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painter giving final touches to cutouts of Congress President Sonia
Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the forthcoming assembly election, in Jalandhar on Monday. — PTI
photo
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KEY CONSTITUENCY
Pilot’s
ride in gadda to Assembly to be tough
Morinda, January 28
Mr Ravi Inder Singh, former Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, who has
fought and won every Assembly election he has contested so far, faces
a tough fight this time in the Morinda constituency.
PROFILE OF CONSTITUENCIES
Mixed bag of voters may break citadels
Ropar, January 28
A mixed bag of voters divided on caste and religious lines, dissidence within parties, disgruntled small farmers and a not-so-happy section of employees, all add to make the five
constituencies in Ropar a tough electoral battle for all parties and candidates.
PROFILE OF CONSTITUENCIES
Patiala seat a no contest
Patiala, January 28
The prestigious seat of Patiala, from where the PPCC President, Capt Amarinder Singh, is a contestant is likely to be reduced to a no contest with the SAD and the Panthic Morcha fielding lightweights against him. In contrast the Nabha seat in the district and the Sirhind and Amloh seats in Fatehgarh Sahib district are likely to witness fierce contests.
YOUTH POWER
Educated youth make electoral debut
Bathinda, January 28
In the backwaters of south Punjab, considered the most backward region of the state, a new generation of educated youths has taken a plunge into public life by making their election debut in the February 13 poll as nominees of recognised parties and Independent candidates.
BJP leaders to oppose
two ministers
Hoshiarpur, January 28
The BJP today suffered a jolt when five senior party leaders decided to oppose the candidature of two of its official nominees, Punjab ministers Tikshan Sood and Madan Mohan
Mittal.
Cong promises better medicare
Hoshiarpur, January 28
The Congress, if comes to power, will improve rural medical and provide better working conditions in rural health centres, Dr
T.C. Malhan, a former Director Health Services, and a member of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, said in a press note issued here today.
Criminal case
against Khaira
Kapurthala, January 28
The Bholath police has registered a case under Section 188 of the IPC against Mr Sukhpal Singh
Khaira, a Congress candidate from Bholath, and his gunmen on the charge of violating prohibitory orders promulgated in the district under Section 144 of the
CrPC.
SAD, Cong workers clash;
two injured
Ferozepore, January 28
Two persons were injured in clash between Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal
workers in Zira last night. According to reports, a few persons owing
allegiance to a particular party entered the house of Mukhtiar Singh
in Saddushah village last night and misbehaved with women.
Deed writers, stamp vendors lock horns
Mansa, January 28
Following the Badal government’s move to raise the limit on the sale of non-judicial stamps from Rs 1,000 to 50,000, deed writers are demanding a share in the commission being earned by stamp vendors.
10.7 pc of medical college boys smoke: survey
Amritsar, January 28
According to a recent survey, 10.7 per cent of local medical college boys indulge in cigarette smoking.
The survey, conducted on a sample of 560 medical students studying in the 2001-2002 session, showed that a majority of the smokers were in the age group of 17 to 22.
PATIALA DIARY
No one bothers about poll panel
directions
Patiala
Politics is the dominant flavour in Patiala nowadays. With the Assembly elections scheduled for February 13, directives set down by the Election Commission are being flouted with impunity.
BSF jawan kills colleague for
filing complaint
Amritsar, January 28
Lodging a complaint against a colleague proved fatal for a BSF personnel on duty on the Indo-Pakistan border last evening.
Kamlesh Kumar, a constable of 19 Bn of the BSF shot Head Constable A. Raju at a point Bank range killing him on the spot.
Drive to check use of drugs, arms
Bathinda, January 28
To curb the use of narcotics during the elections, the police has made an elaborate arrangement and seized large amounts of opium, poppy husk, illicit liquor and lahan from different parts of the district.
Make healthcare poll issue: PCMSA
Hoshiarpur, January 28
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association has decided to appeal to the public to ask leaders and candidates in the election fray about the steps they propose to take to improve the ailing health services in the state, if voted to power.
35 Education Dept men transferred
Chandigarh, January 28
At the instance of the Punjab election office, as many as 35 officials of the Education Department stand transferred either because of their long stay or their being posted in home districts.
Two held in petrol station murder case
Patiala, January 28
The Patiala police claims to have solved the case of petrol station murder of January 26. The Senior Superintendent of Police at Patiala said case under Section 460 of the IPC had been registered against two persons, Sucha Singh and Rajwinder Singh, residents of Gajewas village near
Samana, for robbing the IOC petrol station at Gajewas on January 26 and attacked its caretakers with iron rods.
Two injured in robbery bid
Jalandhar, January 28
Two employees of a local department were injured when four scooter-borne youths tried to loot Rs 7 lakh which they were carrying in a bag to deposit in a local bank at the Cool road here
today.
Medical students boycott classes
Amritsar, January 28
Students of the medical college today boycotted classes here today.
The strikers blocked traffic on the Majitha road for more than an hour and partially boycotted OPDs against the casual attitude of the medical college authorities in bringing the accused in a recent attack on students to book.
