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SC tightens screws on tainted candidates
Sonia meets Haryana
candidates today
Cong rebels ignore Bhajan’s warning
Cong dissidents to back Venod Sharma
One-to-one contest with Cong: BJP
CPM not to back Cong
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All ministers to unfurl Tricolour
Chautala misleading people: Kuldeep
Vij party to anti-people
policies of INLD: Bansal
14 in fray for Kalka seat INLD Councillor, 3 others ‘join’ Congress
Decision on support after scrutiny: Mann
Teacher beats up students, one injured
12 hurt as auto-rickshaw overturns
Missing boy found murdered
Symposium on organic waste today
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SC tightens screws on tainted candidates
Chandigarh, January 18 The apex court held that it was the date of scrutiny of nomination papers which would be the date of reference to determine if a candidate was disqualified to contest an election on account of his being convicted and sentenced to an imprisonment of two years or more. Earlier, the apex court had taken the view that in a criminal case, “acquittal in appeal does not take effect merely from the date of the appellate order setting aside the conviction; it has the effect of retrospectively wiping out the conviction and the sentence awarded by the lower court.” Over-ruling the apex court’s
judgments in Manni Lal’s case and Vidya Charan Shukla’s case, the Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti, said: “Undoubtedly, the High Court is forming an opinion on the date of
judgment in an election petition but that opinion has to be formed by reference to the date of scrutiny, based not on such facts as can be fictionally deemed to have existed on a back date dictated by some subsequent event, but based on the facts as they had actually existed then, so as to find out whether the returning officer was right or wrong in his decision on scrutiny of nomination on the date of scrutiny. “The correctness or otherwise of such decision by the returning officer cannot be left to be determined by any event which may have happened between the date of scrutiny and the date of pronouncement of the
judgment by the High Court.” Now convicted persons, who might have obtained a stay order from the appellate court, would not be able to contest the elections if their sentence of imprisonment is two years or more. So far the practice had been that if a convicted person obtained a stay order from the appellate court, he could contest the election. The Bench also held that what was relevant for the purpose of determining disqualification of a candidate was the “actual period of imprisonment which any person convicted shall have to undergo or would have
undergone consequent upon the sentence of imprisonment pronounced by the
court... all other factors are irrelevant. “A person convicted may have filed an appeal. He may also have secured an order suspending execution of the sentence or the order appealed against...But that again would be of no consequence. A court of appeal is empowered to order that pending an appeal by a convicted person the execution of the sentence or order appealed against be suspended...What is suspended is not the conviction or sentence; it is only the execution of the sentence or order which is suspended.” The Bench quoted the
judgment of another Constitution Bench delivered in B.R. Kapur vs State of T.N. & Anr. to emphasis its view. In this case the court had held that “the conviction and sentence stand pending the decision in the appeal and for the purpose of a provision such as Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act are determinative of the disqualification...” The court also held that if a person had been sentenced to imprisonment for several offences in a single trial and the imprisonment was to be consecutively, the periods of all sentences of imprisonment would be totalled and if the total term of a person exceeded two years, he would not be qualified to contest an election. The Election Commission has clarified that if any sitting MLA or MP, who enjoys protection under Section 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act till the dissolution of the existing House to which he belongs, files his nomination for any election held subsequent to his conviction, either for constituting a new House on the dissolution of the existing House or even for a byelection to an existing House, he shall not get the protection of Section8(4). Section 8(4) provides that a sitting MLA or MP will not be disqualified from being a member from the date he is convicted. The disqualification shall not take effect for three months from the date of conviction. |
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23 nomination papers rejected
Ambala, January 18 In
Mullana, out of 12 candidates, four nomination papers have been rejected. Those rejected include Rajbir, Pushpa, Kashmiri Lal and Jagtar Singh. In Ambala city, five nomination papers were rejected and in Ambala Cantonment, nomination paper of Anjali was rejected. |
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Sonia meets Haryana
candidates today
New Delhi, January 18 Since it is the first of its kind, AICC leaders were quick to clarify that this meeting is only a ‘‘one-off’’ and will not become a precedent for other states or subsequent elections. Irrespective of the official explanations, the basic purpose of this meeting is to emphasise upon the state leaders to sink their differences and put up a united face in this election. It became imperative for Mrs Gandhi to step in since the state is headed for a crucial election next month and the Haryana Congress tops the list of faction-ridden state units. Moreover, the party is faced with a huge problem of rebellion as those denied the party ticket as well as leaders whose nominees have been ignored, are all sulking and even threatening to contest against the official candidates as Independents. Mr Janardan Dwivedi, AICC General Secretary in charge of Haryana, however, maintained the meeting was organised essentially to enable the candidates and Mrs Gandhi to get acquainted with each other. He explained that unlike the state
leaders, who meet the Congress President in the course of discussions on ticket distribution, the candidates do not get a similar opportunity. At the same time, they will be able to collect all the publicity material, Mr Dwivedi said, which will save them an extra trip. The meeting has been confined to the Haryana contestants in view of the state's proximity to the Capital. Candidates from Bihar and Jharkhand, he said, would not be able to spare the time for such a journey at this critical juncture. |
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Cong rebels ignore Bhajan’s warning
Sonepat, January 18 The sitting MLA, Mr Dev Raj Dewan, and former general secretary of the HVP, Mr Rajiv Jain, who were denied the party ticket, will contest as NCP and Independent candidates, respectively, from the Sonepat Assembly constituency. Former minister Kripa Ram Punia has filed his nominations from the Baroda (Reserve) constituency, which he represented from 1987 to 1991. He had applied for the Congress ticket from this constituency but was denied the same. The Congress has fielded a new face, Mr Ram Pal Rukhi, in the election. Similarly Mr Sukhbir Farmana, who had contested the last two Assembly elections as an Independent and was denied the Congress ticket this time, filed his nominations as the NCP candidate from the Rohat constituency from where 22 candidates have filed their nominations. Former minister Krishna Gahlaut is the Congress Candidate from this seat. Two office-bearers of the HPCC, Mr Satpal Singh Chauhana and Mr Ranjit Kaushik, who also could not get the party ticket, have filed their nominations from the Rai constituency in protest against the nomination of Mr Ramesh Kaushik, a former minister, as the Congress candidate from this constituency. Another rebel Mr Nirmal Chaudhary, filed nominations from the Kailana constituency from where 18 other candidates have filed their nominations. Sitting MLA Jitender Malik is the Congress nominee who contested the last Assembly election and got nearly 10,000 votes as an Independent. From Gohana as many as 12 candidates have filed their nominations. |
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Cong dissidents to back Venod Sharma
Ambala, January 18 In a meeting held today, office-bearers of the District Congress Committee, Ambala City, and other Congress ticket hopefuls decided that they would lend support to Mr Sharma. Later talking to mediapersons, Mr Sharma claimed that all Congress activists of Ambala City would back him in his campaigning. Mr Sharma said that prominent leaders who had extended support to him included Mrs Kiran Bala Jain, Mr Arun Garg, Mr Ramesh Singla, Mr Tehal Ram, Mr Dharampal Chadha, Mr Harish
Sasan, Mr Tarun Chugh, Mrs Amarjeet Kaur Sodhi, Mr Puran Saini, Mr Balwant Gupta and Congress Municipal Councillors of Ambala City. Incidentally, Mr Balwant Gupta had telephonically lent his support since he was out of station. Mr Sharma said the issue of poor governance by the Chautala government was also discussed in the meeting. Incidentally, Mr Vinod Sharma is the richest candidate in the fray here. His assets include cash of Rs 8.90 lakh, Rs 7.30 lakh in Canara Bank branch and another bank in Chandigarh, Rs 14,939 in the SBI, Rs 74,634 in the UTI, and Rs 6,500 in the PNB. He has Rs 3.30 lakh in Canara Bank in New Delhi. His investments in bonds include Rs 45 lakh, Rs 3.5 lakh, Rs 112.45 lakh, Rs 7.5 lakh, Rs 101.7 lakh and Rs 1.24 crore. Mr Sharma has agricultural land worth Rs 14 lakh, Rs 32 lakh, Rs 7 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. He owns lands in Chandigarh worth Rs 1.04 crore. He owns commercial buildings worth Rs 60 lakh and Rs 27 lakh. He also owns gold worth Rs 2 lakh. |
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One-to-one contest with Cong: BJP
New Delhi, January 18 Mr Chauhan, who is also the party in charge for Haryana, also rejected the idea that the BJP had made a “historic blunder” by not aligning with the erstwhile Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) led by Bhansi Lal, who subsequently merged his party with the Congress. “It is quite clear that the contest this time is going to be a direct one between the BJP and the Congress as there is an overwhelming anti-feeling against Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Government,” Mr Chauhan said adding that the BJP would target both the Congress and INLD on the corruption plank. The BJP leader, who was here to finalise the schedules of public meetings of the party’s top leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and party president L. K .Advani, said the Congress would also have to do a lot of explanation on the SYL issue. |
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CPM not to back Cong
Hisar, January 18 Mr Gorakhpuria said the CPM had fielded Mr Satbir Singh from Hisar, Mr Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria from Fatehabad, former MLA Harpal Singh from Tohana, Mr Prakash from Jind and Mr Prem Singh Saini from Kaithal. |
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All ministers to unfurl Tricolour
Chandigarh, January 18 The state level Republic Day function of Haryana will be held at Ambala where Haryana Governor, A.R. Kidwai would unfurl the National Flag. The ‘At Home’ would also be organised at Ambala the same evening. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, will hoist the National Flag at Panchkula. The Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, will unfurl the National Flag at Rohtak, Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, at Bhiwani, Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh, at Panipat, Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar, at Faridabad, and Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, at Gurgaon. The Minister of State for Health, Dr M.L. Ranga, will hoist the National Flag at Jind, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Mr Mohd Ilyas at Hisar, Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr Risal Singh at Kaithal, Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr Subhash Goyal, at Fatehabad, Minister of State for Education, Mr Bahadur Singh, at Jhajjar and Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Pal Majra at Karnal. The Chief Secretary, Mr Sunil Ahuja, will hoist the National Flag at Kurukshetra, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Printing and Stationery, Mr G. Madhwan at Narnaul, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Science and Technology, Ms Veena Eagleton at Rewari, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr B.D. Dhalia, at Yamunanagar, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Revenue, Mr K.C. Sharma, at Sirsa and Commissioner, Rohtak Division, Rohtak, will unfurl the National Flag at Sonepat. |
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Chautala misleading people: Kuldeep
Hisar, January 18 He said Mr Chautala was trying to mislead the people of the state by making all sorts of false promises to them. He took exception to Mr Chautala’s recent statement in which he had termed Mr Bhajan Lal as a liar. |
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Vij party to anti-people
policies of INLD: Bansal
Ambala, January 18 Talking to media persons here today, Mr Devender Bansal said that Mr Anil Vij has always extended support to Mr Om Prakash Chautala inside and outside the Haryana Assembly. Mr Devender Bansal said that he will be according top priority to development. “Development has stopped in Ambala Cantt for the past 10 years and people have not got jobs. I am keen that modernisation of industries takes place. Even computer industry can be encouraged here,” he said. He said that he will try to enlarge the industrial area so that more land is available at a reasonable cost. “We need to help exports so that the industries grow and prosper,” he said. “NOC is a major problem and this is only in Ambala Cantt. Roads need to be improved,” he added. Meanwhile, the Congress rebel candidate, Mr Hira Lal Yadav, today said he will be lodging a complaint with the Election Commission over a pamphlet which has been distributed in different parts of Ambala Cantt. “The pamphlet shows that I am seeking support for Mr Bansal and it is clearly a political mischief. Even the name of the printer is not mentioned,” he added. Mr Yadav said that they will seek legal opinion over the matter. He said that they will be meeting the Election Commission observer and bring the matter to his notice. |
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14 in fray for Kalka seat Panchkula, January 18 Mr Dahiya said the nomination of the BJP candidate, Mr Sham Lal Bansal, could not be cancelled on the ground that he was a government contractor. He said that only in case Mr Bansal were a blacklisted government contractor, or owed some dues to the government, could there be a ground for rejection —which was not true in Mr Bansal’s case. Since his nomination was accepted, the nomination papers of the covering candidate was automatically rejected. Other than the two candidates themselves — Mr Bansal , Mr Ram Gopal and Mr Ajmer Singh, both independents, representatives of other candidates were present while the nomination papers were being scrutinised. None of the candidates, or their representatives, raised any objection for any candidate in the poll fray. The candidates who are now in the fray are: Mr Chander Mohan — Congress, Mr Pavan Randhawa — BSP, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary — INLD, Mr Sham Lal Bansal — BJP, Mr Surinder Singh, — Ekta Shakti party. The independent candidates are: Mr Ajmer Singh, Mr Babu Singh, Mr Pradeep Sharma, Mr Jagdish Kashyap, Mr Ram Gopal, Mr Inderjeet, Mr Deepak Kumar, Mr Sanjeev Katoch and Mr Charanjit Singh.
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INLD Councillor, 3 others ‘join’ Congress Panchkula, January 18 Meanwhile, the party candidate, Mr Chander Mohan, inaugurated the party office at Morni and also addressed an election meeting there. The INLD candidate, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, today toured as many as 16 villages of Barwala and addressed election meetings at various villages. He criticised the economic policies of the Congress and said the Congress was pro-rich. He said the INLD had worked for the uplift of people and development of the state. The BJP candidate, Mr Sham Lal Bansal, also toured villages in Barwala and the Raipur Rani block today. He criticised the Congress and asked the people to vote for the BJP, which would bring a new era of development. He also critised the Congress candidate, Mr Chander Mohan, saying that he had not worked for the development of the constituency.
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Decision on support after scrutiny: Mann
Karnal, January 18 Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President of SAD (A), revealed this to this correspondent after holding discussion with the state unit of his party here yesterday. He said the main reason for not supporting the INLD was that it had not fulfilled the promises made to the Sikhs in the state. He said Mr Chautala had not granted the second language status to Punjabi even as the ground realities were realistically favourable and also did not fulfil the promise to rename Kurukshetra University to Guru Gobind Singh University. He alleged that the INLD leader and his family had betrayed the Sikhs, who had always supported the party. |
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Teacher beats up students, one injured
Sonepat, January 18 According to a report, the injured student was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. It is alleged that the name of the student was deleted from the attendance register in spite of depositing the fee regularly by him. When the student failed in his efforts to satisfy the teacher on this issue, he brought his nephew with him in the school, who convinced the teacher. Then the teacher allowed him to sit in the class. During a period in the classroom, a student created a nuisance and the teacher became angry. He asked all students to stand up in the class and started beating the students with a stick. When the stick was broken, he started kicking them. On seeing Sandeep in the classroom, the teacher became more angry and he roughed up Sandeep. When this fact was brought to the knowledge of Sandeep’s parents, they rushed to the school and took Sandeep to the hospital. |
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12 hurt as auto-rickshaw overturns
Sonepat, January 18 According to police sources, the auto-rickshaw was on its way from Thana Kalan village to Kharkhauda town. The driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle. The auto-rickshaw fell in a roadside “khud”. The injured students have been identified as Neha, Annu, Seema, Mukesh, Nisha, Sarita, Naveen and Rekha. The injured were admitted to a private hospital and stated to be out of danger. No case has been registered in this connection. In another incident, two persons were injured when their motor cycles collided on GT Road, near Rai village, here today. The injured were taken to the hospital and were stated to be out of danger. |
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Missing boy found murdered
Yamunanagar, January 18 The police did not rule out it to be a case of witchcraft. According to police sources, Mukesh, a student of Class III in a government school, had gone missing in the evening. The body of Mukesh was found lying in bushes along the village’s cattle pound. The postmortem on the body could not be performed today. The police has registered a case of murder. |
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Symposium on organic waste today
Hisar, January 18 It will be held in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The HAU Vice-Chancellor, Mr M.K.Miglani, will inaugurate the symposium. There would be five technical sessions during the symposium, he added. |
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