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Rajpura: Stakes high, 55 pc polling booths sensitive
Rajpura, January 21
With stakes high in the Rajpura Assembly constituency, the administration is gearing up to ensure a free and fair poll.
In fact, the conduct of a free and fair poll for the constituency is going to be
a tough task for the authorities concerned, with 78 of the 142 polling booths
being declared sensitive.
Gill on post till polling
Chandigarh, January 21
The new Director-General of Punjab Police, Mr R.S. Gill, will hold the post till the completion of the election process in Punjab. Once the process is completed by March 3, the new government will be at liberty to appoint a new officer.
SAD wants action against PR officials
Chandigarh, January 21
The Shiromani Akali Dal today objected to the alleged use of songs and advertisements prepared by the Public Relations Department of the Punjab Government for the election campaign of the Congress.
Ontario Premier visits Golden Temple
Amritsar, January 21
Mr Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, one of the largest provinces of Canada along with his wife Terry and other members of the Canadian delegation paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here today.
It was a quiet visit of the Canadian Premier and the media was not
informed about his visit to the city. Mr Dalton and his wife took keen
interest in the holiest Sikh shrine and visited various complexes on
the premises of Darbar Sahib.
Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty and his Wife Terry after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sunday. — PTI
photo
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shadow boxing
Banur: It’s Kanwaljit versus Venod Sharma
Chandigarh January 21
It is going to be Capt Kanwaljit Singh versus former Haryana Power Minister Venod Sharma in the Banur Assembly segment.
Though Mr Rakesh Sharma, son of former Punjab Finance Minister
Hans Raj Sharma, is the official candidate from Banur, the
prestige of Mr Venod Sharma is at stake in the segment, which was
once represented by him in the early eighties.
Capt Kanwaljit Singh |
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angry ones
Bitter Lubanas may dump Congress
Jalandhar, January 21
The Congress has ‘ignored' Hindus and Lubanas while allocating tickets for the forthcoming Assembly elections, say representatives of the two communities.
The president of the Bharatiya Dharam Raksha Samiti, Mr Manoj
Kumar Nanha, said the Congress had fielded 18 Hindu candidates as
compared to 28 last time.
DISTRICT REPORT
Cong betting on women
Sangrur, January 21
In the seven Assembly constituencies of this district, the Congress has given the lion’s share to women by allotting them four tickets. However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has not nominated even a single woman candidate in the district.
Bhattal leads liability list
Bathinda, January 21
The Department of General Administration has shot off a missive to all Deputy Commissioners along with a list of ministers and former ministers having liabilities towards the Punjab Government with respect to house building advance and car advance to check information to be furnished by them while seeking election to the Assembly next month.
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VP, Babbar stars of Shambhu rally
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Ludhiana, January 21
Despite star campaigners like Bollywood actor Raj Babbar and former Prime Minister V.P. Singh coming to address the rally of Mr Shambhu Kumar Singh, a Jan Morcha nominee from for Ludhiana Rural seat, here today, the entire show remained a damp squib.
(From left) Mr Raj Babbar, Mr Shambhu Singh and Mr V.P. Singh at an election rally of the Jan Morcha in Ludhiana on Sunday.
— A Tribune photograph |
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Rai Sikh Maha Panchayat decides to oppose Cong
Ferozepore, January 21
The Rai Sikh community which is a large vote bank in this border area, organised “Maha Panchayat” at Megha Rai Utar village here today at which it decided that the community would oppose Congress candidates in various Assembly constituencies of this district.
INLD to campaign for SAD-BJP candidates
Chandigarh, January 21
Indian National Lok Dal leaders and workers today went to Punjab to campaign for SAD-BJP combine candidates for the Assembly elections following a decision taken at a joint meeting of the state executive and the Political Affairs Committee of the party held under the chairmanship of the President, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, here today.
24 former govt employees in fray
Chandigarh, January 21
More than 24 former government employees are in Punjab’s poll fray this time - among then are doctors, teachers and PCS, IAS and IPS officers. There are a few retired Armymen too.
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Uma Bharti banking on hung House
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Ludhiana, January 21
Firing a salvo at the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress, the fire-brand leader of the Bhartiya Janshakti Party, Ms Uma Bharti, today said both these parties had made the state ‘ a den of corruption’ and a hung Assembly alone could rescue the state.
She was addressing a meeting of party workers at a local school
here today. |
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| Ms Uma Bharti, addresses an election rally in Ludhiana on Sunday.
— A Tribune photograph |
Sidhu extends olive branch
Kharar, January 21
The Congress candidate from Kharar, Mr Balbir Sidhu, yesterday stated that he would go to the houses of all Congress leaders who were not happy with his candidature to pacify them.
Delay: More join ticket race
Amritsar, January 21
The BJP's failure to announce its candidate from the Amritsar North Assembly has resulted in more aspirants joining the ticket race.
Supporters of Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, a former Punjab minister, have sent
telegrams to the party high command to field him from the constituency.
PPCC secy Mann resigns
Patiala, January 21
Mr Harinder Pal Singh Mann, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee secretary, today resigned from his post and from the primary membership of the Congress.
He alleged that the party had been favouring those candidates who had recently
shifted loyalties from the SAD while true Congressmen who had stood by the party
through thick and thin were being ignored.
Kang welcomes new entrants
Chandigarh, January 21
Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Congress candidate from Morinda, today claimed that at least 12 Akali and Bahujan Samaj Party activists along with their supporters joined the Congress under his leadership at Teur village.
Panthic issues take backseat
Gurdaspur, January 21
Panthic issues like demanding votes in the name of the community and blaming the Congress for Operation Bluestar and the 1984 riots that were the main poll plank of the SAD in earlier elections do not figure in the election campaign of the party in this district.
Saini opens election office
Zirakpur, January 21
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate from the Banur Assembly segment, Mr Avtar Singh Saini, today intensified his election campaign with the opening of his election office here today.
POLL BYTES
Lala Lajpat Rai’s statue at Dhudike
Moga, January 21
A 12-feet high bronze statue of great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai has been installed at Dhudike in this district of Punjab, the birthplace of Lala ji.
Suman, a freedom fighter and widow of Krishan Kant, former Vice-President of
India, will unveil the statue worth Rs 9 lakh on the eve of 142nd birth
anniversary of Lala ji at a special function being organised by the Lala Lajpat
Rai Birthplace Memorial Committee on January 28 at Dhudike.
GCM upholds verdict of officer not guilty
Chandigarh, January 21
A general court martial (GCM), assembled to reconsider its earlier verdict of acquitting a Lieut-Col facing corruption charges, has upheld its earlier findings.
The GCM, which was presided over by Brig B.K. Goswami, had reconvened at
Nasirabad yesterday.
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