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uttarakhand civic polls
Union minister Harish Rawat and former municipal chairperson Satpal Brahamchari campaign on a two-wheeler without helmets in Haridwar on Friday.
Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur
Cong rebel Kandari’s rally upsets parties
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BJP criticises Congress for opposing Gujarat CM’s
visit to Haridwar
Cong plans showing black flags to Modi today
Party expels 93 rebels
BJP, Cong pitch it in strong in Kumaon
Social sites used for publicising election symbols
With BJP leaders’ arrival, canvassing gains pace in Mussoorie
Rajni Rawat promises to solve public grievances
DM reviews poll arrangements
Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purshuttiom addresses mediapersons regarding preparations for civic polls on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph
DM, SSP tell officers to hold joint inspection of poll centres
Admn changes locations of polling centres
Ensure women’s safety, says Durga Vahini
EC notice to Principal Secy
BJP leaders to hold roadshows today
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Harish Rawat flouts traffic rules
Campaigns on two-wheeler without helmet in Haridwar Tribune News Service
Haridwar, April 25 Harish Rawat, who holds Union Cabinet berth as Water Resources Minister, along with former municipal chairperson Satpal Brahamchari, rode through the Ranipur-Chandracharya Chowk stretch, campaigning for mayoral candidate Swami Rishishwaranand. Though, many termed it as a publicity gimmick to campaign on two-wheeler, many took objections of a Cabinet Minister riding a two-wheeler without helmet. What more at the Ranipur-Chandracharya intersection, the police was carrying out helmet and licence checking drive, but didn’t bother to ask the Union Minister to wear helmet so as to give a good message to the people of his constituency. A traffic police constable said he talked about this with fellow traffic personnel but fear of transfer or even suspension loomed large as influential traffic violators threaten them. When questioned, Satpal Brahamchari said the ride was a spontaneous one. It wasn’t planned. It just struck them as some party workers were campaigning on two wheelers. While Rajesh Rastogi, spokesperson for Harish Rawat, said the parliamentarian was sitting as a pillion rider so he didn’t need to wear helmet. Traffic Inspector Devendra Dabral said riding a two-wheeler without a helmet was the violation of the Motor Vehicles Act and the law is applicable to all -- whether a minister, legislator or anybody else. He said he had given strict directions to traffic police personnel to see that traffic rules were adhered to in the coming days strictly as polling and counting of votes would take place for civic body elections in the district. “A wrong message is sent to the public if a parliamentarian, who frames the law, breaks it himself,” Vikas Tiwari, BJP divisional party chief, said.
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Cong rebel Kandari’s rally upsets parties
Mussoorie, April 25
Kandari’s supporters gathered at Taylors flat in large numbers and marched all along the road till Gandhi Chowk raising slogans in favour of their candidate contesting the MC elections on the symbol of candle. Megh Singh Kandari, addressing the huge gathering which consisted of the youth and women in large numbers, said both Congress and BJP had misled the people of the town and instead of working for the town had filled their own coffers leaving the council high and dry. Megh Singh Kandari also alleged that the nexus between politicians and contractors had proved detrimental for the town as it had affected the working of the Mussoorie Municipal Council adversely. He also lambasted the Mussoorie Congress unit for not considering his claim from the party for the post of president. Kandari alleged that the Mussoorie Congress had turned into a private syndicate serving the interest of only a few individuals. Without naming the candidate from the Congress for the post of president, he said people were questioning the compulsion of the presidential candidate from the Congress for first contesting from the Dhanaulti Assembly and then for the post of Municipal Council president thus proving that the committed workers had no place in the party. Megh Singh Kandari asserted that the large gathering proved that the people of the town were ready for a change.
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BJP criticises Congress for opposing Gujarat CM’s
visit to Haridwar
Dehradun, April 25 “I will urge the Congress government not to oppose the visit of Narendra Modi, who is a sought-after leader in the country, more so after his hat-trick and development-oriented policies in Gujarat. As party in-charge of Uttarakhand, he had played a stellar role in Uttarakhand. Besides, he will visit Uttarakhand as a guest and tradition and courtesy demand that his visit should not be opposed,” said Harbans Kapoor, who is also a former Speaker of the Legislative assembly. Kapoor warned the Congress not to indulge in petty politics but examine its own track record on the issue of riots. “The Congress is the mother of all riots and the maximum number of riots took place during its rule. Cases against its leaders for their alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots are still pending. The CBI has reopened the case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler,” said Kapoor. Further Kapoor charged the Congress with misusing the government machinery in violation of the poll code. “The Congress has become uneasy as the BJP is poised to emerge victorious in the civic body elections and was therefore misusing the government machinery to entice voters. It is luring voters by making false promises and distributing money,” he said.
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Cong plans showing black flags to Modi today
Dehradun, April 25 Party spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said the party had decided to organise a black flag march tomorrow when Modi reaches Haridwar to attend a function organised by Ramdev in Haridwar. The march would start at noon from Chandrachari Chowk and culminate at Bhagat Singh Chowk. He said the Congress considered Modi "a symbol of communalism and disunity of the nation". Dhirendra Pratap, who would lead the march along with state Congress treasurer Brahamswaroop Brahmachari, also criticised Ramdev for his regular unmindful criticism of top Congress leaders. — TNS
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Party expels 93 rebels
Dehradun, April 25 ''The candidates have been expelled for a period of six years. Before taking action against the rebels the party had held talks with them but they refused to budge. As a result the party leadership was forced to issue the expulsion order,'' said Teerath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand BJP chief. Instead of expelling the rebels in one go, the Uttarakhand BJP waited for the leaders to aid the withdrawal of candidatures, but once they failed in their mission, the party chief issued the expulsion orders. In Roorkee Municipal Corporaiton, Anil Sharma , Jalaj Gaur and Yashpal Rana have been expelled. In Nagar Panchayat Lohagha, Lata Verma has been given the marching orders.
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BJP, Cong pitch it in strong in Kumaon
Pithoragarh, April 25 Koshiyari held a road show in Almora and Nainital towns and addressed BJP workers in Pithoragarh. “Congress is a party of confused leaders and it cannot solve problems of the urban bodies as it has no vision for urban population,” said Koshiyari , addressing the voters in Nainital. Besides BJP leader Koshiyari, BSP today organised a meeting in support of its candidate Kailash Pant in Pithoragarh and appealed to the voters to get rid of the ''dictatorial ways'' of Congress and BJP by voting in favour of the party. “While in power in Pithoragarh town, both BJP and Congress violated the norms of empowering the weaker section of society living in the town, and allocated houses and shopping complexes, made for these people, to influential persons,” said BR Dhauni, state secretary of BSP. Election campaigning also picked up in Haldwani, Rudrapur, Sitarganj and Khatima towns as senior leaders from both the parties, including Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Kosiyari reached out to voters. After Bahuguna addressed the election meeting at Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Rudrapur on Wednesday, Union Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat is scheduled to address the meetings in favour of party candidates on Friday. Besides the major towns in the region, small towns, which have got urban bodies recently, are also witnessing intense fight for top posts of these towns. ''Electioneering has picked up in Lohaghat, Champawat, Didihat, Dharchula, Bhimtal, Lalkuwan, Bhawali and adjoining towns of Terai region as the Independent candidates have also started countering the campaign of top leaders of mainstream parties,” said Mohan Rajput, a senior journalist based at Rudrapur town of US Nagar district.
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Social sites used for publicising election symbols
Mussoorie, April 25 While the party candidates are using the organisational might to woo the voters, the independent candidates with less financial strength, are making full use of social media sites to publicise their election symbols. Some financially poorer candidates are taking refuge of social media sites to publicise their symbols at maximum homes in
Mussoorie. Rajesh Goyal, a candidate from Ward No. 6, who is one such candidate, took out a two-wheeler rally to garner support in Kulri Bazaar while other candidates, including Virendar Kaintura, resorted traditional means of taking out rally on foot in their respective wards.
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With BJP leaders’ arrival, canvassing gains pace in Mussoorie
Mussoorie, April 25 Former BJP ministers and MLAs arrived in the town early this morning and sought votes for the party candidates. The Member of Parliament from Tehri Maharani Raj Lakshmi Shah, speaking to mediapersons on her Mussoorie visit, said due to anti-people decisions of the Congress government in the state, the BJP was on the path to victory in the municipal elections. She also said the corruption by Congress ministers in the distribution of disaster relief in Uttarkashi would go against the party. Former minister Trivendar Rawat lambasted the state government for Vijay Bahuguna, who has been spending more time in Delhi, surely must have been aware of such notification over the eco-sensitive zone issue, added Trivendar Rawat. The former minster from the BJP Khajan Das also reiterated the fact that the party would win convincingly in the civic polls as the people were angry with the Congress government both at Centre and in state. The MLA Dhanaulti also said all party workers were working hard to ensure the victory of the BJP candidates at ward levels and for the post of president in Mussoorie. He also said OP Uniyal was getting support from a cross-section of the society irrespective of any caste or creed in Mussoorie. The BJP local unit present Roop Singh Kathait, senior BJP leader Madan Mohan Sharma, Kushal Rana and others were present on the occasion.
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Rajni Rawat promises to solve public grievances
Dehradun, April 25 She appealed to the people to cast their vote for a right person, saying that people had seen both the Congress and BJP in all these years. She said the people had been highly disappointed by these parties. She said the roads of the city, which had been repaired during the election times, had been giving a tough time to the city residents. “The street lights are non-functional most of the times. The city lanes are strewn with garbage heaps. Dehradun Municipal Corporation which can do a lot of work to change the face of the city for the betterment has become non-functional. The leaders, who were elected by the people, were minting money. They are least bothered about the inconvenience of the aam aadmi.” While alluding towards the water logging in the residential colonies, she said, people had been coming to the Mayor and the councillors of the wards every monsoon, when their homes and lanes become flooded with rainy water, but nothing was done to address these problems till date. She assured them that she would take effective steps on all these problems, if given the power.
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DM reviews poll arrangements
Dehradun, April 25 He told the officials “to perform the poll duty honestly lest they would be responsible for the negligence on their part”. He said barricading must be done for the MC poll as was done during the Vidhan Sabha elections. Booths should be set up as per the directions of the State Election Commission. He directed the in charge, traffic, to arrange for the required number of vehicles for poll duty. Similarly, he also gave orders for the distribution of election material on April 26 and 27. He said arrangements must be made for more poll material, if required. “The election material will be given to the polling parties from Rangers College while the vehicles will be allowed to move from Parade Ground,” the DM said. He added polling booths should be ready by April 27. On the issue of the model code of conduct, Purushottam said officials should ensure that the candidates followed the model code of conduct. They must send notices to the violators of the poll code. He also directed executive engineers of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation and the Jal Sansthan to make the arrangement of water at Rangers College and at Parade Ground. The DM said the employees had been changed on six booths and the officials must check the booths where the employees had been shifted. He urged them to work in close coordination with each other. Purushottam also gathered information about the number of tables being put up at 383 booths. He gave directions for the setting up a control room at the polling station. SDM Ranjana Verma, ADM Harak Singh Rawat and Jharna Kamthan, secretary, MDDA, Bandhidhar Tiwari, GM, GMVN, Pratap Shah, Deputy Collector HS Martolia, District Information Officer Ajay Mohan Saklani and other officials were also present at the meeting.
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DM, SSP tell officers to hold joint inspection of poll centres
Dehradun, April 25 Purushottam said all the officers must conduct a joint inspection of polling centres in their own zones. They must meet candidates of various wards. They should report to the returning officers regarding adherence to the model code of conduct. He said they must take care of widows, handicapped and senior citizens on the polling day. He instructed them to ensure that their zones did not have any problems regarding law and order. Kewal Khurana said the policemen should not move from their duty places on the polling day. They were told not to carry their mobile phones while on poll duty. He said they had been briefed about their duties. He warned the officers not to be negligent about their duties.
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Admn changes locations of polling centres
Dehradun, April 25 While informing about the changes, District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam said the location of polling centres for Ward No. 9, DL Road, which at present is Ambedkar Junior High School, has been shifted to Dehra Public School, DLO Road. Seven booths were to be set up at this polling centre, but there was not enough space. In case of Ward No. 32, Defense Colony, the polling centre has been changed from Shah Nagar to the Dehradun Municipal Corporation premises in Chakshah Nagar. It was found that the polling centre was at a distance from their locality. The polling centre, which was earlier decided to be at Sant Agnes School in Nehru Colony for Ward No. 34, has now been changed to Sant Anis School in the Nehru colony. Purushottam said the name of Sant Agnis School was printed by mistake. The polling centre for Guru Ram Rai public school at Race Course has been shifted to Varni Jain. Here too, the name of Verni Jain was mistakenly printed in the documents. The same reason was cited for the polling centre of Ward No. 47, which has been changed from Junior High School, Subhash Nagar, to Primary School in the same locality. The polling centre for Ward No. 60 in Prempur has been changed from Primary School, Prempur Mafi, to Government School, Prempur Mafi. The changes were made effective after the name of the former school was printed mistakenly. It is for the same reason that the polling centre for Ward No 27 is now at Summer Valley School is not at Riverdale School. For Ward No. 2, the polling centre has been shifted from Primary Government School, Adhoiwala, to Apollo International Senior Secondary School on Neshwilla Road. The polling centre at Charan Poly Child Junior School has now been shifted to Primary School, Adhoi Wala, for Ward No. 28.
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Ensure women’s safety, says Durga Vahini
Dehradun, April 25 Durga Vahni members alleged that women were not safe in the country which was a matter of concern. They accused the Congress-led government at Centre of failing to check atrocities on women. They also demanded from the Uttarakhand Government to take adequate measures to ensure the safety of women in the state.
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EC notice to Principal Secy
Dehradun, April 25 A BJP delegation led by President Teerath Singh Rawat had met the State Election Commission and lodged a complaint against the Congress government for publicising the memorandum of understanding signed between Coca Cola and Sidcul and claiming that it would provide job to the youth, at a time when the model code of conduct was in place. “We have apprised the EC about the misuse of government machinery to woo voters. It began with the Chief Minister announcing that Coca Cola and other two projects by businessmen would provide employment to several youth of the state and the distribution of old-age and widow pension cheques to the beneficiaries in Dehradun by the District Social Welfare Officer,” said Rawat. The delegation comprised senior leaders, Baleshwar Pal, Vinod Uniyal, Sushila Baluni, Suratram Nautiyal, Mukesh Mahindra and others.
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BJP leaders to hold roadshows today
Dehradun, April 25
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Just a day after Haridwar SSP Arun Mohan Joshi had announced to start a traffic drive to check the growing traffic violations, local MP Harish Rawat flouted the traffic rules by riding on a two-wheeler without protective headgear here
this evening.
BVRC Purushottam, District Magistrate and District Election Officer, reviewed the preparations with regard to the civic body poll at a meeting with administration officials here yesterday.
He told the officials “to perform the poll duty honestly lest they would be responsible for the negligence on their part”.
