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Virk should be sacked, says SAD
Chandigarh, January 20
The Shiromani Akali Dal today welcomed the Election Commission's decision to transfer Punjab's Director-General of Police, Mr S.S. Virk, saying the party stand demanding his removal had been vindicated. The SAD demanded Mr Virk's sack and prosecution, saying that the highest electoral authority in the country had found him guilty of “corrupt practices and misuse of office.”

Won’t allow things to get dirty: CEO
Chandigarh, January 20
The Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Mr Sundram Krishna, today asserted that the poll officers were keeping a close watch on the ongoing election campaign for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections and no political party would be allowed to turn the campaign dirty.

Parties playing politics with ‘siropa’
Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 20
Peeved over the misuse of the practice of presenting ‘siropa’ (religious robe of honour) by leaders of almost all political parties of the state, office-bearers of local Sikh organisations have urged the chiefs of the SGPC and Akal Takht to impose restrictions so that the sanctity of the practice was maintained.

Youth queue up to receive siropas at a political function in Mandi Ahmedgarh on Thursday. — Photo by writer

Nominations: Number rises to 70
Chandigarh, January 20
As many as 41 candidates filed their nominations today. With this, a total of 70 candidates have filed their papers.

5 kg heroin seized
Amritsar, January 20
The Customs recovered 5 kg heroin from the cargo which was to be loaded on the Ariana Afghan Airline flight to Kabul at Raja Sansi International Airport today evening, police sources here stated. — UNI

POLL CHASE
His claim: His father’s Bunny
Mohali, January 20
For someone who is facing his first election, Mr Jasjit Singh Bunny is a confident campaigner.

Mr Jasjit Singh Bunny of the SAD addresses an election meeting in his constituency of Kharar. — Tribune photos by Vicky Gharu

Mrs Dullo silenced
Chandigarh, January 20
From an excited contender for re-election to a silenced wife, Harbans Kaur Dullo has resigned to her fate, at least for the moment. Till a fortnight ago, she was a firebrand MLA, confident of taking on her husband and Punjab Pradesh Congress chief Shamsher Singh Dullo in the race for ticket. “If he has staked a claim to the ticket, let us see who wins it,” she had said, adding that in no circumstances would she allow Mr Dullo to oust her from Khanna.

LEGAL MERRY-GO-ROUND
Battle from streets to courts, and back
Chandigarh, January 20
With elections round the corner, the battle of wits between Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Parkash Singh Badal has spilled over from courtrooms to the streets. The bete noires, who have been fighting a legal battle over defamatory advertisements by the Congress against the Shiromani Akali Dal in the 2002 elections, are at it again - taking the people for a ride.

Ropar bridge may turn out to be main poll issue
Ropar, January 20
Hundreds of commuters are helpless and put their lives to risk while passing through the 125-year-old bridge over the Sirhind canal, which is the main link of Ropar city with National Highway-21 every day here. Over 50,000 people in the city, which falls in Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, travel on the bridge daily.

The bridge over the Sirhind canal is the main cause for concern for residents of Ropar. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

No development work in Kharar: Kanwaljit
Mohali, January 20
A former Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, has said the Kharar constituency will be developed like Banur after the formation of the SAD-BJP combine government in the state.

Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan waves to the crowd during an election rally in Patiala on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

SAD’s Kang says cops coercing voters
Amritsar, January 20
Fearing threat to the life Mr Manjinder Singh Kang, former Chairman of the Forest Corporation and SAD candidate from Beas has demanded paramilitary forces for election in the Beas Assembly constituency.

Parallel economy
PR agencies do it all for candidates
Ludhiana, January 20
Candidates doling out promises is a routine during any elections. One segment that offers promises to candidates itself is public relations agencies that are all geared up to win the race of bagging as many accounts as they can. The agencies have begun contacting contestants for various seats, directly as well as through references.

LS ticket: Dullo bats for Majha
Chandigarh, January 20
If Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), has his way, then the Amritsar Lok Sabha ticket should go to a ‘Majhail.’

Preneet Kaur harps on development
Rajpura, January 20
Assembly segments bordering Chandigarh are finally warming up to the campaigning for the Punjab elections. With the last date for the filing of nominations, January 25, drawing close, the electioneering is picking up in the areas.

Hoshiarpur: Cracks appear in BJP
Hoshiarpur, January 20
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for a majority of the constituencies it is contesting from, the unusual delay in naming the Hoshiarpur candidate has given credence to reports of severe factionalism in the party here.

BSP goes upper caste
Jalandhar, January 20
Once known for openly speaking against upper castes at its rallies, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has allocated over one-third tickets to persons belonging to these castes for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Bhattal confidant Dirba joins SAD
Sangrur, January 20
The Congress today suffered a major setback in the Dirba Assembly constituency when Mr Gurcharan Singh Dirba, a close confidant of Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, and two-time Congress MLA from Dirba, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, secretary-general of the party, and Mr Baldev Singh Mann, SAD candidate from the seat, at Dirba village, about 25 km from here.

Independent candidate wants to make youth drug-free
Mohali, January 20
Ashwani Kumar, an independent candidate from Kharar, was weighed in ladoos by shop owners in the Sohana market, here today. The 26-year-old candidate is a resident of village Sambhalki and is standing for elections for the first time.

Singla makes a strong case
New Delhi, January 20
The battle for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat is hotting up. With former Lok Sabha MP Jagmeet Singh Brar throwing his hat in the race, his bete noire Punjab Finance Minister Surinder Singla has intensified his campaign for this prestigious seat.

Deepa’s ultimatum to Cong
Sangrur, January 20
An unsuccessful aspirant for the Congress ticket from Sunam, Mr Rajinder Deepa, today announced that he would contest the Assembly elections from the seat as an Independent if the party failed to change the candidate within two days. Mr Aman Arora, younger brother of Mr Deepa's wife, Sonia Deepa Arora, is the party candidate for the seat.

Samra’s overseas fans here
Nakodar, January 20
The NRIs settled in the UK, Canada, the USA and other countries are using the telephone to garner support for Congress candidates here. Some are here campaigning for the candidates.

POLL BYTES
‘Ravana’ meets ‘Rama’ again
PATHANKOT: Mr Ashok Sharma, sitting Congress MLA from Pathankot, and his arch rival Master Mohan Lal of the Bharatiya Janata Party have always been in opposite roles.

One more files nomination
Mohali, January 20
Ms Ishwar Kaur, a resident of Phase IX here, filed her nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Punjab Assembly elections from the Kharar constituency today. She had earlier contested the municipal elections in July last year but had lost.

COMMUNITY

Memorial dedicated to war heroes
Pulkanjari (Amritsar), January 20
The Army today dedicated a war memorial to 10 valiant soldiers of the 2 Sikh Regiment for repulsing two attacks by Pakistan’s 43 Punjab Regiment in the 1971 war. Maj N.S. Koak (retd), the then Commander of the 2 Sikh Light Infantry assault party, who was present today at the solemn function, narrated the valour of his jawans who won one Mahavir Chakra, one Vir Chakra, four Sena Medals and four Mention-in-dispatches for recapturing the border observation post, Pulkanjri.

The wife of a senior Army officer pays tributes to martyrs of Pulkanjari battle in Amritsar on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

EDUCATION

Company selects 18 students
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 20
Punj Lloyd Group of Industries conducted a campus interview at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, yesterday. It selected 18 students.