MANIFESTO
Wheat MSP should be Rs 900: CPI
Chandigarh, February 7
The Communist Party of India (CPI) today slammed the Congress government in Punjab for “agrarian distress, failure of industry and burgeoning unemployment”. It criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying “he was spreading the bogey of revival of terrorism in Punjab to create fear in the minds of Hindus”.

PM remarks on terror uncalled for: Advani
Ropar, February 7
Claiming that there was a strong anti-incumbency factor in the state, a senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, remained mostly confined to national issues while addressing rallies at Ropar and Nangal here today.


The BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, at a rally in Ropar on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Congress playing caste politics: Rajnath
Sujanpur (Gurdaspur), February 7
The BJP president, Mr Rajnath Singh, today accused the Congress of trying to play caste and religion politics, stating that it was trying to divide the country once again by proposing reservation in jobs for Muslims despite the fact that reservation on the basis of religion was against the spirit of the Constitution.
President of the BJP Rajnath Singh is welcomed at Pathankot. — A Tribune photograph

Securitymen hold a flag march in Ferozepore on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

BJP a poor photocopy of Congress: Uma
Jalandhar, February 7
Dubbing the BJP as a "poor photocopy of the Congress", Bharatiya Janashakti Party chief Uma Bharti has asserted that "nobody will be allowed to build a mosque in India in the name of a foreign invader like Babar".

Warrants against Dimpa’s brother
Amritsar, February7
The ruling Congress received a major setback today when the Special Investigation team issued warrants of arrest against Mr Harpinder Singh, alias Rajan ,younger brother of Mr Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Congress nominee for the Beas Assembly constituency.

Didn’t campaign, says Bhajji
Jalandhar, February 7
“Neither did I ever campaign for Congress candidate from Jalandhar (Central) Tejinder Bittu, nor I went door to door seeking votes for him”. This is the reply of cricketer Harbhajan Singh to the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the commission has deputed Mr Sukhwinder Pal Singh Marar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, to inquire into the controversy.

Jaitley targets Manmohan, Amarinder
Abohar, February 7
The BJP secretary and in charge of party campaign in Punjab, Mr Arun Jaitley, has said that empty chairs and non-responsive audience at the election rally of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Patiala yesterday were indicative of the election trends in Punjab.

Mehraj can’t forget Raja’s meharbani
Mehraj (Bathinda), February 7
Delighted over the performance of the son of their soil on the development front, residents of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s ancestral village of Mehraj are praying for his return to power.

Mehraj, ancestral village of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has seen unprecedented development in the last five years. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Congress candidate’s son booked
Mansa, February 7
The Mansa police today booked Mr Vikram Singh Mofar, son of Congress candidate Ajit Singh Mofar, from the Sardulgarh Assembly constituency, his gunman Balbir Singh and Mr Rajesh Garg, vice-chairman, Market Committee, here, for their involvement in a firing incident at Jhuneer village late last night.

Vote against capitalist parties: Pandhi
Amritsar, February 7
The Politburo member of the CPI (M), Mr M.K. Pandhi, today said the ruling Congress and the SAD both are trying to woo votes on false promises. He said if the Congress government wanted to provide subsidised foodgrain why did it not do so in the last five years.

Cong, SAD have failed to check corruption: MP
Rajpura, February 7
Mr Mohammad Salim, MP and member of the Central committee of the CPM, said the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress had failed to control unemployment and corruption in the state.


The CPM candidate, Mr Inderjit Singh Bhagrana, and Mr Mohammed Salim, MP and member, central committee, and Mr Balwant Singh, state president, CPM, at an election rally in Rajpura on Wednesday. Photo: J.S. Virdi

BSP could be decisive factor
Guru Har Sahai (Ferozepore), February 7
Mr Mohan Singh Phallianwallan goes about his campaign with a smile on his face. There is no cavalcade of vehicles accompanying him. On reaching a village or a hamlet, he alights from his vehicle and walks through dusty bylanes meeting people and patting cattle on his way. Men folk of all ages hug him while women fold their hands in respect.
                                                          Mohan Singh Phallianwallan

Wide open in Dhuri
Dhuri (Sangrur), February 7
The contest here is wide open. Anybody could be the winner. The SAD and Congress are both talking of development, which seems to be the key issue here.

Respite to voters sans photo cards
Chandigarh, February 7
The Election Commission today clarified that all voters who had been issued electoral pictoral identity cards (EPICs) would have to produce these to exercise franchise in the Assembly elections as well as the bye-election for the Amritsar parliamentary constituency.

Purvanchalis count in 4 dists
Jalandhar, February 7
Come elections, parties start wooing over 15 lakh migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh. A majority of them live in the districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala.

Ex-Sarpanch’s death due to liquor at poll rally?
Mohali, February 7
A former Sarpanch of Bhagomajra village, near Kharar, died last night allegedly after consuming liquor at an election rally even though the police and the hospital authorities have denied allegations attributing his death to the consumption of liquor.

Authorities tighten noose
Put up nakas to curb liquor smuggling
Mohali, February 7
Reacting to the allegations by candidates contesting the Punjab Assembly elections that liquor was being served at poll rallies, the district administration has taken stringent measures.

Coins make way for ladoos
Chandigarh, February 7
Coins are passe. Voters and supporters of candidates are now latching on to newer options while showcasing their support to their leaders. So out go good-old coins and in come “ladoos”, other sweets and, strange but true, blood.


A candidate of the SAD (1920) is weighed against ladoos at Daomajra village near Kharar on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

poll bytes

Bigwigs in big battles
Bathinda, February 6
Big shots like Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and son of former Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar Harkanwarjit Singh Brar (Sunny Brar) are facing the toughest challenge in their respective segments.

Masol makes light of poll
Masol, February 6
A mere 10 km from Chandigarh on the Punjab and Haryana border exists a village where there is no water, no electricity. “We don’t want a change in government. We want to change our state,” is the refrain of every single household in Masol village, where time seems to have come to a standstill. No politician till date has bothered to get a road constructed to link this village to the outside world.

Be wary of SAD-BJP opportunism: Uma
Gurdaspur, February 6
The president of the Bharatiya Janshakti Party, Ms Uma Bharti, today termed the SAD-BJP combine an alliance of opportunism. Addressing a press conference at Pathankot, Ms Bharti said the Ram Temple was the main agenda of the BJP, but questioned whether the SAD would ever support the BJP on this issue. 


Bharatiya Janshakti Party chief Uma Bharti addresses a rally in Pathankot on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Bollywood star Om Puri and Congress candidate for the Dakala constituency Lal Singh (extreme left) at a rally at Sanour, 6km from Patiala, on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Rajesh Sachar

BSP extends support to Cong: Sidhu
Mohali, February 6
Mr Balbir Singh Sidhu, Congress candidate contesting the Punjab elections from the Kharar constituency, today claimed that the senior leaders from the Mohali district unit of the BSP had extended their full support to him.

Code uncode
CEO halts grants; teachers shoot letter to EC
Chandigarh, February 6
Members of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) have alleged that the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab has violated the code of conduct in “stopping” the release of salary grant to over a 100 private aided colleges in the state.

EC team arrives today
Chandigarh, February 6
Close on the heels of the Election Commission (EC) summoning the Punjab Chief Secretary, Mr K.R. Lakhanpal, and the Director-General of Police, Mr R.S. Gill, to New Delhi for a review of the overall situation in Punjab, it is now the turn of Deputy Election Commissioner R. Bhattacharya to arrive on a two-day visit to Chandigarh tomorrow.

DFOs: Govt ‘misleading’ EC
Chandigarh, February 6
Violating the Election Commission guidelines with impunity, the Punjab government continues to post a large number of forest officials in their home districts or at stations where they have already served for over three years.

Transfers: Govt misleading poll panel
Chandigarh, February 6
Violating the Election Commission guidelines with impunity, the Punjab government continues to post a large number of forest officials in their home districts or at stations where they have already served for over three years.

Give us a chance, Mayawati asks electorate
Dera Bassi, February 6
BSP’s fight is against the oppressive "Manuvadi" system and not against any particular section of society, BSP supremo Mayawati said here today.

YOUTH SPEAK
Height of ignorance: Survey bares Generation X
For them, Bir Devinder in fray, Sidhu to be MLA!
Chandigarh, February 6
They know the names of all 12 stars in “Salaam-e-Ishq”. They know the names of players in the Indian cricket team. However, the Generation X of Punjab is certainly not interested in politics. For some Capt Kanwaljit Singh is standing for election from Kharar and for some Navjot Singh Sidhu is going to be the next MLA from Amritsar!

Ex-servicemen to support SAD-BJP
Chandigarh, February 6
Retired senior defence officers today pledged their support to the SAD-BJP alliance candidates from Banur, Kharar and Morinda constituencies.

Raj Babbar talks UP in Punjab
Jalandhar, February 6
Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar's Jan Morcha is not averse to joining hands with the Congress for ousting Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav's government in the forthcoming UP Assembly elections.


Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar at a press conference in Jalandhar on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Dayal: Vote for candidates, not parties
Amritsar, February 6
National executive member of the CPI Joginder Dayal has urged the voters to defeat the candidates of the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine and elect true representatives close to people.

I don't lie for votes: Kang
Morinda, February 6
Congress candidate from Morinda Assembly constituency Jagmohan Singh Kang stated today that unlike other politicians he didn’t believe in lies to seek votes. Mr Kang today undertook a tour of Salamatpur, Dhodamajra, Bharojian, Rasulpur, Sainimajra, Jhampur, Manana, Thaska, Bhelolpur, Raipur and Daun villages, where he addressed meetings.

Karat: SAD, BJP promoting privatisation
Hoshiarpur, February 6
The big houses and anti-people policies of the UPA government are responsible for the skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities. This was stated by Mr Parkash Karat, secretary of the CPM, while talking to mediapersons at Garhshankar, about 40 km from here, today.

Notice to Harbhajan Singh
Jalandhar, February 6
The Election Commission is still waiting for cricket star Harbhajan Singh’s response to a notice served on him last night for “canvassing” in favour of a Congress candidate. He had allegedly canvassed for the Congress candidate from Jalandhar (Central), Mr Tejinder Bittu, despite the fact he being an employee of Indian Airlines, a public sector undertaking.

Poll bytes
Support for Cong rebel
GIDDERBAHA: Rebel Congress candidate Sant Singh Brar on Tuesday got a shot in the arm with party leader Shivkanwar Singh Sandhu declaring to support him.