SAD-backed Kali Badal village head

In SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s native village Badal, Kali Kaur, who owes allegiance to the SAD, was elected as the sarpanch by defeating her nearest rival Kamla Devi, who was backed by a faction of the SAD. Kali polled 709 votes, while Kamla got 579. The post of sarpanch was reserved for SC woman. Last time, a Congress-backed candidate Jabarjang Singh Mukha had defeated former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s relative Udayveer Singh Dhillon.

Minister’s nephew wins in Khuddian

Muktsar: Rupinder Singh, a nephew of Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, was elected the sarpanch of the minister’s native village Khuddian Gulab Singh in the Lambi Assembly constituency. Rupinder won by a margin of 646 votes against SAD-backed candidate Sukhdarshan Singh, alias Thana. Rupinder’s grandfather and Gurmeet Khuddian’s father were real brothers.

MP Ghubaya’s brother loses

Abohar: Among the politically prominent losers in the panchayat elections held on Tuesday is Munsha Singh, brother of Lok Sabha MP from Ferozepur Sher Singh Ghubaya. Raj Kumar Raju, a supporter of Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, defeated Munsha in Ghubaya village panchayat election by about 300 votes.

AAP leader wins in Cong stronghold

Jalandhar: Gurinder Pal Singh Shergill, district general secretary, Jalandhar AAP, has become sarpanch of Jamsher Khas village. The 37-year-old is the youngest sarpanch of the village and a non-Congress man in 40 years. He is the only active AAP office-bearer to have contested the election in Jalandhar. Five persons were in the fray for the top post. Gurinder, who fought his first election ever, won by a margin of 274 votes. He polled 1,139 votes.

Strike call withdrawn

Chandigarh: Following assurance by the Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union has withdrawn its strike call for October 21.