J A L A N D H A R

Amidst protest, BJP declares list
BJP walks away with Ward 41, SAD bags Ward 47

Jalandhar, July 26 Bharatiya Janata Party today formally declared the list of its candidates, who will contest from 38 wards, for the forthcoming civic poll. The declaration also ended the speculations between BJP and alliance partner SAD over the seat allotment of Ward 41 and 47.

SAD leaders honour those candidates who joined the party after leaving Congress in Jalandhar on Thursday.—  A Tribune photograph

• Workers take to streets

4 Cong councillors defect to SAD
Jalandhar, July 26
With only 13 days left for the municipal elections, the Congress suffered a major setback when several of its leaders joined the Shiromani Akali Dal today.

Stamp duty evaded; SDM asked to probe 
Kapurthala, July 26
Deputy commissioner J.M. Balamurugan has reportedly asked Kapurthala SDM to probe a matter of alleged evasion of stamp duty worth Rs 28 lakh and submit a report at the earliest.

Amidst protest, BJP declares list
BJP walks away with Ward 41, SAD bags Ward 47
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 26
Bharatiya Janata Party today formally declared the list of its candidates, who will contest from 38 wards, for the forthcoming civic poll. The declaration also ended the speculations between BJP and alliance partner SAD over the seat allotment of Ward 41 and Ward 47.

While Ward 41 has gone to the BJP, Ward 47 over which BJP workers had been quite desperate has gone to SAD. BJP’s Harbhajan Singh Takhar has been nominated as party candidate from Ward 41.

Out of the party’s total 38 seats , 13 have been allotted to the women candidates, which is two above the number reserved for them. Besides Ward 4, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 34, 46, 49, 52 and 58, have been reserved for the women candidates, the other two seats where the party has appointed women candidates are general Wards 7 and 31.

While, the party district president Shiv Dyal Chugh managed to get Ward 33, Kailash Sehgal, brother of former mayor Suresh Sehgal, has been selected from Ward 18.

According to the sources, district general secretary of BJP, Anil Sachar was already vying for this seat.

Even, local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia’s kin, Shekhar Kalia, was able to grab a seat from Ward 26. Ravi Mahendru, Kalia’s close aide in the party, managed a seat from Ward 38. Meanwhile, Rakesh Rathore of Country Inn and Suits and Subhash Sood have been nominated from Ward 20 and 35 respectively. Sources said that Subhash was facing a competition from his rival Gurbaksh Mintu for this seat.

Ward-wise candidates:

Ved Kumar Vashisht (Ward 2), Rimpy Prabhakar (Ward 4), Sunil Jyoti (Ward 5), Anu Sharma (Ward 7), Dharam Pal (Ward 9), Ashok Gandhi (Ward 14), Manjinder Singh Chatha (Ward 15), Kamaljit Kaur (Ward 16), Gurmail Singh (BC Ward 17), Anita Dheer (Ward 19), Jagjeet Kaur (Ward 22), Tilak Raj (SC Ward 23), Pawan Kumar Gupta (Ward 24), Yogita Gupta (Ward 25), Satpal Bathla (Ward 27), Mamta Sharma (Ward 28), Amarjit Singh Amri (Ward 30), Saroj Malhotra (Ward 31), Kirpal Pali (SC Ward 32), Sushma Gautam (Ward 34), Mukesh Sikka (Ward 36), Kirpal Singh Booty (BC Ward 42), Virender Kumar Arora (Ward 44), Suman Bala (Ward 46), Kamal Sharma (Ward 48), Neetu Joura (Ward 49), Daulat Ram (SC Ward 51), Sunil Kumari Bhagat (SC Ward 52), Jagdish Kumar Bitta (SC Ward 53), Geeta Batra (SC Ward 58) and Darshan Lal (SC Ward 59).

Workers take to streets

The declaration of candidate list by BJP has not been able to satisfy the party workers. The party workers from the wards falling in Jalandhar South held a protest today outside the residence of MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal and office of district president, Shiv Dyal Chugh, to show their resentment. Protesters alleged that their Valmiki community was being ignored in allotment of seats.

Meanwhile, president of BJP circle eight and representatives of six wards falling in it also resigned from their posts expressing their grouse over allotment of Ward 47 to SAD.

“Ward 47 was a sureshot seat for the BJP as 93 per cent of the residents were Hindu there. It was a big surprise the way it has been allotted to SAD,” Manoj Arora, Charanjit Billa and other BJP workers fumed. However, district president Shiv Dyal Chugh said that he was yet to make a final decision over the resignations made by president of BJP circle eight and others. 

4 Cong councillors defect to SAD

Jalandhar, July 26
With only 13 days left for the municipal elections, the Congress suffered a major setback when several of its leaders joined the Shiromani Akali Dal today.

The day began with the former Congress councillor, Gurmel Singh Saini, joining the SAD. Later in the evening, outgoing Congress mayor Surinder Mahey’s cousin, Manohar Lal Mahey, and Mandi Satpal Dhal, from Boota Mandi, a close aide of Mahey also joined the SAD.

A sitting Congress councillor, Narinder Kaur, too changed sides to join SAD. BSP’s Jagdish Disha was another political worker who joined hands with SAD.

BJP too received a set back late last evening when Rajiv Thakur of the party reportedly was promised a seat in ward number 60 by the Congress.

Local SAD and Congress MLAs were clueless about the final outcome till late evening as meetings of their state leaders were being held in Chandigarh. — TNS 

Stamp duty evaded; SDM asked to probe 
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, July 26
Deputy commissioner J.M. Balamurugan has reportedly asked Kapurthala SDM to probe a matter of alleged evasion of stamp duty worth Rs 28 lakh and submit a report at the earliest.

Sub Divisional Magistrate Gurpreet Singh Khera told The Tribune, “I have not yet received written orders from the DC. I came to know verbally that I have been directed to conduct an inquiry.”

Khera said he would start an inquiry as and when he gets a written order from the DC in this regard.

According to sources, the deputy commissioner had received a complaint regarding the evasion of stamp duty to the tune Rs 28 lakh while registering a sale deed in February last year by showing a commercial plot as a residential one.

It is learnt that Sonia of Jalandhar sold a plot of 110 marlas located on the Old Sabzi Mandi road to Vipin Kumar and Subhash Chandra through a power of attorney last year.

Two sale deeds were registered in this regard by hiding the fact that the plot is located in the residential colony and not a commercial one.

The buyers reportedly paid the stamp duty of only 4.32 lakh. In this way, they saved a stamp duty to the tune of Rs 28 lakh.

Surprisingly, a multiple commercial complex is being constructed on the land which was shown as a residential plot while registering its sale deed.

Deputy commissioner Balamurugan could not be contacted.