| |
Ajit
Jogi decries Advani’s talk
Kartarpur (Jalandhar)
February 9
The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
and senior Congress leader, Mr Ajit Jogi, today criticised the Union
Home Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, and the BJP for “hurting”
religious feelings of a particular community by advocating the need
for a national debate on the functioning of madarasas.
KEY CONSTITUENCY
Rapport
with people holds key
Patiala, February 9
Punjab Local Bodies Minister and
senior BJP leader Balramji Das Tandon, who was touted as the Deputy
Chief Minister in the run-up to the last poll, is learning the hard
way that it pays to remain in touch with your constituents. He is
contesting from Rajpura where he is pitted against a leader who is
perceived to be closer to people than him.
KEY CONTEST
Fight
between Jakhar, Ram Kumar
Abohar, February 7
Although there are 11 candidates
in fray from this constituency, it seems to be a direct fight between
Mr Ram Kumar, sitting MLA of the BJP, and Congress candidate Sunil
Jakhar. The Congress candidate is the son of a former union minister
and senior Congress leader, Mr Balram Jakhar. Therefore, this seat has
become a prestige issue for them.
PROFILE OF CONSTITUENCIES
From
where Beant Singh rose to fame
Payal, February 9
It is this constituency which in
1969 ushered in Mr Beant Singh into mainstream politics, not as a
Congressman but as an Independent, rather as a rebel Akali supported
by the Congress. The Dal high command was toying with the idea of
fielding him but at the last moment decided to give the party ticket
to Mr Gian Singh Rarewala, another political stalwart. Mr Beant Singh
defeated Mr Rarewala by more than 5,000 votes.
Cong
vows to tame Ghaggar
Devigarh, February 9
The PPCC president, Capt
Amarinder Singh, yesterday said the Ghaggar and other rivers, which
cause havoc in the district every year, would be tamed within one year
through a World Bank scheme if the Congress comes to power. Addressing
a rally in favour of the Congress candidate, Mr Lal Singh, the PPCC
chief said it was unfortunate that the Ghaggar and other rivers,
including the Tangri and the Markanda, could not be tamed till now.
Manmohan
promises economic revival
Bathinda, February 9
A former Union Finance Minister,
Dr Manmohan Singh, while accusing the SAD-BJP government destroying
Punjab’s economy said today the Congress, if voted to power, would
revive it, inviting domestic and foreign investment in the industrial
and agricultural sectors.
Law
Minister adds weight to Akali rallies
Phillaur, February 9
Union Law Minister Arun Jaitly
today refused to comment on the demand of Akali leader Simranjit Singh
Mann to register cases against Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,
Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani and Congress President Sonia Gandhi
under the Arms Act for “brandishing” swords in public rallies as
the matter had gone to the high court.
Few
women in fray
Bathinda, February 9
No woman has ever returned to the
Vidhan Sabha or the Lok Sabha from all Assembly segments falling in
the undivided Bathinda district. Information gathered by TNS revealed
that in the 1957 Assembly elections only one woman, Paul Kaur, jumped
into the election arena from the Phul constituency. The Assembly
elections held in 1962, 1967, 1969 and 1972 did not find any woman
contestant while in 1977, two women — Kusam Lata and Gurcharan Kaur
— contested from the Bathinda and Nathana Assembly segments,
respectively.
Congress
woman vs Akali men
Kila Raipur, February 9
Woman power seems to have come
handy for the Congress in the prestigious Kila Raipur constituency in
Ludhiana district. For the first time the Congress has fielded a woman
in this traditionally Akali stronghold. Mrs Gurdial Kaur Khangura is
giving a tough time to the SAD candidate, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, and
the Panthic Morcha candidate, Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal.
A
poll veteran since 1974
Chamkaur Sahib, February
9
Electoral battle is not new to
her. In a career spanning over a quarter of a century, the SAD
candidate for the Chamkaur Sahib reserve constituency, Mrs Satwant
Kaur Sandhu, has been a Cabinet minister in the outgoing government of
the Akalis. She has been thrice voted to power in the reserved
constituency, predominantly a rural belt.
Politics
serious business: Vinod Khanna
Phagwara, February 9
Bollywood star and Member
Parliament Vinod Khanna said here this evening that there was neither
a Congress wave nor an anti-incumbency factor in the state. Addressing
a rally for the SAD-BJP candidate from Phagwara, Mr Swarna Ram, Vinod
Khanna said he was campaigning for the BJP as he was committed to the
party.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Royal
roots, an advantage
Aboard Helicopter,
February 9
“Maharaja Sahib, the
“ghori” (a ceremony of marriage in the Aggarwal community
performed on the night before marriage) is not considered to be
complete till the bridegroom pays his obeisance at the “samadh” of
Baba Ala Singh, founder of the Phul dynasty and Patiala, located in a
police station in Sardulgarh town of Mansa district,” said a
shopkeeper of Sardulgarh town to Capt Amarinder Singh, when he reached
the venue to address an election rally of the party candidate, Mr Ajit
Inder Singh Mofar.
Untiring
candidate on wheelchair
Sangrur, February 9
He is handicapped. But that does
not stop him from campaigning daily from 9 am to midnight on a
wheelchair. Mr Ranjit Singh Balian, the sitting MLA from Sangrur and a
rebel SAD candidate, is contesting as an independent now from the same
constituency.
Father’s
work, her trump card
Sunam, February 9
Blue tarpaulins cover the
courtyard of every second home in the sleepy Chhaajla village. A
caravan of vehicles comes to a screeching halt along the roadside. It
is the entourage of the Congress candidate, Ms Sonia Arora, breathing
life into the sleepy village.
FIRST-TIMER
Wrestler-turned-politician
Jalandhar, February 9
Mr Suresh Sehgal, the
wrestler-turned-politician who is the BJP candidate from the Jalandhar
(North) constituency and is pitted against former minister and
Congress heavyweight Avtar Henry, is a first timer with a difference.
He sees no difference between a wrestling court and political arena.
| POLL
BRIEFS |
|
|
- WEIGHED 29 TIMES
- SAD (A) SUPPORT
- ‘RIGHT CHOICE’
- EVMs SEALED
|
- DIKSHIT CAMPAIGNS
- SPEAKER'S RALLY
- RAMOOWALIA’S CLAIM
|
- POLL BOYCOTT
- AULAKH WEIGHED
- BJP MEN GO TO CONG
|
|
|
BSF
intensifies patrolling in border areas
Bhikhiwind/Batala,
February 9
The BSF has started intensive
patrolling in all border towns where maximum migration of Hindus was
reported during the days of militancy. It is keeping a close watch on
the people visiting the border towns.
Warrior’s
descendants to honour jawans
Attari (Amritsar),
February 9
The SAD-BJP government which had
promised to give a governance on the pattern of the legendary Maharaja
Ranjit Singh failed to release Rs 5 lakh for the face-lifting of the
memorial to Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala, a great warrior in the
Maharaja’s regime, whose 156th death anniversary will be observed
here tomorrow.
NRI
lodges complaint against 2 ministers
Chandigarh, February 9
A Punjabi NRI, Mr Amarjit Singh
Dhillon, settled in Australia, has petitioned the Punjab Chief
Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to get his land vacated from one
Jarnail Singh alias Gogi, who has illegally grabbed it, reportedly at
the behest of two ministers, Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Mr Ajit
Singh Kohar.
Voting
allowed with ration card, driving licence
Faridkot, February 9
The Election Commission of India
has allowed all those voters who have not got made their photo
identity cards to exercise their franchise in the ensuing Assembly
poll in Punjab.
Campaigning
for drug-free poll
Talwandi Sabo,
February 9
Maqboolpura (the land of
the famous) a residential area located on the outskirts of
Amritsar, turned into a locality of widows and orphans as many
men have lost their lives to drug addiction.
Residents of Maqboolpura
take out a rally at Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, on Saturday. —
Photo Kulbir Beera |
 |
Gurdwara
comes to border villagers’ aid
Maude (Indo-Pak border),
February 9
Even as the state government
promises to provide food and other facilities to villagers of the
border belt of Ferozpore, Gurdaspur and Amritsar have proved hollow,
Gurdwara Ishar Parkash Dheena has come forward to help the people. The
locals who had moved to safer places due to heightened tension in the
region, have returned but are hungry and penniless. They feel the
state government has failed to come up to their expectations.
|
Sant Baba Mohan Singh while distributing flour and rice to the border villages at
Attari on Saturday.
— Photo Rajiv Sharma |
Widow
gets Rs 1 lakh interim relief
Chandigarh, February 9
Nearly 10 years after a Gurdaspur
district resident was killed in police custody, Mr Justice Adarsh
Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the
payment of Rs 1 lakh as interim compensation to the victim's widow
within six months.
Jobs
for 16 terrorist victims
Amritsar, February 9
The Department of Relief and
Resettlement in its first instalment has released a list of 16
candidates from the terrorist victim quota who were given jobs in
Ludhiana district.
Illicit
distillation of liquor: 5 held
Bathinda, February 9
The police has arrested five
persons allegedly involved in distillation of illicit liquor and
seized an illegal distillery, 300 kg lahan and 13 bottles of illicit
liquor. Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, said in a press note issued here
today that Gurdev Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Mithu Singh were arrested
when they were distilling liquor at Phulewala village.
60
polytechnics planned
Phagwara, February 9
The national coordinator of the
Community Polytechnic Scheme, Prof S. K. Chopra, said today that under
the expansion policy of the scheme. 60 more community polytechnics
were proposed to be opened by the Central Government, during the
current financial year.
|
