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Besides Gurdas, CM
has another Badal to fight against in Lambi Cong puts candidate
selection on fast track, first list by month-end PPCB chairman
shifted to ‘please’ industry
SAD ticket
allotment sparks rebellion Youth Akali Dal district president Simarjit Singh Bains (in pink turban) addresses a press conference in Ludhiana on Sunday.
Photo: Inderjeet Verma
Protest mounts
against ‘outside’ candidates Youth Akali Dal general secretary Satbir Singh Khatra addresses mediapersons in Patiala. A Tribune photo Ad war: Cong tunes
into cartoon world Poll
Snippets
Hondh-Chillar
whistleblower claims he is victim of political vendetta Strict vigil Manohar Gill
demands reservation for Jat Sikhs
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Besides Gurdas, CM has another Badal to fight against in Lambi Since Lambi may see a triangular fight between three of the Badal family, each and every political activity here is being minutely watched across the state. Issues have taken a back seat and personalities have become a dominant factor since it is the first-ever elections where the two real brothers, “Pash” and “Dass”, are going to contest against each other that too for the sake of political career of their sons. While “Pash” and “Dass” are indulging in mudslinging not only against each other but also against each other’s son, Mahesh Inder Singh, who had lost the previous elections by nearly 9,000 votes, is considering himself to be in a much stronger position than ever. Speaking at his ancestral house, a relaxed Mahesh Inder said, “The Congress is in a much stronger position here as last year, ‘Pash’ and ‘Dass’ were united and it was a tough competition which the Congress lost with a small margin. This time, they have separated and the Congress will definitely get a benefit of it”. He, however, added, “This would be the toughest fight across the state as it would shape the future of the two rising stars of the Badal family (Sukhbir and Manpreet). For the sake of their sons’ careers, Badal and Gurdas are expected to do their best to demean each other, which will surely help the Congress”. However, expressing regret over the war of words, Mahesh Inder said, “I request my elder cousins to refrain themselves from speaking about family feud and rather talk about development issues”. Ever since Mahesh Inder separated from the Badals in 2001, he has hardly made any comment against them. “It doesn’t mean I can’t speak against them. Badal has approached me a number of times to rejoin the SAD, but I neither considered his offer nor highlighted it,” he said. About the allotment of party ticket, he said he got nearly 45,000 votes in the 2007 elections so he was in a stronger position as compared to other aspirants. In the 2002 assembly elections, he fought as an Independent candidate against Badal and managed to get the second highest votes.
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Cong puts candidate selection on fast track, first list by month-end Chandigarh, December 25 The Congress has been trying to fast-forward the entire selection process, which it had barely initiated two-three days back as there was a general feeling that the elections would be held in mid-February. Now with the nominations starting on January 5, there is little time for detailed deliberations. Accordingly, the party has cancelled the programme whereby the state election committee members and MPs were to be given an opportunity to have detailed discussions with the scrutiny committee members. The scrutiny committee consists of senior central leaders CP Joshi and JP Agarwal, besides party's Punjab affairs incharge Gulchain Singh Charak, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh and CLP Leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Talking to The Tribune, PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh said the party wanted to save time now and accordingly party MPs and election committee members had been told to submit their recommendations in a sealed envelope in the office of Charak by the afternoon of December 27. He said these envelopes would be forwarded to the scrutiny committee. Amarinder said the scrutiny committee, headed by Joshi, would meet on December 28, following which selected names would be forwarded to the central election committee headed by party president Sonia Gandhi for final approval. He said the complete list barring a few constituencies was likely to be announced by December 31. The state election committee, which had called for "threadbare discussion" on all seats in a meeting three days back, has now passed a one-line resolution authorising party president Sonia Gandhi to nominate the party candidates. Earlier, the committee had finalised the criteria for ticket selection. It was decided that besides winnability, candidates with Congress background and commitment to the party should be considered. Meanwhile, in view of the fact that the entire top leadership was camping in Delhi, the party has rescheduled all political meetings and rallies announced earlier. The rallies that have been rescheduled include those, which were to be held in Faridkot, Jalandhar Cantonment, Sahnewal, Jalandhar and Amritsar. However, the schedule for political conferences at Jor Mela, Fatehgarh Sahib on December 27 and the Maghi Mela at Muktsar Sahib on January 14 would remain unchanged.
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PPCB chairman shifted to ‘please’ industry Patiala, December 25 Majority of the officers are tight-lipped over the matter, but preferring anonymity some said, "Pannu tightened the noose around industrial units violating various air and water pollution norms. All the violators were being taken to the task ever since Pannu joined the PPCB in June this year. Since industrialists are the major fund raiser for the political parties during elections, no political personality would like to annoy them." Notably, after taking over the charge of the PPCB, Pannu initiated a series of raids across the state. From industrial units, battery manufacturers, distilleries, brick kilns, dyeing units, plastic manufacturers and many other categories of the industry -- surprise checking was conducted by the separate teams of the Board officials in the last six months. Besides issuance of closure notices and warning to the industries found indulging in minor violations, industrial units that were flouting the pollution control norms, including sugar mill of high-profile Ponty Chadha group, were sealed. Though exact figures about the total number of raids being conducted by the PPCB during Pannu's tenure has yet to be complied, but as per the rough estimate, thousands of industrial units in the state were inspected in a short span of just six months. When contacted, Punjab Chief Secretary SC Agarwal said that Pannu had been shifted in routine administrative reshuffle. Pannu said, "Transfer is an administrative decision of the state government." But he refused to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, taking a dig at the government on the matter, noted environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal said, "Such a decision demoralises honest officers." He further said that Pannu had tried his best to enforce pollution norms. "The industry is still violating prescribed pollution norms and in the past six months stringent measures were initiated against them, but with Pannu no more at the helm of affairs, things are likely to be back to square one", he asserted.
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SAD ticket allotment sparks rebellion Ludhiana, December 25 The SAD has officially declared the candidature of Cabinet Minister Hira Singh Gabria from the Atam Nagar constituency. "It is my fight against corrupt leaders within my mother party," said Bains at a press conference here today. Bains is the district president of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) and a municipal councillor Interestingly, Simarjit's elder brother Balwinder Singh Bains, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), is the Akali candidate from the Ludhiana (South) constituency. "I will be contesting as an Independent candidate from Atam Nagar, while my elder brother Balwinder will be contesting on the Akali ticket from Ludhiana (South) constituency. Even after the tough decision, I will remain a loyal and dedicated party worker," said Bains, who had joined the SAD after leaving Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) on October 30, 2004. When Bains was arrested in connection with the Tehsildar assault case, he had brought much embarrassment to the party. The party even came under fire when Youth Akali Dal president Bikram Singh Majithia visited Central Jail, here, to meet Bains. Bains had always openly opposed Cabinet Minister Hira Singh Gabria, Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura and other local leaders. He was re-nominated as YAD district president, while his elder brother Balwinder was allotted a party ticket for the SGPC elections, which he won. "Gabria had openly opposed by brother (Balwinder) during the recent SGPC elections. And the party did not take any action against him. So now, I will be openly contesting against Gabria, let the party take same action (which they took against Gabria) against me,”he added. “It is sad that no action has been initiated against Gabria and now he has been allotted the party ticket from Atam Nagar, the constituency that I have been nurturing for a long. I throw an open challenge to Gabria to contest the elections against me so that the party can come to know which leader the residents want," said Bains, who was accompanied by Akali councillors Kanwaljit Singh Karwal, Parminder Singh Soma and Swarandeep Singh Chahal.
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Protest mounts against ‘outside’ candidates Patiala, December 25 Sukhbir had directed the party cadre not to create indiscipline in the name of seeking party ticket or by resorting to anti-party statements. Notably, Sukhbir had clearly stated that if any Akali leader was found indulging in negative media coverage and tried to cause damage to the image of any particular party leader, he/she would be strictly punished. However, despite the instructions of the party chief, national general secretary of the Youth Akali Dal, Satbir Singh Khatra, today said, "I am really sad that the party has fielded 'parachute candidates' in some constituencies in the state. The candidature of Kuldeep Kaur Tohra, foster daughter of former SGPC chief GS Tohra, from Patiala (Rural) constituency is beyond logic." Khatra claimed that the SAD-BJP combine had announced that they would distribute election tickets on merit. "We have been working hard for the party. Though, I never asked party ticket and neither anyone from SAD promised me the same, but still it appears that somehow, the merit has been ignored", he said. Replying to a query regarding speculations that he would be contesting the election as an Independent candidate from Patiala (Rural) constituency, Khatra said, "Nothing has been finalised, but whatever decision will be taken, it will be in consultation with my supporters. Most likely, the final decision will be taken on January 1."
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Ad war: Cong tunes into cartoon world
Ludhiana, December 25 The party has started a comprehensive advertising campaign by putting up billboards featuring these two characters at various parts of Ludhiana. The billboards are learnt to have been taken on rent by a Delhi-based agency, which manages advertising campaigns for the Congress. These boards are expected to remain on the roads till the elections take place and the Congress leaders say both “Jeeta and Jaggi” would “themselves” highlight the failures of the present SAD-BJP government. Pawan Dewan, District Congress Committee (Urban) president, said these advertising boards had been booked directly from Delhi. “This is the best way in which we can highlight the wrongdoings and failures of the state government,” he said. Most of them have been installed while some would be installed soon. Now that the elections are nearing, the posters would keep on changing at regular intervals, said sources. It has been learnt that for every unipole, the party would be paying a monthly rent of Rs 22,000. The party has also booked overhead advertising boards near Guru Nanak Stadium, near Vishwakarma Chowk, Haibowal and other parts of the city. In the coming days, the poster war is expected to get murkier, with different political parties all set to install boards in different parts of the city.
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Poll Snippets Faridkot: The District Election Officer (Faridkot) on Sunday issued a show-cause notice to Bahujan Samaj Party for holding an election rally without prior permission from the DEO or the Returning officer. The BSP conducted an election rally at the new grain market here in which Narinder Kashyap, senior BSP leader and Rajya Sabha MP, participated. There was no prior permission for this rally, said DEO Ravi Bhagat. “We have already video-graphed the election rally in which over 500 chairs, over a dozen vehicles and a tent were used to make the sitting arrangements and transportation arrangements for the participants, said the DEO.
— Balwant Garg
Malti Thapar aspiring to contest from Dharamkot constituency Moga: Rebel Akali leader and SGPC member Sukhjit Singh Kaka, who recently joined the Congress, faces a tough challenge from Punjab Mahila Congress president Dr Malti Thapar who has stated that she is a strong contender for the Congress ticket from Dharamkot constituency of Moga district. She said that Kaka has not been promised the party ticket from Dharamkot saying that it has also been clarified by Captain Amarinder Singh President of the state unit of the party. She said It is “totally wrong that Congress was banking upon him”. Rather, political pundits believe that these types of defections were liabilities than assets.
— Kulwinder Sandhu Department of Home Affairs
designates election officials Chandigarh:
The Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Punjab, on Sunday declared all police personnel and officials, from top to the lowest rank, connected with election related duty as designated officials. In a communique here, a spokesman of the Home Department said that following the directions from the Election Commission, all police officers from the rank of the Director General of Police at the top level to the level of head-constable and constable involved in any way in election-related duties had been notified as designated officials under the provision of Section 28A of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, with immediate effect.
— TNS
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Hondh-Chillar whistleblower claims he is victim of political vendetta Ludhiana, December
25 The timing of booking him in a police case has been
politically motivated, he said. "It shows that the SAD government
is afraid of my campaign and got a case registered against me to
scuttle the process. They (SAD leaders) thought that by registering a
case they would manage to suppress my voice during assembly elections,
but the whole imbroglio has given me the strength to fight against the
cause." Manwinder said he faced police action for openly siding
with former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and condemned the SAD
government and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar on various
issues. "The incident and subsequent developments speak volumes
of the fact that the issue was politically motivated to disturb the
peaceful atmosphere in the poll season. Since Akal Takht has declared
Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale a 'martyr' and the SGPC has installed his
portrait in the Darbar Sahib museum then what have I done to incite
religious sentiments."
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Strict vigil
Patiala, December 25 District Election Officer Vikas Garg said that the first case came to light in Rajpura where the Rajpura Sadar police team stopped a Zen car and following its search, recovered Rs 3.49 lakh. "Car occupant Tulsi Ram from Gajjukherha village could not explain the source of the money, following which officials of the Income Tax Department were informed and handed over the case to them," he said. In the second case, Amrik Singh, a resident of Maine village, was caught by the police near the NIS, Patiala, for travelling with Rs 5.25 lakh in his vehicle. "Amrik Singh could not give a satisfactory answer about the money, after which sleuths of the Income Tax Department were informed," he said. Newly constituted eight flying squads and 23 teams of the police had set up nakas in the city and their vigil showed results after the elections code of conduct came into force. Senior police officers said that other than the money inflow, special squads had been constituted to ensure stringent check on drugs being smuggled into the state. As per the EC guidelines, anyone travelling with over Rs 1 lakh needs to have documents pertaining to the money and its source. The guidelines were issued to tab the source and use of black money in the elections. Earlier in a meeting with the representatives of various political parties, Garg urged them to follow the Election Commission's directions pertaining to the elections. Strict vigil
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Manohar Gill demands reservation for Jat Sikhs Chandigarh, December 25 Endorsing the efforts made by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who went to meet Union Home Minister P Chidambaram demanding reservation for the Jats all over India as some states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, have already done this, he said that farmers of Punjab should also be included in the central reservation list. "Reservation for Jats was the part of Congress manifesto and I feel that this reservation should be put in the central listto give full benefits to Jats," he said in a telephonic chat with The Tribune. Claiming to be from rural Punjab, Gill said, "Rural Punjab is poor and there is hardly any quality education. As such, there are no job opportunities for rural youth anywhere. Even little potential of joining the armed forces has vanquished after fixing of the recruitment ratio." "Jats of Punjab, who are credited for making the country self-sufficient in food grains, are in financial distress. I come from a small village in Tarn Taran and know the real poverty being faced by Punjabi farmers. I do not agree that the 4.5 per cent reservation announced a few days ago will benefit Sikhs," Gill said.
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With
Punjab going to the polls on January 30, 2012, all major parties in
the state are fast-tracking their election campaigns. The ruling
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided that if it wins the coming
elections, it would retain Parkash Singh Badal as the Chief Minister
of the state. In an exclusive interview, Badal spoke at length to The
Tribune Editor-in-Chief Raj Chengappa on the key issues that would
decide the 2012 elections and his party's strategy. Excerpts:
Ludhiana,
December 25
Patiala,
December 25
Acting
swiftly on the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, the district
police today confiscated unaccounted money worth Rs 9.74 lakh in two separate
incidents. Police believed that the money could be meant for elections, but
refused to elaborate at this stage.
Chandigarh,
December 25
Badal (Lambi), December 25
