Rejection of papers: Poll panel to hold probe; Punjab Cong calls off stir

The state Congress on Wednesday called off its protest against the rejection of nominations of some candidates in the panchayat poll after election observer MS Jaggi assured the protesters that the state Election Commission would conduct a fair probe into the matter.

State Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring Warring had spent Tuesday night on the highway, which party workers had blocked in protest against the alleged malpractice of some government officials in rejecting the nominations of 29 candidates.

Politics over the panchayat elections heated up in the Gidderbaha Assembly segment following the cancellation of nominations of several aspirants in this constituency, which is scheduled for a bypoll.

While Congress workers, led by Warring, had launched an indefinite protest at the SDM office complex on Monday and blocked the Malout-Bathinda national highway, SAD workers, led by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, blocked a road leading to the district administrative complex (DAC) in Muktsar and threatened to gherao the SDM's office in Gidderbaha on Thursday, giving the government two days to revise the list and allow eligible candidates to contest.

BJP leader and former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, too, has announced that he would file a PIL plea in the high court in this regard.

Earlier in the day, the Congress held a protest march at Gidderbaha, burnt the effigy of the Muktsar Deputy Commissioner and hanged the effigy of the Gidderbaha SDM in the office complex.

In a video on social media, Warring had said, "I appeal to Congress workers to reach the SDM office in Gidderbaha by 10 am, where we will keep lodging our protest for our rights."

Speaking over the phone, he said, "The district administration has become a puppet in the hands of the AAP leadership. We will teach a lesson to the officials who worked at the behest of AAP leaders. There are 52 panchayats and 29 sarpanches are elected unanimously by rejecting the candidature of eligible candidates, who had even got the election symbols. I directly hold the DC and SDM responsible for this act."

Some candidates have reportedly also reached Chandigarh to file a petition in the high court.

Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Tripathi said, “Raja Warring spoke to me over the phone early in the morning yesterday and claimed that the nominations of some eligible candidates were rejected. I spoke to him in a respectful manner, but he did not show any dignity. I can mark a probe if someone lodges a complaint. However, so far, no one has complained to me, or the election observer. I was on half-day leave on Monday and came back to Muktsar in the afternoon.”

The police deployment has been beefed up at Gidderbaha.