Jalandhar, April 20
The extension granted to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Shamsher Singh Dullo in his office is not only being seen as a setback to former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and as a step towards yet another full term for Dullo but it is also being construed as a reward to Dullo for his loyalty to the Gandhi family.

AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and in charge of Punjab affairs of the Congress Janardhan Dwivedi have 
personally conveyed to Dullo that he should continue as president of the party 
in Punjab.

Taking moral responsibility, Dullo had submitted his resignation immediately after of the Congress poll debacle in Punjab, but he had been asked by the party high command at that time to continue till the selection of a new president.

A number of senior party leaders, including Amarinder Singh and Partap Singh Bajwa, were said to be in the race for the top party slot in Punjab. But the high command, it was learnt, was not in a mood for any change due to the forthcoming civic elections in the state next month.

What is being given more importance in the political circles is the personal effort of Sonia Gandhi in conveying it to Dullo that he should keep working in his present post. From this, the party rank and file are drawing inference that Dullo enjoys the “blessings” of the UPA chairperson and that he has been “rewarded” for his loyalty to the Gandhi family on the lines of late Giani Zail Singh and Darbara Singh.

Meanwhile, talking to The Tribune over the telephone Dwivedi said Dullo would continue till further orders by the high command. During her telephonic conversation with Dullo on Thursday Gandhi, it was learnt, also appreciated his ability to maintain his contacts with workers at the grassroots level even during his prolonged ailment and his two-month-long admission in the PGI, Chandigarh, last year on account of back pain.

Apart from getting rewarded for his loyalty to the Gandhi family, the combination of Dullo’s background as a crusader hailing from a Dalit family and his “ability to cause political damage” to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the recent Assembly elections, seems to have worked in his favour despite his defeat in the elections, said highly placed party sources.

Another aspect, which is said to have gone in his favour in the intense “political tug-of-war” was that though he had lost the Khanna seat for “internal bickering”, he was seen as the lone Congress leader who could keep the party flock together for his being the “most acceptable” Congress leader who could pose a challenge to the SAD-BJP combine.

Dullo was being seen, party sources pointed out, by the party high command as a “modern leader” who had not only floated the idea of using nuclear technology to combat long-standing power shortage in Punjab but also as a grassroots-level “fighter”. He is credited with initiating a war against the drug menace and female infanticide in the state jointly with his general secretary Parminder Singh.

Phagwara, April 20
After launching a cleanliness drive by the health department and the nagar council authorities following spread of jaundice in several parts of the town, the situation in Phagwara seems to be under control now.

Nagar council executive engineer Pawan Sharma told The Tribune here last evening that six sewerage-cleaning machines had been pressed into the service at the local GT Road and in the Hadiabad area. Sharma said that manholes were being cleaned. He said the monitoring cell was working to keep vigil on the situation. JCT Mills here was provided with two sewerage-cleaning machines by the NC authorities to accelerate the cleanliness drive. JCT Mills general manager J.C. Sodhi said the mill management was cooperating with the council authorities in its drive.

Meanwhile, senior medical officer Adarsh Sood said that three more patients of jaundice belonging to local Kirpa Nagar, Mansa Devi Nagar and Hadiabad were admitted to the local civil hospital yesterday. 

Jalandhar, April 20
Attacking the Shiromani Akali Dal for having two different constitutions, one for the SGPC and the other for the party, the Janata Dal (Secular) urged the Election Commission to derecognise the SAD. Balwant Singh Khera, in a written petition to the EC, said derecognition of a political party was legally permissible by the commission in case of a fraud or forgery. He was addressing mediamen here on Friday.

The petition had been made on the ground that the respondent political party had violated the principles of secularism by taking part in the elections of the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, both of which are statutory religious bodies under the SGPC Act, 1925, and the DSGPC Act, 1975, respectively, thereby breaching the undertaking given under Section 29-A (5) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951.

Khera, presenting the evidence, said the SAD had filed two different constitutions of the party with totally contrary eligibility criteria for membership.

The constitution filed with the EC has one set of 
eligibility criteria, while the one filed with another government body, the GEC (Gurdwara Election Commission) has a different set of eligibility criteria for 
membership.