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Cong,
BJP lists delayed Split
in BSP favours IJP Congress
open to alliance with Samajwadi Party BJP
leaders are opportunists, says Chautala Parties
fail to woo Vij Poll
information centre set up |
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Phone
numbers of poll officials released Transit
booths for anti-polio drive Fake
currency racket busted Sewing
centre opened Four
booked in dowry death case INLD leader shot at
High
Court Robbers
kill youth, injure 4 of family Cops’
body against political interference
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Cong, BJP lists delayed Chandigarh, April 1 According to informed sources, the Congress list is not expected to be out before April 4, while the BJP may delay announcing the names of the candidates for five of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana till April 6. The BJP has already renominated its five sitting MPs. The sources say while the BJP is delaying its complete list for “strategic reasons”, the Congress list has been delayed by the infighting within the state unit. Since the party’s screening committee could not finalise the candidates, the matter was left for the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who was expected to clear the list yesterday. Today she left for Maharashtra and is not expected back in Delhi before April 4, when she may finalise the candidates for Haryana. The BJP, fortunately, is not facing any such problem. But the party is waiting for the Congress list. Since the party does not have strong candidates among its own ranks, it is hoping that some of the unsuccessful aspirants for the Congress ticket may cross over to the BJP. Even before the Congress list is out, dissidence has broken out among the rank and file of the party in various constituencies. The worst is Ambala, from where it is reported that a former Union Deputy Minister, Ms Selja, may contest the Lok Sabha election. In that case she would be leaving her traditional seat, Sirsa, which had been held for a number of terms by her father, the late Mr Dalbir Singh, also. Several grassroot Congress workers in Ambala are opposed to Ms Selja’s nomination from Ambala. They say when enough local talent is available, why an “outsider should be imported to Ambala by the Congress”. Interestingly, Ms Selja is the strongest possible Congress candidate from Sirsa, the native district of the ruling family of Haryana, the Chautalas. It is believed that Ms Selja is apprehensive that the Haryana Congress president, Mr Bhajan Lal, who has considerable hold over about 60,000 votes of his community, Bishnoi, may sabotage her election. She is a prominent member of the party faction opposed to Mr Bhajan Lal. Ms Selja, it seems, also does not want to come in direct confrontation with the Chautalas. Earlier also she had opted out of the contest from Sirsa when the Chautalas had assumed power in the state. If Ms Selja is opting out of Sirsa because of the fear of Mr Bhajan Lal, she is forgetting that in Ambala also, there may be many Bhajan-loyalists to sabotage her prospects. Mr Bhajan Lal’s elder son, Mr Chander Mohan, is an MLA from Kalka, which is part of the Ambala Lok Sabha constituency. It seems the Congress suffers not only from infighting but also from lack of confidence on part of its leaders. Observers feel that in the absence of Ms Selja from Sirsa, it will be very easy for the ruling Indian National Lok
Dal (INLD) to win that seat. Similarly, the party leaders are not been able to decide the candidate from the Hisar seat. Initial indications were that Mrs Gandhi had asked the All-India Youth Congress President, Mr Randeep Surjewala, to contest that seat. However, factions opposed to Mr Surjewala are projecting Mr Jai Prakash Barwala, MLA, as a better candidate. His supporters say that after his arrest, Mr Barwala will ride on the sympathy wave in the constituency for him. It seems that Mr Surjewala’s brilliance as a leader and as a
debater is coming in his way. The guiding philosophy of the factions opposed to him seems to be that if his march is not checked now, he can be a threat to other senior
leaders (or their wards) in future. Mr Barwala, on the other hand, has made it known that if he is denied the party ticket, he would not hesitate to contest the Hisar seat on the BJP ticket. The BJP is also waiting for the Congress decision on Mr Barwala, who has considerable influence in the constituency. If Mr Barwala contests on the BJP ticket and Mr Surjewala on the Congress ticket, it will be a triangular contest in Hisar. The INLD is happy over this possible scenario. The INLD and the HVP too are yet to announce their complete lists of candidates. |
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Split
in BSP favours IJP Chandigarh, April 1 Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a senior Congress party functionary and Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, and Ms Kartari Devi, a Scheduled Caste leader of the party from Rohtak district, met Mr Udit Raj, president of the IJP, in Delhi yesterday to seek his support. Mr Hooda confirmed the meeting but refused to divulge what transpired during the talks with Mr Udit Raj. “We talked about the Lok Sabha poll in Haryana. But it will be
too early to say anything more on this subject,” was all Mr Hooda was
prepared to say. Mr Udit Raj was also tightlipped about the discussion between him and the two Congress leaders from Haryana. Mr Raj is also president of the Confederation of All India SC/ST and BC Employees Organisations which got a lot of coverage for its drive to convert Dalits to Buddhists to protest against “subjugation of Dalits in the Brahmanical caste system”. The Confederation’s Haryana unit, too, had vigorously participated in carrying out conversions in the state. While the core support base of the IJP in Haryana still comprises the active members of the confederation, these members are not openly coming out in support of the party because of their employment in the government. The IJP today announced a list of 34 candidates in 10 states but it refrained from announcing any candidate from Haryana reportedly due to the ongoing talks with the Congress party. However, the demand of a strong section of the IJP for adjustment with the Congress for the Ambala seat, may not be met since Ms Selja, a former Union Minister, is herself a contender for the Congress ticket from that constituency. |
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Congress open to alliance with Samajwadi Party Yamunanagar, April 1 Mr Birendra Singh, former president of the Haryana Congress and political observer for Uttar Pradesh, talking to newspersons here today, said if Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was prepared for alliance then there would be no dispute over the allocation of the ticket. On whether Mr Mulayam Singh was ready to give 18 seats to the Congress out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh, he said it was not a big issue and things could be settled through talks. He said if the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal joined hands, the BJP would not win a single seat. The Congress had already tied up with several regional parties in Uttar Pradesh, including the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rashtrawadi Congress Party, National Loktantrik Party, Lokjan Shakti and the Muslim Front. The party had already left 12 seats for these parties in the state, Mr Birendra Singh said. About Haryana politics, he claimed the Congress would win all the 10 parliamentary seats as there was a wave in its favour. He said he would not contest the elections as he was busy in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Bhajan Lal, president of the Haryana Congress, and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Opposition in the state, would contest from Haryana. |
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BJP leaders are opportunists, says Chautala Rewari, April 1 He made this insinuation while addressing an election meeting at Berli Kalan village, 14 km from Rewari, today. Making a mention of Haryana BJP activists’ “nasty” conduct in the past four years Mr Chautala asserted that he continued to bear with all this despite provocations. Mr Chautala claimed that his government had spent Rs 25000 crore on development which, he asserted, had now made things all the more difficult for the BJP which was now dithering even in the announcement of its candidates for the various parliamentary seats. He called upon people to vote for INLD candidate Swami Dharam Dev who, he said, epitomized righteousness. Later talking to newsmen the Chief Minister informed that he had asked the Governor to accept the resignation of Co-Operation Minister Kartar Singh Bhadana. He also went on to say that the resignation posed no danger to the stability of his government. |
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Parties fail to woo Vij Ambala, April 1 Mr Vij said neither he nor his supporters were going to campaign for any political party. “We are not going to be associated with any candidate,” he said. Candidates of different political parties have been hoping that Mr Vij will extend support to them. But their efforts seem to have come to a naught. The Bharatiya Janata Party as the well as Indian National Lok Dal had been banking upon direct support from Mr Vij. State BJP leaders have been in touch with Mr Anil Vij for the last couple of months to bring him back into the partyfold. Incidentally, when the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had visited Ambala Sadar to address a public meeting, Mr Vij had not shared the dais with him. He was, however, present in the vicinity of the public meeting. |
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Poll information centre set up Kaithal, April 1 Talking to mediapersons, after inaugurating the service centre here
yesterday the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal, said the voters could get complete information regarding their votes on the computer screen with the pressing of a button . Mr Agarwal said full information regarding voters’ lists of all the five Assembly constituencies had been stored in the computer and the voters could get the desired information in no time. He informed that a helpline service with telephone No 235568 had also been introduced in the District Election Office at Mini Secretariat here to provide necessary information regarding the Lok Sabha poll. Answering queries regarding the model code of conduct, the Deputy Commissioner said all hoardings installed in the district at government expenses had been removed as per directions of the Election Commission and three sites had been fixed for the installation of hoardings and banners by different political parties in the town. But prior permission from the SDO (Civil) was mandatory before putting banners or installing hoardings at these places . He added that banners and hoardings at private buildings could also be put up with the consent of owners of such buildings but no government building could be used for this purpose. The necessary permission for the use of loudspeakers was also mandatory and such permission can be sought from the SDM concerned. Mr Sanjay Rai, SDM, Mr Dharmender Singh, City Magistrate and Mr M. S. Goyat, DRO, and Mr Ved Parkash, DPRO, were present at the function. |
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Phone numbers of poll officials released Fatehabad, April 1 He said Mr D. Suresh, Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa, had been appointed returning officer. He would be available at telephone numbers 01666-220202 and 01666-221212. He said the assistant returning officer for the Bhattu Kalan assembly segment was Mr Jaikaran
Balhara, District Development and Panchayat Officer. He would be available on telephone numbers 01667-230013 and 01667-223100. Mr Satbir Singh Saini, SDM, Tohana, would be assistant returning officer for Tohana Assembly segment. His telephone numbers were 01692-230280, 01692-2304590 and 01692-231397. He said Mr O.P. Verma, District Revenue Officer, Fatehabad, would be assistant returning officer for Rattia Assembly segment. His phone numbers were 01667-230018 and 01667-223246. Mr Subhash
Sheoran, SDM, Fatehabad, would be assistant returning officer for Fatehabad Assembly segment. His numbers were 01667-230011 and 01667-220058. |
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Transit booths for anti-polio drive Chandigarh, April 1 Stating this here today, the Director-General, Health Services, Dr B.S. Dahiya, said the pulse polio immunisation booths would be manned by 60,000 vaccinators drawn from Health and Education Department, Integrated Child Development Services Scheme and non-government organisations. He said 2500 supervisors would also be pressed into service to monitor the functioning of the vaccination teams and to ensure that no child was
left un-immunised. He said independent monitors from the World Health Organisation, medical colleges, voluntary sector and also the officers of the Health Department and the district administration would be monitoring the activity to ensure quality and complete coverage of the targeted children. |
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Fake currency racket busted Kurukshetra, April 1 The district police chief, Mr Yogender Nehra, said following a tip-off, three persons were arrested while manufacturing fake currency notes at Ataari Colony, Shahbad
(Markanda), 25 km from here, yesterday. A computer, coloured printer and material used for manufacturing fake currency was seized by the police. Fake currency of Rs 4,150 and genuine currency worth Rs 700 was also seized from their possession. The arrested persons were later identified as Dilbagh, a resident of Jhijhana Farm, Muzaffarnagar (UP), Chaman Lal, a resident of Ratgal village near Shahbad
(Markanda), and Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Ataari Mohalla, Shahbad (Markanda). Zile Singh and Badri Nath two other alleged members of the gang, manage to escape, Mr Nehra added. A case under Sections 498-A, 498-B, 498-C, 485, 420 and 120-B of the IPC, has been registered against all five persons. Meanwhile, those arrested were produced before Mr Krishan Kumar, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kurukshetra. They have been remanded in the police custody for three days. |
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Sewing centre opened Kurukshetra, April 1 Stating this here today the bank’s District Manager, Mr J.S. Bansal, said the women of the rural areas would get training in cutting, tailoring and embroidery free of cost at the newly inaugurated centre while both men and women would make use of the library having books newspapers and periodicals. The bank had donated 10 sewing machines and one embroidery machine for the training of women, Mr Bansal added. Mr Jass distributed school bags, school uniforms and the stationery among 80 girls students hailing from the weaker sections of the society. |
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Four booked in dowry death case Sirsa, April 1 The Rania police of the district has registered a dowry death case against all four accused, including the
husband and the mother-in-law of the victim, the police
said today. Manjoo, a resident of Jodhpuria village (Sirsa) married Ramesh a resident of Hisar two years ago. The police sources said that since her marriage her husband and mother-in-law started harassing her and after sometime kicked her out of her matrimonial house and
the victim sought refuge in at her parent’s house in Jodhpuria. A few days back Ramesh accompanied by Billoo and his father Amar Singh went to Jodhpuria and beat her up. A seriously injured Manjoo was admitted to Civil Hospital Sirsa where she succumbed to her injuries yesterday. The body of the deceased was handed over to her kin today. The police on the complaint Koiela Devi mother of the
victim has registered a case
of dowry death against all
four. — PTI |
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INLD leader shot at Ambala, April 1 Mr Amrik Singh is a close associate of a Sadhaura MLA, Mr Balwant Singh. Mr Balwant Singh is the INLD nominee for the Ambala Lok Sabha seat. The shooting incident took place when Mr Amrik Singh was on his way to his shop in the Saha grain market. He runs a commission agent shop. Mr Amrik Singh hails from Kardhan village. While passing near Kharukhera village on the busy Ambala-Jagadhri road at about 9 a.m., a person standing there shot him twice at close range. Mr Amrik Singh tried to escape and drove away on his scooter. However, he collapsed near a dhaba owned by Mahinder Singh. Amrik Singh was rushed to Civil Hospital, cantonment. He was later referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. According to police officials, Mr Amrik Singh sustained two bullet injuries. While one bullet hit him on the arm, the second one hit him on the thigh. His condition is stated to be stable. Police officials are working on different angles, including the possibility of some old rivalry. Officials believe that the incident is not politically motivated. |
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10-year jail for cop in teacher murder case Ambala, April 1 According to prosecution, Sushila Kumari was employed as a junior lecturer in Government Senior Secondary School for Girls in Hisar. She was abducted by four persons and later her body was found in a canal at Hisar. The police had registered a case against Mukesh Kumar and three others in this regard on May 8, 1993. Sushila was known for her strict discipline in the school. In the 1993 plus two examination, she was appointed as an invigilator at an examination centre. She did not allow any of the candidates to copy in the examination centre. Some of the students and their guardians were irritated by her strict attitude. The wife of Mukesh Kumar, Mrs Santosh Kumari, had also been appearing in that centre. Shushila did not allow Santosh to copy in the examination. According to prosecution, Mukesh Kumar and others three hatched a conspiracy to abduct
Shushila. According to the complaint of the father of Shushila, she was abducted from the school and later her body was found in a canal. Various opposition political parties of Hisar had staged dharna against this incident in Hisar. Later the case was handed over to the CBI. Mr Raj Pal and Mr
I.S. Gill appeared on behalf of CBI and the complainant in the case. |
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High Court Chandigarh, April 1 The 16-year girl, hailing from a village in Karnal district, had sometime back appeared before a Bench of the High Court, seeking protection. She had told the Bench that a youth of the area had been forcing her into having sexual relations with him. She had also alleged that the local police was not coming to her rescue. After
hearing her story, the Bench had ordered that the case be treated as a petition. Today, after some arguments, the Bench comprising Mr Chief Justice B.K. Roy and Mr Justice Surya Kant directed the police to produce the girl in the court on the next date. The case will now come up on April 8.
TNS |
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Robbers kill youth, injure 4 of family Panipat, April 1 The incident took place about 2.30 am when the assailants broke into the house. Anshul, on seeing the robbers, raised the alarm. But he was caught by them and stabbed him in the stomach several times. Anshul’s sisters, Silpa and Sonam, were injured when they tried to help their brother. Mr Pawan Jindal and his wife Nirmala were held back at gunpoint. When they protested, one of the robbers stabbed Mr Jindal in the chest and his wife on her hand. The family was taken to a private hospital, where Anshul was declared brought dead. |
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Cops’ body
against political interference Rohtak, April 1 Sangh president Pradeep Chaudhary said here today that the body at a meeting here yesterday expressed serious concern over 'rising' political interference in the promotions and transfers of police personnel from the ranks of constable to Inspector-General. He observed that it would prove detrimental to democracy as these would be no rule of law if political interference in the state Police Department was not checked. Demanding implementation of the recommendations of the National Police Commissions, Mr Chaudhary said that the Sangh would submit its charter of demands to all candidates contesting the parliamentary elections.
— PTI |
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INLD leader Ram Kumar
dead Fatehabad, April 1 According to family sources, he was admitted to the PGI Rohtak four days back and died at 2.30 pm today. He will be cremated tomorrow. Mr Ram Kumar became Chairman of the Improvement Trust here in 1976 and remained president of the Bar Council here. |
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B.K. Sinha
new SAI Secretary Chandigarh, April 1 |
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Rs 13,000
looted Jind, April 1 |
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