Chandigarh, March 15
The HJC has accused the Ambala district administration of removing its hoardings put up at authorised places.

In a letter sent to the Election Commission today, HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi has demanded that the officer responsible for removing the party hoardings should be transferred immediately.

Bishnoi said the party had put up its hoardings in the Railways area after entering into an agreement with the company, which had taken the contract of these sites. The party had also taken permission from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state for putting up these hoardings.

He said vide its letter of October the Election Commission had allowed the political parties to put up their hoardings in registered private sites also after taking prior permission of the CEO.

He said the district administration had removed his party’s hoardings because the ruling party had been upset over the growing popularity of the HJC.

Chandigarh, March 15
For the first time in Haryana, voters will be able to access all their vote details using helplines. For the computer-savvy, the State Election Department has introduced information-availability at the click of a button and is hoping to reach out to the many other voters in villages and cities by way of phone-based and SMS-based helplines.

This is particularly important since the delimitation exercise has left many a voters confused about their vote, booth and constituency. “In fact, initially, we got a few complaints stating that some votes have been deleted. On investigation, we found that the vote had only been shifted to another booth according to the new boundaries of the constituencies, but the voter was not informed. Given the prevailing confusion among voters, we thought of initiating the helplines.

The attempt is that no voter should face harassment for want of information about his booth and area,” said Sajjan Singh, Chief Electoral Officer.

While the web-based and phone-based helplines were activated today for the convenience of the voters, the SMS-based helpline will become operational by the end of this week. Voters can visit <http://www.ceoharyana.nic.in> to know their voting status or call at the numbers provided at the election offices in 19 districts of the state.

To avail the facility of district phone helplines, voters of Panchkula can call at 0172-2579994, Ambala at 0171-2532801, Sonepat at 0130-2221728 and Sirsa at 01666-220037 for district Sirsa. The helpline 01282-256220 for Narnaul, 01251-254246 for Jhajjar, 0184-2252260 for Karnal, 01744-222872 for Kurukshetra, 01681-249997 for Jind is also operational.

Similarly, voters in Gurgaon can dial 0124-2224047, those at Faridabad can call 0129-2433593, in Fathehabad at 01667-230146, Hisar at 01662-239607, Rewari at 01274-222779 and Kaithal at 01746-235568 for district Kaithal. For voters from Panipat district, information is available at 0180-258065, at 01732-261949 for Yamunanagar, at 01664-242510 for Bhiwani and at 01262-242881 for Rohtak.

Chandigarh, March 15
The three-member screening committee constituted by the Congress for Haryana held another exercise to identify party nominees for the Lok Sabha elections in the state in Delhi today.

The committee is headed by party MP from Karnataka BK Hariprasad and has union ministers Prithiviraj Chavan and Anand Sharma. Chavan is also in charge of the party affairs in Haryana.

The three members met certain leaders of the Haryana Congress individually at 11, Race Course Road, Delhi, which is the official residence of Chavan. 

Among those whose views were heard by the committee were Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana and working president Kuldeep Sharma, chairman of the party campaign committee Venod Sharma, Union Minister Selja, former Haryana Congress president Harpal Singh, Birender Singh and Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, both ministers in the Hooda Cabinet, and Dr Ram Prakash, Rajya Sabha member from Haryana.

Since the committee met individual leaders separately, it is not known what views these leaders expressed about various nominees. 

However, it is learnt that certain leaders said that Karnal was no longer a “Brahmin seat”. Moreover, there is a sizeable population of the Punjabis (those who migrated from West Pakistan and settled here) in the state and they must be given representation while deciding the party nominees. 

The state leaders suggested that a Punjabi nominee could be fielded by the party either from Karnal or Gurgaon.

Certain leaders are believed to have suggested that Birender Singh, who is a former president of the Haryana Congress, should be considered as a candidate from Hisar, from where the Haryana Janhit Congress is likely to field either its patron Bhajan Lal or its president Kuldeep Bishnoi. The response of the committee members is not known.

Birender Singh has openly expressed his willingness to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Sonepat. But whether he would be interested in contesting from Hisar is not known. His Assembly constituency, Uchana, falls under the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency.

Certain leaders are also believed to have suggested that either Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh or Capt Yadav should be fielded from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat, which has a sizeable population of the Ahir community after the delimitation.

It is not known if the committee would hold more such meetings before giving its report to the Central Election Committee of the party. 

Rohtak, March 15
Delay and suspense regarding the names of the candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, by some of the leading parties, seems to be not only causing discontentment among the party cadres, but has also come as a roadblock in the election campaign.

Though various parties and their leaders have been holding public meetings, the non-clearance of candidates’ names has resulted in an overall dullness affecting the campaign so far. The state has 10 Lok Sabha seats for which only the BJP has announced the names of its candidates for five seats while the other parties, including the Congress and the INLD, are still to name its candidates.

While the delay in announcement of the candidates by the Congress could be well understood due to presence of several power groups and their clout inside the party leadership, the other parties, including the INLD and the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) have still been in the process of finalising. 

The recent announcement made by the BJP high command for five seats appears to be a setback for the INLD, which had entered into a poll alliance with the BJP and were expected to announce the names together. 

But the “one-sided” announcement of the candidates by the BJP was least expected, as the alliance had not even declared the seat-sharing figures so far, said a political observer here.

This announcement had now left five seats for the INLD, he claimed. “The Congress should not exhibit any hurry in declaring its candidates as the wrong choice could mean a loss to the party in the polls which had been seen sitting on a good wicket, said a party insider. 

The BSP and the HJC have, however, announced their candidates from the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat.

Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), March 15
The Congress is the only party which not only keeps the interests of the common man in mind but also serves the cause of farmers and labourers with its policies directed towards these sections of society.

This was stated by Member of Parliament from the Rohtak parliamentary constituency Deepender Hooda while addressing a political function organised to mark the joining of the Congress by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Jitender Lathar here today.

“Opposition parties have conspired to marginalise the Rohtak-Jhajjar region due to political malice but under the present government, the region is re-gaining its rightful place in the state,” said Deepender, adding that the state government was working for the welfare of all sections of society.

Castigating the BJP as an anti-farmer party, Deepender said the Opposition indulged in doublespeak.

Bahadurgarh MLA Rajender Joon, president of the State Private Schools Association Ramesh Rohilla and Pradhan Umed Deswal also spoke on the occasion.

Karnal, March 15
Optimistic about sweeping the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-INLD candidate from Karnal, ID Swami, a former Union Minister of State for Home, today expressed confidence that the alliance would repeat 1999, winning all 10 seats in the state.

Swami told The Tribune that the alliance was need of the hour and regional parties like the INLD and the SAD (B) had strengthened the NDA.

Dismissing the possibilities of emergence of so-called Third Front, Swami said splinters groups like the HJC and the BSP were virtually “non-existent” in the state and posed no threat to the BJP or the INLD. Whatever little difference these parties would make would be to the disadvantage of the Congress, he said.

He dubbed the HJC as a “bunch” of disgruntled, leaders with no ideology or mass following and added that in northern states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, prospects of emergence of the Third Front were very bleak.

Swami said it was due to general impression among the BJP workers that the party would go it alone this time, but the central leaders decided to go in for the alliance with the INLD after consultations with the state leaders and this impression was fast fading away.

Lashing out at the UPA government for rampant corruption, growing unemployment, price rise and failure of governance, Swami alleged that the soft attitude of the UPA towards terrorism had jeopardised the security of the country. 

He said even in the state, the law and order had fast deteriorated, corruption was on rise, power cuts had become the order of the day and all sections of the people were disillusioned with the government and added that all these issues would be taken to the court of people during the elections.

Gurgaon, March 15
Taking a serious note of the infighting among different factions of the ruling Congress in the state, the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has shot off letters to several senior party leaders.

According to inside sources, those who have been issued these ‘notices’ include state Assembly Deputy Speaker Azad Mohammad, HPCC spokesman Khazan Singh, Nuh MLA Habib-ur-Rehman, District Congress Committee, Nuh, president Aftab Ahmed and executive president Maman Khan Engineer.

In the notices, the HPCC has reportedly sought the aforesaid leaders’ explanation on the incidents of indiscipline that took place during the electoral tour of HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana, in-charge of party’s LS poll campaign operations in the state Venod Sharma and other senior Congress leaders.

It may be pertinent to mention here that while the HPCC chief and other leaders were touring different Assembly segments under the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency, supporters of some local Congress leaders had raised slogans, which led to a ruckus at the electoral meetings. Following this, the party leadership wrote to the aforesaid leaders.

Interestingly, Rehman happens to be an Independent member of the state Assembly. However, according to sources, he has also been issued a “notice” as he supports the state Congress regime and attends party’s meetings and functions.

On the other hand, HPCC spokesperson Khazan Singh had recently convened a press conference to assert his candidature for the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat.

The HPCC president as well as working president Kuldeep Sharma could not be reached for their comments. The local Congress leaders also chose to remain tightlipped over the sensitive issue.

Meanwhile, sources said several other Congress leaders were likely to be issued such notices in near future as the party leadership had adopted a firm stance on such incidents, which reflected infighting.

Rohtak, March 15
Parents’ associations of various private schools in the state have asked the government to take measures to check the alleged exploitation of students and their parents by school managements.

At a meeting here today, the associations claimed that private schools had been increasing their fees and other charges indiscriminately, resulting in exploitation of parents, especially those with humble means.

The meeting, held under the aegis of the “Two Plus Five Mudde Andolan”, resolved to demand strict measures against the errant schools. Stating that the schools ought to submit the details of the fee structure to the education department each year, it claimed that nothing of the sort was being done by the schools.

Rule No. 134-A of the Act, which directs schools to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for poor students, was not being adhered to, it was alleged. Announcing to stage a district-level dharna in the state on April 3, the the parents’ body has issued an appeal for the setting up of parents’ associations in all recognised schools in the state.

Sirsa, March 15
With all major parties having either announced their candidates or in the process of selection of candidates in Haryana, a pertinent question that comes to the mind of people today is whether the parties will give due representation to women in the forthcoming parliamentary elections to the 15th Lok Sabha.

Going by the trends visible so far, women getting their due share seems to be a far cry.

The Bahujan Samaj Party, which is headed by a woman at the national level, was the first to announce all 10 candidates in Haryana.

However, the party failed to give even a single ticket to a woman.

The CPM, which claims to be strong votary of equality for women, has also fielded a man in the lone parliamentary seat of Sirsa it is contesting.

The BJP, too, has already announced its candidates for the five parliamentary seats it is contesting.

Dr Sudha Yadav is the lone woman who has been given the party ticket by the saffron party from Gurgaon.

The BJP’s coalition partner in the NDA in Haryana, the INLD, is yet to announce its candidates. However, the only woman among the probable candidates of the party is Kailasho Saini, a former Member of Parliament.

Saini is seeking the party ticket from Kurukshetra but given the fact that the party had denied the ticket to her during the last parliamentary polls, her nomination is not being considered a certainty.

Kuldeep Bishnoi’s Haryana Janhit Congress has already announced its candidates for Faridabad, Gurgaon and Rohtak, which are all males.

Among the other seven seats, there are a few names like that of Sumitra Dahiya and Shanti Rathi from Sonepat and Kusum Sharma from Bhiwani which have been sent in the panel.

But given the announcements of Bishnoi that he would contest from Bhiwani and Dharam Pal Malik, a veteran of many electoral battles in the party ranks, is likely to contest from Sonepat, any woman getting the HJC ticket appears to be a distant possibility.

The ruling Congress fielded a single woman candidate in Selja, now a Union Minister, during the last parliamentary polls.

Her nomination is being considered almost a certainty this time too. However, whether some other woman will be able to get the party ticket from the ruling party this time is yet to be seen.

Shruti Chaudhary, daughter of Haryana Forest and Tourism Minister Kiran Chaudhary, is one formidable candidate among various women seeking the Congress ticket from Haryana. However still her nomination does not seem to be a certainty given the challenge she is facing from within and outside former Chief Minister Bansi Lal’s family to which she belongs.

Krishna Gehlot, a former minister, is another woman seeking the Congress ticket from Sonepat. However, she is faced with a stiff opposition as among those who are seeking nomination from Sonepat are leaders of the stature of Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh.

Sirsa too can hope to see a woman candidate as the names of at least two women in an income tax officer, Sunita Duggal, and a former minister, Santosh Sarwan, are circulating among more than 30 probables for the party ticket from here.

Though any final conclusion regarding the number of women getting the ticket from various political parties in Haryana would be drawn only after all parties announce their nominees, this can be safely said that women are unlikely to get their due share in the electoral politics of Haryana.

Sirsa, March 15
Harbhajan Mann, Punjabi actor and pop singer, today said obscenity being served to people in the name of films was not good for society and must be discouraged.

Mann was in Sirsa to promote his film “Jag Jeenwandia de Mele” in the local Ohm Cine Garden today.

He said if one looked at the fate of films released during the past two decades, family films had done better business than films of other genres.

He regretted that such films were few these days.

Harbhajan Mann said he had no plans to act in Bollywood films.

“Whatever I am today, I am due to Punjabi films and Punjabi music, and I would like to do more Punjabi films in future,” Mann said.

He said he had been in the Punjabi film industry for the past one decade and regretted that few producers had been coming forward to make films in Punjabi these days.

Sirsa, March 15
The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) today organised cycle rallies to mark the 75th birth anniversary of party’s founder Kanshi Ram.

Mool Chand Rathi, state general secretary of the party, flagged off the rally in Sirsa.

Rajesh Vaid, party’s nominee for the Sirsa seat; Veer Shanti Swaroop, state general secretary; Sanju Bala, in-charge of women wing for the Sirsa seat; Bhushan Lal Baror; Rajinder Kaur Bhawdeen and Pahlad Rai were present on this occasion.

Rathi said Kanshi Ram always worked for the betterment of the Dalits and the downtrodden sections of the society.

Later, the BSP activists campaigned in villages - Suchan, Kotli, Sanger Sadha, Bhawdeen and Vaidwala and appealed for voting in favour of party nominee Rajesh Vaid. Reports of cycle rallies have also been received from Dabwali, Ellenabad, Fatehabad and Kalanwali.