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Gupta blames it on CM
Code violation by Gurkanwal: Probe ordered
SAD workers join Cong
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Parties in defacement loop
60-yr-old woman raped, murdered
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Gupta blames it on CM
Jalandhar, January 19 Talking exclusively to The Tribune here, a visibly upset Mr Gupta said: “Capt Amarinder Singh had strongly opposed the allocation of ticket to me in New Delhi on January 17 even as Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo fervently pitched for my candidature. Sensing the rift, senior Congress leaders, including Ms Mohsina Kidwai and Mr Janardhan Dwivedi, asked both of them to sort out the issue amongst themselves.” The MLA said he had an inkling of the things to come as the Chief Minister had, a few months back, told him that his work-report was not positive. This in spite of his long association with the party and an unblemished track record. In fact, the Chief Minister had started propping up Mr Tejinder Singh Bittu, who has now been declared as the Congress candidate from Jalandhar (Central), as Mr Gupta’s alternative almost two years back. Mr Bittu was nominated as the Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman even as Mr Gupta was informed that he would be heading the Trust. This last-minute swing in favour of Mr Bittu had ruffled quite a few feathers then. Touching the communal chord, Mr Gupta suggested that since his area was a Hindu-majority one, the denial of ticket to him would send a wrong message to his constituency and could hamper the party prospects. Still hoping against hope, the MLA said he would again approach the Congress high command on the issue and wait till January 25, the date of withdrawal of nominations. Importantly, he ruled out going his own way and asserted that he would stay in the party. Meanwhile, 150 Congress workers threatened to quit the party in protest against the high command’s decision. Meanwhile, an enthusiastic Mr Tejinder Singh Bittu, the Chairman of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, who has bagged the party ticket from the constituency after a tug of war between him and other aspirants, including Mr Gupta, was welcomed by a large number of party candidates. Unable to control his feelings, Mr Gupta said he was still in touch with the Congress high command and that the fight for the ticket was “not over as yet”. “The part decision has disillusioned our workers. They are pressurising me to resign, but I will not do so and will remain a disciplined soldier of the party. My performance as an MLA during past five years has been satisfactory, at least, in the eyes of my voters,” said Mr Gupta. On the other hand, Mr Bittu did not say anything about Mr Gupta. “Thousands of my supporters are with me,” said Mr Bittu, who was accorded a grand reception by his supporters at the local railway station, where he landed after fetching the Congress ticket today.
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Code violation by Gurkanwal: Probe ordered
Jalandhar, January 19 Taking cognisance of media reports, Mr Parsad marked the enquiry to the SSP. Apart from this, the Returning Officer of the cantonment constituency, Mr Kuldip Singh, was also directed to find out if any expenditure was involved in the exercise. |
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SAD workers join Cong
Nurmahal, January 19 |
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Parties in defacement loop
Nawanshahr, January 19 This happened ever since the district administration started removing wall posters, paints and banners from government buildings and started sending periodic expenditures incurred during the process to the head offices of the respective parties. After conducting three major drives to check violation of defacement of public properties, the total amount of expenditure put up by the PWD has come to the tune of Rs 15,230, which the concerned political parties have been asked to pay up. Party-wise refund
Interestingly, no political party, including the ruling Congress party, has been spared. As per the orders passed till date, the Congress has been asked to pay up Rs 3280. The SAD office has to refund Rs 4,140. An amount of Rs 4,430 will be recovered from the BSP and communist parties have been directed to deposit Rs 1,080. Constituency-wise expenses
Considering the quantum of violations constituency wise, maximum reports have come from Banga where the parties will have to collectively pay up Rs 8,130. Parties will have to pay up Rs 3,800 and Rs 3,500 for code violation by their candidates from Nawanshahr and Balachaur, respectively. Checking had been done, expenses had been prepared and then sent in three rounds to the party offices on January 11, 14 and 17. While the candidates were unaware of strict methods adopted in the first two rounds by the District Election Office-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr Krishan Kumar, the violations had not come down till then. Effects
But then it abruptly came down in the last checking done of January 17. There was no sign of publicity material used on public places in Balachaur. In Nawanshahr, SAD supporters were the only culprit as it was asked to pay up Rs 500. In Banga, the returning officer found few cases of violation and calculated the recovery to the tune of Rs 730 with Rs 440 from SAD, Rs 130 from BSP, Rs 180 from Congress and Rs 80 from CPI. Not just that, Mr Jagat Singh, a SAD worker in Nawanshahr, informed that the administration had also gone so strict that it had become extremely difficult for them to put up party flags or hoarding atop any shop, house or private building. “We had got party flags put up on roof top of a shop on Chandigarh Road. The DC and his team approached the shopkeeper and asked him whether it had been done with his permission. Even when he replied in the affirmative, he was asked to produce an affidavit of his consent. When he could not furnish the document, he asked his men to remove the flags,” he cited an incident explaining why the party had not got many pamphlets printed. Ways out/alternatives
“We only distribute handouts during meetings which too are not being held in gurdwaras this time, unlike previous years. The DC has also banned the use of religious places for rallies and these are just being held at the houses of party workers”, he said. In Banga’s SAD office, the party workers were seen wearing badges depicting picture of their candidate, Mr Mohan Lal. “These are the only possible mobile publicity materials for we cannot paste posters anywhere,” laughed Mr Jaswinder Singh, a worker. Videography too
Sources in the administration also informed that the DC had also got videography done of the Congress candidate from Banga and a sitting MLA, Mr Tarlochan Singh Soondh, while he had performed a function on the death anniversary of his father and a former minister, Mr Jagat Ram Soondh, on January 4 after the Code of Conduct came into force. Recording has been done of a huge cavalcade of cars moving for the purpose, including that of a government officer. They said the DC was simply waiting for his candidature to be announced before lodging a formal complaint to the Election Commission. Most interestingly, no formal complaint was lodged by any party in this regard and cognizance was taken at the party’s own initiative. Panels and meetings
While his battle taken against the liquor contractors has gone to the court, he has been strict on other issues for he has passed a standing order for holding a regular meeting with all political party candidates or their nominees on every Thursday at 1 pm. He has also formed four teams of officers for checking violation. There is one main team comprising ADC, SP headquarters and APRO, there are three other teams in each of the three constituencies where Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, Executive Officers of Municipal Committees and Block Development Officers in rural areas are members. Regular meetings are also conducting by the DC with these panels. Information kiosk
The administration has also set up an information kiosk at the Suvidha Centre where entire information relating to elections including voter list, details of each booth of each constituency and even maps of each constituency has been fed. The information is available with a touch of the screen. |
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60-yr-old woman raped, murdered
Phagwara, January 19 The body of Charno, aged around 60, had been living in Bhabiana village of Phagwara for the past 30 years. Her body was found last night at her house given to her by the village panchayat. The deceased was living alone in the house since her husband had left her about a year ago. Since then she had been working as a domestic help in the village. Evidence at the crime scene suggested that some unidentified assailants had battered her to death by attacking her in her head with some blunt weapon after raping her. As per reports received here this morning, the dead body was first observed by a village woman who went to see her in her house, but found Charno's body drenched in blood. She immediately informed the village sarpanch Tarsem Singh about the murder. |
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Bedlam
Jalandhar, January 19 The situation was almost as pathetic on roads running parallel to the stretch as a number of motorists took alternative routes to reach their destination. The bottlenecks hit the schoolchildren badly and left their parents and attendants fuming. In fact, many school-bus drivers preferred to take children back to their schools, leading to frantic calls by worried parents inquiring about their children. The police handled the situation in a slipshod manner and its futile attempts to divert the traffic only added to the chaos. A motorist said the Indian Railways ought to inform the public in advance regarding the repair of the track. |
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Jalandhar, January 19
