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Leadership issue wide
open: Hooda
Chautala’s men purchasing votes: Surjewala
Cong moots manifesto implementation panel
Flag march by Tamil Nadu cops
SGPC nod ‘not’ needed for HSGPC
Notice on plea challenging
EC orders
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EC orders probe
For Punjabis of
Narwana, development core issue
I will retire if BJP fails to get majority: Ganeshi
Two HCS officers to
be chargesheeted
Security beefed up for poll
Cong observer seeks
additional forces
Jindal’s wife seeks votes
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Leadership issue wide
open: Hooda
Chandigarh, February 2 In a statement issued here, Mr Hooda said it was absurd to say that corruption charges against Mr Chautala had become meaningless. In fact, he said, the Assembly elections in Haryana were being fought on the issue of corruption by Mr Chautala and his family. Mr Hooda, who extensively campaigned for his party during the campaign period, said he had visited more than 50 constituencies of the state and everywhere the people talked of corruption by the ruling family. He said the Chautala family had centralised all power and its fruits in its own hands and there was not even a single development work in the state where funds had not been siphoned off. Mr Hooda, on whose disposal the AICC had kept a helicopter for campaigning in the state, particularly in those constituencies where the presence of the Jats is sizeable, said the farming community, which used to be the mainstay of the INLD, had been completely enchanted with the Chautalas. The main reason behind their disenchantment was the way in which Mr Chautala first befooled them and then let lose a reign of terror on them when the farmers reminded him of their promises. The Congress leader said it was strange that Mr Tarlochan Singh was trying to dismiss corruption charges against Mr Chautala so lightly when it was no secret that the INLD leader had set new records in corruption. Rohtak: Mr Hooda reiterated that the question of leadership of the Congress Legislature Party after tomorrow’s poll was still wide open. Mr Hooda said he had noticed newspaper reports in which some Congress leaders had claimed that they would head the Congress Government because of their “larger share” in party ticket. Mr Hooda said he had spoken to the general secretary in charge of Haryana and he had clearly stated that the Congress had not gone to the polls projecting any individual leader as its candidate for the post of Chief Minister. This issue remained wide open, he asserted. Asked if he, too, was nurturing hopes of occupying the coveted post he said: “I am no saint. I am a politician. If the party entrusts this responsibility to me, I will humbly accept it and discharge my duties to the best of my ability”. He said after the Congress was voted to power, it would review the taxation policy to provide relief to all sections of society. He said the Congress was not averse to VAT but it would not implement it in isolation like the Chautala government had done. Besides, he said the hike in house tax rates by the Chautala Government would be withdrawn. Mr Hooda said his party would review the education policy to curb commercialisation of education. Though it was not averse to privatisation of education, it should not be pro-rich, he said. Every deserving student must be able to pursue his or her career whether the parents can afford it or not, he added.
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Chautala’s men purchasing votes: Surjewala
Chandigarh, February 2 Mr Surjewala, who is also the working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, urged the EC to immediately depute additional forces to check poll malpractices. He also urged the EC to register criminal cases against persons (including former Haryana Public Service Commission chairman K.C. Bangar) who were named by him in his complaint as being involved in these activities. Mr Surjewala also requested the EC to ask the Election Observer to start night patrolling in Scheduled Caste colonies in the Narwana constituency to prevent untoward incidents from taking place. According to Mr Surjewala’s complaint, one Ajay Pal, son of Jaswant, a resident of Panniwala Mota, Sirsa, was caught yesterday while distributing money to voters. An amount of Rs 10,000 in cash in currency notes of Rs 500 was recovered from him. His accomplices, K.C. Bangar, who is office in charge of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Narwana, and Meenu Beniwal, also a resident of Sirsa district and housekeeper of Mr Chautala’s son Ajay’s residence in Delhi, ran away from the spot. Ajay Pal confessed that money was being distributed on behalf of Mr Chautala since January 29. He also gave details of five teams prepared by the Chief Minister for this purpose. He also told that on January 29 the INLD candidate (Mr Chautala) had smuggled in one bag with pistols and other firearms. The weapons were being stored in a house near the railway crossing in Dhani, Narwana. Ajay Pal, according to the Congress candidate’s complaint said that accomplices of dreaded criminal Krishan Pahelwan, lodged in Rohtak jail, had infiltritated in Narwana to help Mr Chautala in the elections.
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Cong moots manifesto implementation panel
Gurgaon, February 2 Mr Bansal, who was here, said the Congress was certain to form the government in the state and the government would be different as far as its functioning was concerned in comparison to the earlier governments in the state. Mr Bansal’s statement on the issue assumes significance in the light of Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s views expressed during her election related meeting at Nuh in Gurgaon district that she would personally monitor the functioning of the Congress Government in the state. Mr Bansal, whom the party leaders give credit for having played a signficant role in organising the faction-ridden leaders and party workers for Mrs Gandhi’s public meetings in some parts of Haryana, responded to a question saying the party was trying to encourage youths to play a prominent role in the party affair. However, more needs to be done on this front, he added. He said the party gave ticket to many young faces in Haryana, but there was always room for improvement on this front. When pointed out that the Opposition’s charges of the Congress-led goverment pursuing faulty economic policies, he said the Congress was of the view that some amendments need to be done in the economic policy which was envisaged in 1991. The rethink in the party was in favour of liberalisation policy with a “human face”. The new slogan of the party: Congress ke
haath, garribo ke saath”, is just the reflection of the new thinking process in the organisation. He agreed that the presence of the Congress rebels in the elections in Haryana would somewhat affect the chances of the offical nominiees of the party. However, the rebels who refused to heed the party’s dictates to step down have been suspended from the party. Mr Bansal, who is MLA from Uttar Pradesh, responded to another question saying the political awareness among the people of Haryana was high and it augured well for the political process in the state. |
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Flag march by Tamil Nadu cops
Sonepat, February 2 According to official sources, at least 600 personnel of Tamil Nadu Police had arrived last week to ensure free and fair Assembly elections in Sonepat district. The District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr Vidya Dhar, has ordered the deployment of two companies of Tamil Nadu Police in Gohana and Baroda Assembly constituencies and one company in Kailana and Rai assembly segments of this district. Moreover, the state police and the home guards were also being deployed for the smooth conduct of the election process. Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made in the six Assembly segments of the district in view of the Assembly elections scheduled to be held tomorrow. The district and police authorities are in touch with their counterparts in Delhi and UP in order to check the movement of anti-social elements and criminals from these states into Haryana. Patrolling is also being conducted along the Yamuna bed to check the entry of anti-social elements and the criminals into the district. |
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SGPC nod ‘not’ needed for HSGPC
Panipat, February 2 Talking to The Tribune, the president of the
HSGPC, Mr Jagdish Singh Jhinda, said Bibi Jagir Kaur had tried to misguide the Sikhs of Haryana by giving such statements during election rallies of the INLD in different parts of the state. Mr Jhinda said a bill for creating a separate gurdwara parbandhak committee was required to be passed by the Haryana Assembly as in the case of the Wakf Board for Haryana. The president of the
HSGPC, which had won seven out of a total 11 SGPC seats of Haryana last year, also criticised Bibi Jagir Kaur for campaigning in favour of the INLD in the ensuing Assembly elections. Being president of the highest body of the Sikhs, she should not have participated in the electioneering, he added. In reply to a question, he further said that the SGPC Act should be amended to impose a ban on its president's participation in any type of electioneering. When contacted, Bibi Jagir said she had been campaigning for that party which had been spreading the religion. Mr Jhinda blamed SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal for forcing them to support the Congress in the ensuing Assembly elections. He said he had met Mr Badal on July 30 last year requesting him to create a separate HSGPC but he expressed his helplessness in the matter. The president of the HSGPC said both Mr Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur were trying to divide the Sikhs of Haryana by supporting the ruling INLD. In reply to a question, he said they had taken the decision to support the Congress for safeguarding the interests of the Sikhs of the state as it had included their demand for creation of a separate HSGPC in its manifesto. Mr Jhinda said the SAD had done nothing for Sikhs of Haryana since the creation of separate state in 1966. The SAD leadership had just used them for their personal interests, he said accusing Mr Badal of opening a luxury hotel on several acres after land allotted from the state government at a throwaway price. |
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Notice on plea challenging
EC orders
Chandigarh, February 2 In his petition, Mr Jaiveer Dhanda of Hansi (Hisar) stated that he was selected for the post of District Education Officer by the Haryana Public Service Commission and he received his letter of appointment on December 14, 2004. However, despite the fact that the model code of conduct came into force on December 17, he was refused permission to join in his place of posting. After hearing his counsel, the Bench of Mr Justice JS Khehar and Mr Justice Tapan Sen issued notice of motion for February 8. Meanwhile, on a similar petition the same Bench issued notice of motion for February 8. This petition was filed by Mr Satinder Kumar of village Dawlan in Jind district. The petitioner, who was selected for one of the 24 posts of lecturer in the school cadre, was not allowed to join at his place of posting at Senior Secondary School, Badwas, on the plea that the code of conduct was in place. |
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Tribune Impact Exclusion of servicemen from voters’ list Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 2 An observer deputed by the Election Commission was in Ambala today to ascertain facts in this regard. In a letter written to the Chief Election Commissioner, the Defence Minister and the Army Headquarters yesterday, locally based All-India Veteran’s Core Group had pointed out that servicemen based in Ambala would not be able to exercise their Following a telephonic talk with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Mr T. Krishnamurthy today, the Group’s president, Brig H.S. Ghuman (retd) said the CEC told him that appropriate action would be taken once the observer Army sources in Ambala confirmed that an officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of Delhi, nominated as the observer by the Commission, had held discussions with senior Army officers at the station today. In its letter yesterday, the Group had claimed that despite the local military authorities seeking registration forms (Form-6) from the civilian administration in December and then again in January, these were not made available. A nominal roll of eligible service voters in Ambala was also provided to the administration, but to no effect.
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Kalpana’s death anniversary goes unnoticed
Karnal, February 2 Only a small function was held at Tagore Public School here yesterday to pay tributes to the ‘school’s lost hero’. Kalpana Chawla did her schooling from this school. All major political parties like the Congress, the BJP and the INLD had in the past, after her sudden demise, publicly announced to set up a medical college in her memory at Karnal. These political parties did not pay tributes to a woman on her death anniversary, who throughout the country, was seen as a role model for girl students to pursue higher studies in aviation and astronomy. Two years after her demise, allegations and counter-allegations by leaders of the Congress, the BJP and the INLD against one another for not fulfilling the promise of establishing a medical college in Kalpana’s memory here has left the voters wondering about the credibility of the local leaders of these parties. Earlier, a BJP leader and the then Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr C.P. Thakur, even before the demise of Kalpana Chawla, had announced in 2000 the setting up of a medical college here. Later, after the death of Kalpana Chawla, Mr I.D. Swami, BJP leader, and the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, jointly promised to name the medical college after Kalpana Chawla but nothing has been done in this regard till date. The INLD candidate, Mr Dharam Pal Gupta, had alleged that Ms Sushma Swaraj, the then Union Health Minister, had intentionally not sanctioned the medical college as she never got elected from Karnal despite the fact that she contested the Lok Sabha elections on three occasions from here. On the other hand, the state general secretary of the BJP, Mr Bharat Bhushan, has alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr Chautala, had requested the Union Government to shift the site of the medical college to be built in the memory of Kalpana Chawla to Kurukshetra “ditching” Karnal where she was born and brought up. The logic behind setting up of a medical college in Karnal was that it would not only benefit the people of this area but would also reduce the burden on hospitals in the neighbouring cities of New Delhi and Chandigarh.
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For Punjabis of
Narwana, development core issue
Hansdehar (Jind),
February 2 “All our relatives are in the neighbouring Patiala and Sangrur districts”, says Ranjit Singh of this village. It is not only a matter of relatives, these villages, which are predominantly populated with
sikhs, also turn to Punjab for practical reasons. “The town of Khanauri in Punjab is a few kilometers away while Narwana is 20 km from here”, says Ranjit while explaining why Punjab plays a role in not only the life of the people but also its politics. “Even today people of this village expect the Punjab government to improve the state of roads connecting their villages to
Khanauri”, says Jasbir Singh of Datasinghwala. This, he says, is because roads near the borders of both states are usually in a state of disrepair. “A Congress Government in Punjab can help us in this after the elections”, says Jasbir. It is the need of these works and others including revenue and police matters that Punjab Congress leaders are cashing upon to garner support for Congress nominee Randeep Singh
Surjewala. Punjab Congress Vice President Vijay Inder Singh Singla, who is camping in these villages on behalf of Randeep since the last fortnight, says Punjab Congress party workers have been able to sway the Punjabis of Narwana towards the Congress. “Even if you forget old ties, the people of Punjabi dominated villages are full of rage against INLD candidate and former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala for ignoring them completely while bestowing jobs in the constituency”, Mr Singla added. This is one sentiment which is reflected in all the dozen Sikh dominated villages in the constituency. Mr Gauri Shankar, a former legislator, says jobs have been doled out to favourites only in the Narwana assembly segment and that the people at large have not been benefitted by the largess. “There are examples where a village with only 750 votes has been able to garner 20 government jobs during Chautala’s rule”, he adds. Punjab Congress workers are upbeat about the party’s chances. Local leader Jagtar Singh Dhanaula says the Congress may have been traditionally weak in this area because of the strong Akali presence in the Malwa belt of Punjab. “This has, however, changed in the present election with Punjabis supporting Randeep with the hope that he will look into their problems in case he gets the top post in the State in case of a Congress win”, Mr Dhanaula adds. He says senior Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who campaigned in the area yesterday, and even former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok
Gehlot, who targeted the Saini votes, are likely to make their presence in the election. |
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I will retire if BJP fails to get majority: Ganeshi
Chandigarh, February 2 He was addressing a press conference at the media centre set up by BJP here. It is widely anticipated that the BJP has no chance of getting a majority in Haryana Assembly and it can only try to improve its 2000 Assembly election tally of six in the 90-member House. The BJP President, who was a member of the HVP-BJP Council of Ministers’ at first said that he would be thinking of retiring from politics if the BJP did not get majority. The statement created some confusion and Mr Ganeshi Lal, responding to questions, said thinking of quitting politics and actually quitting was one and the same thing. |
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Two HCS officers to
be chargesheeted
Chandigarh, February 2 The former Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, had yesterday alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was ignoring the directions of the Election Commission in this regard and was protecting the two brothers, who had left their places of posting and openly campaigning in violation of the code of conduct. Mr Bansi Lal had also demanded the dismissal of the Chautala Government on the ground that the constitutional machinery had broken down in the state. According to informed sources, the government has decided to chargesheet Mr Jagdeep Singh, who is working in the Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board, and Mr Sandeep Singh, who is working with
HAFED, under Rule 7 of the disciplinary rules. Another close relative of Mr Bahadur Singh, who is posted as the District Probationary Officer in Bhiwani, has been asked by the Director-General, Prisons, Mr
A.S. Bhatotia, to remain at the head office till the completion of the election process following complaints that he was caught carrying liquor in his vehicle last night. Mr Bansi Lal’s son-in-law, Mr
Somvir, is the Congress candidate from Loharu. |
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Security beefed up for poll
Panchkula, February 2 As Kalka has been declared a sensitive constituency, heavy police deployment and setting up of police pickets at various entry and exit points of Panchkula can cause traffic snarls throughout the day. Though the police says all 21 pickets being set up in the district will be well manned (each with an ASI/SI, one head constable and three constables), and thus no traffic diversions have been made. But the random checking of vehicles is most likely to create traffic jams. Over 1300 cops will be on duty in the Kalka constituency. Four reserves of policemen will be kept ready for any eventuality, with an inspector of police heading each reserve. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Headquarters, Mr Desh Bandhu, will oversee the police arrangements tomorrow. Meanwhile, the polling parties, police guards and electronic voting machines have been dispatched to the 264 polling booths in the constituency this evening. As many as 77 vehicles (trucks, jeeps and canters) have been sent to the polling booths from the BEL Colony, Sector 14, where the EVMs are kept. The polling parties, police and home guard volunteers have also been sent to these booths. Almost 90 jawans from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will also reach here tomorrow. They will be manning the EVMs, to be kept in the BEL Colony, Sector 14, after the polling is over. These machines will be transported back from the polling booths after 6 pm tomorrow. The last-minute campaign by the candidates continued in the Doon area of Pinjore and in Barwala block.Mr Chander Mohan, Congress candidate sought votes by going from one house to another in Sectors 4, 9,15, 17, and Berwala village. The INLD candidate, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, sought votes in Sector 15 and villages of Morni, Raipur Rani, and Pinjore. AMBALA: There is going to be strict restriction on vehicular movement in Ambala district on Tuesday. Civilian vehicles will not be allowed free movement. Only in emergencies or specific requirement like marriages the vehicle movement will be permitted. Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr R.P. Gupta, said there was a ban on civilian vehicular movement in view of polling. “Barring emergency, we will not allow civilian vehicles to ply in the district,” he added. “If there is requirement like marriage then written permission will be granted by the returning officer. Without the permission, the vehicles will not be allowed to ply. The ban will be strictly enforced throughout the district,” he said. Mr Gupta said the written permission of the returning officer would contain the registration number of the vehicle for which permission has been granted as well as the starting and destination point of the vehicle. “The vehicle will not be allowed to go anywhere else in the district,” he said. To a query, Mr Gupta said they had not yet received any information on mobile phones being jammed in Haryana tomorrow. “We have not received any such order,” he said.
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Cong observer seeks
additional forces
Bhiwani, February 2 Identifying such polling stations, he mentioned the names of Baliali, Buwani Khera town, Jamalpur, Bada Brahmin and Harita. Mr Pratap has mentioned the name of a brother of the INLD candidate Mr Raghubir Singh Ranga, who is Superintendent of Police at Panchkula, and alleged that apprehensions of rigging could not be dismissed lightly. |
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Jindal’s wife seeks votes
Hisar, February 2 Addressing a public meeting near Harihar Temple in Jawahar Nagar here yesterday, she exhorted the people to vote for the Congress nominee to get clean, transparent and honest governance. Ms Jindal asserted that an honest regime was a must to ensure development. Former MLA J.N. Verma, and the Principal of Vidya Devi Jindal School, Ms Shyama Kriplani, also addressed the gathering on this occasion. |
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Karnal, February 2
