties are also seen moving around in almost every constituency. Among those seen using the means include BJP’s Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar Central, BJP’s KD Bhandari from Jalandhar North, independent Dinesh Dhall, also from Jalandhar North, PPP’s Kuldeep Cheema from Jalandhar Central and almost all main candidates of Adampur.
Brisk business
Even as flex printers have had a bad season, dholis, videographers, taxi operators, currency garland makers and music system owners are doing brisk business. Almost all candidates are using drummers ahead of their door-to-door campaign. Videographers have had a good business with each RO using 35 to 40 cameramen just on poll day and at least three teams for daily coverage of rallies. Even taxi operators have had a good business as almost all candidates of all parties have been hiring SUVs for taking people to big rallies in adjacent towns such as for Sonia Gandhi’s rally at Kapurthala and Mayawati’s rally at Nawanshahr. On Saturday as Mayawati was to address rally at Nawanshahr, and BJP’s Arun Jaitley and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was also to address quite a few rallies in city, the availability of taxis had been a problem as scores of vehicles had been booked by the parties on that day. |
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Poll panel’s toll free number receives 175 complaints
Jalandhar, January 23 Yesterday, it received a complaint against one candidate of Jalandhar North constituency regarding the distribution of free food to the public, said control room officials. They immediately forwarded the complaint to the District Election Officer and Returning Officer of the constituency. The returning officer of the constituency said on the basis of the complaint, they immediately reached the spot to enquire about the complaint. However, they didn’t find anybody serving food, hence the complaints seem out to be unreal, they said. Officials further said that otherwise, the majority of the complaints received are related to the delay in issuance of voter identity cards, illegal hoardings of political parties, flags or other buntings placed at public places, construction of roads etc. A unique complaint was received a few days back. It was against Manoranjan Kalia, BJP candidate from Jalandhar Central. “We were informed by a caller that a dhaba has been erected near the Kalia’s house which is serving free food to the people,” control room officials said. The candidate later closed down the dhaba, they said.
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Suave Chaudhary strikes a chord with voters
Kartarpur, January 23 Clad in his trademark and neatly-ironed dark blue or black suits with a red silk necktie or a scarf tucked in his upper pocket, a suave Chaudhary Jagjit Singh sets out of his house in Dhaliwal village as early as 7 am. He retires for the day around 9.30 pm after exhaustively covering at least 10 villages of this constituency and having put in at lest 17-18 hours of hard work in his home turf. Chaudhary remains cheerful and energetic all through the day and he is almost successful in defying his age under the mask of his broad smile and hardly anyone could make it out that he has already crossed 80 - perhaps the oldest active leader of the Congress in Punjab. Chaudhary’s archrival and SAD (Badal) candidate Sarwan Singh Phillaur, too, has been an MLA from Phillaur for five times. As Chaudhary comes out of his car along with a few of party workers and supporters in Jandu Singha village, villagers gather around him as an advance party has already announced the arrival of this veteran leader in the village. Since Chaudhary has been serving the constituency as an MLA since 1980, he knows almost everyone in the rural as well as in urban area of Kartarpur township. Womenfolk, who seem to be more comfortable talking to him and enlisting their priorities flock him and seek improvement of sewage system or water supply network. “The Akalis have done nothing for your area. They have left all the welfare schemes or projects mid-way. They have looted Punjabis and have just been making hollow claims about development. Farmers are not getting power for almost three days in a week. Shagun scheme benefit is not being extended properly to the needy people. The Congress had,” says Chaudhary in his “nukkad” meetings. Talking to The Tribune, Chaudhary says he was happy to note that people were more aware now. “I face a volley of questions from young girls and womenfolk. They are far more concerned about development of their area now. Education and media has made them aware about their social and political circumstances,” he said. On the other hand, SAD’s Sarwan Singh Phillaur keeps refuting Chaudhary’s claims on development. “Our government had initiated a number of projects like setting up of Dana Mandi, a hospital and strengthening of the sewerage and water supply network in Kartarpur township,” asserted Phillaur. Once Chaudhary reaches a village in his vehicle, which is normally followed by one or two vehicles laden with his supporters, he prefers to go door-to-door. As usual, he repeats: “Development had taken a backseat in Kartarpur during the rule of the SAD-BJP combine. While, no new development projects were initiated, the ones like the powerhouse in Naugajja village and construction of a water tank in Kartarpur were stopped immediately after the combine formed government in 2007. So much so, that they could not keep the street lights installed by us in the city functional.” Flaunting a high degree of confidence, this former Local Bodies’ Minister claims that he will win the seat by a margin of at least 10,000 votes. |
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Two turncoats face each other
Jalandhar, January 23 Justifying his decision of changing political parties, Congress candidate for Jalandhar Cantonment Jagbir Brar told The Tribune that he had left Akali Dal to float PPP for the development of the state but I found Manpreet worse than the senior leaders of Akali Dal as he there was no democracy in the PPP. Political affairs committee, parliamentary board and disciplinary board were not created by him so far and he was working as a dictator in the party. So, he decided to leave PPP to join national political party Congress, he added. Similarly, PPP candidate for Jalandhar Cantt Baba Rajinder Singh Johal left Congress to join Mapreet Badal’s party right before the Assembly elections. A sarpanch for 20 years of Jandiala Manjki, Baba Rajinder Singh Johal also remained president of Jalandhar Congress (rural) for several years. Olympian Pargat Singh, a greenhorn, is in fray as SAD candidate from this seat. |
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Blocked sewers, narrow roads major issues
Ashok Kaura
Phagwara, January 23
Heaps of garbage can be seen near government school, a marriage palace, a private school and a religious shrine on the Old Post Office road, Nimmawala road and Palahai gate localities which have become commercial centres now. As the work on the six-laning of the national highway has been delayed by over a year, commuters are forced remain stranded in long traffic jams and it takes hours to commute between jalandhar and Ludhiana. The situation is worse near Khaujarala when commuters have to travel via Phagwara-Zandiala-Jalandhar Cantt to reach Jalandhar from Phagwara. Moreover, industrialists are still waiting for an industrial focal point, which was assured by politicians. Residents of the town though appreciated the efforts of sitting MLA for sanctioning of a grant of Rs 8.25 crore for the sewage system in the town, people of the various localities of the town are still living in a miserable condition.”
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Illegal constructions thrive ahead of elections
Jalandhar, January 23 Despite the fact that the MC authorities have got razed one such illegal construction twice this month in Model Town, a builder enjoying the patronage of a local BJP leader has gone ahead and re-started the construction work. This despite the fact that the Police Station Division No.6 falls on the same road and is just a few metres ahead. Even today, the shuttering work for the groundfloor area of the proposed shopping complex had been done and the concrete mixer machine had been kept for further construction work. Subhash, owner of the plot, when contacted, "I have just got the boundary wall constructed." But when asked that the ground floor construction was being done rampantly, he said that he will get it stopped. The employees of the building branch revealed that they were under immense political pressure of not stopping the construction work. "But we cannot let it go on so blatantly when no commercial construction can be allowed on the undeclared, narrow road, and no approvals have been sought from our department for the construction to go on", they said. Senior Town Planner Hemant Batra said that he was not aware of the illegal construction work having got restarted. "I will get it checked from MTP and ATP of the area. Since it is an undeclared road, surely the approvals for the same must not have been given and the construction must be illegal". |
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Political parties should commit to green agenda, says Seechewal
Jalandhar, January 23 Noted environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, patron of the group, said the initiative was taken up with an aim to make political parties realise their duty to take up the environmental issue on priority. Seechewal said: “Budda Nullah of Ludhiana is the glaring example of how toxic industrial waste was polluting drinking water sources, spreading death and diseases in the Malwa belt of Punjab and the bordering areas of Rajasthan.” He said that this was the time to hold the political parties and their candidates contesting Assembly elections responsible for the environmental crisis in the state. “Voters have every right to know which political party and candidate was serious in taking up the environment issue seriously,” Seechewal said. The event was attended by BJP’s Jalandhar (Central) candidate Manoranjan Kalia, BJP’s Jalandhar (West) candidate Bhagat Chuni Lal, independent candidate from Jalandhar (North) Dinesh Dhall, SAD’s Jalandhar Cantonment candidate Pargat Singh’s wife Barinderpreet Kaur and KD Bhandari’s son. On this occasion, the candidates were administered an oath for their commitment towards environmental security and for the cause of public health in the state. Seechewal highlighted towards the strict functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and said: “It is owing to the strict implementation of code of conduct that not even a single party or candidate dares to commit any mistake. Leave parties, even the bureaucracy, the police and other state organisations are working without any hassles for the common man. We require this kind of governance and commitment to protect the environment only then a change was possible,” he added. It was highlighted that all political parties should declare their agenda on environment crisis along with other welfare policies before the Assembly elections. All political parties should come up with its environment policy so voters could evaluate them on ecological merit, he said. Umendra Dutt of the Kheti Virasat Mission said the use of highly poisonous agro-chemicals, discharge of untreated or partially treated industrial waste into natural water bodies was creating havoc with the food chain of Punjab. “A comprehensive epidemiological mapping should be done so as to ascertain the impact of chronic toxicity on humans,” he added. The group also urged the ECI to declare election manifesto as a legal document. “If a party after coming to power fails to implement at least 75 per cent of its election promises, it should be derecognised and its office-bearers and leaders should be debarred from contesting elections,” they added. |
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25-yr-old killed in mishap
Nakodar, January 23 The accident took place at 12.30 pm, the police said. The deceased along with his friend was heading toward Jalandhar when they met with the accident. The impact of the collision was so intense that it took the police more than an hour to take out the body from the vehicle. The victim sustained serious injuries on his head and succumbed to his wounds on the spot, police sources said. Vishal was taken to the local Civil Hospital from where he was referred to a private hospital in Jalandhar, said the police officials. Investigating officer, Nakodar police station, said the truck driver fled from the spot but the relatives of the deceased did not want to register any complaint. |
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Travel agent booked
Phagwara, January 23 She has allegedly duped five Phagwara residents, namely Lakhan Bhatti, Prem Pal, Davinder Singh, Bahadur Singh and Ashwini, of Rs 11.62 lakh on the pretext of sending and settling them in Italy, the police said. The victims in their complaints alleged that neither the agents send them abroad, nor returned the money. The accused was absconding, the police said. |
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With a few days remaining for the polls, campaigning has picked up with candidates trying all means to woo voters. The latest trend is to distribute items having poll symbols of candidates among voters.
Dinesh Dhall, Congress councillor and independent candidate from Jalandhar (North), has been distributing flutes among children.
The toll free number (18001802129) launched by the Election Commission of India has been receiving good response. The number of complaints received to date reached 175.
Sources said toll free number is also receiving bogus and baseless calls from callers.
Preferring the door-to-door campaign mode, Congress warhorse Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, a five-time MLA, who has made a record of sorts by cornering the Congress ticket for the eighth time in a row, spares no efforts in making people of this constituency aware about “failures” of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janata Party combine government.
This constituency is plagued with blocked sewers, stagnant water due to lack of proper disposal, congested roads and bazaars, encroachments and shortage of parking space.Heaps of garbage can be seen near government school, a marriage palace, a private school and a religious shrine on the Old Post Office road, Nimmawala road and Palahai gate localities which have become commercial centres now.
Taking advantage of the ongoing polls, a few builders who had earlier suspended illegal construction work have re-started their projects that, too, on undeclared roads of the prime area in Model Town.
Preferring the door-to-door campaign mode, Congress warhorse Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, a five-time MLA, who has made a record of sorts by cornering the Congress ticket for the eighth time in a row, spares no efforts in making people of this constituency aware about “failures” of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janata Party combine government.
Cousin of PPP president Manpreet Badal, Jagbir Brar was elected from this seat as an Akali candidate during previous Assembly elections in 2007. He had left SAD to float Peoples’ Party of Punjab along with former finance minister Manpreet Badal but joined Congress right before Assembly elections. 
