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Punjab Votes ' 07 | Community | Crime | Education

Vajpayee calls for change
Amritsar, February 10
The inclement weather notwithstanding, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today addressed a gathering, which listened, with rapt attention, to his brief speech calling for “change of weather” in Punjab.

Sonia Gandhi’s second leg rained away
Sirhind/Rampura Phul, February 10
As weather played spoilsport, the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, could not keep her date with party workers and supporters on the second leg of her election campaign in Punjab.

A family huddles under an umbrella at Sirhind where the inclement weather forced Congress president Sonia Gandhi to cancel her rally on Saturday A family huddles under an umbrella at Sirhind where the inclement weather forced Congress president Sonia Gandhi to cancel her rally on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

REGIONAL BRIEFS

YOUR TOWN

Amritsar
Chandigarh
Fatehgarh Sahib
Ferozepore
Hoshiarpur
Jalandhar
Muktsar
Patiala
Ropar
Sangrur

EARLIER STORIES

	Dullo faces tough opponent February 10, 2007
	Give aided college staff salary: EC February 9, 2007
	Wheat MSP should be Rs 900: CPI February 8, 2007
	Bigwigs in big battles February 7, 2007
	PM promises Green Revolution II February 6, 2007
	Capt storms Badal’s home turf February 5, 2007
	Farmers SAD’s main focus February 4, 2007
	Take me on if you can, CM to Akalis February 3, 2007
	Keen tussle in Samana February 2, 2007
	SIT to probe Beas violence : CM February 1, 2007
	Manifesto has unmasked Cong, says Badal January 31, 2007

Kanwaljit sails on ‘winds of change’
Lalru, February 10
A confident Capt Kanwaljit Singh arrives in his office at his residence in Chandigarh's Sector 9 around 8 am. Inclement weather fails to dampen his spirits as he warmly greets his supporters.

SAD workers hand over election fund to Capt Kanwaljit Singh in a Lalru village. — A Tribune photograph

Ashwani banks on development
Admits Behl was his choice
Pathankot, February 10
Union Minister of State for Industrial Policy and Promotion Ashwani Kumar, spoke with The Tribune at his residence in Gurdaspur, two days ahead of the Punjab poll. The following are the excerpts.
Q You have been campaigning in Punjab for the last two weeks. What is your assessment of the Congress prospects in the Assembly elections ?

3 Brars in fierce battles
Muktsar, February 10
The Muktsar-Faridkot belt is keenly watching three heavyweight Brars - former Chief Minister Harcharan Brar's son Kanwarjeet Singh Brar, senior Congress leader Jagmeet Brar's brother Ripjeet Brar and former Congress minister Avtar Singh Brar, battle it out with their rivals in hotly contested elections from the Muktsar, Kotkapura and Faridkot Assembly seats, respectively.

Senior Congress leader Jagmeet Brar campaigns for his brother Ripjeet Brar, who is contesting from the Kotkapura seat. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

SAD happy in Sham Chaurasi
Sham Chaurasi (Hoshiarpur), February 10
The rural constituency of Sham Chaurasi comprises 170-odd villages, each one making no bones about its displeasure with the Congress for ignoring it during the past five years.

Foreign hand for help
Chandigarh, February 10
Mr Beant Singh Dhaliwal is a diehard Akali and president of the Youth Akali Dal, Canada, an affiliate of the SAD. Over 20 years after he immigrated from Raikot in Ludhiana to Canada, he and 14 others have returned home to campaign for the SAD.

Beant Singh Dhaliwal

Police remand for Rajan
Baba Bakala, February 10
Ms Jaswinder Kaur Shimar, Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) today sent Harpinder Singh Gill (Rajan), a brother of Congress MLA and candidate for Assembly elections from the Beas constituency and Balkar Singh, chairman Block Samithi Rayya, to two days’ police remand.

Bhinder surrenders
Amritsar, February 10
Mr Varinder Singh alias Vickey Bhinder who also was booked for the clash between Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal workers, resulting in the killing of Akali activist Dilbag Singh, today surrendered before, Mr Manmonder Singh, SP who heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT), at Beas.

Police told to be vigilant
Chandigarh, February 10
With the arrest of two more persons, including Vicky Bhinder, the police is narrowing down on the remaining suspects in the Beas shooting case in which one Akali worker was killed on January 29.

A supporter makes the victory sign during an election campaign in Amritsar on Saturday. — PTI

Ferozepore: Family vs family
Ferozepore, February 10
The electoral battle here continues to be fought mainly between two families, with either of them having won the seat nine times between themselves. Veteran Congress man Bal Mukand Sharma is in the fray against sitting BJP MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu. It is an open field so far.

Sahib Singh pitches in for Tohra
Devigarh (Patiala), February 10
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma gave a fillip to the campaign of the SAD candidate from Dakala, Mr H.S Tohra, while addressing a gathering at Anaj Mandi in Devigarh.

BSP candidate ‘premi’ too
Sangrur, February 10
It is a neck-and-neck contest on the Sangrur Assembly seat between SAD candidate Parkash Chand Garg and Congress candidate Surinder Pal Singh Sibia.

Orders to furnish advt details
Jalandhar, February 10
The Election Commission has urged newspapers to furnish details of advertisements to the District Election Officer by 6 pm on February 11.

Guru Harsahai RO removed
Chandigarh, February 10
The Election Commission today ordered the removal of Mr Sanjay Popli, Returning Officer, Guru Harsahai.

Nayagaon SHO shifted
Chandigarh, February 10
Taking strict notice of the pending complaints against Nayagaon SHO Mahesh Kumar, the Election Commission today ordered that he be relieved with immediate effect and attached to the Police Lines.

Plea to remove CEC
Patiala, February 10
The Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today demanded removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr N. Gopalaswami, stating that he was “biased in favour of the SAD-BJP combine and was taking decisions against the Congress.”

Kin of councillor booked
Fazilka, February 10
On the instructions of the Returning Officer, Fazilka, the police yesterday registered a case against kin of Mr Davinder Kumar Sachdeva, Congress councillor, for getting enrolled as voter at more than one places.

Another notice to Brahm Mohindra
Patiala, February 10
Congress candidate from the Samana Assembly segment Brahm Mohindra has been served a notice for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Studies can wait: Pupils clear way for booths
Jandu Singha (Adampur), February 10
Students and teachers of Government School, Jandu Singha, on the main Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road are working hard to ensure a peaceful election. This endeavour has forced them out of their classrooms on to the road putting their studies on the back burner, at least till after the February 13 poll. The students and the teachers, instead of being involved in pre-board activity, are bending backwards so as not to annoy the official machinery responsible for the conduct of the elections in this area that falls under the Kartarpur Vidhan Sabha segment.

Jeers for politicians, cheers for farmers
Dera Bassi, February 10
Saturday brought jeers for politicians and cheers for the farmers. With inclement weather playing the spoilsport, a number of scheduled rallies by the contesting candidates on the penultimate day of electioneering today for the Banur Assembly segment were washed out giving a severe blow to the last-minute efforts of the parties to woo the electorate.

“Milk will replace liquor”
Mohali, February 10
Milk will be made available for the youth of Kharar constituency instead of liquor once he wins the Punjab elections.

11 govt employees face action
Participation in political rallies
Mohali, February 10
As many as 11 government employees are likely to face action from the Election Commission for allegedly being associated with rallies being held here in connection with the Punjab Assembly elections.

Videography at sensitive booths
Mohali, February 10
The district administration has made special arrangements for videography at certain sensitive polling stations in connection with the Punjab Assembly elections being held in the state on February 13.

Voter cards row: Officer suspended
Mohali, February 10
A booth-level officer (BLO), put on election duty at Nayagaon, has been placed under suspension on charge of dereliction of duty.

Power theft: Case registered
Ropar, February 10
The Ropar police today registered a case of theft against the organisers of the function held at Gandhi Chowk four days ago to boost Congress campaign by using ‘kundi’ connections. The SSP, Mr Kapil Dev, said the case was registered on the report of the Returning Officer.

COMMUNITY

Strike threat by bank employees
Patiala, February 10
A general body meeting of the Patiala unit of the Punjab Bank Employees Federation was held here at Prabhat Parwana Trade Union Centre, Baradari Garden.

Arrangements for Pulse Polio reviewed
Patiala, February 10
A meeting was held in the office of Civil Surgeon to review the arrangements for the Pulse Polio round to be held from February 18 to 20.

Hans Raj Hans enthrals audience
Amritsar, February 10
Hans Raj Hans, famous folk and Sufi singer, today enthralled the audience during a light and folk music festival organized by All-India Radio (AIR) at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here today.