Lok Sabha Election: Battle of Bathinda Is About 2 Old & Bitter Feuds. Here's How
The ongoing Lok Sabha election in Bathinda has become the battleground for the revival of old and bitter feuds.
Farmers, police clash in Bathinda over protest against BJP candidate
Punjab cops arrest 3 for pro-Khalistan slogans
CHANDIGARH: In a coordinated effort, the Counter Intelligence of Bathinda and Bathinda Police arrested three operatives of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for writing pro-Khalistan slogans on Tuesday. The graffiti were found at Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi, and various locations in Bathinda, Punjab. One key operative was reportedly in direct contact with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of SFJ and acted on his instructions in exchange for money. DGP Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, stated on Tuesday that the New York-based SFJ, led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is designated as an unlawful association by the Indian government. Recently, pro-Khalistani slogans appeared on the walls of the District Administrative Complex and Court Complex in Bathinda on April 24, and similar slogans were discovered at the aforementioned metro stations in Delhi on May 9. Yadav further revealed that the arrested individuals are Gogi Singh from Jeewan Singh Wala village in Bathinda, Johny from Jeon Singh Wala village in Talwandi Sabo, and Pritpal Singh from Doad village in Faridkot, who was brought on a production warrant from Bathinda Jail. Pritpal was also previously arrested for similar graffiti activities at Delhi Metro during the G-20 summit and at Bathinda Thermal Plant. The accused, Gogi Singh, was described by Yadav as a key operative who was directly in touch with Pannun and had carried out the graffiti under his guidance for monetary gain. Evidence including photos and videos of the slogans, along with three mobile phones, two dongle devices, an Aadhar Card, and an ATM card, were recovered from his possession. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Counter Intelligence Bathinda and Bathinda Police in a professional and scientific manner, according to Senior Superintendent of Police of Bathinda, Deepak Pareek. A case has been registered under section 153B of the IPC at Police Station Civil Lines, Bathinda. Task assigned by Pannun, Rs 50,000 paid Following technical leads, the police managed to apprehend Johny, who disclosed his involvement with Gogi in the graffiti incidents across Bathinda. Assistant Inspector General of Police (Counter Intelligence) of Bathinda, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, shared that Gogi, previously arrested under the Excise Act and met Pritpal in Bathinda Jail, was introduced to Pannun by Pritpal. Pannun then assigned him the task of writing the Khalistani slogans and directed him to collect Rs 50,000 hidden along Muktsar Kotkapura Road.
LS Polls: Haryana with 16 beats neighbour Punjab in fielding women candidates
CHANDIGARH: Four major parties in Punjab have fielded only six women candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, with BJP picking three, Congress two, and SAD one. AAP has not fielded any woman candidate. In neighbouring Haryana, parties have fielded 16 women and one in Himachal Pradesh. The Aam Aadmi Party was the first to announce candidates for all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab but it has not given ticket to any woman. Tuesday was the last day to file nominations. BJPs three women candidates are Preneet Kaur, wife of former CM Amarinder Singh, from Patiala; Anita Som Parkash, wife of Union minister of state Som Parkash, from Hoshiarpur (reserved); and former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, daughter-in-law of Akali Dal leader SS Maluka, from Bathinda. Preneet was the Congresss MP, but she quit the party and joined the BJP. Congress two woman candidates are Yamini Gomar from Hoshiarpur and Amarjit Kaur Sahoke from Faridkot, both reserve seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, from Bathinda for the fourth time. A former Union minister, Harsimrat defeated Raninder Singh, son Amarinder Singh, from Bathinda in 2009 LS polls. She defeated her brother-in-law Manpreet Singh Badal of Congress in 2014, and current Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in 2019. A former government schoolteacher, Sahoke resigned from her job in 2013 and joined SAD and was elected as a zila parishad member. She also remained chairman of the zila parishad from 2013 to 2018. She contested assembly elections from Jagraon in 2017 but was defeated. Then she quit SAD and joined Congress. The 49-year old Gomar was AAP candidate from Hoshiarpur and came third. She resigned from AAP in 2016 and joined the Congress. It is unfortunate that AAP has not given representation to any woman in the parliamentary polls. The party often talks about women empowerment and equality but could not find even a single woman candidate, said Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress leader. In Haryana, BJP has given ticket to Banto Kataria from Amabla (reserved) and Congress to former union minister and ex-state unit president Kumari Selja from Sirsa.INLD has announced Sunaina Chautala from Hisar and she faces her cousin sister-in-law Naina Singh Chautala of JJP. Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Aggarwal said that after withdrawal of nominations, 223 candidates, including 16 women, are left in the contest for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Hisar has the maximum women candidates three out of 28. Kurukshetra has most number of candidates at 31, but only one woman. At Ambala, 14 candidates, including two women, are contesting. In Sirsa, one woman is among 19 candidates. Karnal has two women candidates, Rohtak two, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh two, Gurgaon one, and Faridabad two. In Himachal, BJP has fielded actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut from Mandi.
Bathinda, Sangrur farmers all set to get crop damage aid
CHANDIGARH, May 14: The Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested three operatives of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi. The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence wing, Bathinda, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant [] The post 3 operatives of SFJ arrested appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Bathinda police arrests 3 operative of SFJ for writing pro khalistan slogans
LS polls: Punjab CEO Sibin C releases final list of total voters in state
LS polls: Punjab CEO Sibin C releases final list of total voters in state Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C on Tuesday released the final list of total voters of Punjab for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. A total of 2,14,61,739 voters are eligible to cast their votes for the elections to be held in Punjab on June 1, 2024. According to an official statement, providing further details, Sibin C said that May 4 was the deadline for registering new voters in Punjab and the forms submitted by 4 May were to be decided by May 14. According to the voter list released today, the total number of voters in Punjab is 2,14,61,739. These include 1,12,86,726 male voters, 1,01,74,240 female voters and 773 transgender voters. The Chief Electoral Officer said that 5,38,715 voters belong to the 18-19 age group, who will be casting their votes for the first time. Similarly, 1,89,855 voters are aged above 85 years. The total number of 'Divyang' voters is 1,58,718. For the 13 Lok Sabha seats, a total of 24,451 polling stations will be set up, with 16,517 in villages and 7,934 in cities. In Punjab, 100 per cent photo identity cards (EPIC) have been made. Instructions have already been given to the Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers, to ensure all arrangements are made for the convenience of voters at the polling booths. He urged voters to participate enthusiastically to achieve the target of 'Is Vaar 70 Paar'. There are a total of 16,05,204 voters in the Lok Sabha constituency of Gurdaspur, including 8,48,885 male voters, 7,56,283 female voters, and 36 transgender voters. In Amritsar, there are a total of 16,11,263 voters, including 8,45,434 male voters, 7,65,766 female voters, and 63 transgender voters. Similarly, Khadoor Sahib has a total of 16,67,797 voters, including 8,76,281 male voters, 7,91,449 female voters and 67 transgender voters. Jalandhar has a total of 16,54,003 voters, including 8,59,687 male voters, 7,94,272 female voters and 44 transgender voters. Likewise, Hoshiarpur has a total of 16,01,826 voters including 8,30,840 male voters, 7,70,942 female voters and 44 transgender voters. Anandpur Sahib has a total of 17,32,211 voters, including 9,04,050 male voters, 8,28,097 female voters and 64 transgender voters. Ludhiana has a total of 17,58,614 voters, out of which 9,37,094 are male voters, 8,21,386 are female voters and 134 are transgender voters. Fatehgarh Sahib has a total of 15,52,567 voters, including 8,23,339 male voters, 7,29,196 female voters and 32 transgender voters. Faridkot has a total of 15,94,033 voters, including 8,42,184 male voters, 7,51,768 female voters and 81 transgender voters. Ferozepur has a total of 16,70,008 voters, including 8,80,617 male voters, 7,89,343 female voters and 48 transgender voters. Bathinda has a total of 16,51,188 voters, including 8,70,014 male voters, 7,81,140 female voters and 34 transgender voters. Sangrur has a total of 15,56,601 voters, including 8,24,001 male voters, 7,32,554 female voters and 46 transgender voters. Similarly, Patiala has a total of 18,06,424 voters, including 9,44,300 male voters, 8,62,044 female voters and 80 transgender voters. Sibin C further said that there will be a total of 24,451 polling stations for 13 Lok Sabha seats. These include 1895 in Gurdaspur, Amritsar 1684, Khadoor Sahib 1974, Jalandhar 1951, Hoshiarpur 1963, Anandpur Sahib 2068, Ludhiana 1843, Fatehgarh Sahib 1821, Faridkot 1688, Ferozepur 1903, Bathinda 1814, Sangrur 1765 and in Patiala 2082 Polling Stations. In Punjab, voting for its 13 seats will take place in a single phase. The seventh and final phase on June 1 will see voting in Gurudaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala constituencies. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)
Punjab Police arrests three operatives of SFJ for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans In Bathinda and Delhi In a joint operation, Counter Intelligence (CI) Bathinda and Bathinda district Police have arrested three operatives of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. New York-based SFJ-- backed by mastermind Gurpatwant Singh Pannun-- is designated as an Unlawful association by the Indian Government. Recently, Pro-Khalistani slogans were found written on the walls of the District Administrative Complex and Court Complex in Bathinda on April 24. Some days later, similar slogans were found written at Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9. Those arrested have been identified as Gogi Singh, a resident of village Jeewan Singh Wala in Bathinda and Johny, a resident of village Jeon Singh Wala in Talwandi Sabo, while, the third accused identified as Pritpal Singh of village Doad in Faridkot was brought on production warrant from Bathinda Jail. Pritpal was also arrested for writing graffiti at Delhi Metro during G-20 and Bathinda Thermal Plant. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that Gogi Singh, who is a key operative of SFJ, was in direct contact with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and had carried out the act on his directions in lieu of money. The accused has also sent the photos and videos of slogans written on walls. The Police teams have also recovered three mobile phones, two dongle devices, one Aadhar Card and one ATM card from his possession. Counter Intelligence Bathinda and Bathinda Police jointly carried out the investigation in a professional and scientific manner to solve this case, Yadav added. SSP Bathinda Deepak Pareek said that following technical leads, Bathinda Police had managed to apprehend accused Johny, who revealed that he was along with Gogi when they attempted to write slogans at different places in Bathinda. He said that following the revelations of accused Johny, Bathinda Police and CI Bathinda has launched a special operation and arrested Gogi Singh. Sharing more details, AIG CI Bathinda Avneet Kaur Sidhu said that accused Gogi, who was arrested by Bathinda Police in the Excise Act, met Pritpal Singh in Bathinda Jail, and remained in touch after coming out of the jail. Accused Pritpal introduced Gogi to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who assigned the task of writing Khalistani slogans to Gogi and told him to collect Rs 50000 kept concealed at Muktsar Kotkapura Road, Kaur added. A case on April 27 has been registered under section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Police Station Civil Lines Bathinda. (ANI)
Punjab Police arrested three members of Sikhs for Justice for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda, Punjab, and Delhi. The operation, led by Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, was supported by New York-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun. Slogans were discovered at various public places in both cities.
3 Members Of Banned Outfit, Sikhs For Justice Arrested For Writing Pro-Khalistani Slogan
The Punjab police on Thursday arrested three operatives of the banner outfit Sikhs for Justice on charges of writing pro-Khalistani slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi.
3 operatives of banned outfit SFJ held for writing pro-Khalistan slogans
Chandigarh, May 14: The Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested three operatives of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi. The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence wing, Bathinda, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun [] The post 3 operatives of banned outfit SFJ held for writing pro-Khalistan slogans appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
3 Individuals Arrested for Prohibited Separatist Activities
3 Individuals Arrested for Prohibited Separatist Activities The Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested three operatives of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi. The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence wing, Bathinda, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. ''In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (#SFJ),'' said Yadav in a post on X. The pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on the walls of the district administrative complex and court complex in Bathinda on April 27. Similar slogans also appeared at the Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9.
Anurag Thakur files nomination, says BJP will sweep Himachal
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: Union minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, BJPs Preneet Kaur and Harshimrat Badal of SAD, among others, filed their nominations for Lok Sabha elections on Monday. Their constituencies will go to the polls in the last phase on June 1. Thakur, seeking his fifth term from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, said, The BJP has taken the pledge of Viksit Bharat and to achieve this, stability and continuity of this Modi government is imperative. He said the BJP will win all four seats in the hill state. Filing her nomination for the Patiala seat in Punjab, Preneet, wife of former CM Capt. Amarinder Singh, said, This election is not merely about politics; its about the renewal of rishta between me and the people of Patiala. I will ensure that I will do more work in the next 5 years than in the previous 20 years. Harsimrat, MP and former union minister, filed her nomination from the Bathinda seat in the presence of her husband and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and senior party leadership. Sukhbir Badal said repeated rounds of voting had made it clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not form the next government. He claimed that the BJP was crashing in North India and had been wiped out in Maharashtra and Bihar. Prime Ministers speeches are also indicating that the party is in panic mode. He is now attacking a particular community openly and even stating that 'mangalsutras will be taken away and given to others. This never happened in 70 years and will never happen, he said, adding that in the new scenario, regional parties would emerge stronger. Balbir Singh of AAP filed his papers from Patiala and AAPs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Amritsar. BJP candidate Arvind Khanna filed his papers from Sangrur, while SAD nominee Virsa Singh Valtoha submitted his papers for the Khadoor Sahib seat in Tarn Taran district.
Punjab: People will teach AAP a lesson, says BJP candidate Kaur
Bathinda: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which came to power in Punjab promising to end the drug menace in the state, has failed badly on all fronts, said former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, the BJP nominee from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency, here on Saturday. For decades, the Congress and the Akali Dal have Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
AAP trying to thwart BJP candidates from filing nominations: Vijay Rupani
The former CM, while alleging a deep-seeded conspiracy- first to inhibit the right to campaign of BJP candidates and now to stall their nominations- said Bittu had applied for NOC on May 4 which was not given. Rupani also cited the case of their BJP Bathinda nominee Parampal Kaur Sidhu, a former IAS officer, whose application for voluntary retirement was rejected despite following all procedures.
Punjab LS Polls: 95 nominations filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats, says CEO
Punjab LS Polls: 95 nominations filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats, says CEO The Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Sibin C reported that 95 nominations were filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats on the fourth day of filing of nominations in Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections. According to the Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab, 9 candidates have filed 14 nomination papers from Gurdaspur. These include Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from the Indian National Congress and Dinesh Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party. 8 nominations have been filed by 6 candidates from Amritsar. These include Taranjit Singh Sandhu from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Anil Joshi from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Three candidates have filed their nomination papers from Khadoor Sahib, including Manjit Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Gurdial Singh from the Communist Party of India. Amritpal Singh has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate. Six candidates have filed their nominations from Jalandhar, including Sushil Kumar from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mohinder Singh Kaypee from the Shiromani Akali Dal, Charanjit Singh Channi from the Indian National Congress, and Balwinder Kumar from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Five candidates have filed seven nominations from Hoshiarpur. These include Yamani Gomar from the Indian National Congress and Raj Kumar from the Aam Aadmi Party. Nine nominations have been filed by seven candidates from Anandpur Sahib. These include Prem Singh from the Shiromani Akali Dal and Malvinder Singh Kang from the Aam Aadmi Party. Twelve Candidates have filed their nominations from Ludhiana. These include Ravneet Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Davinder Singh from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Eight nominations have been filed by six candidates from Fatehgarh Sahib, including Gurpreet Singh from the Aam Aadmi Party. Eight candidates have filed their nominations from Faridkot. These include Rajwinder Singh Randhawa from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Seven candidates have filed their nominations from Bathinda, including Gurmeet Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party, Jeetmohinder Singh from the Indian National Congress, and Nikka Singh from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Four candidates have filed their nominations from Sangrur, including Surinder Kaur from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Five candidates have filed their nominations from Patiala, including Narinder Kumar Sharma from the Shiromani Akali Dal and Jagjit Singh from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Four candidates have filed their nomination papers from Ferozepur. These include Nardev Singh from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Sibin C also mentioned that due to gazetted holidays on May 11 and 12, no nomination papers can be filed on these days. Notably, from May 7 to May 10, 163 nomination papers have been filed by 143 candidates. (ANI)
Gurmeet Khuddian, the 'giant slayer' who defeated Parkash Singh Badal, now faces his daughter-in-law in upcoming polls In 2022, AAP's Gurmeet Singh Khuddian won his first election against five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, emerging as his party's ''giant slayer''. Two years later, he is ready to take on the late Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch's daughter-in-law and three-time Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Khuddian, who is the agriculture minister in the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government, has been fielded by the AAP from Bathinda, which is considered a citadel of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). ''I am thankful to the party for putting its faith in me by fielding from the Bathinda seat,'' Khuddian told PTI. He said he is getting a very good response from people on the back of the two-year performance of the AAP government in Punjab. ''People trust us and they know that we work honestly towards their welfare. I am taking the government's work of two years to people to seek their votes,'' said the 61-year-old first-time MLA, exuding confidence that he would win the Bathinda seat. Khuddian first came into the limelight in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls when he defeated 11-time MLA Parkash Singh Badal on his home turf Lambi seat by a margin of 11,396 votes. When talking about the work done by his government, Khuddian mentions free electricity (300 units per household) being given to the people and Aam Aadmi Clinics. The Aam Aadmi Clinics provide free medical treatment, tests and medicines to people and are benefiting people a lot. The AAP has set up more than 800 Aam Aadmi Clinics, he said. Apart from this, the state government organised 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' for the promotion of sports in the state, he said. The Bathinda parliamentary constituency is considered the SAD's bastion. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a former Union minister and wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, has held the seat since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The SAD has again fielded her from the seat. BJP candidate and former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, Congress' Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Lakha Sidhana are also in the fray. Bathinda will go to polls along with 12 other Lok Sabha seats in Punjab on June 1.
Nijjar killing suspect says he entered Canada using 'study permit'
A suspect in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, allegedly made a claim in a social media video posted in 2019 stating that he secured a student visa for Canada within a matter of days through the services of EthicWorks Immigration Services, located in Bathinda, Punjab, India.
Suspect in Hardeep Nijjar killing says he entered Canada using 'study permit'
One of the suspects in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar entered Canada on a 'study permit' obtained in just days, according to Canada-based global news. Karan Brar, accused in the case, stated in a 2019 social media video that he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, Punjab, receiving it shortly after. Brar later moved to Edmonton from Calgary, where he started his studies at Bow Valley College. He, along with two others, was arrested in Edmonton and appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia, facing charges of murder and conspiracy.
Kaur isthe party's candidate for the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency. Mann said that her resignation had not been received and openly criticized the decision she made.
Punjab rejects VRS case of BJPs Bathinda pick
Punjab govt refuses Parampal Kaur Sidhu's VRS plea, directs her to resume duties due to officer shortage. Her active political role contradicts health reasons cited. Govt cites lack of notice period waiver and unauthorised charge demittance.
Kejriwal unnecessarily kept entangled by PM Modi, ED: Bathinda AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Khuddian
The News Mill
Congress Names Sher Singh Ghubaya as Candidate for Firozpur Lok Sabha Seat
Amritsar: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced on Tuesday that Sher Singh Ghubaya will be the Congress candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Firozpur constituency in Punjab.According to a press release issued by the AICC, The Central Election Committee has approved the candidature of Shri Sher Singh Ghubaya as Congress candidate to contest the ensuing general elections to the Lok Sabha from 10 - Firozpur Parliamentary constituency of Punjab. Punjab will have voting for all its 13 seats in a single phase, with the final phase scheduled for June 1. The constituencies where polling will take place include Firozpur, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala.Meanwhile, polling is underway for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday. The states and union territories where elections are being held in this phase are Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (11), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (10), and West Bengal (4). The BJP has won the Surat seat unopposed.In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are contesting. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations. Prominent leaders contesting in today's elections include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, among others. In the 2019 general election, the BJP won 72 of the 93 seats that are going to the polls today. The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4. Modi Creating Hatred for Political Gain, Says Sonia Gandhi in a Video Message Container Carrying 666 Crore Worth of Gold Jewels Capsizes in Tamil Nadu CBI and Lokayukta Complaint Filed in 800 Crore Scam Involving Mallikarjun Kharge's Son-in-law
Punjab Polls: General, Police Observers Deployed
Punjab Polls: General, Police Observers Deployed The Election Commission has appointed general and police observers for 13 seats in Punjab to ensure peaceful and transparent elections. They will assume their responsibilities from May 14, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said in a statement. The nomination process for the Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will commence on May 7. Sibin C said 13 IAS officers from various states have been appointed as general observers, while seven IPS officers have been appointed as police observers. Their role is to ensure adherence to the rules and directives of the ECI during the elections, regarding the Model Code of Conduct, he said. Among the IAS officers who have been appointed as general observers are K Mahesh for Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, Siddharth Jain for Amritsar, Abhimanyu Kumar for Khadoor Sahib, J Meghanatha Reddy for Jalandhar, Dr. R. Anandakumar for Hoshiarpur and Dr Heera Lal for Anandpur Sahib. Divya Mittal has been appointed for Ludhiana, Rakesh Shankar for Fatehgarh Sahib, Roohi Khan for Faridkot, Kapil Meena for Ferozepur, Dr S Prabhakar for Bathinda, Shanavas for Sangrur and Om Prakash Bakoria for Patiala Lok Sabha seat. Police observers include IPS officers Kushal Pal Singh for Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seats, Sweta Shrimali for Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib, Satish Kumar Gajbhiye for Jalandhar and Ludhiana, Sandeep Gajanan Diwan for Anandpur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib, B Shankar Jaiswal for Bathinda and Faridkot, A.R. Damodhar for Ferozepur and Amir Javed for Sangrur and Patiala Lok Sabha seats. Fifteen IRS officers have already been appointed as expenditure observers.
Name any of your big works for Bathinda: Harsimrat to AAP, Cong
Punjab Assembly Elections: EC Deploys 15 Expenditure Observers
Punjab Assembly Elections: EC Deploys 15 Expenditure Observers The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday appointed expenditure observers for Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab to ensure parties comply with expenditure regulations during the campaign period, officials said. These 15 expenditure observers are entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the expenditure incurred by candidates and political parties during the campaign period and ensuring that it is in compliance with election expenditure regulations, they said. Harshad S Vengurlekar has been appointed for Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, Bare Ganesh Sudhakar for Amritsar, Anurag Tripathi for Khadoor Sahib, Madhav Deshmukh for Jalandhar (SC), and Pawan Kumar Khetan for Hoshiarpur, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said. Similarly, Shilpi Sinha has been appointed for Anandpur Sahib, Pankaj Kumar and Chetan D Kalamkar for Ludhiana, and Akhilesh Kumar Yadava and Nandini R Nair for Bathinda constituency, he said. Additionally, Anand Kumar has been designated for Fatehgarh Sahib, Manish Kumar for Faridkot, Nagendra Yadav for Ferozepur, Amit Sanjay Gaurav for Sangrur, and Meetu Agarwal for Patiala as expenditure observers. Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place on June 1, the Punjab chief electoral officer said.
In Punjab, rookie who routed Badal now dares daughter-in-law
The Bathinda Lok Sabha battle involves AAP's Khudian challenging SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal, with implications for SAD's revival post-farm laws. Khudian's face-off with Harsimrat at Bathinda comes when her husband Sukhbir Badal is trying to revive the mass base of his party. Many believe SAD can't be written off and will spring back to prominence as people grow weary with the AAP government and anti-incumbency starts kicking in.
Sinister agenda to defame, weaken Akali Dal, says Badal
The Shiromani Akali Dal president was addressing a huge gathering in Sardulgarh in Mansa in favour of his partys Bathinda candidate and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Congress Fields Top Leaders in Punjab for Lok Sabha Polls
Chandigarh: In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, a quadrangular contest is anticipated, indicating a potential division in the vote bank of various political parties. To strengthen its position, the Congress party has nominated several prominent leaders from the state. The Congress party has fielded its top leaders in Punjab for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Among the nominees are PPCC President Amarinder Singh Raja Wading, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former Minister Vijayinder Singla, and former MLA Kulbir Singh Zira. A significant electoral battle is expected in Ludhiana, where PPCC President Raja Wadding will contest against BJP candidate Ravneet Bittu. Both Wadding and Bittu began their political careers in the Congress party. In Gurdaspur, the Congress party has nominated former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, considering the party's strong chances of winning the seat. Randhawa, a four-time MLA, is believed to have the support of the party high command. Raja Wadding, initially seeking a ticket for his wife from Bathinda, has agreed to contest from any seat in Punjab. Consequently, the party has fielded him against Ravneet Bittu in Ludhiana. Former MP and minister Vijayinder Singla has been nominated by Congress from the Anandpur Sahib seat to bring a Hindu face to the electoral contest. The nomination of top leaders and the selection of candidates by the Congress party underscore its strategy to consolidate its position in Punjab amidst the intricate electoral dynamics. The World's Largest International Airport to Be Built in Dubai: Learn About Its Specialties VDG Member Martyred in Encounter with Terrorists in Udhampur Major Drug Bust in Sirohi: 12 kg MD Seized, Two Arrested
BJP fields Harsimrat Kaur Badal as candidate for Lok Sabha bypoll in Bathinda
BJP fields Harsimrat Kaur Badal as candidate for Lok Sabha bypoll in Bathinda Parampal Kaur Sidhu, the BJP candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, does not see a big challenge in sitting MP and SAD nominee Harsimrat Kaur Badal, claiming there is a massive'' anti-incumbency against her. The Bathinda constituency is considered a stronghold of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a former Union minister and wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, bagging the seat in the 2009, 2014 and 2019 general elections. She has been fielded again from the seat by the SAD. Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of senior Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka. She, along with her husband Gurpreet Singh Maluka, joined the BJP recently while Sikander Singh continues to remain with the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party. She (Harsimrat) is not a big challenge. There is massive anti-incumbency against her. She has never been in touch with the public, claimed Sidhu, a 2011-batch IAS officer who quit her job to join politics. Sidhu said Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the daughter-in-law of five-time Punjab chief minister and SAD patriarch late Parkash Singh Badal, won in 2019 because of the BJP support. Now, without the support of the BJP, she should not even think about of winning this seat, Sidhu told PTI. The BJP is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab on its own for the first time since 1996 after the SAD walked out of the NDA in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. Accusing Badal of taking credit for development projects in Bathinda, Sidhu said it was because of the BJP government at the Centre that an All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a central university came up in the constituency, besides a network of roads. Keeping in mind the interests of the Sikh community, the BJP government built the Kartarpur corridor, removed goods and services tax (GST) on items used for making langar in gurdwaras and announced Veer Bal Diwas to be observed on December 26 every year to mark the martyrdom day of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru. Everything is in the BJP's favour, she asserted. Sidhu said when her father-in-law sees for himself the BJP wave and realises that the public opinion is in favour of the saffron party, he will be convinced that she took a ''good decision''. Maluka, a former cabinet minister, had earlier said that he had tried to stop his son and daughter-in-law from joining the BJP. Donning the role of a politician after working as an officer in the state government, Sidhu said she does not see any positive change in Punjab under the new AAP government while asserting that she has always been working towards resolving the problems of the people. Taking on the AAP, Sidhu alleged there was ''nil'' performance by the Bhagwant Mann-led dispensation in the state. Files are not cleared for several days. There is no review of any department. Nothing is happening in the state government. Only statements are issued, alleged Sidhu whose last posting was as the managing director of the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation. It is only the BJP which will form the government at the Centre, she asserted. Responding to farmers protesting against the BJP candidates, Sidhu accused the SAD of orchestrating agitations, including those in the Bathinda constituency. Within a few minutes, the pictures of such protests are uploaded on the SADs Facebook, she claimed. The BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from farmers during poll campaigning. BJP's Faridkot candidate Hans Raj Hans, Amritsar candidate Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Patiala candidate Preneet Kaur and Gurdaspur candidate Dinesh Babbu have faced the farmers' anger. For the Bathinda parliamentary constituency, Sidhu said she wanted a rail coach factory to be set up and more industrial units to come up. Besides Badal and Sidhu, AAPs Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Congress partys Jeet Mohinder Sidhu are in the fray from the Bathinda seat.
As per reports, in the Pro Khalistan graffiti, the miscreants had written that there should not be any political party in Punjab, neither BJP, SAD, nor Congress.
Khalistan slogans on walls of Bathinda mini secretariat in high-security zone
Khalistan slogans on walls of Bathinda mini secretariat in highsecurity zone
BSP announces candidates for Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda Lok Sabha seats in Punjab
Hoshiarpur, Apr 25: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday announced two more candidates for Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls. The party fielded Kulwant Singh Mehto from Fatehgarh Sahib and Lakhveer Singh Nika from Bathinda. Punjab BSP chief Jasvir Singh Garhi said Nika, who is the party's district head from Bathinda, will contest from [] The post BSP announces candidates for Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda Lok Sabha seats in Punjab appeared first on Northlines .
Sidhu Moose Wala dad in fray from Bathinda?
While not confirmed officially, the buzz in Bathinda suggests that Balkaur Singh, father of the late Punjabi singer and rapper Shubhdeep Singh, also known as Sidhu Moose Wala, might run as an independent candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Jailed pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh to contest Lok Sabha polls, claims his lawyer
CHANDIGARH: Waris Punjab De Head and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh who is presently lodged at Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib, claimed his lawyer on Wednesday. Rajdev Singh Khalsa, the lawyer of Amritpal Singh, who is presently in Dibrugarh where he met the pro-Khalistani leader in the central jail there, told The New Indian Express over phone that he requested him to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib as it will be a referendum on his arrest by the AAP-led Mann government. He told me that he will fight these upcoming polls, claimed Khalsa and added that his nomination papers will be filed once the process begins. Tarseem Singh, the father of Amritpal Singh, said, We have not met him for long and will be meeting him tomorrow at Dibrugarh jail. This issue of him (Amritpal) fighting the Lok Sabha polls has not been discussed with us at all and we have no knowledge of it. We are not in favour of him fighting these elections but only after we meet him and discuss it can we say anything. 3 turncoats, an outsider battle it out at NRI heartland of Jalandhar Meanwhile, Balkaur Singh, the father of slain singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moosewala, is likely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda constituency as an independent candidate, said sources. But Balkaur or his family have not come out with an official statement on the issue. If he decides to fight these polls, he will be contesting against the sitting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal besides Jeet Mohinder Sidhu of the Congress, Gurmeet Singh Khudian of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Parampal Kaur of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Earlier, the Congress had reportedly told Balkaur to fight on a Congress ticket but he said that he was not keen to get into the political arena. Moosewala had contested the 2022 assembly election from Mansa on a Congress ticket but was defeated by Vijay Singla of the AAP.
Punjab: Two Minors Killed In LPG Cylinder Explosion In Bathinda
The incident took place in Punjab's Bathinda after a fire broke out because of the explosion of the cylinder which caused the death of two children.
Two children killed in gas cylinder explosion at slum in Punjabs Bathinda, relief measures underway
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SAD announces candidates for five seats in Punjab, one in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced the names of candidates for five more Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab and one in Chandigarh on Monday. It's now official that President Sukhbir Singh Badal 's wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the sitting MP from Bathinda, will be the party's candidate from the same constituency for the fourth consecutive time. With the new announcements, SAD has declared candidates for 12 constituencies in Punjab. Sukhbir mentioned that the announcement of the Khadoor Sahib candidate will be made soon. BJP, SAD rule out re-alliance for 2024 Lok Sabhapolls During Badal's visit to Jalandhar to induct former Congress MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee into the party on Monday, he announced that his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal's candidacy from Bathinda. Nardev Singh Bobby Mann has been given the ticket from Ferozepur, represented by Sukhbir, as the President has declared that he won't contest the Lok Sabha elections this time. Other candidates announced include Ranjit Singh Dhillon for Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, former cabinet minister Sohan Singh Thandal for Hoshiarpur, Mohinder Singh Kaypee for Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, and Hardeep Singh Saini, former deputy mayor of Chandigarh, for Chandigarh.
Minister dropped but wife named in Punjab, Shivaji descendant in Maharashtra
NEW DELHI : The BJP dropped yet another Union minister from its 12th list of candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats, and instead fielded his wife from the Hoshiarpur constituency in Punjab. The party has also fielded a descendant of an erstwhile royal Maratha family of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, from the high-profile Satara seat. Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale received BJPs recognition on a seat from where Praful Patel of Ajit Pawar-led NCP, now a BJP ally in the ruling Maharashtra coalition government, was eager to contest. Bhosale won the Satara seat in 2019 as a candidate of the then-undivided NCP. A few months later, he resigned and joined the BJP. But in the bypolls that followed, Bhosale lost as a BJP candidate against NCPs Shrinivas Patil. Later, the BJP nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in April 2020. His term is due to end in 2026. The third notable BJP candidate on the list is Abhijit Das, who will lock horns with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjees nephew Abhishek Banerjee, from Diamond Harbour that votes on June 1 in the final phase of the elections. Das is the former president of the partys South 24 Parganas district unit and is said to be very articulate. Das belongs to RSS and had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha elections in 2014. With his candidature, the party has announced all 42 candidates from West Bengal. In Punjab, the BJP dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur, but fielded his wife Anita Som Parkash from the seat. The party believes Som Parkash holds subtantial influence in the constituency. The BJP had won the Hoshiarpur seat in 2014. In 2019, Som Parkash won the seat defeating Congress Raj Kumar Chabbewal. In the previous polls, the party was at loggerheads with its erstwhile ally SAD over the Hoshiarpur seat. The BJP has now fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda that is currently represented by SADs Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of senior Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka and joined the BJP recently with her husband Gurpreet Singh Maluka. A 2011-batch IAS officer, she would be pitted against Congress Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and AAPs Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Interestingly, SAD has not yet announced its candidate from Bathinda. The BJPs latest list came only three days ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The partys Central Election Committee also announced candidates in Uttar Pradesh. The party has so far fielded candidates for 430 seats out of the total 543 LS seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Shashank Mani Tripathi from Deoria, dropping MPs from these seats. A party source said the anti-incumbency on these two seats was the prime factor behind dropping the MPs. Former IAS officer to fight from Bathinda The BJP has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda, currently represented by SADs Harsimrat Kaur Badal.Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka. She is pitted against Congress Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and AAPs Gurmeet Singh Khudian.
BJP Releases Second List of Candidates for Punjab Lok Sabha Polls
Amritsar: T he BJP unveiled its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab on Tuesday. Among the notable changes, Union Minister Som Parkash has been replaced by his wife as the party's candidate for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat. Anita Som Parkash will now represent the party in the Hoshiarpur reserve parliamentary constituency, expressing gratitude to the party leadership for the opportunity. Hoshiarpur, previously won by the BJP in both the 2014 and 2019 polls, sees Anita Som Parkash taking over from her husband. The constituency was one of the three seats contested by the BJP in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal previously, but the BJP is now contesting independently. Anita will be facing AAP nominee Raj Kumar Chabbewal in the upcoming elections, with the Congress and SAD yet to announce their candidates for Hoshiarpur. Additionally, former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu has been nominated by the BJP for the Bathinda parliamentary seat, currently held by SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Sidhu, daughter-in-law of senior Akali leader Sinkander Singh Maluka, recently joined the BJP along with her husband Gurpreet Singh Maluka. She resigned from her position as a 2011-batch IAS officer before joining the party. Sidhu's opponents include Congress candidate Jeet Mohinder Sidhu and AAP's Gurmeet Singh Khudian, with the SAD yet to name its candidate for Bathinda. Moreover, former MLA from Baba Bakala seat Manjit Singh Manna Mianwind has been nominated by the BJP for the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Congress MP Jasbir Singh. Laljit Singh Bhullar is the AAP candidate for this seat. With these latest announcements, the BJP has finalized candidates for nine out of the total 13 seats in Punjab. The party had previously announced candidates for Ludhiana, Amritsar, Faridkot, Patiala, Gurdaspur, and Jalandhar. Polling for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab is scheduled for the final phase on June 1. Arvind Kejriwal Seeks Court Permission for Video Consultation with Doctor Tragic Incident Unfolds: Mother and Infant Daughter Engulfed in Flames Two Arrested in Connection with Shooting Outside Salman Khan's Residence
LS polls: BJP announces 3 more candidates in Punjab; fields Parampal Kaur from Bathinda
BJP replaced Som Parkash with Anita in Hoshiarpur, facing Raj Kumar Chabbewal. Parampal Kaur Sidhu contests Bathinda. Polls for 13 Punjab Lok Sabha seats are on June 1; BJP named 9 candidates so far.
New Delhi, Apr 16: The BJP on Tuesday named seven more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Satara in Maharashtra. The ruling party dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur in Punjab but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the [] The post BJP announces 4 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Punjab; fields ex-IAS officer Parampal Kaur from Bathinda appeared first on Northlines .
LS polls: BJP releases list of three more candidates to contest from Punjab
CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the list of three more candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Punjab as the saffron party has given two women tickets. Former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Maluka has been fielded from Bathinda and Anita Som Parkash, wife of Union Minister Som Parkash, will contest from Hoshiarpur. Thus three ladies have been given tickets by the saffron party till date. The saffron party announced the name of Manjit Manna from Khadoor Sahib. He is former Baba Bakala MLA. The ruling party dropped Union Minister of state for Commerce and Industries Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur citing his age but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the influential local leaders support intact. The 70-year old Anita, for past decades, ran a community kitchen in Phagwara for the needy and is considered the brain behind Parkashs political career. Hoshiarpur, a reserved seat is regarded as a saffron party stronghold. The BJP has won this seat for the past two terms. It has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda. She is the daughter-in-law of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Ex-minister Sikander Singh Maluka. Kaur is likely to face former Union minister and three-time sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Harsimrat is the wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Kaur a philosophy and zoology postgraduate was posted as Managing Director of the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation and Additional Director, PUNGRAIN. She had sought voluntary retirement from service. LS polls: AAP announces final list of candidates to contest from Punjab In the early 1990s, she became the first woman block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) in the state. She was promoted as district development and panchayat officer when her father-in-law SS Maluka was the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister of Punjab and then her case was sent to the UPSC for direct induction to the IAS through the nomination route joining as non-state civil services IAS officer on January 15, 2016. Her superannuation was due in October this year. On Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its inaugural list of six candidates, including three turncoats for the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab. While Ravneet Singh Bittu was given a ticket from Ludhiana, Sushil Kumar Rinku a former AAP MP who joined BJP was fielded from Jalandhar. Rinku had won the Lok Sabha bypolls from the same seat last year. Preneet Kaur, Congress MP and wife of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, was fielded from Patiala as she switched allegiance to BJP earlier in March. Hans Raj Hans, a renowned Sufi singer-turned-politician, and Taranjeet Singh Sandhu, a retired Indian diplomat will contest from Faridkot and Amritsar, respectively. So far, the saffron party has announced nine candidates in Punjab. BJP will contest LS polls on its own in Punjab: State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar
LS polls 2024: BJP replaces Union minister Som Parkash with his wife in Hoshiarpur
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday named seven more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Satara in Maharashtra. The ruling party dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur in Punjab but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the influential local leader's support intact. It has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who comes from an influential political family long associated with the Akali Dal, from Bathinda. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Shashank Mani Tripathi from Deoria, dropping its sitting MPs from the two seats. It has named Abhijit Das from Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. With the new list, the party has named its candidates for around 430 seats for the polls to 543 seats starting from April 19. The party also released its second list of 21 candidates for the Odisha assembly polls, fielding former minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. So far, the BJP has named 133 candidates for the sate polls.
LS polls: BJP replaces Union minister Som Parkash with his wife in Hoshiarpur
The ruling party dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur in Punjab but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the influential local leader's support intact. It has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who comes from an influential political family long associated with the Akali Dal, from Bathinda.
Akali Dal names gangster-turned-activist as candidate from Bathinda seat
Akali Dal names gangsterturnedactivist as candidate from Bathinda seat
Congress fields Kanhaiya Kumar in North East Delhi against BJP's Manoj Tiwari
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday issued another list of 10 candidates for the Lok Sabha election in Delhi and Punjab, tapping former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi for the Jalandhar-SC Lok Sabha seat. According to the list, the party has fielded veteran politician J P Agarwal from the Chandni Chowk seat and youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar from the North East Delhi seat. Kumar will be pitted against BJP's Manoj Tiwari, the sole BJP candidate not replaced in the national capital. Free healthcare, equal pay for women, minimum daily wage: Key promises from Congress manifesto For the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, the party announced the name of former MP Udit Raj. In Punjab, the party renominated its sitting MPs Gurjeet Singh Aujla from Amritsar and Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib (SC) Lok Sabha seat. Former MP Dharvir Gandhi will be contesting from the Patiala Lok Sabha seat. His candidature comes mere days after he joined the Congress leaving the Aam Aadmi Party. The party has nominated its All India Kisan wing chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat and Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency, which is currently represented by SAD chief's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The Congress announced the name of Ujjwal Revti Raman Singh from Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad Lok Sabha seat. The opposition party also announced a list of 75 candidates for the Odisha assembly elections.
In a first, SAD will contest Amritsar, Gurdaspur seats
CHANDIGARH : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) released the first list of seven candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election on Saturday. For the first time in more than two decades, the party will be contesting the Amritsar and Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seats. In this list, party stalwarts Daljit Singh Cheema and Prem Singh Chandumajra have been given tickets. Surprisingly, the name of former union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, is missing so far. She could either be fielded from her existing constituency Bathinda or Ferozepur. Interestingly, two Hindu leaders of the party have been given tickets by the panthic party. Former BJP Minister Anil Joshi has been fielded from Amritsar, thus creating trouble for BJP candidate Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a former Indian Ambassador to the United States. The Shiromani Akali Dal has given a ticket to its senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema from Gurdaspur, as Cheemas native village falls in this district, and he has studied here. Besides, the first ten years of his political career were active here. Cheema was eyeing a ticket from Anandpur Sahib, as he had remained an MLA from there and an education minister in the SAD-BJP Government. The party will be, for the first time in many decades, fighting polls on this seat, as in previous elections, it had an alliance with BJP. Thus, this seat fell in the share of the saffron party as per the seat-sharing arrangement with SAD. The party has nominated NK Sharma, a two-time former Dera Bassi MLA and realtor, to contest from Patiala. One advantage in his favour is the absence of opposition within Patiala. The party leadership is united in supporting him, and former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra has endorsed Sharmas candidacy.
SAD Releases First List of Candidates for Punjab Lok Sabha Polls
Amritsar: On the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, unveiled its initial list of seven candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled for June 1. These candidates will be contesting from various parliamentary constituencies across Punjab. The lineup includes esteemed individuals such as former cabinet minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, nominated for Gurdaspur, ex-MP Prem Singh Chandumajra for Anandpur Sahib, former MLA NK Sharma for Patiala, Anil Joshi, a former cabinet minister, for Amritsar, Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, a former MLA, for Fatehgarh Sahib, Rajwinder Singh (the grandson of former cabinet minister Gurdev Singh Badal) for the Faridkot reserve constituency, and former MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan for Sangrur. The decision to release their candidate list comes after the BJP's announcement on March 26 that it would contest all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab independently, thus concluding negotiations with the SAD to re-establish their alliance before the Lok Sabha polls. Despite this, the SAD emphasized that principles outweighed political strategies for the 103-year-old party. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party president who emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Ferozepur, declared that he would not be participating in the parliamentary elections this time. Notably, his wife and former Union minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, has not been named in the initial list. There is speculation that she might contest from either her current constituency, Bathinda, or Ferozepur. the bomb, that could destroy Iran's infrastructure Tragic Collision in Central Delhi: School Bus, Motorcycle, and Auto-Rickshaw Involved ED Attaches Properties worth 230 crore in West Bengal Teachers Recruitment Scam
Devotees in Punjab, Haryana offer prayers in Gurdwaras on Baisakhi
Devotees in Punjab, Haryana offer prayers in Gurdwaras on Baisakhi Devotees across Punjab and Haryana offered prayers at gurdwaras on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival on Saturday. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann greeted people on the occasion of 'Sajna Divas' of the 'Khalsa Panth' and 'Baisakhi'. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini also greeted people on the occasion of Baisakhi. Devotees thronged the gurdwaras, including Amritsars Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple, Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Damdama Sahib in Bathinda and Nada Sahib in Haryana's Panchkula and paid obeisance. Baisakhi festival marks the foundation day of the ''Khalsa Panth'' (Sikh order) by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. On this auspicious day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the 'Order of Khalsa' at the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib by baptising 'Panj Pyare (beloved ones) belonging to different castes. Baisakhi also marks the onset of harvest season.
Sufi songs in Punjab potboiler
CHANDIGARH : The son of one of the assassins of former prime minister Indira Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Faridkot seat in Punjab as an independent candidate. The 45-year-old Sarabjit Singh is the son of Beant Singh, who along with Satwant Singh assassinated Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 at her residence in New Delhi. Beant and Satwant were the then prime ministers bodyguards. Both fired over 30 bullets at her from point-blank range purportedly to avenge the humiliation of Sikhs and the desecration of the Golden Temple during Operation Blue Star in June 1984. Justice Jora Singh (retd), who had headed a commission to probe sacrilege incidents in Punjab, has also announced to contest an independent from Faridkot. The other candidates include singers and comedians Karamjit Anmol, a Punjab actor-cum-comedian, is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate, while Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans is the BJP candidate. The Congress is likely to give ticket from this seat to its incumbent MP Mohammad Sadique, according to party sources. Sadique is a Punjabi folk singer. Sarabjit Singh had unsuccessfully contested the 2004 Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda getting 1.33 lakh votes. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Fatehgarh Sahib on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket and got on 12,683 votes and 2007 Punjab assembly polls from Bhadaur seat in Barnala and bagged 15,702 votes. His mother Bimal Kaur was elected as an MP from Ropar seat and grandfather Sucha Singh had won from Bathinda in 1989. Singh said he has decided to contest elections because many villagers urged him and he intends to seek punishment for those responsible for the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Successive governments have failed to deliver justice in the sacrilege incidents and there is rampant drug problem. Also farmers issues remain unaddressed. So the people of Faridkot approached me and I decided to contest this poll, Singh told this newspaper. If I win, I will form my own party, he added. Asked what prompted him to enter the poll fray again when he had contested three elections in the past, Singh said, That time SAD were strong and dominant, thus I lost. Now people are fed up with all political parties. They voted for a change and brought in the AAP government but nothing has changed. Hence its anyones game now as the field is open. Justice Jora Singh (retd) had headed a commission under the SAD-BJP government to probe the sacrilege incidents in Punjab. He joined the AAP in December 2018 and was the party candidate from Jalandhar in the 2019 parliamentary polls but lost. He was head of the legal wing of AAP for two years. After that he quit the AAP and is now fighting an independent candidate from Faridkot. The report made by me on sacrilege incidents should be made public so that the culprits do not go scot free. The previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments sat on the report and so did the present AAP government, Justice Zora Singh told this newspaper. The top leadership of AAP did not find time to address the grievances of the legal fraternity, he added. In 2015, five sacrilege incidents took pace in Faridkot that sparked off statewide protests. The sacrilege incidents started on June 1, 2015 when the bir (a complete volume of a Sikh scripture as an individual corpus) was stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village gurdwara. Later three derogatory posters threatening sacrilege were pasted at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages on September 24 and 25, 2015. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the bir were found scattered in front of a gurdwara in the adjoining Bargari village. The desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and police firing at anti-sacrilege protesters at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan occurred in 2015 in Faridkot. Two people were killed in the police firing. The issue was also a major setback for SAD, leading to its downfall in the 2017 Assembly polls that brought the Congress to power. Thirteen Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab will go to polls on June 1.
SAD takes action against leader a day after son, daughter-in-law join BJP
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday removed a senior party leader and former minister as a poll in-charge after his daughter-in-law, a former Punjab cadre IAS officer, and son joined the BJP. Sikander Singh Maluka was Akali Dal in-charge of Maur assembly segment in Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. His daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur Sidhu recently resigned from IAS and is likely to contest from Bathinda against former union minister and SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur, wife of party president Sukhbir Badal. Sources said Badal appointed senior party leader and former minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon as in-charge of Maur Assembly segment. Maluka, who was campaigning with Harsimrat Kaur in Maur two days back, said he will remain in the party. I have dissuaded my son Gurpreet and daughter-in-law from joining the BJP but this is their personal decision, he said. On the appointment of new incharge in place of him, Maluka said, Sukhbir Badal is the party president, and he can appoint anyone he wants. After Parampal Kaur Sidhu joined the BJP on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that her resignation has not been accepted by the state government. Sidhu was posted as Managing Director of the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation and had sought voluntary retirement from service a week ago. Her application for voluntary retirement has been accepted by the Department of Personnel and Training, government of India. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri claimed that the resignation of Kaur was accepted a day before she joined the BJP. Sidhus BJP foray has intrigued observers in Punjab as her father-in-law is still an active member of SAD and also a member of Akali Dals manifesto panel. State-in-charge Maluka to not quit party Sikander Singh Maluka was Akali Dal in-charge of Maur assembly segment in Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. He said he will remain in the party. I have dissuaded my son Gurpreet and daughter-in-law from joining the BJP but this is their personal decision, he said. On the appointment of a new incharge in place of him, Maluka said, Sukhbir Badal is the party president, and he can appoint anyone he wants.
Punjab IAS officer Parampal Kaur joins BJP, CM says resignation not accepted yet
She may be fielded from the Bathinda constituency
LS polls: Son of Indira Gandhi's assassin to contest from Faridkot seat in Punjab
LS polls: Son of Indira Gandhi's assassin to contest from Faridkot seat in Punjab The son of one of the assassins of late prime minister Indira Gandhi on Thursday said he will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Faridkot seat in Punjab. Sarabjit Singh, 45, said many people from Faridkot asked him to fight the elections, adding that he will contest the poll as an independent. Singh is the son of Beant Singh, one of the two assassins. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, who were the then-prime minister's bodyguards, killed Gandhi on October 31, 1984 at her residence. Singh had unsuccessfully fought the 2004 Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda seat and had polled 1.13 lakh votes. He had also unsuccessfully contested the 2007 Punjab assembly polls from Bhadaur seat in Barnala. Singh had again tried his luck in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Fatehgarh Sahib seat but lost again. His mother Bimal Kaur was elected an MP from Ropar seat in 1989. Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1. The AAP has fielded actor Karamjit Anmol from Faridkot Lok Sabha seat while the BJP has named singer Hans Raj Hans for the polls. The Faridkot seat is currently represented by Congress MP Mohammad Sadique.
New Delhi, Apr 11: Parampal Kaur Sidhu, the daughter-in-law of former Shiromani Akali Dal minister Sikander Singh Maluka joined the BJP here on Thursday and is likely to be fielded from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. Rohan Gupta, former head of Congress social media department, party spokesperson and confidante of late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel, also [] The post Akali leader Sikander Malukas daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur joins BJP, likely to contest against Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda appeared first on Northlines .
Punjab: 7 people detained ahead of Chetna March supporting Amritpal Singh in Bathinda
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Police confiscate firearms and ammunition from out-of-state individuals in Khargone
Police confiscate firearms and ammunition from out-of-state individuals in Khargone Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, police on Monday seized 24 country-made pistols and two magazines in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district after apprehending two persons hailing from Punjab and Haryana, an official said. The arms and ammunition were worth Rs 5 lakh, police said. The two -- Gurmeet Singh, hailing from Bathinda in Punjab, and Vikram Jat a resident of Hisar, Haryana -- who had come to buy illegal weapons in Signur village of Khargone district, were caught by the police with illegal weapons, Superintendent of Police (SP) Dharamraj Meena told reporters here. ''We are interrogating them,'' he said. However, local resident Sikligar Ramesh Singh, an arms dealer, ran away from the spot and a manhunt has been launched to nab him, Meena added. The SP, citing the duo's social media accounts, said they suspect the two accused are linked to a big inter-state gang dealing in illegal weapons. The first phase of elections covering half a dozen Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh will be held on April 19. In run-up to elections, police generally intensify drive to seize illegal weapons to ensure peaceful voting.
Amritpal Singhs mother held day before proposed march in his support
Amritpal Singhs mother held day before proposed march in his support The mother of Amritpal Singh was arrested here on Sunday, a day before a march is to be taken out to demand that the radical Sikh preacher be shifted from Dibrugarh jail in Assam to a prison in Punjab. Amritpal, chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, was arrested in April last year and the stringent National Security Act was invoked against him. He and nine of his associates are currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Balwinder Kaur, the mother of Amritpal has been sent to judicial custody, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alam Vijay Singh said on Sunday. He said it was a preventive arrest but refused to divulge more details. Amritpal's uncle Sukhchain Singh and three others have also been held, police said. The development comes a day before the 'Chetna March' is scheduled to be taken out. The march was to be taken out from Takht Damdama Sahib in Bathinda on April 8 to demand that Amritpal and nine others be shifted from the jail in Assam to Punjab. Kaur and the kin of other detainees had been on a hunger strike since February 22 near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Earlier, she had said that they would continue the hunger strike till Amritpal and other detainees were brought to a jail in Punjab. Apart from Amritpal, nine of his associates -- Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been booked under the NSA. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for the police action. Various organisers of the march have been held, including the mother of Amritpal Singh, which is condemnable, SAD spokesman Parambans Singh Romana said.
The whole of Punjab is against BJP: AAP leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal
The whole of Punjab is against BJP: AAP leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Punjab Minister and AAP leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the whole of Punjab is against the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Lok Sabha election in Punjab will be held in a single phase on June 1, 2024. Voting in Punjab will be held for 13 Lok Sabha seats. CM Bhagwant Mann today held a meeting with Amritsar MLAs to review preparations for Lok Sabha elections. The CM has given us certain guidelines for election campaigning. It was discussed how to increase the party's lead in the Amritsar seat in the elections. As the CM said, AAP will win all 13 seats including the Amritsar seat. The former envoy to the US, Sandhu ji has come to fight elections from Amritsar. He must have come here last during his young days. No votes will be cast in his favour. The whole of Punjab is against BJP. said AAP leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. Earlier on April 2, the Aam Aadmi Party announced another list of two candidates for Punjab for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A two-time MLA from Chabbewal assembly constituency, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has been fielded from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituency. Raj Kumar Chabbewal recently quit the Punjab Congress to join the Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party before the Lok Sabha elections. In its welcome message the AAP Punjab unit posted on X, The family of AAP Punjab strengthened, current MLA from Chabewal constituency of Hoshiarpur District Rajkumar Chabewal ji joined the Aam Aadmi Party after being influenced by the pro-people policies of the party. We welcome Raj Chabbewal to the party. The Aam Aadmi Party has also fielded Malvinder Singh Kang from Anandpur Sahib, who quit the BJP in 2020 while protesting against farm laws, and later joined Bhagwant Mann's government. On March 14, The Aam Aadmi party announced its first list of eight candidates for the Lok Sabha elections from Punjab.The list included five cabinet ministers-- Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khandur Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala.Former MLA Gurpreet Singh has been given the ticket from Fatehgarh Sahib and the name of Karamjeet Anmol has been announced to contest from Faridkot. There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab with four seats reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress-led UPA alliance clinched 8 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to secure four. The AAP, which was contesting for the first time in the state won one seat. (ANI)
LS polls: Punjab police, BSF strategise to counter drug supply from across Indo-Pak border
LS polls: Punjab police, BSF strategise to counter drug supply from across Indo-Pak border In view of the coming Lok Sabha polls, Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla on Thursday chalked out a strategy with the Border Security Force (BSF) to further strengthen the second line of defence and break the supply chain of drugs from across the border. He held a joint coordination meeting with BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzele and senior officers of CRPF, ITBP, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other central agencies to review security arrangements in the state's border areas and discuss matters pertaining to the parliamentary elections 2024, according to a statement. Giving a call for greater synergy and teamwork between the BSF and Punjab Police, Shukla exhorted both forces to work as one team to ensure free and fair elections in the state. He said being positioned at the first line of defence, the BSF needs to be more alert to prevent smuggling and infiltration bids by militants, terrorists or smugglers, the statement said. He also ordered to increase the number of police personnel deployed on night patrolling along the International border, it added. The Special DGP advised the BSF to use drone detection technology to counter the suspicious drone operations at Punjab borders, which have over time emerged as the modus operandi to smuggle drugs from across the Indo-Pak border, according to the statement. He also directed all the district police chiefs of border districts to conduct regular meetings with village level defence committee (VLDC) members and sensitise field staff to keep a strict vigil on the movement of drones. There were 325 drone sightings across the border in 2023, of which 118 drones were successfully recovered. Similarly, 26 drones have been recovered in 2024 so far, the statement said. Sharing details on security arrangements for the coming Lok Sabha elections, Shukla said security has been beefed up across the state and Punjab Police has mobilised 75 per cent of district police and 50 per cent force from other units for deployment during elections. He said police have already laid well-coordinated strong inter-state checkpoints at the points of 10 border districts in the state to stop the menace of liquor and drug smuggling. The 10 inter-state border districts include Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda. He said 25 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in vulnerable districts of the state to instil confidence among the general public as well as to dominate sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas in the state.
Will take forward principles of AAP: Party LS poll candidate from Anandpur Sahib Malvinder Singh Kang After getting a ticket from the Anandpur Sahib constituency for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Aam Aadmi Party leader Malvinder Singh Kang on Tuesday said that he aims to take forward the principles of party which are centered on serving the public. BJP turncoat Malvinder Singh Kang was inducted into the Aam Aadmi Party in July 2021. He quit the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2020 in a disagreement over the farm laws with the ruling party. While speaking to ANI, Kang said, They trusted a simple worker of the party like me. By giving me the Lok Sabha seat, Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann have increased the respect of party workers. We aim to uphold the core principles of the Aam Aadmi Party, centered on serving the public good. Our focus is on promoting transparent and ethical politics of the Aam Aadmi Party. We will go door-to door in Anandpur Sahib to appeal for votes. The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday announced another list of two candidates for Punjab for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A two-time MLA from Chabbewal assembly constituency, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has been fielded from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituency and Malvinder Singh Kang has been fielded from Anandpur Sahib . On March 14, The Aam Aadmi party announced its first list of eight candidates for the Lok Sabha elections from Punjab. The list included five cabinet ministers- Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khandur Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala. Former MLA Gurpreet Singh has been given the ticket from Fatehgarh Sahib and the name of Karamjeet Anmol has been announced to contest from Faridkot. There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab with four seats reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress-led UPA alliance clinched 8 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to secure four. The AAP, which was contesting for the first time in the state won one seat. (ANI)
The Return of controversys child in Mandi
The girl from Bhambla in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh was always ambitious, and a little outspoken. She wanted to be in medical profession, but failed to clear the pre-medical test. The teenager was restless and reached Delhi to become a model, and then Mumbai to become an actor. And thus Kangana Ranaut was reborn, being increasingly seen as a rebellious rabble-rouser by her critics. Controversies have followed her on and off-screen as an element of devilment replenished her persona, year after year. It was director Anurag Basu who spotted Kangana and signed her for her first movie Gangster when she was 18 years old. She gave many hits such as Tanu Weds Manu, Manikarnika The Queen of Jhansi and Tejas. Finally, Kanganas full-throated Jai Shri Ram at the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya gave away that part of her life thats unfolding in Mandi. The BJP candidate has arrived back home, fully loaded and unforgiving. Her actions have followed the roles that she has played of two most powerful women politicians in the country: Thalaivii in 2021 showed her as J Jayalalithaa, and the yet-to-release Emergency where she is portraying the role of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Like all other times, controversy again followed her: the latest was when Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate allegedly posted an offensive comment against her on social media which she later deleted. Kangana responded saying she was considering legal action. She said the remarks made against her were insulting for Mandi, its public and the lands hugely revered saints and seers. If a young man gets a party ticket, his ideology is attacked, and if a young woman gets a nomination, her sexuality is attacked. Any derogatory word about a woman, be it a teacher, actress, journalist, politician or a sex worker, is condemnable. The dignity of a woman should always be maintained, especially when Mandi is also known as Mini Kashi, she asserted. Kangana admires Swami Vivekananda who has instilled nationalism in her and Sadhguru who has inspired her to become a karmayogi. She supported CAA before joining the BJP. She calls herself a common party karyakarta and is an ardent Narendra Modi fan. Dont think Kangana is a heroine, that she is a star. Consider Kangana your sister, your daughter. Everyone is my family, she said as she hailed PM Modi with Jai Shri Ram and asserted that the BJPs main agenda is development. Her name had figured among the probable party candidates in the 2021 bypolls for Mandi parliamentary seat after BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma died. Kangana, 37, is known for taking on bigwigs of Bollywood. Lyricist Javed Akhtar filed a defamation case against her in the court of the metropolitan magistrate in Mumbai in November 2020. He said that Kangana dragged his name while referring to an existing coterie in Bollywood during a TV interview after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Actor Aditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab filed separate criminal defamation complaints against Kangana in an Andheri court in October 2017. Her strong views on farmers agitation landed her in the soup as Mahinder Kaur of Bathinda filed a defamation case against her in January 2021. Kaur alleged in an X post that Kangana compared her, when she was participating in the farmers protests on the Delhi-Haryana borders, with the Dadi at Delhis Shaheen Bagh. A case was registered against Kangana on November 23, 2021 at the Khar police station in Mumbai for allegedly portraying the Kisan Morcha as a Khalistani movement and calling the Sikh community Khalistani terrorists on the complaint of Amarjeet Singh Sandhu, a Mumbai-based businessman. The Himachal Pradesh BJP has posted the details of these cases on its X handle, @BJP4Himachal, in compliance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.
Punjab farmers fear wheat crop damage due to rains
Punjab farmers fear wheat crop damage due to rains With rains lashing many parts of Punjab on Saturday, wheat growers expressed fear that unseasonal showers could damage their standing crops. Rains with strong winds and hailstorms at some places lashed Punjab's several parts, including Bathinda, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Pathankot. Heavy rains with strong winds came at a time when the wheat crop was ready for harvesting. Wheat procurement season starts on April 1 in Punjab and Haryana. Several farmers rued that their crops got flattened because of rains and high-velocity winds, which will hit the crop yield. A farmer in Bathinda said the yield of his wheat crop will be affected because of untimely rains. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal asked Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to order a 'girdwari' to assess crop damage due to rains and hailstorms. ''Unseasonal rain and hailstorms have flattened the wheat crop across vast swathes in the Malwa region of the state. This is a double blow to farmers who faced a hailstorm some time back. ''CM @BhagwantMann should order a girdawari to assess damage to the wheat crop as well as provide interim compensation to farmers immediately,'' SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a post on X. His wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, ''Today's hailstorm in the Malwa region, the second in a month, has flattened and destroyed wheat crops across vast swathes in Punjab. Farmers, who have not been compensated for the earlier crop damage, should be awarded interim compensation immediately till such time the girdwari is not ordered and completed''.
Haryana Police arrest farmer activist Jalbera
Haryana Police arrest farmer activist Jalbera The Haryana Police has arrested farmer activist Navdeep Singh Jalbera in connection with an FIR lodged during the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' stir in February. The arrest comes ahead of a gathering by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mukti Morcha on March 31 to pay homage to Shubhkaran Singh, a 21-year-old farmer from Bathinda, who was killed in a clash at Punjab-Haryana border on February 21. The Ambala Police Thursday arrested Jalbera from Mohali. He was later produced in court for a two-day remand by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of the Haryana Police. Police said Jalbera was arrested in connection with a case registered here on February 13 under various IPC Sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) and assault on policemen. Jalbera, a native of the eponymous village near Ambala, became famous as the ''water cannon man'' for climbing on top of a police water cannon in November 2020 during the farmers' movement against the now-repealed farm laws. In 2020, thousands of farmers marched towards Delhi and held agitation for several months at the national capital's Singhu and Tikri border despite heavy police barricading. Rohit Jain, counsel for Jalbera, said police have arrested three people, including him, in connection with the February case. The FIR names 20 farmers including several top leaders. Jain said the farmers have denied the police charges. Police pleaded in the court that Jalbera's remand was required to recover his car and other weapons used in the agitation. Farmers camping at the two border points of Punjab and Haryana had recently said they would continue their agitation until their demands are met. The SKM (non-political) and the Kisan Mukti Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price. The farmers from Punjab have been camping since February 13 at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points. Both border points have a police deployment and a total barricading. Shubhkaran Singh was killed during a clash with police at Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border. Twelve police personnel were also injured in the clashes The clash occurred when some farmers rushed to the barricades to breach them and were stopped by security personnel.
Lok Sabha polls 2024: 4-cornered Punjab puzzle
CHANDIGARH: For the first time in its political journey, Punjab is set to witness a four-cornered contest in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab due June 1 in the seventh and final phase of the polls. The battle scene became clear after the alliance talks between the BJP and its former ally the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) broke down. The four key aspirants in the fray are: the ruling AAP, Congress, BJP and SAD, besides other smaller parties. The BJP last contested the general election independently in 1996 in the state. With AAP facing anti-incumbency and the Congress in disarray, the SAD-BJP alliance could have been a potent force. The BJP and SAD contested 6 and five assembly polls together since 1996. In the 2019 and 2014 parliamentary polls, out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP contested in alliance with SAD and won Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur seats as it contested a total of three seats, including Amritsar. While in the last lok sabha polls SAD won only two seats, Bathinda and Ferozepur. In 2019, the Congress won eight seats (Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Faridkot, Anandpur Sahib, Fategarh Sahib and Khadoor Sahib) and AAP won only one, Sangrur. Talking with this newspaper, political analyst Kuldeep Singh said the LS polls in the state will be path-breaking in many ways. The results will hold mirror to the four principal players: SAD will be able to see how much ground it has recovered with the return of Akali faction leaders. The BJP can measure the rural turf in Punjab with so many leaders joining the party. Third, AAP will be able to see how much ground it continues to retain in the face of the anti-incumbency. And fourth, the Congress can gauge how much the perceived failure of governance of AAP has translated into votes for the party, Singh said. In the 2022 assembly polls, SAD and BJP fought separately and suffered huge losses. The BJP won two and SAD three seats in the 117-member assembly. In a landslide, AAP won 92 seats while the Congress managed to get only 18 seats. One of the reasons why SAD refused to shake hands with BJP again was the farmers agitation. Besides, the party wanted a resolution of Bandi Singhs (jailed Sikhs) as part of the pre-poll deal. Another reason was the latest farmers protest as the BJP government in neighbouring Haryana did not allow the farmers to move forward up to Delhi. This sharpened the anti-BJP sentiment among the rural Sikh population, the main vote bank of SAD. On the other hand, the BJP leadership is of the view that the Ram temple consecration and the PMs development pitch will generate greater support for the party this time. It is also relying on the massive outreach undertaken by the Prime Minister to the Sikhs, including opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, the announcements for celebrations of the birth anniversaries of the Sikh Gurus and the Veer Bal Diwas, commemorating the martyrdom of the sons of 10th Guru Gobind Singh. Punjab has over 38% Hindu population, which the saffron party wants to consolidate. Besides, many Sikh leaders, including former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa have joined the saffron party. Recently three sitting MPs -- Preneet Kaur (from Patiala), Ravneet Singh Bittu (from Ludhiana) and the lone AAP MP from Jalandhar Sushil Kumar Rinku have joined the saffron camp. Sometime back, former ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu was inducted into the BJP and he is likely to be given the ticket from native Amritsar. He is the grandson of Sikh leader Teja Singh Samundri, who played a big role in the gurdwara movement. Interestingly, the vote share of BJP was 6.6% in the last assembly polls as it contested 73 seats on its own.
Guava 'scam': Enforcement Directorate seizes over Rs 3 crore in cash during raids in Punjab
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it seized Rs 3.89 crore in cash and incriminating documents during raids in several premises in Punjab, including that of two IAS officers, as part of a money laundering case liked to an alleged guava orchard compensation scam. The central agency, however, did not clarify what was recovered from where. The searches were launched on Wednesday and a total of 26 residential and business premises in Ferozepur, Mohali (SAS Nagar), Bathinda, Barnala, Patiala and Chandigarh were raided. The premises of two IAS officers, Punjab Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam and Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman were also searched apart from some revenue and horticulture department officials and private persons. The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau against alleged main accused Bhupinder Singh, Jasmine Kaur and others. During the search, incriminating evidence, property documents, mobile phones and cash worth Rs 3.89 crore were seized, the ED said in a statement. The case pertains to 2016 when the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) initiated the process of acquiring land of various villages of SAS Nagar (Mohali) for setting up an Aerotropolis Residential Project near IT City and an aerocity in the same district, it said. Private persons close to officers of GMADA, Revenue department and Horticulture department were aware of the fact that compensation for fruit-bearing trees (guava trees) would be assessed separately from the value of land acquired and additional compensation was to be granted as per the quality, age and various other parameters related to guava trees planted. Accordingly, persons involved in the scam (beneficiaries, officers of GMADA, Revenue and Horticulture departments) colluded amongst themselves and created false, forged records and reports regarding existence, age, quality and density of guava trees to avail wrongful compensation, the ED alleged. It claimed that the total proceeds of crime identified in the case so far was about Rs 140 crore.
Punjab | ED Conducts Raids In Case Linked To Guava Orchards Compensation Scam
CHANDIGARH, Mar 27: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches in multiple cities of Punjab as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged Rs 137-crore guava orchards compensation scam, official sources said. Premises in Chandigarh, Mohali, Patiala, Ferozepur and Bathinda were raided by the federal probe agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Various news media platforms also broadcast visuals of searches being carried out at the residences [] The post Punjab | ED Conducts Raids In Case Linked To Guava Orchards Compensation Scam appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Punjab: Revenue official held for accepting Rs 34 lakh in bribes, including shoes worth Rs 3 lakh
Chandigarh, Mar 26 (PTI) A revenue official was arrested on charges of accepting bribes over Rs 34 lakh, including Pakistani juttis' (shoes) worth Rs 3 lakh, Punjab Vigilance Bureau said on Tuesday. Gurwinder Singh, Revenue 'Patwari' posted in Ludhiana, surrendered before police after his bail application in the matter was rejected by the Punjab and Haryana High court, a spokesperson of the bureau said. Singhs father and brother, and his agent Nikku have also been booked in the corruption case. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Babbu Tanwar, a resident of Bathinda, against Singh and his agent. The complainant had alleged that the accused had accepted a bribe amount of Rs 40,000 for sanctioning the mutation of a property of his father, located near Ludhiana bus stand. The complainant further alleged that the 'patwari' and his agent Nikku had also taken Rs 3.40 lakh for purchasing two Apple iPhones and smart watches. He also accepted Pakistani juttis' worth Rs 3 lakh as bribes, the complainant added. In addition to this, the complainant had to spend Rs 80,000 for Nikkus birthday party. The vigilance bureau spokesperson said during the probe it was found that the 'patwari', his accomplice Nikku, his father Parmjeet Singh and brother Balwinder Singh accepted another Rs 27.50 lakh as bribes on four occasions from the complainant. The 'patwari' neither did the mutation of property in question nor returned the money to the complainant, said the spokesperson. PTI CHS SKY SKY Disclaimer: This article is published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Deccan Chronicle team
Punjab: IPS officer Deepak Pareek takes charge as Bathinda's new SSP
Punjab: IPS officer Deepak Pareek takes charge as Bathinda's new SSP Ahead of Lok Sabha elections in the country, IPS officer Deepak Pareek on Saturday took charge as Bathinda's new Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and said that every activity in the district will be closely monitored. Security has been beefed up in the district ahead of the upcoming general elections. A paramilitary force has been deployed in Bathinda. Moreover, the district police have also been deployed at interstate locations. Security will be further tightened, and there will be more paramilitary deployments. Blockades will be done so that trafficking of weapons, liquor, and other illegal activities can be prevented. While speaking on this occasion, the SSP said that work would be done only according to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. He further added that doing so would make the district crime-free and that the upcoming general elections could be done peacefully. Meanwhile, on Friday, to facilitate voters in Punjab during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the ECI recognised 12 additional documents as proof of identity, in addition to the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC), for casting votes on June 1, 2024. Any of these documents can be presented by the voter as proof of identity at the polling station. The ECI has issued directives stating that voters who do not possess an EPIC can use 12 alternative documents to establish their identity. Quoting the directives of the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Sibin C, informed that voters without an EPIC can still cast their votes if they possess any of the following alternative documents: Aadhaar card, MGNREGA job card, Bank or Post office passbooks with photographs, Health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, Driving License, PAN card, Smart card issued by RGI under NPR, Indian Passport, Pension documents with photograph, service ID cards (with photograph) issued by Central or State governments or Public Sector Undertakings/Public limited Companies, official identity card issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, and Unique Disability ID (UDID) issued by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. (ANI)
Punjab: IPS officer Deepak Pareek takes charge as Bathindas new SSP
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Punjab Congress party chiefs wife may get Bathinda ticket
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Congress might drop two party MPs in the Lok Sabha polls and, though Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa have shown their reluctance to contest, the party could ask them to take the poll plunge. It is likely that Warrings wife Amrita may get the party ticket from Bathinda. Besides, there is a possibility of a swap of seats between Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari. Party sources said though a clarity on seats and candidates is yet to emerge, discussions within the party indicate that at least two MPs may not get the ticket following their poor rating in party surveys. An AICC-appointed screening committee headed by Bhakta Charan Dass reportedly discussed at least thrice the outcome of party surveys, especially on dropping or swapping some MPs. The party is undecided over accommodating family members of senior leaders in the ticket distribution. A clarification is expected by next week. A screening committee will shortlist the names, said a party leader. Party sources said Warring and Bajwa, a former minister and general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Congress Sukhjinder Randhawa and former speaker Rana KP Singh are reluctant to contest. A final decision is yet to be made. These leaders, including former CM Charanjit Channi, could be asked to contest the elections, said a senior leader. The grand old party appears in wait-and-watch mode to avoid dissensions before the names of the contesting candidates are approved by the partys working committee. The Congress is watching developments in SAD and BJP, with reports that a formal alliance between the former allies is in the offing. Sources said, SAD was hesitant to re-align with the BJP due to unresolved issues.
In a 1st, SAD to toe 1 family, 1 ticket line, BJP talks on
CHANDIGARH: For the first time the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will follow one family, one ticket rule while picking candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, party leaders said. Only one person from the Badal family will contest polls. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, sitting MP from Bathinda, is likely to contest. Her husband Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party president and also MP from Ferozepur, is not likely to contest, a party leader said. Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP is in negotiations with its former partner SAD for an alliance in Punjab. Speaking at a conclave hosted by a private news channel on Wednesday, Shah said, Negotiations with Akali Dal are going on. During the negotiations, sometimes they come with an offer and sometimes we give them the offer. We want all old NDA allies to join us. However at the same time, the interest of party workers is to be ensured by getting adequate share in seats. Things will be clear in two to three days. Sources in SAD said the bone of contention between the two parties has been the issue of release of Sikh political prisoners (Bandi Singhs) and farmers demands. SAD wants assurance from the BJP on these issues. The core committee meeting of the party will be held on Friday where a decision is expected as many of the party leaders are in favour of the alliance but want commitment from the saffron party on these issues, a party leader said. Sukhbir is expected to be in Delhi on March 23 after taking a four-day break from the ongoing Punjab Bachao Yatra, party leaders said. Sources in both the parties said negotiations have reached final stages and seat-sharing agreement is being worked out. BJP wants six seats (Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib and Gurdaspur) but SAD wants to give them five seats out of the 13 in Punjab, the sources said.
EC Tells Centre to Stop WhatsApp Promo
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday directed the Centre to stop WhatsApp messages promoting the Centres Viksit Bharat campaign as it violates the Model Code of Conduct. In a letter addressed to the secretary of the electronics and information technology ministry, the EC said though the poll body had sent a letter on March 15, before the MCC came into force, these messages are still being circulated. The EC added it had got complaints from various quarters that such messages are still being delivered on citizens phones. Since the MCC is now in force, you are directed to ensure forthwith that no further delivery of WhatsApp messages take place during the MCC period. A compliance report in this regard may be sent immediately, the EC letter said. The Congress, after succeeding in stopping the BJP governments Viksit Bharat campaign messages, on Thursday met EC officials against the BJPs political advertisements. Urging the EC to get the BJPs false advertisements invoking the 2G allocation issue removed, the Congress said the BJP was pursuing a decade-old narrative that has been thoroughly discredited through a comprehensive judicial process. The second complaint is against the Modi Parivar ads. The Congress has alleged that official resources are being used in what is essentially a thinly veiled campaign advertisement. Furthermore, the brazen use of the armed forces violates multiple directives of the EC. The fact that the I&B ministry is being compelled to produce and broadcast the same also needs to be addressed, the EC said. The Congress third complaint is against an unsolicited letter being circulated on the social media purportedly from the Prime Minister himself. This complaint seeks an inquiry into how the official letterhead of the PMO can be used for what is obvious campaigning material, the Congress said, seeking an inquiry into the group circulating the same and the takedown of the material along with other appropriate action. The Congress has also raised objections to the BJPs advertisements on the Delhi Metro with the tagline #ModikiGuarantee. It also sought the removal of all images of the Prime Minister from government bodies, offices, petrol pumps for the duration of the elections as it violates multiple safeguards in election law. The EC has, meanwhile, issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers posted at leadership positions as district magistrate and superintendent of police in four states Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal. The DM and SP posts are cadre posts for IAS and IPS officers. The decision was taken after the commission convened a meeting chaired by chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The officers to be transferred are: Gujarat SP of Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts; Punjab SSP of Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural and Malerkotla districts; Odisha DM of Dhenkanal and SPs of Deogarh and Cuttack Rural districts; West Bengal DM of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts. Also, the EC has directed the transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam in view of their kinship or familial association with elected political representatives. The officials in these two districts have been transferred as a pre-emptive measure to dispel any apprehensions of the administration being biased or perceived to be compromised. All state governments have been instructed to promptly transfer non-cadre officers from their current role as DM and SP/SSP with immediate effect, and submit a compliance report to the commission.
Age bar flouted? Centre seeks Moose Wala parents IVF details
Union health ministry investigates Sidhu Moose Wala's mother's IVF process as she conceived the child at the age of 58 in Bathinda, which is against the ART act. According to the law, the ART Act, 2021 age limit is 21-50. Penalties for violations include fines and imprisonment. Punjab's principal secretary is involved.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Conferred Doctorate Degree by Central University of Punjab
Chandigarh: The Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, conferred a Doctorate degree in Literature (D.Litt) upon National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, with the honour being presented by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Ajit Doval, a retired Indian Police Services (IPS) officer of the Kerala cadre, and former Indian intelligence and law enforcement officer, received this recognition. Additionally, Ajit Doval emphasized the significance of strategic partnerships in regional security during the International Strategic Engagement Programme (IN STEP). This program, designed as a two-week strategic engagement at the National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi, was organized under the auspices of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During his keynote address to 29 international delegates from 21 countries and 8 Indian officers, Doval highlighted the necessity of strategic partnerships in regional security and advocated for a collaborative approach towards nation-building processes. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, and evolving threats, collaboration and knowledge-sharing among decision-makers are increasingly crucial. By fostering mutual respect and dialogue, shared options can be explored to enhance international security cooperation and foster resilient communities, stated Doval. Shashi Tharoor Accuses CPI of Dividing Anti-BJP Vote Former IPS Officer RS Praveen Kumar Joins Bharat Rashtra Samithi BJP MLA Ketan Inamdar Resigns, Cites Inner Voice
NSA Ajit Doval conferred D.Litt at Central University in Bathinda
NSA Ajit Doval conferred D.Litt at Central University in Bathinda National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was on Tuesday honoured with D.Litt at the Central University of Punjab here. Doval, who has made a significant contribution to the nation during his decades-long illustrious career in national security, was honoured with the degree at a convocation event. He was conferred D.Litt (honoris causa) by the university vice-chancellor in the presence of former President Ram Nath Kovind. Addressing the gathering, Doval said, ''It is a privilege for me to be here. I extend my warmest thanks and greetings to the university, vice-chancellor and chancellor for conferring this award which is a matter of great pride and honour for me.'' ''I also take this opportunity to congratulate my younger friends who are going to make a great career ahead,'' he said on the occasion. Doval told the students at the convocation that ''it is for you to decide what are you going to do with this nation. It is very important... it is not only what this nation has contributed for your growth, your self-actualization, for your education and profession. What is more important is the expectations of this country for you to lead a better India hereafter.'' ''All of you are very lucky, you are members of that generation who are going to see a very powerful, a very prosperous and a very progressive India, which in the comity of nations will have a very great place,'' he said.
Slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's parents welcome baby boy
BATHINDA: The parents of late Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, on Sunday welcomed a baby boy, nearly two years after the artiste was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district. Balkaur Singh, Moosewala's father, announced the birth of the newborn on his Facebook page saying he and his wife Charan Kaur were blessed with Moosewala's younger brother. With the blessings of lakhs and crores of people who love Shubhdeep, the Almighty has blessed us with Shubh's little brother, Balkaur posted in Punjabi. The family is healthy and I am grateful for the immense love of all well wishers, he added. In his post, Balkaur also shared his picture holding the baby in his arms along with a welcome cake and Moosewala's photo in the background. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jindal Heart and IVF Bathinda (@jindal.heart.ivf) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Balkaur Singh (@sardarbalkaursidhu) In an Instagram post, Balkaur posed with the staff of the medical facility where the baby was born. According to sources, Balkaur, around 60, and Charan Kaur, 58, had opted for the IVF technique. There were reports that Moosewala's parents were expecting a child, but days ago Balkaur had asked fans to not believe in rumours. We are grateful to Sidhu's fans who are so worried about our family. There is a lot of speculation going on about my family. I request you not to believe all these rumours. Whatever news there is, the family will share it with all of you (sic) he had said in a social media post. Moosewala was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29, 2022. The singer-rapper had unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Assembly elections in 2022 on a Congress ticket from Mansa. Home Ministry designates mastermind of Sidhu Moosewala murder Goldy Brar as terrorist under UAPA
Lok Sabha polls 2024: Politically influential Malwa belt holds key in Punjab
As far as the parliamentary polls are concerned, eight seats - Ludhiana, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot (SC), Fatehgarh Sahib (SC), Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and Sangrur fall in the Malwa region. Two seats - Hoshairpur (SC) and Jalandhar (SC) - are in the Doaba region. The Majha region broadly comprises three parliamentary seats - Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib.
Lok Sabha polls: Politically influential Malwa belt holds key in Punjab
CHANDIGHAR: The Malwa belt in Punjab is always considered the biggest and politically influential region particularly during assembly elections, where if a party secures maximum assembly seats in this belt, it can easily form the government in the state. Punjab can broadly be divided into three regions Malwa, Majha and Doaba. Beyond the Sutlej river, it is called the Malwa region, the Doaba region falls between the Beas and Sutlej rivers, while Majha falls between the Ravi and the Beas rivers. As far as the parliamentary polls are concerned, eight seats Ludhiana, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot (SC), Fatehgarh Sahib (SC), Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and Sangrur fall in the Malwa region. Two seats Hoshairpur (SC) and Jalandhar (SC) - are in the Doaba region. The Majha region broadly comprises three parliamentary seats Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won eight parliamentary seats in Punjab, bucking the pro-Modi trend seen across northern and central India in that general election. It won Ludhiana, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot from the Malwa region, and Amritsar and Khadoor Sahib in the Majha region. It also won Jalandhar which is in the Doaba region. However, in the 2023 by-election, AAP wrested the Jalandhar seat from the Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won from Bathinda and Ferozepur, which are in the Malwa region. AAP managed to win the Sangrur seat, which is also in the Malwa belt. The BJP won the Hoshiarpur (Doaba) and Gurdaspur (Majha) seats. However, in the 2022 by-elections, SAD (Amritsar) won the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat while AAP won the Jalandhar seat in 2023 by-election. The Malwa region has 69 assembly seats out of total 117 in the state. This region's sway over Punjab politics can be gauged from the fact that many leaders like Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Beant Singh, Bhagwant Mann who became chief ministers of the state hailed from this belt. The Malwa belt was the epicentre of the farmers' agitation in 2020-21 against the now-repealed Centre's three farm laws. In the 2022 assembly polls, AAP swept the Malwa belt by winning 66 out of 69 seats in this region. The Majha region is also significant as far as politics is concerned. It is called the Panthic' belt. This belt is home to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Doaba belt has a sizeable population of the scheduled caste (SC) community. The SC community constitutes around 32 per cent of Punjab's population which is the highest in the country. Maximum non-resident Indians (NRIs) in Punjab also come from this region.
2 gangsters involved in multiple crimes arrested in Punjab: Police
2 gangsters involved in multiple crimes arrested in Punjab: Police The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police has arrested two members of a gang that is allegedly involved in multiple crimes, officials said on Friday. Two pistols and 10 live cartridges were seized from the possession of the arrested men, they added. A preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were carrying out criminal activities on the directions of two absconding gangsters, police said. ''In a major breakthrough, #AGTF, #Punjab has arrested two associates of Gurpreet Lehmbar and Jassa Nurwala gang: Jagdeep Singh @ Rinku and Balwinder Singh @ Babbu. The gang is involved in multiple heinous crimes such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion in the areas of #Ludhiana, #Jagraon, #Moga, #Bathinda and #Sangrur,'' Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X. He said the arrested accused have a criminal history. ''Rinku was a proclaimed offender in an attempt-to-murder case registered in Moga. The other accused, Babbu, in June 2023 had fired upon an STF team at Neelon, Ludhiana and was absconding since,'' the officer said. The preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were carrying out criminal activities on the directions of absconding gangsters Lehmbar and Nurwala, he added. Two pistols and 10 live cartridges have been seized from the possession of the accused, police said.
AAP releases list of 8 candidates for Lok Sabha election in Punjab, includes 5 cabinet ministers
Chandigarh, Mar 14: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday released a list of eight for the Lok Sabha election in Punjab, fielding five cabinet ministers. Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has been fielded from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Balbir Singh [] The post AAP releases list of 8 candidates for Lok Sabha election in Punjab, includes 5 cabinet ministers appeared first on Northlines .
Kuldeep, Gurmeet in AAP's candidates list of eight for Punjab
AAP unveiled 8 candidates for Punjab's Lok Sabha polls, featuring Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, and Dr. Balbir Singh. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal is set to contest from Amritsar, meanwhile Gurmeet Singh Khudian will contest from Bathinda.
LS Polls: AAP releases first list of 8 candidates for Punjab, fields 5 Cabinet ministers
LS Polls: AAP releases first list of 8 candidates for Punjab, fields 5 Cabinet ministers The Aam Aadmi Party Thursday released its first list of eight candidates for Punjab, fielding five Cabinet ministers for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to the list, Cabinet ministers Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has been fielded from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur and Balbir Singh from Patiala. Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku has again been fielded from the seat. The party named Gurpreet Singh GP its candidate from the Fatehgarh Sahib seat. Singh, a former Congress MLA from Bassi Pathana, had recently joined the AAP. Punjabi actor Karamjeet Anmol has been fielded from Faridkot seat.
Farmers march to mahapanchayat, cops on toes
CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: With farmers in thousands from Punjab heading to the national capital for the kisan mahapanchayat on Thursday, the Delhi Police has said that it has given permission to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to hold the protests at Ramlila Ground after the umbrella organisation submitted that there would be no problem with law and order. However, the SKM said that they would hold sit-ins and block railway traffic if they are stopped from entering Delhi. DCP (Central) M Harsh Vardhan said, We have given the farmers a no-objection certificate and they have assured us that they will not get involved in activity which could create a law and order situation. They have given us an undertaking in this regard. The DCP said 5,000 people would be allowed to gather at Ramlila Maidan. No tractor-trolley, or procession will be allowed, he said, adding that the police have also sought deployment of paramilitary forces. If an inflammatory speech is made, the public address system will be turned off and speakers would be removed from the stage, the DCP said, adding that the farmer leaders have been asked to conclude their programme by 3pm. SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that thousands of farmers, agriculture workers and rural people have started marching towards Delhi to participate in the mahapanchayat. If farmers are be stopped from reaching the national capital, it could lead to sit-ins and rail roko protests, he said. The farmers have been agitating for a law on the minimum support price (MSP) among other demands. Sources said more than 50,000 farmers from Punjab are heading to Delhi to attend the mahapanchayat on buses, trucks and trains. Traffic advisory The traffic movement will be regulated from 6 am to 4 pm on Thursday on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Barakhamba Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Tolstoy Marg, Asaf Ali Road, Jai Singh Road, Sansad Marg, Baba Kharag Singh Marg, Minto Road, Ashoka Road among other areas. 50,000 farmers Sources said more than 50,000 farmers from Punjab are heading to Delhi for the mahapanchayat in buses, trucks and trains. Farmers from Barnala, Sangrur, Amritsar and other places have boarded trains. Buses from Bathinda, Sangrur, Moga, Mansa and Patiala have left for Delhi.
PM Modi Unveils 112 National Highway Projects Worth Rs 1 Trillion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kickstarted the development of 112 National Highway projects totaling around Rs 1 trillion in value across India. Making his way to Gurugram in Haryana for the ceremony, PM Modi not only initiated the projects but also launched the Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway, aimed at easing traffic between Delhi and Gurugram along NH-48. The Haryana segment of the Dwarka Expressway, stretching 19 kilometers and featuring eight lanes, has been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 4,100 crore. It encompasses two sections: the 10.2-kilometer Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and the 8.7-kilometer Basai ROB to Kherki Daula. This expressway promises direct connectivity to Delhi's IGI Airport and the Gurugram Bypass. Among the major projects inaugurated by PM Modi are the 9.6-kilometer six-lane Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)- Package 3 in Delhi, the Lucknow Ring Road in Uttar Pradesh, the Anandapuram - Pendurthi - Anakapalli section of NH16 in Andhra Pradesh, the Kiratpur to Nerchowk section of NH-21 in Himachal Pradesh, and the Dobaspet - Heskote section in Karnataka, among others. These projects, valued at Rs 20,500 crore, span various states across the nation. Additionally, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for several other National Highway projects, including the Bengaluru - Kadappa - Vijayawada Expressway in Andhra Pradesh, the Belgaum - Hungund - Raichur Section of NH-748A in Karnataka, the Shamli - Ambala Highway in Haryana, the Amritsar - Bathinda corridor in Punjab, and 39 more projects across India, amounting to Rs 32,700 crore. These initiatives are expected to significantly enhance the National Highway network, stimulate socio-economic growth, create employment opportunities, and bolster trade and commerce nationwide. PM Modi Distributes 1000 Kisan drones to 1000 NaMo Drone Didis New Elevated Highway Opens: Delhi to Dwarka in Just 30 Minutes
PM Modi holds roadshow in Gurugram, to inaugurate 112 National Highway projects
PM Modi holds roadshow in Gurugram, to inaugurate 112 National Highway projects Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Gurugram on Monday, as he arrived in the city to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 112 big-ticket National Highway projects spread across the country worth about Rs one lakh crore. To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway. Right before the event, PM Modi along with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inspected the Dwarka Expressway. The 19 km long Haryana section of the 8-lane Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around Rs. 4,100 crore and includes two packages of 10.2 km long Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7 km long Basai ROB to Kherki Daula. It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI Airport in Delhi and Gurugram Bypass. Other major projects that were inaugurated by the Prime Minister include the 9.6 km long six-lane Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)- Package 3 from Nangloi - Najafgarh Road to Sector 24 Dwarka section in Delhi; three packages of Lucknow Ring Road developed at cost of about Rs. 4,600 crores in Uttar Pradesh; Anandapuram - Pendurthi - Anakapalli section of NH16 developed at a cost of about Rs. 2,950 crores in the state of Andhra Pradesh; Kiratpur to Nerchowk section of NH-21 (2 packages) worth around Rs. 3,400 crores in Himachal Pradesh; Dobaspet - Heskote section (two packages) worth Rs. 2,750 crores in Karnataka, along with 42 other projects worth Rs. 20,500 crores in different states across the country. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for various National Highway projects across the country. Major projects for which the foundation stone will be laid include 14 packages of Bengaluru - Kadappa - Vijayawada Expressway worth Rs. 14,000 crores in Andhra Pradesh; six packages of Belgaum - Hungund - Raichur Section of NH-748A worth Rs. 8,000 crores in Karnataka; three packages of Shamli - Ambala Highway worth Rs. 4,900 crores in Haryana; two packages of Amritsar - Bathinda corridor worth Rs. 3,800 crores in Punjab; along with 39 other projects worth Rs. 32,700 crores in different states across the country. These projects will significantly contribute towards the growth of the National Highway network as well as help in boosting socio-economic growth, enhance job opportunities and promote trade and commerce in regions across the country. (ANI)
PM Modi holds roadshow in Gurugram, inaugurates 112 National Highway projects
PM Modi holds roadshow in Gurugram, inaugurates 112 National Highway projects Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Gurugram on Monday as he visited Haryana city to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 112 big-ticket National Highway projects spread across the country worth about Rs one lakh crore. To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway. Right before the event, PM Modi along with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inspected the Dwarka Expressway. The 19 km long Haryana section of the 8-lane Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around Rs. 4,100 crore and includes two packages of 10.2 km long Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7 km long Basai ROB to Kherki Daula. It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI Airport in Delhi and Gurugram Bypass. Other major projects that were inaugurated by the Prime Minister include the 9.6 km long six-lane Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)- Package 3 from Nangloi - Najafgarh Road to Sector 24 Dwarka section in Delhi; three packages of Lucknow Ring Road developed at cost of about Rs. 4,600 crores in Uttar Pradesh; Anandapuram - Pendurthi - Anakapalli section of NH16 developed at a cost of about Rs. 2,950 crores in the state of Andhra Pradesh; Kiratpur to Nerchowk section of NH-21 (2 packages) worth around Rs. 3,400 crores in Himachal Pradesh; Dobaspet - Heskote section (two packages) worth Rs. 2,750 crores in Karnataka, along with 42 other projects worth Rs. 20,500 crores in different states across the country. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for various National Highway projects across the country. Major projects for which the foundation stone will be laid include 14 packages of Bengaluru - Kadappa - Vijayawada Expressway worth Rs. 14,000 crores in Andhra Pradesh; six packages of Belgaum - Hungund - Raichur Section of NH-748A worth Rs. 8,000 crores in Karnataka; three packages of Shamli - Ambala Highway worth Rs. 4,900 crores in Haryana; two packages of Amritsar - Bathinda corridor worth Rs. 3,800 crores in Punjab; along with 39 other projects worth Rs. 32,700 crores in different states across the country. These projects will significantly contribute towards the growth of the National Highway network as well as help in boosting socio-economic growth, enhance job opportunities and promote trade and commerce in regions across the country. (ANI)
PM Modi to inaugurate, lay foundation stone for 112 National Highway Projects today
PM Modi to inaugurate, lay foundation stone for 112 National Highway Projects today Continuing his whirlwind campaign across 12 states over 10 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will, on Monday, arrive in Haryana's Gurugram, inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 112 National Highway projects spread across the country worth about Rs 1 lakh crore on Monday. To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway, the PMO stated in an official release. The 19-km-long Haryana section of the 8-lane Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around Rs 4,100 crore and includes two packages of 10.2 km long Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7 km long Basai ROB to Kherki Daula. It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI Airport in Delhi and the Gurugram Bypass. Other major projects that will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister include the 9.6 km long six-lane Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)- Package 3 from Nangloi - Najafgarh Road to Sector 24 Dwarka section in Delhi; three packages of Lucknow Ring Road developed at cost of about Rs. 4,600 crores in Uttar Pradesh; Anandapuram - Pendurthi - Anakapalli section of NH16 developed at a cost of about Rs 2,950 crores in the state of Andhra Pradesh; Kiratpur to Nerchowk section of NH-21 (2 packages) worth around Rs. 3,400 crores in Himachal Pradesh; Dobaspet - Heskote section (two packages) worth Rs. 2,750 crores in Karnataka, along with 42 other projects worth Rs. 20,500 crores in different states across the country, the PMO stated. Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone for various National Highway projects across the country. Major projects for which the foundation stone will be laid include 14 packages of Bengaluru - Kadappa - Vijayawada Expressway worth Rs. 14,000 crores in Andhra Pradesh; six packages of Belgaum - Hungund - Raichur Section of NH-748A worth Rs. 8,000 crores in Karnataka; three packages of Shamli - Ambala Highway worth Rs. 4,900 crores in Haryana; two packages of Amritsar - Bathinda corridor worth Rs. 3,800 crores in Punjab; along with 39 other projects worth Rs. 32,700 crores in different states across the country, the statement added. These projects will significantly contribute towards the growth of the National Highway network as well as help boost socio-economic growth, enhance job opportunities and promote trade and commerce in regions across the country, the PMO added. (ANI)
