B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Upinder to contest as independent
Kotkapura, January 7
Miffed over the denial of the party ticket for the upcoming assembly polls, Punjab Congress General Secretary and former jail minister Upinder Sharma today announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate from the Kotkapura seat.

Lt.Gen.Sanjeev Anand is GOC of Chetak Corps
Bathinda, January 7
Lt.Gen.Sanjeev Anand today took over the command of the Bathinda-based Chetak Corps from Lt.Gen.Sanjiv Chachra.

195 booths super-sensitive in Faridkot
Faridkot, January 7
So far known for peaceful elections, Faridkot, Kotkapura and Jaitu Assembly constituencies of Faridkot district are set to witness not only tough electoral battle this time but also there is a high risk of violence and vote-purchasing in the election when a famous liquor baron, a younger brother of a senior Congress leader and a ‘once’ prominent FCI labour union leader are in the election fray.

Arms, stolen vehicles seized
Ferozepur, January 7
Continuing its offensive against the anti-social elements, the Ferozepur police on Friday recovered two pistols, two stolen four-wheelers and two motorcycles, one computer set besides huge quantity of foreign and country made liquor.

BSF foils bid to push arms, ammunition in Indian territory
Ferozepur, January 7
The BSF sleuths on Friday foiled a bid by the Pakistan-based agencies to push a consignment of arms and ammunition inside the Indian territory and recovered several sophisticated firearms from an area along the border around 300 yards inside the Zero Line in Amarkot here.

Chilly weather fails to dampen Badals’ spirit
Lambi, January 7
Chilly weather and dense fog failed to mar the enthusiasm of the elderly Badal brothers, who are taking on each other at the Lambi constituency in Muktsar district.

Upinder to contest as independent
State Congress general secretary renders resignation from party post
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Kotkapura, January 7
Miffed over the denial of the party ticket for the upcoming assembly polls, Punjab Congress General Secretary and former jail minister Upinder Sharma today announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate from the Kotkapura seat.

“I would contest as an independent candidate from the Kotkapura seat against the SAD (B) and Congress candidates,” said Upinder Sharma today after submitting his resignation from the post of general secretary and member All India Congress Committee.

“My contesting as an independent candidate is a tough and difficult decision but as I am feeling ditched, I took this decision,” said Upinder Sharma. This is the second time that I have been politically swindled in Kotkapura, a long-time political nurtured constituency of mine.

“In the last assembly elections, 2007, I surrendered my claim on Kotkapura as per the direction of the party high command to vacate the place for a green-horn in politics, Ripjit Brar, younger brother of Jagmeet Singh Brar. I was promised the ticket this time but all the promises proved fake and I cannot take this treatment any more,” pointed out Upinder Sharma. Sharma won the Kotkapura seat in the 1992 elections and got the portfolio of Jail Minister.

However, after registration of a murder case against him in 1995, in 1997 elections, Joginder Singh, son of former President of India, Giani Zail Singh, contested on the Kotkapura seat but he lost the election.

In July 2001, Sharma was sentenced life imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of a BJP leader of Kotkapura. In 2002, Upinder Sharma's daughter, Vibha Sharma contested the election on the Congress ticket but she also lost and in 2007, it was Ripjit Brar, who, riding his brother, Jagmeet Brar’s influence, got the ticket and won the seat.

This time, it was Ripjeet versus Upinder Sharma for the Congress ticket in Kotkapura and Ripjit succeeded in wresting the ticket. Earlier, in the day, Sharma’s supporters took out a massive protest march in Kotkapura town to oppose the ticket to Ripjit Brar.

Lt.Gen.Sanjeev Anand is GOC of Chetak Corps
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 7
Lt.Gen.Sanjeev Anand today took over the command of the Bathinda-based Chetak Corps from Lt.Gen.Sanjiv Chachra.

Lt.Gen.Anand was earlier the chief of staff of a strike corps. He was also the GOC of a mountain division in the Eastern sector.

He is an alumnus of the NDA, Army War College and National Defence College.

195 booths super-sensitive in Faridkot
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 7
So far known for peaceful elections, Faridkot, Kotkapura and Jaitu Assembly constituencies of Faridkot district are set to witness not only tough electoral battle this time but also there is a high risk of violence and vote-purchasing in the election when a famous liquor baron, a younger brother of a senior Congress leader and a ‘once’ prominent FCI labour union leader are in the election fray.

Of the total 136 polling booths in the Kotkapura Assembly constituency, 91 booths have been declared as super-sensitive and sensitive. In the Faridkot assembly constituency, 41 out of the total 150 booths have been identified as super-sensitive and sensitive booths. Even in Jaitu, a reserve Assembly constituency, 63, out of the total 140 booths have been categorised as super-sensitive and sensitive by the district election office. To maintain law and order, the district police is highly vigilant, said Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, SSP, Faridkot.

He said out of the total 11,113 total licensed weapons in Faridkot district, a total of 6,720 weapons were already deposited with the district police. “While the total Rs 21.45 lakh unaccounted money has been forfeited by the district police in the last one week, the police has a special vigil on the sale of synthetic drugs on the chemist shops,” said the SSP.

Arms, stolen vehicles seized
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, January 7
Continuing its offensive against the anti-social elements, the Ferozepur police on Friday recovered two pistols, two stolen four-wheelers and two motorcycles, one computer set besides huge quantity of foreign and country made liquor.

The police also identified two illegal liquor vends at village Sapanwali and Kailash, which were functioning without any valid licence and recovered a large quantity of liquor from these premises.

Jatinder Pal Singh Beniwal, SP, Detective, said the two pistols of .315 bore and .32 bore each were recovered from one Kamalpreet Singh alias Lucky, regarding which, a case has been registered.

Beniwal said the police has also identified a hideaway in the Pioneer Colony on the Ferozepur-Moga road, which had been taken by a contractor on rent, adding that 39 boxes of liquor have been stocked in the house.

BSF foils bid to push arms, ammunition in Indian territory
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, January 7
The BSF sleuths on Friday foiled a bid by the Pakistan-based agencies to push a consignment of arms and ammunition inside the Indian territory and recovered several sophisticated firearms from an area along the border around 300 yards inside the Zero Line in Amarkot here.

The DIG, BSF Sector Headquarters, Ferozepur, Rajesh Gupta said following an electronic and telecommunication intercept by the intelligence wing and input by the Special Security Bureau (SSB), the BSF jawans belonging to the 45 battalion carried out a search operation along the Indo-Pak border near BOP (border outpost) Wan.

During the search, they seized a consignment of weapons concealed beneath an old tree near the border pillar 139/11 and 139/12.

The DIG said the BSF seized one highly sophisticated Italian made Baretta gun, four pistols (9mm) with eight magazines besides two Chinese made revolvers along with 36 cartridges.

Sources further added that the cache of arms ahead of the polls in the border state assumes immense significance as there might be an attempt by the anti-national forces and various subversive groups to vitiate law and order situation in the border state.

Chilly weather fails to dampen Badals’ spirit
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Lambi, January 7
Chilly weather and dense fog failed to mar the enthusiasm of the elderly Badal brothers, who are taking on each other at the Lambi constituency in Muktsar district.

The trio-Chief Minister and SAD candidate Parkash Singh Badal; his younger brother, PPP candidate, Gurdas Singh Badal and their cousin, Congress candidate, Mahesh Inder Singh Badal-braving the bone-chilling cold and dense fog, were seen campaigning in the villages till late in the evening.

Going almost one after the other in some villages, canvassing for votes, these three old war horses had made special arrangements to beat the cold.

Octogenarian Parkash Singh Badal, who is very punctual, stepped out of his house at around 8 am in the dense fog and started his election campaign, which lasted till late in the evening.

To save himself from the biting cold outside, the CM, who has been campaigning in Lambi for the three consecutive days, had worn a pullover, long coat and gloves.

Similarly, his younger brother Gurdas Singh Badal too came out on the road at almost the same time, wearing an imported long wool coat (brought by his elder brother Parkash Singh Badal) to seek votes.

However, their cousin Mahesh Inder Singh Badal, was seen to be almost indifferent to the chilly wind. The excitement and eagerness to win the elections was clearly visible on his face. Mahesh was wearing only a sleeveless pullover and shawl on his traditional kurta-pyjama with jutti on his feet, while campaigning in the villages.

The battlelines are drawn for January 30 and only a fortnight is left for the polling day.

So, these elderly contestants are leaving no stone unturned to garner the maximum number of votes, by appealing to them to cast votes in their favour. The three Badals also appealed to the voters in their speeches to forget this cold till the day of the polling.