Bathinda, May 27
The wait for the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (MC) elections is finally over. The State Election Commission has today issued a notification in which the date of elections has been set as June 22. This is after almost a gap of more than 10 years that the MC elections in the city will take place.

According to the notification, nominations will be filed from June 9 to 12 and scrutiny of papers will take place on June 13. Withdrawal of nominations will take place on June 14 and the polling will take place on June 22, from 8 am to 4 pm. As many as 55 polling stations and 134 polling booths will be set up in the city during the elections. After this notification number 8590 dated May 27, the code of conduct comes into effect in the city from today onwards.

The cracks in the coalition between the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Bharatiya Janata Party can further increase during the MC elections, as the BJP is demanding 30 seats out of a total of 50 whereas SAD wants to give just 15 seats to them. During the last elections, the BJP had contested on 15 seats but won only 9.

Dera Sacha Sauda followers, who are believed to have a vote bank of around 25,000 to 30,000 will also play a pivotal role in the elections. The total number of voters in Bathinda is 1,71,921. The local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi is a close relative of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and that is expected to leave a mark on the results.

To chalk out the further course of action, the BJP working committee has already called a meeting at Chandigarh tomorrow morning, which will be attended by BJP's district president (urban) Narinder Mittal and district president (rural) Dyal Singh Sodhi. For the allocation of seats, a two-member committee has been formed by both the parties. Balwinder Singh Bhundar, general secretary, SAD, and Kamal Sharma, general secretary, BJP, will be its members.

"We have demanded 30 seats from the SAD as the BJP has strengthened its vote bank in Bathinda," said Narinder Mittal.

According to observers, the tiff between SAD's senior vice-president Chiranji Lal Garg and junior vice-president Sarup Chand Singla will also affect the electioneering process.

Out of the total of 50 wards, 24 are reserved for general category candidates, 13 for women, 7 for Scheduled Caste candidates, 4 for SC women and two for backward class candidates. Ward numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 28, 40, 43, 46 and 49 have been reserved for women, ward numbers 9, 11, 17, 27, 32, 33 and 45 for SCs, ward number 25, 31, 34 and 37 for SC women and wards 38 and 42 for backward class candidates.

Mahuana (Muktsar), May 27
The much propagated efforts initiated by the government to stop farmers from early sowing of paddy in the region, considering the rapid depletion of groundwater, seems to have proved futile as farmers and even authorities concerned are not paying much heed to it.

Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) experts had recommended that the government pass an ordinance in view of the depleting level of the groundwater. They had recommended that the sowing period be started from June 15, but the government allowed the sowing from June 10 onwards.

In the recent issued notification for the ordinance, it has been clearly mentioned that the farmers found guilty of sowing paddy prior to the date would be penalised with a fine of Rs 10,000. A number of officers of the agriculture department and even the deputy commissioners have been authorised to uproot the sown paddy in question.

The director of the PAU’s regional station here, G.S. Buttar, said, “We had recommended that sowing should take place after mid June, as the level of moisture and humidity in the air at the time is enough to reduce the vaporisation of water used for sowing paddy. The government has now passed the notification for the ordinance, but all depends upon the implementation.”

During a visit to the Lambi area, the home constituency of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, a number of migrant labourers were found busy planting paddy. The situation was similar in Mahuana village where paddy was found sown on acres of land.

When contacted, Muktsar deputy commissioner Vikas Garg tried to pass on the buck to the chief agriculture officer saying that the officer was supposed to take action in this regard. But when he was apprised that as per the notification, the DCs were also authorised to take action, he said, “A copy of the notification has been sent to me but I have not been able to go through it.”

On his part, Bikkar Singh Buttar, chief agriculture officer, Muktsar, said, “I am busy with the Panchayat polls right now and will look into the matter after I am free.”

A senior officer in the administration, wishing anonymity, said, “It is the home district of the CM. So, the officers have to think twice before taking action against anyone.”

Abohar, May 27
The Congress succeeded in retaining its hold in nearly 70 per cent of the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the Abohar Assembly segment. Virtually, the voters had reversed the tables as the ruling alliance had won the Zila Parishad (ZP) and Panchayat Samiti (PS) polls recently, sources said.

Buoyed over the performance, Congress legislator Sunil Jakhar said, “Had the PS and ZP elections been fair, the party would have not faced a rough weather earlier. This time our workers were more vigilant.”

Most of the winners having allegiance to the Congress assembled at Jakhar’s residence here today and distributed sweets and burst fire-crackers to celebrate. The ruling alliance leaders were reluctant in challenging the claims made by the archrivals.

Addressing workers, Jakhar said the farmers, poor farm labourers and Dalits had reposed their faith and confidence in the policies of the party.

Not only in the Jakhars native villages Panjkosi and Maujgarh, but also in Danewala Satkosi, Dhaani Karnail Singh, Dhaani Shafi, Dhaani Latkan, Dhaani Shafi, Dhaani Roor Singh, Dhaani Maseet, Dhaani Bashesharnath, Kikkarkhera, Dharampura, Tootwala, Haripura, Bhangarkhera and Dhaani Mandla villages, most of the winners were Congress workers.

Two women candidates supported by the Congress had won unopposed in village Gumjal, but the alliance leaders got the election cancelled by lodging false and baseless complaints. In village Usmankhera the nomination papers of our workers were got cancelled on flimsy grounds, he alleged.

Meanwhile, the candidates supported by the Congress were declared winners even after recounting of ballots in village Daultapura. The authorities today rejected complaints regarding counting of votes in Dhaani Bashesharnath village.

Scores of BJP workers had last night staged a sit-in at the official residence of the sub-divisional magistrate. They were asked to lodge a formal complaint.

Mansa, May 27
The officials have cancelled polling for seven Gram Panchayats (GPs) citing various reasons on Monday. The polling for three GPs would be held on May 28 and the elections for other four GPs would be held later.

Meanwhile, 75 per cent results of GPs have come in favour of the Shiromani Akali Dal-backed candidates.

District secretary of the CPI, Buta Singh, said nearly 55 candidates, whom his party had supported, were elected. CPI (ML) leader B.S. Sammaon, said about 30 candidates elected to the GPs in Tamkot, Dalasinghwala, Bhaini Bagha, Datewas and Jhabbar, were supported by his party. However, district president of Youth Congress, Gurpreet Singh Vicky, has alleged that the Akali workers had treated badly the Congress-backed candidates in Nangal Khurd village.

General secretary of the SAD, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, said the voters had supported the SAD-backed candidates due to its its progressive policies. — OC

Barnala, May 27
In an interesting result, a husband and wife duo were elected as Panchayat members in Badiaala village. Ajaib Singh secured 254 votes while his better half Sukhjinder Kaur got 85 votes.

In Patti Mohar Singh Panchayat, a candidate, whose election symbol was wooden board, could manage a single vote only. However, he managed to make the popular Punjabi phrase true, 'Phatti Pauchi Reh Gai’ (the board remained clean).

Meanwhile, DC R.L.Mehta has declared a holiday at the Government High School, Bhure Kube, on Wednesday, where re-polling will be held at booth number 119.

It may be mentioned here that elections at Bhure Kube was cancelled as a polling officer took the ballot paper outside the polling station. — OC

Bathinda, May 27
BJP candidates are all set to become sarpanch in at least five villages of the district. As per the initial reports, more than eight candidates of the BJP have become panchayat members in five villages. According to Dyal Singh Sodhi, district president (rural), BJP, three party candidates have won at village Bibiwala, two at village Gehri Bara Singh and one each at village Dyalpura Bhaika, Sema and Tungwali.

At village Tungwali which has 11 panchayat members, the seat of sarpanch has been reserved for a SC candidate. There, only two SC candidates have won, one each from BJP and Congress. Before the election, six candidates were chosen unanimously and election for five seats was held on Monday.

“At Tungwali, SAD (B) secured four seats, three went to Congress, three to independents and one to the BJP. As the sarpanch’s seat is reserved for a SC candidate, so the BJP candidate has a brighter chance of becoming the village sarpanch because SC candidates of only the BJP and the Congress have been able to win the election. Our candidate Baldev Singh Tassi has a brighter chance of becoming the village sarpanch as the three independent candidates are in our favour. Even the SAD is supporting us because they cannot see the Congress candidate becoming the village sarpanch,” said Sodhi. But it is not sure whether the SAD will support the BJP candidate Baldev Singh Tassi because he has defeated former SAD Nathana MLA Gura Singh Tungwali’s brother Baldev Singh. At village Dyalpura Bhaika, the BJP’s winning candidate Gurcharan Singh can become the village sarpanch as the SAD and Congress have won three seats each. At village Burj Gill, the Congress won five seats and SAD won four. The Congress candidates are believed to have joined the BJP and may form their panchayat there.

Bathinda, May 27 
The Congress has alleged that its winning candidates in some villages have been ‘kidnapped’ by the SAD (B) workers.

Ashok Kumar, president, DCC (Urban) and Tehal Singh Sandhu, secretary, PPCC, jointly alleged at a press conference that,”two Congress winning candidates from village Sivian, Ishar Singh and Jagsir Singh have been kidnapped by the SAD workers because they want them to help in forming the Panchayat. One such candidate, Jagga Singh of village Chughe Kalan, has also been kidnapped.”

Similarly, Bant Kaur, mother of a winning candidate Ranjit Kaur from village Balluana, has alleged that her daughter is kidnapped.

SAD candidates from village Mehma Bhagwana, Gurlal Singh, Gurcharan Singh and Jaswinder Kaur also alleged that the presiding officer at their village tampered with the final result However, assistant presiding officer Mandar Singh denied tampering. DC Rahul Tewari said that if the candidate has any complaint, he can file a petition. — TNS

Bathinda, May 27
In the unending instances of Punjab youth attempting to migrate to developed countries and landing in trouble, another case of one Joginder Singh (30) of Raipur village of the district, near here, came to light when his father received a letter from him from a Pakistani jail.

Unemployed, Joginder Singh, son of an Armyman Nand Singh, had struck a deal with a travel agent, Pritam Singh of Hoshiarpur, for Rs 4.50 lakh, and paid him Rs 2.50 lakh in advance, to arrange his emigration to Greece. But the route charted out for him was rather roundabout. He boarded a plane for Lebanon on February 20 from Delhi. On his arrival there, he was confined to a room by the foreign contacts of the travel agent.

His travails thereon were revealed in the letter his parents received on Saturday. It came from a jail in Quetta, Pakistan. Pritam Singh, his father, speaking in the presence of the village panchayat, told The Tribune that Joginder and four others had been forced to walk towards the Turkey border by the accomplices of the travel agent. There they were caught by the Turkish army, who beat them mercilessly, snatched their belongings and then pushed them back. Ultimately, after much harassment at the hands of the security forces of various countries, he and the other youth landed in Pakistan’s Quetta jail. 

Abohar, May 27
A resident of village Mammukhera was medically examined at the civil hospital here after he complained to the police that he was sodomised on Monday night.

According to the complaint, the 45-year-old victim was invited to a feast hosted by a winner in the Panchayat elections in village Mammukhera. The host allegedly served liquor to his supporters freely. The alleged culprits took the tipsy victim to a nearby field on a pretext and sodomised him. The police said investigation was on. — OC