Army Major Commits Suicide at JKs Akhnoor Border

SRINAGAR: An Army Major from Jalandhars Laddewali, stationed at the Akhnoor border in Jammu and Kashmir, committed suicide, Indian express reported. Identified as Mubarak Singh Padda, an ASC officer, his body was brought back to Jalandhar for the final rites, honored with the tricolor. Major Ramit Singh, who served alongside Padda, mentioned they trained together [] The post Army Major Commits Suicide at JKs Akhnoor Border appeared first on Kashmir Life .

People across country want to make Narendra Modi PM again: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

People across country want to make Narendra Modi PM again: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Uttarakhand CM and BJP leader Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the entire country in unison felt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tirelessly worked for 140 crore people of the country in the past 10 years and they want to make him PM again. He participated in the nomination filing process of the BJP candidate from Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat Dr Subhash Sharma in Punjab on Tuesday. Pushkar Singh Dhami said, I visited many parts of the country during this (Lok Sabha) election in the last 25 days. A different kind of enthusiasm can be seen among people. All over the country, people want to make Modi ji the PM again. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Atak to Cuttack, everyone feels that PM Modi has served the country tirelessly in the past 10 years for 140 crore people of the country. We know that wherever there is a double-engine government in the country, at that place development has been at a rapid pace. He further said that PM Modi has worked for the people considering them to be his family members. In West Bengal's Hoogly in this hot weather, thousands of people including women and youth were out in the streets which was overwhelming. In Telangana's Warangal, Secunderabad and other places people are coming forward and feel that PM Modi has worked for them considering them to be his family members. This election is the time for PM Modi to get the reward for his sacrifice and hard work, he added. Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed confidence in the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab and said that the state will create history on June 4. Dhami held a roadshow in support of the BJP candidate Dr Subhash Sharma from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat. Sharma is facing Congress nominee Vijay Inder Singla, AAP's Malvinder Singh Kang and Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Prem Singh Chandumajra for the seat. 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. In the previous Lok Sabha Elections of 2019, the INC-led UPA alliance secured eight seats with a vote share of 40.6 per cent, while the NDA managed to secure four with a voting percentage of 9.7. The AAP, making its debut, secured one seat. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP bagged 4 seats each while Congress secured 3 seats. The BJP managed to secure only two seats. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)

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)

Channis Remark On Poonch Terror Attack In Violation Of Poll Code, Says Punjab CEO

CHANDIGARH, May 14: Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Tuesday said that Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the Poonch terror attack, in which an IAF soldier was killed, a poll stunt violated the model code of conduct. The Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) has written to the Election Commission of India for further action on the matter. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp According to a report of the Jalandhar District Election Officer, it (Channis remark) is [] The post Channis Remark On Poonch Terror Attack In Violation Of Poll Code, Says Punjab CEO appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Battle for Punjab: BJP nominates maximum turncoats as key Lok Sabha candidates

CHANDIGARH: Of the 52 candidates declared by the four major political partiesthe AAP, BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)in Punjab, 15 are defectors. Topping the list is the BJP with seven such candidates, followed by Congress and AAP with three each and SAD with one. Most of the leaders have switched over from Congress. A leading political analyst, Professor Kuldip Singh, told this newspaper, Since there was a shortage of candidates in both the BJP and AAP, they ventured out, giving the turncoats a field day, especially with the BJP. In Jalandhar, all the parties have defectors. Most of them are from Congress, which is the oldest political party. The bigger the family, the more likely there is an internal rift. The BJP used to fight on three Lok Sabha seats in alliance with SAD. Now, it is contesting solo and needs candidates. Taking defectors on board is a step to fill the gap. Among the turncoats fielded by the BJP are sitting MPs Preneet Kaur from Patiala and Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana. Both ditched Congress to join the saffron party in March this year. Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar, an AAP leader and former minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi from Ferozepur was formerly with the Congress. While Preneet Kaurs switch was on expected lines as her husband, former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, whom the Congress unceremoniously removed from the post of CM, joined the BJP in September 2022, Bittu joining the BJP came as a surprise. Sodhi joined the saffron party just ahead of the 2022 assembly polls as he was the sports minister in the Amarinder Singh-led cabinet, and he has been fielded from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat. Also, three-time former SAD MLA Manjit Singh Manna Mianwind, who joined the BJP in January 2022, has been fielded from Khadoor Sahib. In Jalandhar, all parties have defectors According to political analyst Kuldip Singh, Since there was a shortage of candidates in both the BJP and AAP, they gave the turncoats a field day, especially the BJP. In Jalandhar, all the parties have defectors. Most of them are from the Congress, which is the oldest political party. The bigger the family, the more likely there is an internal rift. Rinku is the most conspicuous party-hopper, as he changed parties twice. He was the Congress MLA from Jalandhar (West) in 2017 and joined AAP in April last year ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-poll, becoming the lone MP of the party. He switched to the BJP in March this year. Meanwhile, former Congress leader Gejja Ram Valmiki, who joined BJP in 2022, was given a ticket by Fategarh Sahib. Also, Arvind Khanna, who joined the BJP, has been fielded from Sangrur. The BJP is fighting these polls solo this time.

Veteran Punjabi Poet Surjit Patar, Padma Shri Awardee, Passes Away at 79

Renowned Punjabi poet Surjit Patar, aged 79, known for his Padma Shri honor, peacefully passed away at his residence near Barewal Colony on Saturday morning, as confirmed by his family. His demise has stirred sadness across various circles, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressing condolences and acknowledging him as a proud son of Punjabi language. Patar, celebrated for works like Hawa Vich Likhe Harf, Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala, Patjhar Di Pazeb, Lafzaan Di Dargah and 'Surzameen', was recognized with the Padma Shri in 2012 for his literary and educational contributions. He held esteemed positions including presidency at the Punjab Arts Council and Punjabi Sahit Akademi, receiving accolades such as the Sahitya Akademi Award and Saraswati Samman during his career. Originally hailing from Patar village in Jalandhar district, Patar pursued his academic journey at Randhir College in Kapurthala and later earned his PhD from Guru Nanak Dev University. His teaching tenure at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana marked another significant chapter. Additionally, Patars translations of works by Federico Garcia Lorca, Girish Karnad, Bertolt Brecht, and Pablo Neruda into Punjabi expanded the reach of literature. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring lamented Patars demise as an irreparable loss for Punjabi literature, extending heartfelt condolences to his family. Taranjit Singh Sandhu Files Nomination Papers for Amritsar Lok Sabha Seat Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Hits Campaign Trail for AAP Candidates in Delhi BJP Picks Candidates for 3 Punjab Lok Sabha Seats

Sandhu, accompanied by Jaishankar, files nomination papers in Amritsar

CHANDIGARH: On the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiyanumerous candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab filed their nomination papers. Among them, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, former Indian ambassador to the United States and BJP candidate from Amritsar, filed his nomination as well. He was accompanied by Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Additionally, BJP candidates Ravneet Bittu from Ludhiana and Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar also filed their papers, bringing the total to 82 candidates across the state. Earlier, Sandhu held a roadshow in Amritsar, attended by party cadres, followed by the nomination filing at the Amritsar District Administrative Complex with Jaishankar. During the roadshow, Jaishankar endorsed Sandhu as a strong candidate for BJP, expressing hope for a significant victory in Amritsar. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C reported that on the fourth day of nominations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 95 nominations were filed by 82 candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats. The total nominations from May 7 to May 10 reached 163 by 143 candidates. Due to upcoming gazetted holidays on May 11 and 12, no nominations can be filed on these days. Meanwhile, Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De and a pro-Khalistani, filed his nomination from the Khadoor Sahib constituency, confirmed by his lawyer. The Punjab and Haryana HC disposed of his petition seeking a temporary release to file his nomination as the Punjab government had already facilitated the process. Singh completed and signed two sets of nomination forms and other paperwork on May 9.

Amritpal Singh, Preacher-turned-Politician, Declares Rs 1,000 in Assets in Poll Affidavit

Amritpal Singh, Preacher-turned-Politician, Declares Rs 1,000 in Assets in Poll Affidavit Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, has declared assets worth Rs 1,000, according to his poll affidavit. Chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, Singh, 31, has thrown his hat in the electoral ring by contesting from the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab as an Independent. Singh's nomination papers were filed by his uncle in Tarn Taran district on Friday. Singh filled in his nomination papers on Thursday in Dibrugarh jail in Assam. According to his poll affidavit, Singh has Rs 1,000 bank balance in the SBI branch, Rayya, Baba Bakala in Amritsar. Other than this, Singh does not have any moveable or immovable assets, according to his affidavit. His wife Kirandip Kaur owns movable assets worth Rs 18.37 lakh. It comprises Rs 20,000 cash in hand, gold jewellery worth Rs 14 lakh and 4,000 GBP (pound) equivalent to Rs 4,17,440, in account at Revolut Ltd, London, UK. Singh has been shown as dependent on parents while his spouse is a British citizen. She earlier worked as a language interpreter at National Health Services in the UK, but is now a housewife, as per the affidavit. Singh has declared that 12 criminal cases are pending against him though he has not been convicted in any case. He, along with nine of his associates, has been lodged in the Dibrugarh jail since April 23, 2023. Singh's educational qualification is matric which he passed from a school in Pheruman in Amritsar in 2008. Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1. The Khalistan sympathizer had escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18 last year, switching vehicles and changing appearances. The Punjab Police had launched the crackdown after the February 23 Ajnala incident last year in which Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

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)

Capital Small Finance Bank looks to double advances growth, eyes branch expansion

Capital Small Finance Bank targets a 22-24% advances growth in FY25, doubling last fiscal's pace, fueled by geographic expansion, including a move into Jammu. After raising growth capital through an IPO, the Jalandhar-based lender plans accelerated growth, having maintained steady NPA ratios through recovery-based management.

LS polls: BJP's Faridkot candidate Hans declares total assets worth over Rs 16 crore

BJP candidate Hans Raj Hans declared assets worth Rs 16.33 crore for Faridkot Lok Sabha seat. He owns cars from North West Delhi, with total income of Rs 44.56 lakh and properties in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, and Mohali.

Nomination process already on, AAP inducts BSP candidate from Hoshiarpur

Amid Punjab's nomination phase, AAP and BJP witness significant candidate switches. Criticism arises over voting issues. Party hopping surges in the Punjab elections, impacting various constituencies like Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar.

Four players from Roundglass Punjab Academy selected for Indian junior hockey team

Four players from Roundglass Punjab Academy selected for Indian junior hockey team Gurjot Singh, Gursewak Singh, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Deep Singh from Roundglass Punjab Hockey Academy have been selected to the Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team that will tour Europe between May 20 and May 29. The Indian Junior Men's Hockey team will be playing matches in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as part of Hockey India's initiative to help the team gain exposure and build on experience. 19-year-old Gurjot Singh, who hails from Nakoder in Jalandhar was part of the Indian Senior side that finished fifth in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup held in Oman. Gursewak Singh comes from Batala and has been with the Academy since 2021. The 17-year-old has been performing at the highest level in the national junior circuit and will debut for the National side. Pathankot-born goalkeeper, Prince Deep Singh, joined the Academy in 2022 and the 19-year-old will look to impress between the posts in Europe. 19-year-old Arshdeep Singh hails from Amritsar and will look to spearhead the attacking line of the junior national side. Gursewak, Prince Deep and Arshdeep will be playing in the national team for the first time. Sharing his thoughts on the selection, Dronacharya award winner, Olympic Gold medalist and Technical Lead of Roundglass Punjab Hockey Academy, Rajinder Singh, said, The selection of Gurjot, Gursewak, Arshdeep and Prince Deep is a result of the hard work put in by everyone at the Academy. We always focus on the development of grassroots players, and we believe that in the coming years, we will be sending many more athletes from our Academy to play on the national side. I wish all four of our boys good luck and hope they perform their best during the tour. The Indian team will play their first match on 20th May against Belgium in Antwerp, Belgium before playing the same opponents in Breda, Netherlands on May 22. The Indian Junior Men's Hockey team will then play the Netherlands' Club team Bredase Hockey Vereniging Push in Breda on May 23 followed by a game against Germany on May 28 in Germany. After that, they will return to Breda to play Germany again on May 29 in the final match of the tour. (ANI)

17 teams participate in moot court at Rayat Bahra

Rayat Bahra University's National Moot Court Competition on Domestic Violence featured 16 teams from various states. Winners included Marwadi University, Rajkot, and CT Institute of Law, Jalandhar. Justice Archana Puri highlighted the significance of addressing domestic violence.

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.

Congress Leader Calls JKs Poonch Attack a Stunt, Links it to LS Polls

SRINAGAR: Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a stunt meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections. The remark by the former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with the [] The post Congress Leader Calls JKs Poonch Attack a Stunt, Links it to LS Polls appeared first on Kashmir Life .

Ex-Punjab CM Channi calls attack on IAFs convoy stunt, links it to LS polls

CHANDIGARH, May 5 : Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a stunt meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections. The remark by the former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with the BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa calling his statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers. Replying to a question on the attack on the [] The post Ex-Punjab CM Channi calls attack on IAFs convoy stunt, links it to LS polls appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

2 of trio held for Nijjar killing went to Canada on study visas

Two of three suspects held by Canada over last year's murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar come from well off families in Punjab and had gone overseas on study visas, following a trend common in the state. Their kin expressed shock at the arrests & were confident that they will be cleared in court. While Kamalpreet Singh (23) was in Canada for studies and comes from a farmer's family in Jalandhar, relatives of Karanpreet Singh (28) are also agriculturists and say he worked as a driver.

Ex-Punjab CM Channi Draws Fire for Accusing IAF of 'Stunt' After Convoy Attack

Ex-Punjab CM Channi Draws Fire for Accusing IAF of 'Stunt' After Convoy Attack Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a ''stunt'' meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections. The remark by the former Punjab chief minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with Union Minister Anurag Thakur asking the Congress leadership to seek an apology from Channi for insulting soldiers with this deplorable statement. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa called Channi's statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers. Replying to a question on the attack on the Indian Air Force's convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, Channi said, '''Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' (These are all stunts, not attacks).'' ''Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it,'' he said while replying to the question in Jalandhar. Channi is the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency. ''The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and bodies,'' he further alleged. One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district on Saturday, three weeks ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. The officials suspect the involvement of the same group of terrorists who ambushed troops in adjoining Bufliaz on December 21 last year, leaving four soldiers dead and three injured. Union Minister Thakur strongly condemned Channi's remarks and asked the Congress whether it will insult soldiers to win elections. He asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge to seek an apology from Channi. ''They insult our Army and question the capability of our Army,'' said Thakur, who was in Jalandhar on Sunday. ''Will the Congress insult our brave soldiers to win elections,'' he asked. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also condemned Channi's remarks as ''shameful''. ''Ghastly statement by CWC member Channi belittling the valour of our brave soldiers is no less a crime and an insult to the nation. Channi's shameful statement on the attack on our Air Force personnel in Poonch calling their valour as a stunt shows the bankruptcy and frustration of Channi,'' he said. ''The nation will not forgive him. He should hang his head in shame. The Congress and its allies should come clean on this issue. They should publicly disassociate from his statement and ask him to apologise to the nation immediately,'' Jakhar said in a post on X. BJP leader Sirsa said, ''I condemn Charanjit Singh Channi's statement of calling the martyrdom of an IAF personnel in Kashmir 'stuntbaazi'.'' ''Congress is saying that he was martyred because of elections. This mentality is not just appalling but disrespectful to those who serve our nation,'' he said. ''Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi continue to support each other while Congress is belittling the sacrifice of our Jawans,'' Sirsa said in a post on X.

Ex-Punjab CM Channi's Controversial Remarks on IAF Convoy Attack Draw Criticism Amidst Election Season

Ex-Punjab CM Channi's Controversial Remarks on IAF Convoy Attack Draw Criticism Amidst Election Season Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a stunt meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections. The remark by the former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with Union Minister Anurag Thakur asking the Congress leadership to seek apology from the countrymen for insulting soldiers with this deplorable statement. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa called Channi's statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers. Replying to a question on the attack on the Indian Air Force's convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, Channi said, '''Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' (These are all stunts, not attacks).'' ''Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it,'' he said while replying to the question in Jalandhar. Channi is the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar reserve parliamentary constituency. ''The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and bodies,'' he further alleged. One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district on Saturday, three weeks ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. Union Minister Thakur strongly condemned Channi's remarks and asked the Congress whether it will insult soldiers to win elections. He asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the party president to seek an apology over Channi's remarks. ''They insult our Army'' said Thakur, who was in Jalandhar on Sunday. They question the capability of our Army, he further said while attacking the Congress. Will the Congress will insult our brave soldiers to win elections, he asked. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also condemned Channi's remarks as ''shameful.'' ''Ghastly statement by CWC member Channi belittling the valour of our brave soldiers is no less a crime and an insult to the nation. Channi's shameful statement on the attack on our Air Force personnel in Poonch calling their valour as a stunt shows the bankruptcy and frustration of Channi,'' he said. ''The nation will not forgive him. He should hang his head in shame. The Congress and its allies should come clean on this issue. They should publically disassociate from his statement and ask him to apologise to the nation immediately,'' Jakhar said in a post on X. BJP leader Sirsa said, ''I condemn Charanjit Singh Channi's statement of calling the martyrdom of an IAF personnel in Kashmir, ''stuntbaazi''. ''Congress is saying that he was martyred because of elections. This mentality is not just appalling but disrespectful to those who serve our nation,'' he said. ''Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi continue to support each other while Congress is belittling the sacrifice of our Jawans,'' Sirsa said in a post on X.

Former Punjab CM Channi Condemns Attack on IAF Convoy, Urges Fair Investigation Ahead of LS Polls

Former Punjab CM Channi Condemns Attack on IAF Convoy, Urges Fair Investigation Ahead of LS Polls Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a stunt meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections. The remark by the former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with the BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa calling his statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers. Replying to a question on the attack on the Indian Air Force's convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, Channi said, 'Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' (These are all stunts, not attacks).'' Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it,'' he said while replying to the question in Jalandhar. Channi is the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar reserve parliamentary constituency. ''The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and bodies,'' he further said. One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district on Saturday, three weeks ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. BJP leader Sirsa said, ''I condemn Charanjit Singh Channi's statement of calling the martyrdom of an IAF personnel in Kashmir, ''stuntbaazi''. Congress is saying that he was martyred because of elections. This mentality is not just appalling but disrespectful to those who serve our nation, he said. Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi continue to support each other while Congress is belittling the sacrifice of our Jawans, Sirsa said in a post on X.

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.

Anuj Thapan, accused in Salman Khan house firing case, dies by suicide in police custody

MUMBAI : Anuj Thapan, the accused in the Salman Khan house firing case, tragically took his own life in police custody. Thapan hanged himself with a bedsheet, which was intended for comfort but became the means of his death. During a morning check, police found Thapan unconscious in his barrack, creating a disturbing scene of despair. Despite a rush to GT Hospital for emergency treatment, Thapan did not survive his injuries. His death raises numerous unanswered questions and deepens the mystery surrounding the case. Anuj Thapan was accused of supplying weapons to the shooters who targeted Salman Khan's residence in Bandra. The Mumbai Police has described gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as the gang leader and has charged all the arrested individuals under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Earlier, the two shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were detained in Bhuj, Gujarat, for their involvement in the incident. Salman's security was elevated to Y-Plus in 2022 due to threats from Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. Salman Khan was also permitted to carry a personal firearm and acquired an armored vehicle for enhanced protection. In the meantime, the Mumbai Crime Branch requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue a lookout notice for Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol, who claimed responsibility for the firing at Salman Khan's house through his Facebook profile. The Crime Branch stated that the shooters who attacked Khan's home had two guns and were instructed to fire 10 rounds. Blinken Urges Aid for Gaza, Calls for Peace Talks in Israel Shots Fired Outside Salman Khan's Home: Police Investigate Links to International Criminal Syndicate Jalandhar Police Seizes Gold Worth 60 Lakhs in Phillor Area

INDIA VOTES 2024: SAD chief Sukhbir visits deras with Kaypee

Jalandhar: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal toured Jalandhar and Phagwara areas ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Gurdial S Lakhpur, a popular dhadi artiste, joined the SAD in Phagwara. Abhishek Vashisht, youth wing activist of the Aam Aadmi Party, joined the SAD along with his supporters in Jalandhar. Sukhbir welcomed all in the [] The post INDIA VOTES 2024: SAD chief Sukhbir visits deras with Kaypee appeared first on Northlines .

Jalandhar Police Seizes Gold Worth 60 Lakhs in Phillor Area

Amritsar: Jalandhar police conducted a search drive in the Phillor police station area and seized gold worth 60 lakhs, officials said on Tuesday.During a checking drive conducted under the Model Code of Conduct in place after the Lok Sabha polls, the police stopped a vehicle and recovered approximately 1 kg of gold. Upon discovering the gold, the police informed the GST department, following which Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) D S Cheema took possession of the gold and examined the accompanying documents. As the documents were found to be inauthentic, the gold was deposited in the government treasury.Providing details about the incident, D S Cheema stated that they are closely monitoring tax evaders and any anti-social activities related to tax evasion. He mentioned, Earlier, the Mobile Wing Jalandhar had seized a significant amount of gold worth crores, and today, gold worth lakhs was seized again. During a checking drive, Phillor police station officers stopped a suspicious vehicle and recovered gold. The individual in the vehicle did not possess proper documents related to the gold, and the police alerted the GST Mobile Wing, Jalandhar. Cheema further explained, Upon reaching the spot, I took possession of the vehicle and gold. After examining the documents, which were found to be inauthentic, the gold was sealed and deposited in the government treasury. The recovered gold is valued at around 63 lakhs. The Election Commissioner and Income Tax Department have been notified of this development. During the initial investigation, the driver of the vehicle claimed that he had come to Jalandhar from Delhi to showcase gold article designs to traders, collect orders, and transport gold. However, he was unable to provide complete documentation related to the gold, he added. Jabalpur Blast Case: Police Announce Reward for Arrest of Scrapyard Owner Shamim Rza Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Declares Congress a Sinking Ship in Madhya Pradesh Address Unpredictable Weather in Madhya Pradesh: Heavy Rainfall and Soaring Temperatures

Delhi High Court Adjourns Sharjeel Imam's Appeal Sine Die

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court adjourned sine die the appeal of Sharjeel Imam challenging the framing of charges in connection with a 2020 communal riots case involving allegations of sedition. The Supreme Court heard a matter related to sedition, and all the matters emanating from the section of sedition (124A IPC) had been kept in abeyance in May 2022. A division bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait adjourned the matter sine die. It was informed that matters related to the law of sedition are pending before the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the bail plea hearing has been adjourned till May 16 as the ASG SV Raju was not available to argue the matter. On March 15, 2022, Delhi's Karkardooma court framed sedition and other charges against Sharjeel Imam for alleged inflammatory speeches delivered by him at Jamia area in Delhi in December 2019 and at Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, in January 2020 during the anti-CAA protest. He has pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat had framed charges against Sharjeel Imam under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The accused is one of the organizers of the Shaheen Bagh protest of December 2019. Sharjeel Imam was arrested in January 2020 by Delhi Police from Jahanabad, Bihar. It is a case of allegedly delivering inflammatory speech at Jamia Millia Islamia which allegedly led to violence outside the university in December 2019. The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against him in the present case, alleging that he gave speeches inciting hatred, contempt, and disaffection towards the Government of India. The Delhi Police had mentioned in the charge sheet against Sharjeel, He is accused of delivering seditious speeches and inciting a particular section of the community to indulge in unlawful activities detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. The matter is at the stage of recording evidence before the trial court. Arvind Kejriwal's Health is Fine, Says Bhagwant Mann After Meeting Jalandhar Police Seizes Gold Worth 60 Lakhs in Phillor Area Tragic Suicide: NEET Aspirant Found Dead in Kota

ED Detains Former Markfed MD in Rs 140 Crore Custom Milling Scam Case

Raipur: In Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained the former Managing Director (MD) of Markfed in the custom milling scam case. Manoj Soni, accused in the Rs 140 crore scam case, was arrested by the ED team and brought to their office for questioning. Soni was earlier summoned to the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) office for interrogation in connection with the custom milling scam case. After questioning, the ED team took him into custody and transferred him to the sub-zonal office. According to the ED, the scam involves an illegal recovery of Rs 140 crore, with several officials, from officers to members of the Millers Association, allegedly involved. It is believed that crucial information related to the custom milling case may emerge during Manoj Soni's interrogation, potentially aiding ED in reaching more associates involved in the matter. Initial investigations by the ED suggest that Manoj Soni and his associates had been running this operation for the past two years. The scam involved a team comprising Markfed officers and officials from the Chhattisgarh State Rice Millers Association. Allegedly, the funds were embezzled under the pretext of custom milling, thinning, and thickening of paddy, and converting it into FCI rice. With the arrest of Manoj Soni, the former MD of Markfed, ED is expected to intensify its investigation into the case. The agency has found that the custom milling scam was operated with the collusion of officials, with Manoj Soni allegedly orchestrating the entire operation. Investigations have revealed how officials were instructed by Soni regarding the payment of rice millers' bills and the timing of recovery from them. The Rice Millers Association of the concerned district played a significant role in facilitating this scam. ED estimates that the scam amounts to Rs 140 crore, and further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses. Arvind Kejriwal's Health is Fine, Says Bhagwant Mann After Meeting Jalandhar Police Seizes Gold Worth 60 Lakhs in Phillor Area Tragic Suicide: NEET Aspirant Found Dead in Kota

Congress Faces Multiple Setbacks in Lok Sabha Elections: High Court Rejects Candidate's Petition in Indore

Indore: The Congress party has faced several setbacks in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Firstly, the nomination of their candidate in Surat was canceled, and the Congress candidate from Indore withdrew his nomination. Recently, the High Court rejected the petition of Congress' substitute candidate, Moti Patel, in Indore. The court compared the situation to a waiting ticket on a train, stating that if it's not confirmed, the ticket is automatically canceled. Therefore, the petitioner was advised to approach the Election Commission. Moti Patel approached the High Court after the withdrawal of the Congress candidate, Akshay Bam's nomination. Patel argued that according to the rules, if a Congress candidate's nomination is canceled or withdrawn, the dummy candidate becomes the authorized candidate. However, the court rejected Patel's argument. Meanwhile, the BJP has already secured one seat unopposed, with two more seats considered decided. This was due to various reasons such as the rejection of the nomination of the INDIA alliance candidate for the Khajuraho seat and the rejection of nomination papers of Congress candidates in Surat. Additionally, the Congress candidate, Akshay Bam, withdrew his nomination for the Indore seat, the home district of the Madhya Pradesh State Congress President. On Monday, when the Congress candidate went to Indore to withdraw his nomination, BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola was seen accompanying him to the collector's office. Following this, Akshay Kanti Bam, along with senior Madhya Pradesh leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, joined the BJP. This move has raised suspicions, with some alleging Operation Lotus. There are accusations that the Congress candidate was pressured to withdraw, either by the government or the MLA. ED Detains Former Markfed MD in Rs 140 Crore Custom Milling Scam Case Arvind Kejriwal's Health is Fine, Says Bhagwant Mann After Meeting Jalandhar Police Seizes Gold Worth 60 Lakhs in Phillor Area

International drug cartel involving J&K busted

CHANDIGARH, Apr 29: The Punjab Police on Monday said it has busted an international drug racket operating in five countries with the arrest of three persons and recovery of 48 kg heroin, one of the biggest seizures of narcotics in the State. The police also recovered Rs 21 lakh cash from the accused trio, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. Biggest heroin seizure of 2024: Commissionerate Police Jalandhar busts international drug syndicate and arrests 3 operatives with seizure of [] The post International drug cartel involving J&K busted appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Centre to deploy CISF cover at ED offices amid growing security concerns

NEW DELHI: Keeping in view the recent attacks on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and also based on a recent threat assessment report issued by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to permanently deploy personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the ED's offices across the country to provide security cover, officials said on Monday. The officials said that initial deployment of personnel of the paramilitary force would focus on select cities, including Mumbai, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ranchi, Raipur and Kochi. A senior MHA official said, High-level deliberations are going on in the Ministry to extend the CISF cover to ED offices in other states, reflecting a comprehensive approach to enhance security measures in and around the agencys premises. The agency maintains a robust pan-India presence, operating from 21 zonal and 18 sub-zonal offices spanning 40 cities across five regions - west, east, central, south and north. The headquarters located on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in Delhi already has CISF protection. Officials said the urgency to step up security arrangements at ED offices was felt following the incident on January 5 this year when a mob attacked a team of ED officers from the Kolkata unit in West Bengals Sandeshkhali. Three officers were injured in the attack. This incident served as a stark reminder of the risks faced by officials of the enforcement agency in carrying out their duties. Earlier, on December 1 and 2 last year, Tamil Nadus Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested an ED officer Ankit Tiwari for extortion and then raided the agencys sub-zonal office in Madurai. The agency filed a complaint with the state police chief alleging that sensitive documents from its office were stolen. Later, the Intelligence Bureau submitted a threat assessment report to the MHA about the security needs for the agencys personnel and its establishments across the country, the officials said, adding that following this the ministry sent a note to the CISF to draw up a plan for regular deployment. The CISF is the only paramilitary force deployed at central government establishments on a cost-reimbursement basis. During the past 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, the ED has registered an average of 500 cases every year under various provisions of the the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The cases involved political personalities and also high net worth private individuals. The ED on its part, however, argues that of the total over 5,100 PMLA cases registered in the last 10 years, only about 2-3% are linked to politicians. The agency has attached properties worth Rs 1.21 lakh crore and arrested 755 people in the last 10 years, compared to Rs 5,086 crore worth attachments and 29 arrests during the 10 years of the UPAs rule.

Pilgrims progress for candidates as religion dominates poll discourse

Jalandhar: With Jalandhar district witnessing a fierce contest between stalwarts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, religion continues to dominate the electoral discourse with leaders making a beeline for deras, temples and shrines. After the venerated Ravidassiya shrine of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, the Dalit power centre that remains the most sought-after religious place for politicians [] The post Pilgrims progress for candidates as religion dominates poll discourse appeared first on Northlines .

Congress' Bajwa censures AAP for fielding 'outsiders' as candidates in Punjab for Lok Sabha elections

Congress' Bajwa censures AAP for fielding 'outsiders' as candidates in Punjab for Lok Sabha elections Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday took a swipe at AAP in Punjab for fielding three ''borrowed'' leaders in the Lok Sabha elections. The leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly also slammed AAP for its ''failure'' to field a woman candidate. Bajwa alleged in a statement, ''It is as absurd as it sounds that AAP has been in active politics for the past more than 10 years. However, it could not develop its party cadre at the ground level. The sole reason why AAP could not develop the base is that the people of Punjab still do not trust the party.'' The Congress leader said AAP has fielded three ''borrowed'' candidates -- former Congress leaders Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur and Gurpreet Singh GP from Fatehgarh Sahib, and Pawan Kumar Tinu, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, from Jalandhar. Bajwa also pointed to AAP fielding ministers and MLAs on other seats. It is highly unfortunate for AAP as it did not give representation to women in the Lok Sabha elections, he said. ''The party that often talks about women empowerment and equality could not even find a single woman candidate. Earlier, the party did not give representation to women in the Rajya Sabha,'' Bajwa added. ''If we look a decade back at the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, AAP lost most of its candidates, leaders and even MPs. Leaders like Harinder Singh Khalsa, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Dharamvira Gandhi, Baldeep Singh, and many others have snapped their ties with AAP,'' he said. Polling for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats will be held on June 1.

Newly inducted BJP leaders Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, Karamjjit Kaur, Tajinder Singh Bittu get Y category security cover in Punjab

Newly inducted BJP leaders Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, Karamjjit Kaur, Tajinder Singh Bittu get Y category security cover in Punjab Three former Congress leaders from Punjab who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently, have been provided 'Y' category Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover by the central government, according to sources. As per the sources, the Centre has provided the security cover to Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, Karamjjit Kaur Chaudhary and Tajinder Singh Bittu only in Punjab. Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary from Phillaur was suspended from all party positions and responsibilities due to his repeated anti-party statements, despite prior warnings. Chaudhary had sought the ticket for his family, particularly for his mother Karamjit Kaur, who contested the 2023 bye-election following the death of Santokh Singh Chaudhary, the sitting Lok Sabha MP for Jalandhar and father of Vikramjit Singh. Devender Yadav, the Congress in-charge of Punjab, Parliament member, and CWC member, issued a letter stating, Your unrestrained statements, which deviate from party guidelines, tarnish the dignity of your position and harm the party's image. Despite multiple warnings, your engagement in anti-party activities persists. Therefore, until further action is taken, you are suspended from the party and relieved of all your current positions. Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary has been critical of Charanjit Singh Channi since the latter became active in Jalandhar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and subsequently received the party's ticket. Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the mother of Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, who was the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar by-poll last year, joined the BJP at the party's headquarters in Delhi recently. She is the wife of the late Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who died during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in January last year necessitating the by-poll. Tajinder Singh Bittu resigned from his post as AICC Secretary-in-Charge of Himachal Pradesh and primary membership Congress party and joined the BJP. (ANI)

Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary releases objectionable poster of Charanjit Singh Channi, suspended from Congress

Jalandhar: The electioneering in Jalandhar hit a new low on Wednesday with Phillaur Congress MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary making a slanderous attack against his own party candidate and former Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, contesting from the seat. Within half an hour, he was placed under suspension by the party on the orders of Congress Punjab in-charge [] The post Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary releases objectionable poster of Charanjit Singh Channi, suspended from Congress appeared first on Northlines .

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.

Terror module member tasked to carry out target killings in J-K held in Punjab

Acting swiftly in an intelligence-based operation, Counter Intelligence (of Punjab Police) #Jalandhar averts target killings planned by cross-border operatives. One member of the terror module arrested with a #Chinese pistol and cartridges, Yadav wrote in a post on X.

Experience The Music Video Of The Latest Punjabi Song Pyo Jeha Koi Nyi Hunda Sung By Bhavesh Jay

Enjoy the latest Punjabi song Pyo Jeha Koi Nyi Hunda sung by Bhavesh Jay. The music for this captivating track has been composed by Sarbhjit Singh, with heartfelt lyrics penned by Kashmiri Jalandhari. The video of Pyo Jeha Koi Nyi Hunda song is directed by Sachin G. Don't miss the opportunity to watch the latest Punjabi video song Pyo Jeha Koi Nyi Hunda by Bhavesh Jay and immerse yourself in its mesmerizing melodies. For more Punjabi songs, be sure to visit the music videos section of Punjabi ETimes. Experience the musical prowess of Bhavesh Jay, Kashmiri Jalandhari songs, Sachin G video songs, New Video Songs of 2024 and Punjabi Gana Video Song.

Sukhbir Badal attacks PM Narendra Modi over remark on mangalsutra

Jalandhar: In a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his mangalsutra is unsafe remarks in a speech made in Rajasthan yesterday, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal has alleged him of targeting minorities (Muslims) and pitting one religious community against the other. Sukhbir said this during his Jalandhar visit today. Sukhbir said, This country belongs [] The post Sukhbir Badal attacks PM Narendra Modi over remark on mangalsutra appeared first on Northlines .

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.

Former Punjab Congress chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee joins SAD, fielded from Jalandhar LS seat

Former Punjab Congress chief and ex-MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee has joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party and was named its candidate from the Jalandhar (SC) Lok Sabha seat. This move comes two days after Congress MP Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary and its national secretary Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu joined the BJP in Delhi. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal welcomed Kaypee into the party fold and named him as the Jalandhar (SC) Lok Sabha seat candidate.

What Modi govt did in 10 years, Cong could not do in 60 years: Anurag Thakur

What Modi govt did in 10 years, Cong could not do in 60 years: Anurag Thakur Union minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said what the BJP-led government did for the country in the past 10 years, the Congress could not do in 60 years of its rule as he slammed the grand old party. Thakur also asserted that the Modi government is ''pro-farmer'' and said the BJP-led dispensation took many steps towards the welfare of the farming community. Addressing the media in Jalandhar district, Thakur also hit out at the AAP dispensation in Punjab over the issue of law and order and drug menace. The AAP had promised ''nasha mukt'' (drug-free) Punjab but now the state it has rather turned into ''nasha yukt'', he alleged. On objections raised by opposition parties over the change in the colour of the logo of Doordarshan News from red to orange, the information and broadcasting minister asked why they hate 'kesri' colour and said it was the then I&B minister Indira Gandhi who had selected the logo of the public broadcaster. The change in the colour of the logo of Doordarshan News from red to orange has sparked off a political row, with the opposition terming it as ''grossly illegal'' and reflecting a ''pro-BJP bias''. The public broadcaster unveiled the ''new look'' DD News last week. Thakur listed out various works undertaken during the Modi regime in the past 10 years. He said the number of airports in the country were 74 in 2014 which now increased to 150 while the length of national highways jumped from 96,000 km in 2014 to 1.50 lakh km. ''There were only seven AIIMS and now there are 22. There were 16 IIMs and now there are 23. There were 380 medical colleges and now 706, there were 484 universities and today the number increased to 1,100,'' he said. On steps taken for the Sikh community, Thakur said the Modi government built the Kartarpur corridor which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district. The government built a ropeway in Hemkund Sahib, brought copies of the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, announced 'Veer Bal Diwas' to mark the martyrdom day of the sons of tenth Sikh Guru and setting up a special investigation team for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, among other, he said. ''What the Modi government did in 10 years for Punjab and the country could not be done by the Congress in 60 years,'' the Union minister said. On the allegations that the Constitution will be changed and democracy will end if the BJP comes to power again, he pointed out that it was the Congress governments at the Centre which amended the Constitution 62 times. The Union minister claimed that the first phase of the voting in the Lok Sabha polls was in favour of the BJP. ''Today, the Congress is struggling to cross 40 seats,'' he said. Replying to a question on farmers' ongoing protest in support of their various demands at Shambhu and Khanauri border points in Punjab, Thakur said the Modi government is ''pro-farmer'' which had listened to their issues and accepted the majority of their demands. Thakur stated that the Modi government spent Rs 18.40 lakh crore on procurement of crops at minimum support price in the past 10 years as against Rs 5.50 lakh crore spent by the then Congress-led UPA government during 2004-2014. He also said Rs 3 lakh crore was spent on Kisan Samman Nidhi and Rs 1.50 lakh crore compensation was given under Fasal Bima Yojana. Asked whether farmers' protest could impact BJP's prospects in the polls in Punjab, Thakur stated that the Modi government did not let any shortage of fertilizers, made purchase of their crops, transferred money in their bank accounts, gave them compensation and Samman Nidhi. ''If there is no deficiency from our side, then why this opposition,'' he asked. Notably, farmers owing allegiance to various farmer bodies have been protesting against the BJP candidates in Punjab. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha have already said that they will oppose the BJP and will ask people to ''punish'' the saffron party in the Lok Sabha polls. The SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.

Leaders leave for BJP, double setback for Congress in Punjab

CHANDIGARH : The Congress in Punjab has suffered a double setback ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state, with the wife of former MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Karmjeet Kaur Chaudhary, joining the BJP. Santokh passed away during Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab in 2023. Additionally, Tajinder Bittu, the All India Congress Committee secretary in-charge of Himachal Pradesh, also joined the saffron party. Bittu was considered close to Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress gave the Jalandhar Lok Sabha ticket to former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Both Congress leaders joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and national general secretary Vinod Tawde. Bittu said he had been feeling suffocated in the Congress after being with the party for over 35 years, saying it was hard to please everyone.

Punjab leader Tajinder Bittu resigns from Congress

Jalandhar, Apr 20: AICC secretary and co-charge of Himachal Pradesh Tajinder Bittu on Saturday resigned from the Congress. The post Punjab leader Tajinder Bittu resigns from Congress appeared first on Northlines .

Video: Purse Snatchers Drag Elderly Woman Behind Scooter, Head Scraping On Road

In a disturbing incident in an upscale area of Punjab's Jalandhar, an elderly woman was dragged behind a scooter, her head scraping against the road, by two thieves who were trying to snatch her purse.

Punjab: Several trains affected as farmers squat on track demanding release of fellow protesters

Punjab: Several trains affected as farmers squat on track demanding release of fellow protesters Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Wednesday squatted on a rail track in Patiala district near the Punjab and Haryana border, demanding the release of three farmers who had been arrested by the Haryana Police. The movement of more than 30 trains was impacted as they were either diverted, cancelled or short-terminated because of the blockade at the Shambhu Railway Station, railway authorities said. The disruption in rail movement also caused inconvenience to rail passengers on the occasion of Ram Navami. KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the Haryana administration had given them an assurance that the arrested farmers would be released by April 16. ''When our farmers were not released, we decided to squat on the rail track,'' Pandher said. Three farmers, including Navdeep Singh, were arrested during the ongoing farmers' stir. Though the Punjab Police had erected barricades to prevent protesters from heading towards the rail track, farmers forced their way and sat on the Ambala-Ludhiana rail track. Farmer leaders said they will not end their protest until the protesters are released. ''If the government releases them now, we will vacate the rail tracks within 10 minutes,'' said another farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The farmer leaders said they were forced to sit on the rail track as the Haryana government failed to accept their demand. Pandher threatened to squat on more rail tracks if the three farmers were not released in the coming days. According to railway authorities, trains from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri, Amritsar to Kathiar, Pathankot to Old Delhi, Amritsar to Tata Nagar, Kolkata to Amritsar, Delhi to Amritsar, Haridwar to Amritsar and Darbhanga to Amritsar were diverted. While trains from Ludhiana to Churu and Churu to Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt to Jalandhar City, Ludhiana to Ambala Cantt, and Patiala to Ambala were cancelled, they said. The SKM (non-political) and the KMM are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their march was stopped by the security forces.

Jalandhar-Based PHF Leasing Raises $10 Million In Equity, Debt

The capital raise includes around 60% equity and 40% debt

Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency: Check polling date, candidates list, past election results

The parliamentary elections in Punjab's 13 seats are scheduled to be contested in a single phase on June 1 (seventh phase).

AAP Names Candidates For 4 Punjab LS Seats

Aam Aadmi Party has announced candidates for four Lok Sabha seats in Punjab for upcoming parliamentary elections. It has fielded Ashok Parashar from the Ludhiana, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Ferozepur, Amansher Singh (Sherry Kalsi) from Gurdaspur, Pawan Kumar Tinu from Jalandhar. Other than Pawan Kumar Tinu, the candidate from Jalandhar, all the candidates are sitting MLAs. Pawan Kumar Tinu had recently quit Shiromani Akali Dal and joined AAP. Aam Aadmi party, with today's announcement, has declared candidates for all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab. It may be noted that while AAP is member of the INDIA Bloc, it has decided to contest Lok Sabha elections in Punjab on its own while entering into a seat sharing arrangement with Congress in Delhi. Congress has so far announced candidates for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab with former CM Charanjit Singh Channi fielded from Jalandhar.

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: AAP announces final list of candidates to contest from Punjab

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party today announced four more candidates in Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections as the party gave three sitting party MLAs tickets. With the release of the latest list, AAP has become the first political outfit in the state to declare all 13 candidates for the upcoming general elections. Previously, the party has fielded five cabinet ministers, four turncoats from other parties and one Punjabi singer. In the latest announcement, AAP has released the name of four candidates-- former shiromani akali dal MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from the Jalandhar Reserve constituency, Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Ferozepur, Amansher Singh Kalsi from Gurdaspur and Ashok Parashar Pappi from Ludhiana parliamentary seat. While Brar represents the Muktsar assembly seat, Kalsi is a legislator from Batala seat while Pappi is an MLA from the Ludhiana Central assembly constituency. The announcement was made by party's national general secretary Sandeep Pathak in a post on X. With this announcement, the AAP has declared candidates for all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab. The AAP, which is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, is contesting the parliamentary polls in Punjab on its own. Announcement! The Aam Aadmi Party proudly presents its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Punjab: pic.twitter.com/zPxvgKw2RL AAP (@AamAadmiParty) April 16, 2024 LS Polls: AAP releases first list of 8 candidates for Punjab, fields 5 Cabinet ministers Besides Tinu, the other three turncoats are Gurpreet Singh GP, a former MLA of Congress who left the grnad old party and joined AAP and was given lok sabha ticket from Fatehgarh Sahib (reserved) seat and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal congress MLA and Deputy leader of opposition in the assembly who resigned from the Congress and the Vidhan Sabha and joined the AAP and was given ticket by AAP from Hoshiarpur (Reserved) seat. The polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held in the last phase on June 1. AAP will not enter alliance with Congress in Punjab for Lok Sabha polls, says CM Mann

AAP releases four-person list of candidates to contest Lok Sabha elections from Punjab

Tuesday's announcement saw candidates named for the Ferozpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar and Ludhiana seats. On the list are Jagdeep Singh Brar, Amansher Singh, Pawan Kumar Tinu, and Ashok Parashar Pappi.

AAP announces 4 more candidates for LS polls in Punjab, fields former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from Jalandhar.

AAP announces 4 more candidates for LS polls in Punjab, fields former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from Jalandhar. AAP announces 4 more candidates for LS polls in Punjab, fields former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from Jalandhar.

Former Punjab CM and Cong candidate from Jalandhar Channi offers prayers at Golden Temple

Former Punjab CM and Cong candidate from Jalandhar Channi offers prayers at Golden Temple Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday offered prayers at the Golden Temple a day after the Congress named him as its candidate from the Jalandhar (reserved) parliamentary constituency. He was accompanied by party MLA Pargat Singh and other party leaders. Speaking to the media, Channi said he was going to Jalandhar as 'Sudama' and urged the people of the Doaba region to take care of him like 'Lord Krishna'. He said he came here to seek the blessings of the almighty to give him strength to live up to the expectations of the people. Replying to a question, Channi said he had served the people of the Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency and brought ''unprecedented'' development in that area. ''Chamkaur Sahib was once considered a backward area. But a lot of development has taken place in that area,'' he said. He also slammed the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab saying, ''Today, it is the fight for the existence of Punjab.'' Channi accused Mann of being ''in cahoots'' with the Centre and hatching conspiracies against the state. Mann ''supported'' those who used ''force'' against protesting farmers, alleged Channi. ''There is a need to teach him a lesson,'' he said. Channi had been an MLA from the Chamkaur Sahib constituency in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He had unsuccessfully contested from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur seats in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls. Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place in the last phase on June 1.

Meet man, his father once took loan of Rs 500, now owns largest private university in India, with annual revenue of Rs...

Ashok Kumar Mittal, the founder and chancellor of Jalandhar's Lovely Professional University.

Former SAD MLA joins AAP, tipped to get Jalandhar ticket

Pawan Teenu, a two-time former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA, joined AAP on Sunday and was tipped for Jalandhar LS ticket. AAP has been looking for a Jalandhar candidate after sitting MP Sushil Rinku recently switched to BJP in spite of being renominated. BJP announced Rinku as its Jalandhar candidate soon after.

Cong names candidates for 6 LS seats in Punjab, fields Charanjit Channi from Jalandhar

Cong names candidates for 6 LS seats in Punjab, fields Charanjit Channi from Jalandhar The Congress on Sunday named its candidates for six Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, fielding former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, along with two sitting MPs, an MLA and a former MP. The party has fielded Channi from the Jalandhar (SC) seat and sitting MPs Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Amar Singh from the Amritsar and the Fatehgarh Sahib (SC) seats respectively. The Congress nominated MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, former MP Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala and former MLA Jeet Mohinder Sidhu from Bathinda. Polling on all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state will take place in the last phase on June 1. The Congress bet on Channi from the Jalandhar (SC) seat despite opposition from Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary. A few days ago, Chaudhary even resigned as the partys chief whip in the Punjab Assembly. Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, the son of two-time Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary, had pointed towards Channi's electoral defeats from both the Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur segments he had contested in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls. Santokh Chaudhary died in January last year during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. His wife Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary had unsuccessfully contested the Jalandhar parliamentary bypoll in May last year. Channi belongs to the Scheduled Castes community which makes up nearly 32 per cent of Punjab's population. He represented the Chamkaur Sahib Assembly constituency in 2007, 2012 and 2017. Channi became the chief minister of Punjab in 2021 after the Congress replaced Amarinder Singh with him. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Sushil Rinku from the Jalandhar (SC) seat. Although AAP is yet to name its candidate, former Akali MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu, who joined the party on Sunday, is likely to be the party's nominee. The Congress fielded sitting MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla from Amritsar. Former deputy chief minister and MLA O P Soni's name was also doing rounds for this seat. Aujla won the Amritsar seat in the 2017 bypolls and was elected again in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. AAP has fielded Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from the Amritsar seat. The Shiromani Akali Dal has named former MLA Anil Joshi as its candidate and the BJP Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Sitting MP from the Fatehgarh Sahib (SC) seat Amar Singh, a former bureaucrat, has been renominated by the Congress. In 2019, Singh defeated SAD candidate Darbara Singh Guru from the constituency. In the Sangrur seat, the Congress showed its faith in All India Kisan Congress chairman and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Khaira, a firebrand leader, was elected as MLA in 2007 and 2017 from the Bholath seat. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. AAP has fielded Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from the Sangrur seat, currently represented by Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) MP Simranjit Singh Mann. The Congress has fielded former AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi from the Patiala Lok Sabha seat. Gandhi, a doctor by profession, joined the party recently. Gandhi won the Lok Sabha election as an AAP candidate in 2014, defeating the Congress' Preneet Kaur from Patiala. After quitting AAP in 2016, he had formed his own political outfit Nawan Punjab Party, which he merged with the Congress. Gandhi has been pitted this time against BJP nominee Preneet Kaur and AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh. From the Bathinda seat, the Congress has named former MLA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Sidhu. Sidhu rejoined the Congress last year after quitting the Shiromani Akali Dal. The Bathinda seat is currently held by SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. AAP has fielded Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian from the seat.

Congress' Kanhaiya Kumar vs BJP's Manoj Tiwari In North East Delhi Contest

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.

LS Polls: Congress releases list with 10 names for Delhi, Punjab; fields Kanhaiya, Channi

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 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 .

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.

Lok Sabha: Congress releases candidates list for Delhi and Punjab, Kanhaiya Kumar to contest from North East Delhi

In Punjab, Gurjeet Singh Aujla is standing from Amritsar for Congress, Charanjit Singh Channi from Jalandhar, Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Saheb, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Bhatinda, Sukhpal Singh Khaira from Sangrur and Dr Dharamvir Gandhi from Patiala. Congress also released a list of 75 candidates for upcoming Odisha assembly elections.

Lok Sabha Polls: Congress fields Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi, Channi gets ticket from Jalandhar

The party has fielded Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi. Meanwhile, Charanjit Singh Channi has been given ticket from Jalandhar.

Jalandhar Dalit leader Pawan Kumar leaves Akali Dal, joins AAP

Chandigarh: Punjabs ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) got a boost in the Doaba region as a Dalit leader of Jalandhar and former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator Pawan Kumar Tinu joined it on Sunday, April 14. He is likely to be fielded from the Jalandhar (reserved) Lok Sabha seat. Tinu was elected MLA twice from 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 .

Leaders Shift to Congress; A. Revanth Reddy Welcomes New Members

Hyderabad: Several BRS and BJP leaders joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday. Notable among the entrants were BRS Himayatnagar corporator Gaddam Mahalakshmi and former BRS Gunfoundry corporator Mamta Gupta. AICC Telangana state incharge Deepa Das Munshi. Mayor G. Vijayalakshmi, Khairatabad DCC president C. Rohin Reddy were present on the occasion. BJP leader M. Jalandhar Reddy, who recently contested from the Makthal Assembly seat, also shifted allegiance to the Congress. Additionally, Pulimamidi Raju, BJP's Medak Lok Sabha constituency in-charge for the Sangareddy Assembly constituency, joined the Congress. Senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, minister Ponnam Prabhakar and leaders from Munnuru Kapu community also met Revanth Reddy and thanked him for setting up a separate corporation for the community. Madiga community leaders also met Revanth Reddy for establishing separate corporations dedicated to their welfare.

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.

Chaitra Navratri 2024: Names and locations of 52 Shaktipeeths, which one is closest for darshan

Chaitra Navratri has started from 9th April. You can visit goddess temples during the nine-day holy festival of Navratri. There are many ancient and miraculous Goddess Mata temples in India. Apart from this, there are 52 Shaktipeeths. According to the legend, Mother Sati had reached the yagya organized by her father King Prajapati Daksh without invitation. There her husband Lord Shiva was ridiculed and abused. Saddened by the insult she and her husband faced at home, Mother Sati sacrificed her life by jumping into the fire pit. When Lord Shiva came to know about this, he picked up the mortal remains of Goddess Sati and started wandering here and there. Due to his anger, destruction started coming into the world. Lord Vishnu cut the body of Mata Sati with Sudarshan Chakra to prevent the cataclysm. When 52 pieces of Mata Sati's body and jewelry fell at various places, they were called 52 Shaktipeeths. Let us know what are the names of the 52 Shaktipeeths and in which cities they are located. Mother's Shaktipeeth Shaktipeeth in Uttar Pradesh 1. Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - Manikarnika of Mata Sati had fallen here. Here Vishalakshi and Manikarni forms of Mother are worshipped. 2. Mata Lalita Devi Shaktipeeth, Prayagraj - The finger of Mata Sati's hand had fallen at this place in Allahabad. Here the mother is known as Lalita. 3. The right breast of Mata Sati had fallen in Ramgiri, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. At this place, she is revered as Mother Shivani. 4. Uma Shaktipeeth is located in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. It is also known as Katyayani Shaktipeeth. Mother's hair bunch and Chudamani had fallen here. 5. Mata's left shoulder had fallen in Devi Patan Temple, Balrampur. In this Shaktipeeth, Mata is present in the form of Mateshwari. Shaktipeeth of Madhya Pradesh 6. Harsiddhi Devi Shaktipeeth- There are two Shaktipeeths of Goddess in Madhya Pradesh. One of these is Harsiddhi Devi Shaktipeeth, where the elbow of Mata Sati had fallen. It is situated on the western bank of Rudra Sagar Pond. 7. Shondev Narmata Shaktipeeth- Mother's Daya Nitamp had fallen in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. Due to the origin of the Narmada river here, Mother Goddess is worshiped here in the form of Narmada. Shaktipeeth of North India 8. Naina Devi Temple- The eye of Goddess Sati had fallen on Shivalik mountain in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Her mother goddess is called Mahisha Mardini. 9. Jwala Ji Shaktipeeth- The tongue of the goddess had fallen in Kangra, Himachal, hence it was named Siddhida or Ambika. 10. Mahamaya Shaktipeeth, Pahalgaon of Amarnath, where the neck of Mata Sati had fallen, Mahamaya is worshiped here. Punjab and Haryana Shaktipeeth 11. Tripuramalini Mata Shaktipeeth- The left level of Mata had fallen near Cantonment Station in Jalandhar, Punjab. 12. Shaktipeeth of Mata Savitri, the heel of Mata's feet had fallen in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Shaktipeeth of Mata Savitri is situated here. 13. Mother Bhadrakali's right ankle had fallen in Devikup Temple, Kurukshetra, Haryana. Here the form of Mother Bhadrakali is worshipped. Shaktipeeth of Rajasthan 14. Manibandh Shaktipeeth- Two anklets of Mata Sati had fallen on Gayatri mountain in Pushkar, Ajmer. Here the Gayatri form of Mother is worshipped. 15. Shaktipeeth of Mata Ambika- There is a temple of Mata Ambika in Birat, Rajasthan. The toes of Mata Sati's left foot had fallen here. 16. Matabadi mountain peak Shaktipeeth- is in Radhakishorpur village of Udarpur in Tripura. Mother's right foot had fallen at this place. Here the mother goddess is called Tripura Sundari. Shaktipeeth in Gujarat 17. Ambaji Temple Shaktipeeth- There is a temple of Mata Ambaji in Gujarat. It is believed that the mother's heart had fallen here. 18. Mother Chandrabhaga Shaktipeeth, Junagadh, The stomach of Goddess Sati had fallen in Junagadh, Gujarat. Here the mother is known as Chandrabhaga. Shaktipeeth of Maharashtra 19. Mata's chin had fallen at the Shaktipeeth of Bhramari form of Mata, Janasthan in Maharashtra. After that, the Bhramari form of the goddess started being worshiped here. Shaktipeeth in Bengal 20. Temple of Goddess Kapalini- Bengal has the highest number of Shaktipeeths of Mata. There is a temple of Goddess Kapalini in Vibhash located in Tamluk of Purba Medinipur district. Mother's left heel had fallen here. 21. Mata Devi Kumari Shaktipeeth- The right shoulder of Mata Sati had fallen in Ratnavali in Hooghly, Bengal. In this temple, the mother is called by the name Devi Kumari. 22. Shaktipeeth of Mata Vimala The crown of Goddess Sati had fallen in Kiritkon village of Murshidabad, West Bengal. Here there is Shaktipeeth of Mata and the Vimala form of Mata is worshipped. 23. Bhramari Devi Shaktipeeth- Mata's left leg had fallen in Salbarhi village in Boda mandal of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The form of Mother Goddess Bhramari Devi is worshiped at this place. 24. Bahula Devi Shaktipeeth- Vardhaman The left hand of Mata Sati had fallen in the Ketugram area of the district. 25. Mangal Chandrika Mata Shaktipeeth - Mata's Shaktipeeth is in Ujjani of Vardhaman district. Mother's right wrist had fallen here. 26. Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahishmardini Goddess Sati's eyebrow had fallen in Vakreshwar, West Bengal. At this place, the mother is called Mahishamardini. 27. Nalhati Shaktipeeth- The bone of the mother's leg had fallen in Nalhati, Birbhum. 28. Phullara Devi Shaktipeeth- The lips of Mata Sati had fallen in Attahas, West Bengal. Here the mother is called Fullara Devi. 29. Nandipur Shaktipeeth- The necklace of Mata Sati had fallen in West Bengal. Mother Nandani is worshiped here. 30. Yugadha Shaktipeeth- The thumb of Mata's right hand fell in Ksheergram of Vardhaman district. Shaktipeeth of Mata was built at this place, where she is called Goddess Jugadya. 31. Kalika Devi Shaktipeeth- According to beliefs, the toe of the right foot of the mother had fallen in Kalighat. She is known here by the name of Maa Kalika. 32. Kanchi Devgarbha Shaktipeeth- The bones of the goddess had fallen in Kanchi, West Bengal. Here Mata Dev is established in the form of Garbha. Shaktipeeth in South India 33. Bhadrakali Shaktipeeth- Now if we talk about the Shaktipeeths located in South India, then Mata's back had fallen in Tamil Nadu. Mata's Kanyashram, Bhadrakali Temple, and Kumari Temple are situated in this place. She is called by the name Shravani. 34. Shuchi Shaktipeeth- Shuchi Theertham Shiva temple is located near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Here also there is Shaktipeeth of Mata, where her upper molar had fallen. Mother has got the name Narayani here. 35. Vimala Devi Shaktipeeth- The navel of the goddess had fallen in Utkal, Orissa. Here Mata is known by the name Vimala. 36. Sarvasail Ramhendri Shaktipeeth- There are two Shaktipeeths in Andhra Pradesh. A Sarvashail Ramhendri Shaktipeeth, where the mother's cheeks had fallen. At this place, devotees worship Rakini and Vishweshwari forms of Mother Goddess. 37. Srisailam Shaktipeeth- The second Shaktipeeth in Andhra is in Coornoor district. The anklet of the right foot of Mata Sati had fallen in Srisailam Shaktipeeth. Here, it is installed in the nose of Mata Shri Sundari. 38. Karnataka Shaktipeeth- Both the ears of Goddess Sati had fallen in Karnataka. Jai Durga form of Mother is worshiped at this place. 39. Kamakhya Shaktipeeth- Among the famous Shaktipeeths is Kamakhya ji situated on Neelantal mountain in Guwahati. Mother's vagina had fallen in Kamakhya. Here the Kamakhya form of Mother is worshipped. Shaktipeeth in foreign countries 40. Chattal Bhawani Shaktipeeth- Chattal Bhawani Shaktipeeth is on Chandranath mountain in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh. Here the right arm of Mata Sati had fallen. 41. Sugandha Shaktipeeth- Mata's nose had fallen 20 km away from Shikarpur, Bangladesh. In this Shaktipeeth, the mother is called Sugandha. Another name for this Shaktipeeth is Ugratara Shaktipeeth. 42. Jayanti Shaktipeeth- Mata's left thigh fell in Jayantiya Pargana in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Mata Devi is established here by the name Jayanti. 43. Srishail Mahalakshmi- Mother Sati was strangled in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Mahalakshmi form is worshiped in this Shaktipeeth. 44. Yashoreshwari Mata Shaktipeeth- There is a place named Yashore in the Khulna district of Bangladesh, where the left palm of Mother Sati fell. 45. Indrakshi Shaktipeeth- The anklets of the goddess fell in Nallur, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. This Shaktipeeth is called Indrakshi. 46. Guheshwari Shaktipeeth- This Shaktipeeth is on the banks of the Bagmati river, at some distance from Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. Here both the knees of Mother Sati had fallen. Mahamaya or Mahashira form of Shakti is worshiped here. 47. Aadya Shaktipeeth- There is Aadya Shaktipeeth near Gandak river in Nepal. It is believed that the left cheek of Mother Sati had fallen at this place. Here the Gandaki Chandi form of Mata is worshipped. 48. Dantakali Shaktipeeth- Teeth of Mother Sati had fallen in Bijayapur village of Nepal. For this reason, this Shaktipeeth is known as Dantkali Shaktipeeth. 49. Mansa Shaktipeeth- The right palm of Mata Sati had fallen near the Mansarovar river in Tibet. Here she is called Mata Dakshayani. Mata is established here in the form of a rock. 50. Mithila Shaktipeeth- The left shoulder of Mata Sati had fallen on the India-Nepal border. Her mother is called Devi Um. 51. Hingula Shaktipeeth- Hingula Shaktipeeth of Goddess is in Balochistan, Pakistan. In this Shaktipeeth, the mother is known as Hinglaj Devi. There is a religious belief that the head of Mother Sati had fallen here. (PC: PTI, Social media)

BJP holds Sukhmani Sahib path during office opening

Jalandhar: With the BJP facing opposition from farmers in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and farmer groups banning BJP leaders' entry in villages, the inauguration of the BJP's office at Maqsudan Chowk in Jalandhar saw a major break from tradition today. Along with havan, party leaders also held Sukhmani Sahib path' [] The post BJP holds Sukhmani Sahib path during office opening appeared first on Northlines .

Travel tips: Names and locations of 52 Shaktipeeths, which one is closest for darshan

Chaitra Navratri is starting from 9th April. You can visit goddess temples during the nine-day holy festival of Navratri. There are many ancient and miraculous Goddess Mata temples in India. Apart from this there are 52 Shaktipeeths. According to the legend, Mother Sati had reached the yagya organized by her father King Prajapati Daksh without invitation. There her husband Lord Shiva was ridiculed and abused. Saddened by the insult she and her husband faced at home, Mother Sati sacrificed her life by jumping into the fire pit. When Lord Shiva came to know about this, he picked up the mortal remains of Goddess Sati and started wandering here and there. Due to his anger, destruction started coming in the world. Lord Vishnu cut the body of Mata Sati with Sudarshan Chakra to prevent the cataclysm. When 52 pieces of Mata Sati's body and jewelery fell at various places, they were called 52 Shaktipeeths. Let us know what are the names of 52 Shaktipeeths and in which cities they are located. Mother's Shaktipeeth Shaktipeeth in Uttar Pradesh 1. Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - Manikarnika of Mata Sati had fallen here. Here Vishalakshi and Manikarni forms of Mother are worshipped. 2. Mata Lalita Devi Shaktipeeth, Prayagraj - The finger of Mata Sati's hand had fallen at this place in Allahabad. Here the mother is known as Lalita. 3. The right breast of Mata Sati had fallen in Ramgiri, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. At this place, she is revered as Mother Shivani. 4. Uma Shaktipeeth is located in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. It is also known as Katyayani Shaktipeeth. Mother's hair bunch and Chudamani had fallen here. 5. Mata's left shoulder had fallen in Devi Patan Temple, Balrampur. In this Shaktipeeth, Mata is present in the form of Mateshwari. Shaktipeeth of Madhya Pradesh 6. Harsiddhi Devi Shaktipeeth- There are two Shaktipeeths of Goddess in Madhya Pradesh. One of these is Harsiddhi Devi Shaktipeeth, where the elbow of Mata Sati had fallen. It is situated on the western bank of Rudra Sagar pond. 7. Shondev Narmata Shaktipeeth- Mother's Daya Nitamp had fallen in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh. Due to the origin of Narmada river here, Mother Goddess is worshiped here in the form of Narmata. Shaktipeeth of North India 8. Naina Devi Temple- The eye of Goddess Sati had fallen on Shivalik mountain in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Here mother goddess is called Mahisha Mardini. 9. Jwala Ji Shaktipeeth- The tongue of the goddess had fallen in Kangra, Himachal, hence it was named Siddhida or Ambika. 10. Mahamaya Shaktipeeth, Pahalgaon of Amarnath, where the neck of Mata Sati had fallen, Mahamaya is worshiped here. Punjab and Haryana Shaktipeeth 11. Tripuramalini Mata Shaktipeeth- The left level of Mata had fallen near Cantonment Station in Jalandhar, Punjab. 12. Shaktipeeth of Mata Savitri, the heel of Mata's feet had fallen in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Shaktipeeth of Mata Savitri is situated here. 13. Mother Bhadrakali's right ankle had fallen in Devikup Temple, Kurukshetra, Haryana. Here the form of Mother Bhadrakali is worshipped. Shaktipeeth of Rajasthan 14. Manibandh Shaktipeeth- Two anklets of Mata Sati had fallen on Gayatri mountain in Pushkar, Ajmer. Here the Gayatri form of Mother is worshipped. 15. Shaktipeeth of Mata Ambika- There is a temple of Mata Ambika in Birat, Rajasthan. The toes of Mata Sati's left foot had fallen here. 16. Matabadi mountain peak Shaktipeeth- is in Radhakishorpur village of Udarpur in Tripura. Mother's right foot had fallen at this place. Here the mother goddess is called Tripura Sundari. Shaktipeeth in Gujarat 17. Ambaji Temple Shaktipeeth- There is a temple of Mata Ambaji in Gujarat. It is believed that the mother's heart had fallen here. 18. Mother Chandrabhaga Shaktipeeth, Junagadh, The stomach of Goddess Sati had fallen in Junagadh, Gujarat. Here the mother is known as Chandrabhaga. Shaktipeeth of Maharashtra 19. Mata's chin had fallen at the Shaktipeeth of Bhramari form of Mata, Janasthan in Maharashtra. After that the Bhramari form of the goddess started being worshiped here. Shaktipeeth in Bengal 20. Temple of Goddess Kapalini- Bengal has the highest number of Shaktipeeths of Mata. There is a temple of Goddess Kapalini in Vibhash located in Tamluk of Purba Medinipur district. Mother's left heel had fallen here. 21. Mata Devi Kumari Shaktipeeth- The right shoulder of Mata Sati had fallen in Ratnavali in Hooghly, Bengal. In this temple the mother is called by the name Devi Kumari. 22. Shaktipeeth of Mata Vimala The crown of Goddess Sati had fallen in Kiritkon village of Murshidabad, West Bengal. Here there is Shaktipeeth of Mata and Vimala form of Mata is worshipped. 23. Bhramari Devi Shaktipeeth- Mata's left leg had fallen in Salbarhi village in Boda mandal of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The form of Mother Goddess Bhramari Devi is worshiped at this place. 24. Bahula Devi Shaktipeeth- Ket of Bardhaman district The left hand of Mata Sati had fallen in Ugram area. 25. Mangal Chandrika Mata Shaktipeeth - Mata's Shaktipeeth is in Ujjani of Vardhaman district. Mother's right wrist had fallen here. 26. Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahishmardini Goddess Sati's eyebrow had fallen in Vakreshwar, West Bengal. At this place the mother is called Mahishamardini. 27. Nalhati Shaktipeeth- The bone of the mother's leg had fallen in Nalhati, Birbhum. 28. Phullara Devi Shaktipeeth- The lips of Mata Sati had fallen in Attahas, West Bengal. Here the mother is called Fullara Devi. 29. Nandipur Shaktipeeth- The necklace of Mata Sati had fallen in West Bengal. Mother Nandani is worshiped here. 30. Yugadha Shaktipeeth- The thumb of Mata's right hand fell in Ksheergram of Vardhaman district. Shaktipeeth of Mata was built at this place, where she is called as Goddess Jugadya. 31. Kalika Devi Shaktipeeth- According to beliefs, the toe of the right foot of the mother had fallen in Kalighat. She is known here by the name of Maa Kalika. 32. Kanchi Devgarbha Shaktipeeth- The bones of the goddess had fallen in Kanchi, West Bengal. Here Mata Dev is established in the form of Garbha. Shaktipeeth in South India 33. Bhadrakali Shaktipeeth- Now if we talk about the Shaktipeeths located in South India, then Mata's back had fallen in Tamil Nadu. Mata's Kanyashram, Bhadrakali Temple and Kumari Temple are situated at this place. She is called by the name Shravani. 34. Shuchi Shaktipeeth- Shuchi Theertham Shiva temple is located near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Here also there is Shaktipeeth of Mata, where her upper molar had fallen. Mother has got the name Narayani here. 35. Vimala Devi Shaktipeeth- The navel of the goddess had fallen in Utkal, Orissa. Here Mata is known by the name Vimala. 36. Sarvasail Ramhendri Shaktipeeth- There are two Shaktipeeths in Andhra Pradesh. A Sarvashail Ramhendri Shaktipeeth, where the mother's cheeks had fallen. At this place devotees worship Rakini and Vishweshwari forms of Mother Goddess. 37. Srisailam Shaktipeeth- The second Shaktipeeth in Andhra is in Coornoor district. The anklet of the right foot of Mata Sati had fallen in Srisailam Shaktipeeth. Here, it is installed in the nose of Mata Shri Sundari. 38. Karnataka Shaktipeeth- Both the ears of Goddess Sati had fallen in Karnataka. Jai Durga form of Mother is worshiped at this place. 39. Kamakhya Shaktipeeth- Among the famous Shaktipeeths is Kamakhya ji situated on Neelantal mountain of Guwahati. Mother's vagina had fallen in Kamakhya. Here the Kamakhya form of Mother is worshipped. Shaktipeeth in foreign countries 40. Chattal Bhawani Shaktipeeth- Chattal Bhawani Shaktipeeth is on Chandranath mountain in Chittagong district of Bangladesh. Here the right arm of Mata Sati had fallen. 41. Sugandha Shaktipeeth- Mata's nose had fallen 20 km away from Shikarpur, Bangladesh. In this Shaktipeeth, mother is called Sugandha. Another name of this Shaktipeeth is Ugratara Shaktipeeth. 42. Jayanti Shaktipeeth- Mata's left thigh had fallen in Jayantiya Pargana in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Mata Devi is established here by the name Jayanti. 43. Srishail Mahalakshmi- Mother Sati was strangled in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Mahalakshmi form is worshiped in this Shaktipeeth. 44. Yashoreshwari Mata Shaktipeeth- There is a place named Yashore in Khulna district of Bangladesh, where the left palm of Mother Sati had fallen. 45. Indrakshi Shaktipeeth- The anklets of the goddess fell in Nallur, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. This Shaktipeeth is called Indrakshi. 46. Guheshwari Shaktipeeth- This Shaktipeeth is on the banks of Bagmati river, at some distance from Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. Here both the knees of Mother Sati had fallen. Mahamaya or Mahashira form of Shakti is worshiped here. 47. Aadya Shaktipeeth- There is Aadya Shaktipeeth near Gandak river in Nepal. It is believed that the left cheek of Mother Sati had fallen at this place. Here the Gandaki Chandi form of Mata is worshipped. 48. Dantakali Shaktipeeth- Teeth of Mother Sati had fallen in Bijayapur village of Nepal. For this reason this Shaktipeeth is known as Dantkali Shaktipeeth. 49. Mansa Shaktipeeth- The right palm of Mata Sati had fallen near the Mansarovar river in Tibet. Here she is called Mata Dakshayani. Mata is established here in the form of a rock. 50. Mithila Shaktipeeth- The left shoulder of Mata Sati had fallen on the India-Nepal border. Here mother is called Devi Um. 51. Hingula Shaktipeeth- Hingula Shaktipeeth of Goddess is in Balochistan, Pakistan. In this Shaktipeeth, the mother is known as Hinglaj Devi. There is a religious belief that the head of Mother Sati had fallen here. (PC: Soical media)

With Rs 6500 cr dedicated budget in 2024-25, railway can achieve 100% electrification: Officials

With Rs 6500 cr dedicated budget in 2024-25, railway can achieve 100% electrification: Officials A dedicated budget of Rs 65,00 crore as allocated in 2024-25 can help achieve complete electrification of the rail network, senior railway officials said, highlighting the recent achievement of 95 per cent electrification of Broad Gauge. ''With a dedicated budget of Rs 6,500 Crores during FY 2024-25 for further electrification projects, India remains committed to achieving complete electrification. This will not only revolutionise the railway system but also contribute significantly to the country's sustainability goals,'' a senior railway official said. He added, ''The electrification programme is not just about environmental benefits. It's a catalyst for economic growth. It creates jobs during construction, reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels, and positions Indian Railways as a modern and efficient engine of the nation's economy.'' Railway officials maintain that India is making significant strides towards a sustainable future by rapidly electrifying its vast network. The Railways has electrified 7188 route kms during 2023-24 which is a historic accomplishment and also holds immense potential for the nation's economic and environmental well-being. ''With a massive push in electrification projects, Indian Railways has achieved nearly 95% electrification of its Broad Gauge (BG) network. 21 States and UTs have seamless traction facility which is a significant achievement for Indian Railways, the national transporter of India,'' another senior official said. He added, ''Diesel locomotives have dominated Indian Railways for decades. However, electric trains offer a cleaner and more efficient alternative. Electricity powers the trains, eliminating dependence on fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The shift to electric traction is projected to cut carbon emissions by a significant 24% by 2027-28.'' Some of the important sections which were electrified during FY 2023-24, include Ahmedabad-Rajkot-Okha (499 Kms), Bengaluru-Talguppa (371 Kms) and Bhatinda-Firozpur-Jalandhar (301 Kms). ''Over 42,000 kilometers of tracks have been electrified in the last decade alone, bringing the total electrified network to an impressive 95% of the broad-gauge network,'' the official said.

MHA accords Y category security cover to newly inducted Punjab leaders in BJP

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accorded Y category security cover by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to newly inducted BJP leaders from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural, sources said. These leaders include former AAP MP Susheel Kumar Rinku, and MLA Sheetal Angural, who joined the BJP recently. According to sources, the CRPF security cover will be available to the BJP members within the territory of Punjab. Rinkus inclusion in the BJPs list of six Lok Sabha candidates for Punjab, with a nomination from the Jalandhar reserved seat, further fortified his position within the party ranks in the state. The decision to provide Y category security was taken following a review and assessment of the inputs provided by the Intelligence Bureau, which cited potential threats to them following their entry into the BJP, the sources said.

Centre provides 'Y' category CRPF security to BJP leaders, Sushik Kumar, Sheetal Angural

Centre provides 'Y' category CRPF security to BJP leaders, Sushik Kumar, Sheetal Angural The Central has decided to provide 'Y' category Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover to recently joined Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural, sources said on Tuesday. Centre provides 'Y' category Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover to recently joined Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural. Both the leaders will be provided security cover only in Punjab, said sources. Earlier, the two Aam Aadmi Party leaders from Punjab, who had joined the BJP, met party national president, JP Nadda, at his residence. Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, met Nadda immediately after both of them joined the BJP. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was also with them during the meeting. Rinku has since been given a ticket by the BJP to contest from Jalandhar. While joining the BJP, Rinku had claimed that he had taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the projects of the Central Government to Jalandhar, he said. Rinku also alleged that no development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government. (ANI)

Gurugram cyber police arrests 7 thugs including minor by using 'Pratibimb' portal

Gurugram cyber police arrests 7 thugs including minor by using 'Pratibimb' portal The Gurugram cyber police has arrested seven thugs, including a minor, by using the 'Pratibimb' portal. 'Pratibimb' enables police to locate cybercriminals operating in their area. The accused had committed frauds of Rs 16 crore across the country and Rs 4.20 lakh in cash, four mobile phones and two SIM cards were seized from their possession, the police said. A total of 4,875 complaints were received against the accused on which 215 cases were registered across the country, out which 13 cases were registered in Haryana, including seven cases at the cyber police stations in Gurugram, they added. According to the police, the arrested accused were identified as Sahil Sondhi, a native of Preet Nagar in Jalandhar (Punjab), Praveen Kumar, a resident of the Chamar Khera village in the Sirsa district, Sushil Kumar, a native of Patna, Vakeel, a resident of Alwar (Rajasthan), Govind Vaishav, a native of Shahpura (Rajasthan), Sandeep, a resident of Maruti Kunj in Gurugram and a minor, the police said. The accused used to commit fraud by making phone calls, engaging in conversations and transferring money online after blackmailing through video calls, they added. ''After reviewing the data of the mobile phones and SIM cards recovered from the accused by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), it was found that 4,875 complaints have been registered against the above accused in connection with frauds of Rs 15.74 crore across the country,'' said Priyanshu Dewan, ACP cyber. MNK MNK

LS polls: 3 turncoats and former diplomat in BJP's first list for Punjab

LS polls: 3 turncoats and former diplomat in BJP's first list for Punjab The BJP on Saturday released its first list of six candidates for Punjab, fielding three turncoats Preneet Kaur, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Ravneet Singh Bittu, and former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Besides, the saffron party also fielded singer and MP from North West Delhi Hans Raj Hans and former MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu. According to the list, Preneet Kaur, who is a suspended Congress MP from Patiala, has been named as candidate from the same seat. Four-time MP and former Union minister Kaur joined the BJP this month. Kaur was suspended by the Congress in February last year soon after her husband, former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, joined the BJP. Kaur will be facing AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala seat. The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are yet to announce their candidates from Patiala. As expected the BJP fielded sitting AAP's lone MP Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar seat, four days after he joined the saffron party in Delhi. Rinku had been named the candidate by the AAP but he quit the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit in less than a year after joining it. Former Congress MLA Rinku had joined the AAP on April 5 last year in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar. Rinku was fielded from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat in the by-election and won it after defeating Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary by a margin of 58,691 votes. The BJP fielded three-time MP Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana seat. Bittu was the third Congress leader who jumped ship after former MLAs Gurpreet Singh GP and Raj Kumar Chabbewal left the Congress to switch sides in less than three weeks. Bittu joined the BJP on Tuesday in Delhi and had said people have made up their mind to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power again. He had remained an MP twice from Ludhiana and once from Anandpur Sahib. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in 1995. From Amritsar, the BJP placed its bet on former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The 61-year-old former diplomat is the grandson of Teja Singh Samundri, who was one of the founding members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and who played an important role in the gurdwara reform movement. Sandhu's father Bishan Singh Samundari was the principal of Khalsa College, Amritsar, and the first Vice Chancellor of the Guru Nanak Dev University. At present, Congress leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla is the MP from Amritsar. The ruling party is especially keen in winning back Amritsar, a seat it has not won since Navjot Singh Sidhu bagged it last in 2009. Sidhu is now in the Congress. BJP's Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri, currently a Union minister, lost in the polls from there in 2014 and 2019 respectively. The AAP has fielded Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Amritsar. From Faridkot seat, the BJP named singer Hans Raj Hans, who is the MP from North West Delhi. The AAP has already fielded Punjabi actor and singer Karamjit Anmol from Faridkot which is a reserved seat. Currently, the Faridkot seat is represented by Congress MP Mohammad Sadique. From Gurdaspur seat, the BJP has named Dinesh Singh Babbu who had remained a three-time MLA from Sujanpur in Pathankot. For the Gurdaspur seat, the names of late actor and MP Vinod Khanna's wife Kavita Khanna, former Punjab BJP chief and MLA Ashwani Sharma, and BJP leader and former Congress MLA Gateh Jung Bajwa were doing the rounds. Currently, actor Sunny Deol is the MP from Gurdaspur. The rival parties had been attacking the BJP for his ''absence'' from the constituency.

In 8th List, BJP Fields Preneet Kaur From Patiala, Shushil Kumar Rinku From Jalandhar In Punjab For LS Polls 2024

The BJP released the 8th list candidate list consisting of 3 Lok Sabha seats from Odisha, 9 from Punjab and 2 from West Bengal.

BJPs eight list for LS polls out; Mahtab fielded from Cuttack, ex-ambassador Sandhu from Amritsar

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday named its candidates for 11 more Lok Sabha constituencies, fielding a number of leaders who joined it from different parties recently such as Bhartruhari Mahtab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Preneet Kaur. All these leaders have been fielded from the seats they represent in the outgoing Lok Sabha. The party opted for former MLA Dinesh Singh 'Babbu' in Gurdaspur in place of actor Sunny Deol, who has long expressed his keenness to opt out of electoral politics. Former Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu will be making his poll debut from Amritsar, a seat the BJP has made determined efforts earlier to win by fielding Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri in 2019 and Arun Jaitley in 2014 but in vain. Former Indian ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu joins the BJP Hans Raj Hans, who had won from North West Delhi in 2019 on a BJP ticket, will contest from the Faridkot seat. Six-term MP Mahtab, who quit the BJD recently, will contest from Cuttack, three-term MP Bittu from Ludhiana, fourth-term MP Kaur from Patiala, and Rinku from Jalandhar, a seat he won for the first time in a bypoll in 2023. Both Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, and Kaur, the wife of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, were in the Congress before joining the BJP, while Rinku was in the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP on Sunday named two candidates from West Bengal, three from Odisha and six from Punjab. It has so far announced its candidates for 411 seats. In West Bengal, it has fielded former IPS officer Debashis Dhar, who had earned the ire of the state government over a host of issues, from Birbhum and Pranat Tudu, who resigned as a government doctor to fight polls, from Jhargram in place of incumbent MP Kunar Hembram. Hembram had quit the BJP earlier this month. The party has turned to an organisational leader to retain Punjab's Gurdaspur, a seat it has often relied on star power to win in the past. While Deol won the seat in 2019, late actor Vinod Khanna represented the constituency for the BJP in Lok Sabha for four terms. A busy Hindi film actor, Deol has made little contribution as an MP and mostly kept away from parliamentary proceedings and his constituency, causing some embarrassment to the party in Punjab. New faces and warhorses: BJP plays balancing act in Haryana poll list

Punjab: 4 Gangsters of Prema Lahoria-Vicky Grounder Gang Arrested

In a post on X, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the Jalandhar Police seized six pistols from them

AAP, Cong struggle to keep their flock together in 13-seat Punjab battleground

CHANDIGARH: The ruling AAP as well as opposition Congress are worried over poaching of their leaders by the BJP. The Congress is trying to find candidates who do not have a chequered past and AAP is hard-pressed to keep its flock together. Sources said the Congress has tweaked the selection criteria. The state leadership is focusing on candidates who do not have any case linked to the vigilance or Enforcement Directorate (ED). This is meant to thwart the possibility of arm-twisting them or preventing their vulnerability to poaching. Recently party MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal joined AAP as he had a vigilance case pending against him. Sources in the party apprehend that the BJP can use the Central investigating agencies against its leaders, including former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, former ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Bharat Bhushan Ashu as vigilances cases are registered against them. On the other hand, AAP has decided to hold meetings of all its MLAs with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after the March 31 Delhi rally. Mann is expected to listen to the grievances of party lawmakers in their constituencies. By conducting these meetings, the party aims to form a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls. Every state legislator has been asked to get at least 1,000 supporters for the Delhi rally. The lawmakers fear that failure to do so could lead to their wings being clipped and a parallel leader being propped up in their segments. Sources said the party leadership is expected to reach out to certain disgruntled MLAs, including those who were made to quit ministerial berths and others who aspire to become ministers and frequently criticize the government. The fire-fighting in the party became apparent after Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar (West) MLA Sheetal Angura joined the saffron camp. Sources said more than 20 AAP MLAs had been allegedly contacted by the BJP, besides three legislators Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj, Rajinder Pal Kaur and Amandeep Singh Musafir who claimed that they were offered money to switch sides. The Congress was jolted in May 2022, when its ex-state president Sunil Jakhar joined the BJP. He is now the Punjab BJP chief.

Samosa, biryani, tea: District poll panels fix varied menu, ceiling for LS polls expenditure

Samosa, biryani, tea: District poll panels fix varied menu, ceiling for LS polls expenditure Candidates in Punjab's Jalandhar can spend Rs 15 for a cup of tea and the same price for a samosa they offer to people during public meetings and campaign trails in the Lok Sabha elections. However, those in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla can spend Rs 7 for a cup of tea and another Rs 7.50 for a piece of samosa, considered a staple snack in many parts of the country. With polls to elect the 18th Lok Sabha approaching, district poll panels are fixing the rates for expenses as part of the election expenditure monitoring process. The candidates will have to manage their expenditure within the prescribed limit. These rate cards often become a subject of ''meme-fest'' on social media about the prices not being in sync with the current inflation level. In most states, including Andhra Pradesh, the expenditure ceiling for a Lok Sabha candidate is set at Rs 95 lakh. However, in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim, the limit is slightly lower at Rs 75 lakh per candidate. Similarly, for Union territories, the expenditure ceiling ranges from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 95 lakh per candidate, depending on the region. In Jalandhar, chole bhature has been capped at Rs 40 while mutton and chicken have been priced at Rs 250 and 500 per kg respectively. Desserts like dhodha (Rs 450 per kg) and ghee pinni (Rs 300 per kg) are also on the menu besides lassi and nimbu pani priced at Rs 20 and 15 per glass respectively. The cost of tea is low at Rs 5 in the rate card of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh but the samosa is priced higher at Rs 10. The Balaghat rate card also has idli, sambhar vada and poha-jalebi priced at Rs 20 while the cost for dosa and upma has been fixed at Rs 30. In Thoubal district of violence-hit Manipur, tea, samosa, kachori, khajur (dates) and gaja (dessert) have been priced at Rs 10 each. Candidates in the northeastern state's Tengnoupal district, will have to stick to Rs 5 for black tea and Rs 10 for milk tea. The list has a wider spread of non-vegetarian items with duck and pork priced at Rs 300 and Rs 400 per kg respectively. Chicken (broiler) and fish like rohu, mrigal and sareng, are also on the list. In Chennai, the price of tea has been raised from Rs 10 to Rs 15 and coffee from Rs 15 to Rs 20, while the rate of chicken biryani has been reduced from Rs 180 to Rs 150 per packet compared to 2019. In the expenditure card for Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida/Greater Noida), vegetarian thali comes for Rs 100, a samosa or a cup of tea for Rs 10, kachori for Rs 15, a sandwich for Rs 25, and a kilogram of jalebi for Rs 90 per kg. North Goa candidates can have batata vada on menu at a cost of Rs 15, same as that for a samosa. The tea has been capped at Rs 15 while coffee can cost Rs 20. The rate card for Haryana's Jind offers the candidates to hire a tandoor for Rs 300 and features delicacies like dal makhni and mix veg for Rs 130 while matar paneer has been priced at 160. Breads like butter nan, missi roti and plain roti are also on the platter besides desserts including kaju katli and gulab jamun. While parties and candidates often offer workers and voters liquor, none of the rate cards mention alcohol. Other heads which find mention in the rate cards range from expensive infrastructure, such as helipads, luxury vehicles, and farmhouses, to miscellaneous items like flowers, cooler, tower ACs and sofa. The rate cards have also prescribed the ceiling on rates for hiring of different vehicles for campaigning right from a Tata Safari or Scorpio to a Honda City or Ciaz or a bus to ferry to public to rally grounds. Rates have also been set for rose garlands, marigold garlands and bouquet by some poll panels while some have included heads like party merchandise including caps and flags. The rate cards also have an list of permissible rates for hiring venues and accommodation. The expenditure includes the spend for public meetings, rallies, advertisements, hoardings, pamphlets, flexis, campaign material and all other election-related work. At present, there is a ceiling on campaigning funds for individual candidates in the electoral fray but no cap on the money political parties can spend for electioneering. According to the revised guidelines issued by the ECI, the maximum permissible expenditure for campaigning in a Lok Sabha constituency varies across different states and Union territories. Section 77 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 says candidates are expected to keep an account of expenditure incurred on the elections from the ''date on which he has been nominated'' till the ''date of declaration of the result''. Polling for the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases, starting with 102 in the first phase on April 19. The votes will be counted on June 4.

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.

BJP is running 'Operation Lotus' in Punjab: AAP

The BJP stood fourth in (the 2022) Punjab (assembly elections) after AAP, Shriomani Akali Dal and Congress. The question is why did Rinku join the BJP. His tenure as Lok Sabha MP has also ended. The BJP will also come fourth in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha polls

Double blow to AAP in Punjab as MP & MLA join BJP

CHANDIGARH : In a double blow to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, its MP from Jalandhar Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar (West) MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP on Wednesday. Rinku, third MP from the state to join the BJP, is likely to be fielded from Jalandhar. Earlier Congress MPs Preneet Kaur and Raveneet Singh Bittu had joined the saffron party. Rinku and Angural joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and partys national general secretary Vinod Tawde. Rinku, the only AAP MP in the outgoing Lok Sabha, was elected from Jalandhar by a margin of 58,691 votes in a bypoll in 2023. Sources said he was upset as most of his projects that he had promised to people ahead of his 2023 bypoll had not taken off in the past 10 months. I am impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rinku said, praising the Centre for its development initiatives. He accused the AAP-led Punjab government of not helping him in development works. I have no greed for power. I am doing a new experiment for the betterment of Jalandhar. It is true that the promises I made to the people of Jalandhar were not fulfilled because my party (AAP) did not support me, he said. We will take Jalandhar forward and bring all the projects of the Central government to Jalandhar. Jakhar slammed the AAP alleging that the excise scam in Punjab is many times bigger than the one in Delhi. Puri and Tawde said the joining of the AAP leaders will boost the BJP following its decision to go it alone in Punjab. AAP alleged that the BJP is harassing the opposition and trying to poach its leaders by calling them from foreign numbers.

AAP's lone Punjab MP, Jalandhar West MLA join BJP

In a significant move, AAP's Lok Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural switch sides to BJP, impacting Punjab's political dynamics. The shift follows BJP's independent contest announcement and inclusion of Congress MP Ravneet Bittu. This trend of crossovers signals a changing political landscape with upcoming LS polls.

AAP legislators Sushil Kumar Rinku, Sheetal Angural meet Nadda after joining BJP

AAP legislators Sushil Kumar Rinku, Sheetal Angural meet Nadda after joining BJP Two Aam Aadmi Party legislators from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural, who joined the BJP, met its national president, JP Nadda, at his residence here on Wednesday. Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, met Nadda immediately after both of them joined the BJP at its headquarters here. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was also with them during the meeting. Earlier in the day, welcoming the two legislators to the BJP, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the BJP is the largest political party in the world and people from different walks of life are joining it. BJP is the largest political party in the world. People from different walks of life are joining our family. I welcome Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural to the party. The situation is changing in Punjab and we all will work together to make India developed by 2047, Puri told reporters. Rinku said that he had taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the projects of the Central Government to Jalandhar, he said. Rinku also alleged that no development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government.No development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government. On the other hand, I am impressed by the developmental work initiated by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also helped me a lot in the developmental work I have done in the Jalandhar constituency, Rinku said. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today. He is the only Lok Sabha MP of the AAP and they should be ashamed. Sheetal Angural put out a statement saying that he has resigned from all the responsibilities he had in the AAP. Rinku is joining the BJP despite being announced as the AAP candidate from Jalandhar. He won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 58,691 votes in a by-poll in 2023.On Tuesday, the Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Bittu, joined the BJP. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995 in Chandigarh in a suicide bombing. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Bittu defeated Simarjeet Singh Bains from the Lok Insaaf Party by 76,372 votes. In 2014, he defeated the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Harvinder Singh Phoolka with a margin of 19,709 votes. The BJP earlier this week announced its decision to contest the election in Punjab on its own after it severed ties with its long-time ally, Shiromani Akali Dal. (ANI)

Punjab: Three AAP MLAs claim they were offered money to join BJP

Punjab: Three AAP MLAs claim they were offered money to join BJP Soon after AAP's lone Lok Sabha MP from Punjab and an MLA joined the BJP on Wednesday, three AAP legislators from the state claimed that they received calls offering them money to join the BJP. The Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the BJP had ''again started Operation Lotus'' in Punjab and was trying to break Arvind Kejriwal's party. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the allegations. AAP legislator from Jalalabad Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy claimed that he received a call from one Sewak Singh from an international number on Tuesday with an offer to join the BJP. Kamboj told reporters that he asked the MLA to join the BJP and said, '''We will give Rs 20-25 crore'. I said I do not need it.'' Similar claims were made by Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh and Ludhiana South legislator Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina. They asserted that they would not leave the party. Kamboj alleged that the BJP was scared of Kejriwal and AAP. ''Where they fail to win people's mandate, they try to buy MLAs, MP and other AAP leaders at any cost,'' he charged. ''Arvind Kejriwal is the leader who fought against corruption in politics and always did politics of work. But false cases have been registered and many AAP leaders have been sent to jail without any proof,'' he said. They are trying to break the Aam Aadmi Party, he claimed. ''If they want to do horse trading, what is the need for an election system in the country? Punjab is a revolutionary state. After Delhi, the people of Punjab elected change. ''They can try all they want'' but they won't be able to buy the ideology of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, said Kamboj. Ludhiana South legislator Chhina too claimed she got a call from one Sewak Singh. It was a call from an international number, she said. He told me to join the BJP, she alleged. Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh said he got a call on Tuesday and the person said he was calling from Delhi. ''He asked me to join the BJP and offered Rs 45 crore,'' alleged Singh. The Aam Aadmi Party levelled the allegations on a day its lone Lok Sabha member Sushil Kumar Rinku joined the BJP along with party MLA Sheetal Angural, dealing a blow to the party already facing a crisis following the arrest of its leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Rinku, the MP from Jalandhar in Punjab, and Angural, who was elected to the state Assembly from Jalandhar West, joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. The parliamentarian had quit the Congress to join AAP last year to fight the bypoll to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. The BJP is likely to field him in the Lok Sabha polls as the party has been inducting a number of influential leaders of different parties in Punjab to emerge as a strong force in the state with 13 constituencies. Three-term Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu from Punjab joined the BJP on Tuesday and asserted that people have made up their mind to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power again. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh who was assassinated in a terror attack while still in office.

AAPs Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural join BJP

Mr. Rinku, the MP from Jalandhar, said he decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party for the development of Punjab, especially Jalandhar, and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state of not helping him in development endeavours in his constituency.

AAP's lone Lok Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, Punjab MLA join BJP

AAP's Lok Sabha member, Sushil Kumar Rinku, shifted to BJP with MLA Sheetal Angural due to AAP's failure in Punjab's development. He praised Modi and Shah, lauding BJP's Jalandhar initiatives, aiming for a better Jalandhar through this experiment.

Double jolt to AAP: Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural join BJP

According to sources, BJP may field Sheetal Angural from Jalandhar and Sushil Rinku from Hoshiarpur.

'Want development of Punjab': Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku joins BJP

Want development of Punjab Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku joins BJP

Punjab: AAP's Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural join BJP

Setback for AAP in Punjab: Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, MLA Sheetal Angural join BJP

The News Mill

Sushil Rinku, AAP's Sitting MP And 2024 Candidate, Joins BJP

Amid a BJP-switch buzz around Sushil Rinku, who was announced as the AAP's candidate from Jalandhar, AAP leaders are trying to persuade him to stay. A report.