Navjot to have ‘larger’ role in Punjab politics?

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

Former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu today met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Capital. Sources said during the 30-minute meeting, the two discussed modalities on the former cricketer joining the Congress.“Sidhu did not join all these days as he considered the pre-Lohri period as inauspicious,” said a party activist. By inference, he may join on or post-Lohri. However, the Congress did not give any date.A Congress leader said Sidhu may join the party in Chandigarh. He claimed he would have a “larger” role in Punjab politics and that Rahul would “carve out” that role. The indications came a day after Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh said it was up to the Congress high command to decide whether to make Sidhu Deputy CM, should the Congress win the Assembly poll. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Congress has withheld the Amritsar East seat in its third list. Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur is a sitting MLA from here. The Congress is likely to field one of them from here.

Five former Akalis in Cong’s third list, local cadres seethe

Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike, Deepinder Singh Dhillon and Davinder Ghubaya

Aditi Tandon and Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

A day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi publicly acknowledged at a national convention here that nominees in the Congress are often foisted from outside, his party fielded several newcomers in Punjab, leaving the local cadres seething. In the third list of 23 candidates announced today, the Congress cited “winnability” to nominate five former Akalis. They are Kamaljit Singh Karwal from Atam Nagar; Rajwinder Kaur Bhagike from Nihalsinghwala, sitting Akali MP Sher Singh Ghubaya’s son Davinder Ghubaya from Fazilka, Pritam Kotbhai from Bhucho Mandi and Deepinder Dhillon from Dera Bassi.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Most of these former Akali leaders had joined the Congress in December last year —Kotbhai and Bhagike on December 6, Karwal on December 15 and Ghubaya on December 21. Deepinder Dhillon had joined the Congress in February last.Among the others nominees are kin of state leaders, including former minister and Sanaur MLA Lal Singh’s son Rajinder Singh (Samana), former Jagraon MLA Gurdeep Singh Bhaini’s son Major Bhaini (Dakha), former Punjab minister Ramesh Dogra’s son Arun Dogra (Dasuya), Lok Sabha MP Santokh Chaudhary’s wife Karamjit Kaur (Phillaur), Ludhiana-based hotelier Jassi Khangura’s relative Bhupinder Sidhu (Ludhiana South)  and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim’s relative Harminder Singh Jassi (Maur).Sitting Ludhiana North MLA Rakesh Pandey managed to get the ticket despite massive resistance from a section of central Congress leaders with Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh stoutly backing the five-time MLA.The nomination of Tejinder Bittu from Jalandhar North, where ex-minister Avtar Henry was seeking a ticket for his son, has triggered a revolt. Trouble is brewing in areas like Sham Chaurasi with the Congress denying the ticket to former Union Minister Santosh Choudhry’s family and fielding district leader Pawan Adhia. The nomination of newcomer Amit Vij, son of Pathankot leader Anil Vij, is also causing problems.Senior Pathankot Congress leader Raman Bhalla, a contender for the seat, said: “I am shocked that the party has fielded Amit Vij who lives in Delhi. In Bhoa they have named Joginder Singh who runs a mining business and is known to be Bikram Majithia’s partner. I am writing a protest letter.”In Ludhiana, there’s angst over Karwal’s nomination. Also, local leaders are surprised over the nomination of Bhupinder Sidhu, who mainly lives in Canada. Ludhiana Congress leader Pawan Dewan questioned Sidhu’s nomination, claiming the latter was not even an applicant.Santosh Choudhry said she was hurt at the denial of the party ticket to her daughter. “Wards of other leaders have managed the ticket. Why?” she wondered.By giving the ticket to Bhai Harnirpal Singh Kuku from Kotkapura, the party has prevented the damage that he may have otherwise caused to Muktsar candidate Karan Kaur Brar. Kuku was seeking the ticket from Muktsar. Likewise, by fielding Karwal from Atam Nagar, the party has tried to counter Simarjit Singh Bains of the Lok Insaf Party. Karwal is a former associate of the Bains brothers.

 

A poll laced with shoes

Punjab deserves a better discourse

Yet another shoe has been hurled. Unlike on most previous occasions, this time it hit the target, and it was none less than the Chief Minister of Punjab. This is an abominable act that goes not only against all norms of civilised behaviour, but also, in the political context, is a direct assault on certain firm assumptions in a democracy. No matter what the provocation, no one may in an ordered society take recourse to violence — real or symbolic — to convey his anger, frustration or set right any injustice. For any immediate cause, there is the recourse of the police and courts. For anger against an elected government, there is the ballot, the ultimate weapon in the hands of even the least empowered.Punjab is going through an extremely impassioned election. Up against Parkash Singh Badal is an AAP candidate who came into the limelight only after having himself hurled a shoe at a Union minister. That act of gross misbehaviour was applauded in certain political quarters; the AAP even rewarded him with a nomination. Over the past few days, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann has referred to a possibility of people stoning SAD leaders. After the shoe incident SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur has mentioned how AAP workers may come to harm in case Akali workers turned violent. This is messaging of the worst kind. There have been incidents of party workers clashing, villagers acting hostile towards leaders, or candidates themselves using intemperate language. It is very unfortunate that top party leaders have not condemned such incidents in the strong terms expected of them.The Election Commission is now in charge of law and order in the state. It must respond to all such incidents with such alacrity and severity that political parties and their workers may not find it profitable to incite anyone to violence. The parties too need to reconcile what they do in the heat of the moment. They will have to live with the consequences — for themselves as well as the state — once the elections are over. No one would want a disturbed state to take over.

We have had enough, say angry Jalalabad residents

A milestone being used by a butcher to support his chicken cage near Kandhawala Hazar Khan village in Jalalabad. Tribune photo

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Kandhawala Hazar Khan (Jalalabad), January 12The GPS fails as we near the destination. A man points towards a milestone used by a butcher to support his chicken cage. It is empty. An arrow directs right for Kandhawala Hazar Khan. Five minutes on the narrow straight road dividing young wheat fields, we are among a group of men. It is this Dalit vehra on the periphery of the village where Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s cavalcade was stoned three days ago.“Akalis are facing the wrath here,” Sunil Kumar, a young labourer, cracks the conversation. He says not long ago, the entire village had voted for the Akalis. But people are now fed up. He tells how Dalits have not been given benefits of government schemes and the sarpanch is working only for the landlords.He asks us to come with him. Almost every Dalit woman shows a pit in her house which was dug as they were promised a grant of Rs 15,000 for the construction of toilets. If someone says her calf died after falling in the pit, another says her husband was injured as he toppled after stepping on it.The houses are of mud, but the village roads are concrete. They are called “bomb-proof roads” in this side of Punjab and Sukhbir is often ridiculed for these.We enter Gurbans Singh’s house, a mud, windowless darkroom. He points to an elderly paralytic woman crawling on the cold floor. “She is my wife. They don’t give her share of wheat as she doesn’t have an Aadhar card.” He points at her crippled fingers. “Officials say she can’t have the card as they can’t get her finger prints.”Go further into the village and farmers complain how they were not given compensation for the cotton crop damaged in 2015 or how Akalis in connivance with local arhtiyas duped them when it came to procuring their paddy. Babu Singh, who owns 16 acres of land, tells that before him all his four generations were Akali supporters. “This time we will not vote for the Akali Dal,” he says.If someone talks about not getting atta-dal, others talk about unfulfilled promise of providing 5-marla plots. That the money is being siphoned off by the Akali henchmen in various schemes is a common allegation.It was an election rally of 10 surrounding villages on Sunday. The rest of the story is known. Dalit men and women were not allowed to go near Sukhbir. They started raising slogans and were beaten up by the police. When the cavalcade started moving away from the village, stones were pelted.Late night, the police came in large numbers. “As far as I could see, there were only police vehicles on the entire street,” says Kala Ram. They were looking for his son Gulab Ram. They forced their way into the houses and hurled abuses at the women, says Simbo, whose son hasn’t returned since Sunday evening.After the incident, most of the youngsters left the village. “More than 20 still haven’t returned,” says Kumar, adding that sarpanch Gurdeep Singh has threatened them with social boycott.Kumar then takes us to the periphery of the village. In the middle stands a tall dark green dome. Punjabi couplets are written almost on every wall. He says this is one of the biggest dargahs of 18th century Sufi poet Bulleh Shah built after the Partition, when a man brought a brick from his dargah from Pakistan. “Jhooth aakhan ta kuj bachda aey. Sach aakheya bhambar machda aey,” reads one of the couplets on the wall.Five minutes on the road, the same milestone guides us back to National Highway-10. The afternoon sun is shining upon us; the cage is now filled with chickens. It seems the butcher has arrived.

Badal family grew richer by Rs 13 cr in five years

None owns a car | Sukhbir richest at Rs 32 cr | 3 tractors worth Rs 9.4 lakh | Cash Rs 82,500

Minister Bikram Singh Majithia after filing his nomination papers from Majitha in Amritsar on Thursday. PTI

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 12

Chief Minister P

arkash Singh Badal’s family is worth Rs 76.87 crore and among all the members, his deputy-son and SAD president Sukhbir Badal is the richest.  Sukhbir, as per the nominations filed today, has declared his total net assets (after deducting liabilities) worth Rs 32.69 crore. His wife and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has shown her total assets worth Rs 29.68 crore. At Rs 14.5 crore, the Badal Senior owns the least among the trio. The combined assets of the Chief Minister, his son and daughter-in-law and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal have shown an increase of Rs 13.1 crore over the past five years. During the 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections, Parkash Singh Badal had declared his total assets worth Rs 6.75 crore while Sukhbir’s net worth was Rs 45 crore. Harsimrat had declared her assets worth Rs 12.02 crore during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll (total previous worth is Rs 63.77). Surprisingly, the family does not own a car, though they have three tractors worth Rs 9.4 lakh. Two tractors are owned by Sukhbir (worth Rs 5.5 lakh) and one by Parkash Singh Badal (worth Rs 3.9 lakh). Harsimrat doesn’t even own a tractor.They have total bank balance of Rs 1.12 crore, which includes Rs 34.7 lakh with Parkash Singh Badal, Rs 65.27 lakh of Sukhbir and Rs 12.66 lakh of Harsimrat.The trio owns immovable property worth Rs 67.76 crore, including agricultural land worth Rs 15.78 crore. This comprises Parkash Singh Badal’s land of Rs 8.53 crore, Harsimrat’s of Rs 5.59 crore and Sukhbir’s land of Rs 1.65 crore. The total movable assets are worth Rs 48.8 crore.Sukhbir has liabilities of Rs 39.7 crore while his wife’s are of Rs 5 lakh. The CM has none.Their worthMajithia’s assets: Rs 11 crore

• Total assets: Rs 11,89,66,30
• Cash in hand: Rs 15,000 with his wife Ganieve Kaur: Rs 12,500
• Fixed deposits: Rs 21,46,393 his wife’s: Rs 24,66,007
• Investments in bonds, debentures: Rs 11,11,42,977 his wife’s: Rs 1,40,22,265
• Wife’s insurance policy/postal savings: Rs 14,72,100
• Jewellery & valuables: Rs 26,50,000 his wife’s: Rs 30,15,000

Sodhi owns Rs 7-lakh guns 

• Watches: Rs 6 lakh
• Guns: Rs 7 Lakh
• Vehicles: Honda Accord, Cheverolet Cruze
• Gold: 700 gm worth  Rs 21 lakh
• Movable assets: Rs 35.57 lakh his wife Tina Sodhi’s Rs 22.67 lakh
• Immovable: 13 acres agricultural land at Mohan Ke Utar village worth Rs 1.5 cr, 4.3 acres at Kotbilia village worth Rs 2.5 cr; house in Sector 4, Panchkula, worth Rs 4.5 cr; commercial building in Ferozepur worth Rs 70 lakh
• Fixed deposits:  Rs 16 lakh

Warring ‘poorer’ by Rs 2.2 cr

• Total assets: Rs 1.69 cr
• Movable assets: Rs 1.15 cr
• Immovable assets: Rs 1 cr
• Liability: Rs 45.92 lakh
• • Cash in hand: Rs 60,000
  • Jewellery: Rs 2.6 lakh
  • Vehicle: Toyota Innova
  • Assets in 2012: Rs 3.9 cr

Twenty-six of 117 MLAs kept mum in House in their five-year tenure

Cong MLAs Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh raised max questions

Gurminder Singh Grewal

Samrala/ Khanna January 12

Political parties are busy declaring their candidates from various seats for the upcoming Assembly elections and people are also hopeful that the MLAs concerned will raised their issues in the Assembly, but 26 of 117 MLAs have failed to take up any single issue in their 5-year tenure. Out of ministers apart from Tota Singh and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, other 16 ministers kept mum. This was the information gathered under RTI from Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat provided on January 3 by the Under Secretary-cum-Public Relations officer. As per the information, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn’t take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs. Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions. Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly. Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions. Akali Dal MLAs who did not speak in the house at all were Amarpal Singh from Ajnala, Ashwani Kumar from Pathankot, Avinash Chander from Phillaur, Balvir Singh Ghunas from Dirba, Des Raj Dhuga from Sri Hargobindpur, Dinesh Singh from Sujanpur, Bibi Farjana Alam from Malerkotla, Gurbachan Singh Babehali from Gurdaspur, Harmit Singh Sandhu from Tarntaran, Indervir Singh Bolaria from Amritsar South, Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Talwandi Sabo, KD Bhandari from Jalandhar North, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar Central, Mantar Singh Brar from Kotkapura, Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh from Sham Churasi, NK Sharma from Dera Bassi, Nand Lal Chaudhry from Balachaur, Bibi Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Parkash Chand Garg from Sangrur, Pawan Kumar Teenu from Adampur, Sarup Chand Singla from Bathinda, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Som Parkash from Phagwara, Surinder Singh Rathan from Garhshankar, Virsa Singh Valtoha from Khemkaran did not raise any question about their area, while two Congress MLAs including Amrik Singh Dhillon from Samrala and OP Soni from Amritsar Central also did not raise any question during their period.Meanwhile, women members including Karan Kaur Brar, Aruna Chaudhary and Bibi Guriqbal Kaur raised 44,47 and 38 questions, respectively, including direct and written questions. Interestingly Captain Amarinder Singh also did not raise any question during his tenure before his election as MP from Amritsar. At present, the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat had removed the website on which this information and RTI is the only way to give information about it.What RTI says

• As per the information under the RTI, 17 MLAs of Akali Dal, seven of BJP and two of the Congress failed to take up any issue during their tenure. Of these, about 12 managed to get tickets again while ticket of five had been dropped. Some others were still waiting to get a ticket. The MLAs who didn’t take up the issues also include two times and three times elected MLAs.
• Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu topped in raising questions. He raised 89 questions, including eight in writing, while Congress MLA from Sardoolgarh Ajit Inder Singh Mofar raised 77 questions.
• Akali ministers Tota Singh and Daljit Singh raised 23 and 25 questions, respectively, while most others kept mum in the Assembly.
• Darshan Singh Shivalik topped from Akali Dal with 61 direct and two written questions.

Donning new role, General goes door to door

Former Army Chief and SAD nominee General JJ Singh campaigns in Patiala. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 12

“Without pity, without remorse” is how former chief of the Indian Army General Joginder Jaswant terms the poll battle against Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh.Ensuring to reach at every gathering at the scheduled time, the former Army man is finding it tough to go by the clock as was the case in the Army where punctuality was a key factor to success.Walking through the dusty lanes in the inner heart of the city, guided by his local SAD workers as navigators, former Army chief and Akali Dal candidate from Patiala Gen JJ Singh promises “to be a de facto” MLA from Patiala and not like Capt Amarinder and his wife Preneet Kaur, incumbent Patiala MLA, whom he terms as “dummy leaders”.Talking about the state politics and his stint as Army chief JJ Singh has a lot to talk about his battles fought in the past and his being a tough task master. “I will ensure that the people of Patiala see development and get rid of corruption,” he says as he skips talking about the local issues that are haunting the city for the past few years.“Battle has just started and I am happy with the crowd response. Door-to-door campaigning is something which is new for me but I have started liking it,” says the 71-year old.As a former Army chief, Gen JJ Singh gets some curious onlookers in the gathering who wants to have a glimpse of his. “I will stay here, roam the streets like a commoner and despite being in the Army and then a Governor, I assure you that you would see me often,” he says.Addressing a gathering in the Sher-e-Punjab market, majority consisting of urban Sikhs, the talking point is the cut beard supported by Gen JJ Singh. A few Akali workers are seen smiling at each other on their party now fielding a Sikh with his beard trimmed. “Times have changed. Liquor traders, Sikhs with trimmed beard, realty tycoons and parachute candidates are all making hay in SAD. We have little choice but to accompany them as the party wants it,” they said.To a query, Singh claims that all is well within the party and the local Akali workers are now standing like a wall with him. Whatever be the case, the Patiala voters have an interesting choice to make.

Congress list of 23 candidates

Badal ‘bahu’ inciting violence, says AAP

• AAP has demanded removal of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur from the Cabinet and registration of a case against her for “inciting violence”. It also complained to the EC.

Black flags shown to Sukhbir in Jalalabad

• Sukhbir was shown black flags at Jalalabad Tehsil by lawyers for “not attaching” 44 villages in Jalalabad police circle for works relating to criminal cases and police matters.

He denied CM siropa, now backs Jarnail

Balbir Singh

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

Former Golden Temple ‘ardasia’ Balbir Singh has given up the idea of challenging Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi and would instead support AAP nominee Jarnail Singh.Balbir, who shot to limelight after denying ‘siropa’ to CM Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal at the Golden Temple, said his decision was based on the feedback he received from ‘Sikh Sangat’. He had announced to take on CM Badal, alleging that the state government did little to check sacrilege incidents.He subsequently uploaded a video on the social media seeking advice from the Sikh community on whether or not to enter the poll arena. “My sole aim was never to see Badal in power again. The Sikh population from across the world supported my cause overwhelmingly. But a majority of them calculated that my candidature could divide anti-Badal votes and defeat the purpose,” he said.Balbir said he would support Jarnail and even campaign for him. “He is fighting for the cause of Sikh panth and anti-Badal policies,” he said.

Manpreet files nomination papers on Day 2

Congress candidate Manpreet Badal files his nomination papers along with his family members in Bathinda on Thursday. Photo: Vijay Kumar

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 12

Congress candidate Manpreet Singh Badal today filed his nomination papers from the Bathinda Urban constituency with Returning Officer, Bathinda, SDM, Sakshi Sawhney on the second day of the nominations.Manpreet was accompanied by his son Arjun Badal, daughter Rhea Badal, nephew Mannat Johal and Rajan Garg inside the SDM office. Manpreet’s family has total assets worth around Rs 40 crore that includes properties in Chandigarh, Haryana and Rajasthan.As per the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer here, Manpreet declared assets of around Rs 40 crore, with movable assets to the tune of around Rs 3 crore and immovable assets worth around Rs 38 crore.He has declared his gross total value in the form of cash, vehicle and jewellery at Rs 3,17,005, Rs 18,54,484 of his wife Venu, Rs 18,487,551 of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Rs 1,48,940 in the name of his son Arjun and Rs 3,98,884 in the name of his daughter Rhea.Manpreet owns nine vehicles, including Fortuner, Honda CRV, three jeeps and two tractors.The Manpreet family owns a house in Chandigarh which is worth Rs 17 crore and it also owns a house in Gurgaon, worth Rs 1.25 crore. They also have three commercial buildings in Chandigarh. The family also has a liability or loans of around Rs 7 crore.After filing the nominations, Manpreet said the Congress would address issues of people after coming to power. He condemned the incident in which a shoe was thrown at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in a village of his constituency. But he claimed that he was not shocked as the “misrule” by them has led to anger in the public.

Total assets worth Rs 40 crore

• Manpreet Badal’s family has total assets worth around Rs 40 crore that includes properties in Chandigarh, Haryana and Rajasthan. As per the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer here, Manpreet declared assets of around Rs 40 crore, with movable assets to the tune of around Rs 3 crore and immovable assets worth around Rs 38 crore.

Balbir Singh Sidhu seeks PUDA chief’s transfer

Congress candidate from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu addresses a press conference in Mohali on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vicky Gharu

Our Correspondent

Mohali, January 12

In a complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu sought the transfer of the Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).Releasing a copy of his complaint to CEC Nasim Zaidi at a press conference here today, Balbir Sidhu accused PUDA Chief Administrator (CA) Manvesh Singh Sidhu of using his office for campaigning purposes and pressuring the staff and others to support SAD-BJP candidate TPS Sidhu.Balbir Sidhu sought the immediate transfer of the PUDA Chief Administrator to some other state for a free and fair elections.In the complaint, the Congress candidate said the CA was a close relative of the SAD-BJP candidate, who was also from the IAS cadre and was contesting the election after resigning from the post of Secretary, Punjab Mandi Board.Balbir Sidhu said the PUDA CA had been on the same seat for the past five years due to the blessings of political high-ups, who were also very close to him.Copies of the complaint have also been sent to the Punjab State Election Commissioner, Chandigarh, and the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mohali.

‘SAD candidate an outsider’

At the press conference, Balbir Sidhu also termed SAD-BJP candidate TPS Sidhu as an “outsider”. He said residents of Mohali could not trust TPS Sidhu as he was not even aware of their problems. He was now promising everything in the world to the residents. He wondered why TPS Sidhu did not do this when he was the Mohali Deputy Commissioner. The SAD-BJP candidate was only making false promises to ensure his win, he added.Balbir Sidhu said he had spent half his life serving the people of Mohali and vowed to serve them till his last breath. The misuse of power and the fleecing of people would not work here, said the Congress candidate.

Deepinder Dhillon is Cong candidate from Dera Bassi

Deepinder Singh Dhillon

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, January 12

Congress National president Sonia Gandhi today ended all speculations about the party ticket for the Dera Bassi seat. Sonia Gandhi made it amply clear that Deepinder Singh Dhillon is the party candidate from Dera Bassi. An announcement to this effect was made by the Congress high command today.Deepinder Singh Dhillon is all set to take the electoral plunge in the Assembly elections to be held on February 4. He is the party candidate from the Dera Bassi Constituency.Dhillon would thus be fighting against SAD-BJP candidate and sitting MLA NK Sharma, and AAP’s Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur, wife of late Capt Kanwaljit’s Singh, a former SAD minister.Dhillon is seen as a candidate who can make the going difficult for SAD-BJP candidate and sitting MLA NK Sharma given that he knows the ‘ins and outs’ of the SAD-BJP in the Dera Bassi Constituency and could manage to bring in more party members into the Congress fold.Party insiders said the decision to field Deepinder Singh Dhillon from Dera Bassi was a deliberate one in view of his close association with this Constituency and the special bond that the people here shared with him.The party also expects that an overwhelming public response to Deepinder will send a strong signal to potential allies that the Congress is not a spent force.“We are more than happy to welcome him. He is a local face and it is more a homecoming for him. Now, the Congress will be taking Akalis with a bang,” said a local Congress leader.

About Deepinder Singh Dhillon

Deepinder Singh Dhillon, a confidant of former Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur, quit the Congress in 2012 after he was denied Congress ticket for the Dera Bassi seat. Dhillon contested the 2012 Assembly elections from the Dera Bassi Constituency as an Independent candidate. He was just second to NK Sharma in the last elections and had got 51,248 votes as an Independent.Dhillon was expelled from the Congress before the Assembly elections on January 22, 2012, after he announced to contest as an Independent candidate from Dera Bassi. Later on, he joined the SAD and was appointed the District Planning Board Chairman, Patiala.Dhillon’s elevation to the plum post had left many a senior SAD leaders of Patiala district red-faced. Notably, the names of most of the SAD leaders were missing from the hoardings installed to congratulate Dhillon.Dhillon even contested the Lok Sabha poll in 2014 against Preneet Kaur and AAP candidate Dharamvir Gandhi. He had finished third in a three-corner contest where Congress candidate Preneet Kaur was the runner-up and AAP’s Dharamvir Gandhi won.In 2016, Dhillon was expelled from the SAD for his alleged anti-party activities. Deepinder blamed Akali MLA from Dera Bassi NK Sharma for leaving him with no option but to quit the SAD and join the Congress.

Tough ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu

Avtar Henry, Raj Kumar Gupta set to oppose him

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

It will not be an easy ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu, who has got ticket from Jalandhar (North), as he is sure to face dissidence not just from former Congress minister Avtar Henry but also former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta.As the news spread, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, son of Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit, went to Henry’s place and tried to placate him, but failed in doing so. The party workers, who had gathered there in large numbers, gave him two-day time to get the decision reverted. Henry has so far maintained that he would go by what majority of workers would suggest.Workers, however, continued to allege that Bittu was an outsider in this constituency. He is an agent of the SAD. If the ticket is not changed in two days, we will plan future course of action. There have been reports of Henry mulling plans to shift to the AAP or contest independently. The AAP ticket currently is with businessman Gulshan Sharma.Four MC councillors, PPCC secretary Balwant Shergill, ex-councillors Mahesh Puri Pappi, Gian Chand Sodhi, Avtar Singh, Haripal Sondhi, Nirmal S Nimma, comrade Raj Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Gannu, Desh Deepak, Om Parkash and Surinder Kaur were among those who resigned today in support of Henry.Likewise, former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta (80), who too was a claimant of the seat has called a meeting of his supporters tomorrow noon to discuss his plan. His son Pawan Gupta (51), who is two-time party councillor, said, “The entire Aggarwal community associated with us is angry at ticket not coming to my father. This will affect the party in two constituencies –Jalandhar (Central), where my father was MLA in 2002, and Jalandhar (North), where we had been waiting to get ticket. Our community has 20,000 voters in both the constituencies.”He further rued, “We were hoping that we would be adjusted in Jalandhar (North). But today, the party announced ticket for Tajinder Bittu, which is not acceptable to us. If our supporters suggest us to contest independently, we may go by them.”

Cong bet on Mann in Phagwara

Our correspondent

Phagwara, January 12

The Congress today declared Joginder Singh Mann as its candidate from the Phagwara Assembly constituency. Mann, who belongs to the Valmiki community, is the nephew of veteran Congress leader and former union home minister Buta Singh.A former state minister himself, Mann has won the seat three times and lost twice since 1985. The AAP have nominated Jarnail Nangal while BSP has announced Surinder Dhadhey as its candidate. Sitting MLA Som Parkash and Mohan Lal are seeking the BJP ticket.Meanwhile, no nomination paper was filed in Phagwara on the second day of filing nomination papers today, Returning Officer and SDM, Phagwara, Balbir Raj Singh said this evening.

Cong leader Chaudhary Surinder banks on his legacy, aims to focus on jobs

Chaudhary Surinder Singh meets residents during a door-to-door campaign at a village of Kartarpur in Jalandhar. A Tribune Photograph

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

“I am the grandson of Master Gurbanta Singh, son of Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, and I want to serve people.” This line was posted on the Facebook wall of Chaudhary Surinder Singh which is enough to tell about his proud lineage which residents of Kartarpur can swear on!

One may assess the political importance of the Kartarpur constituency that right from the government of former Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon in mid-1950s, incumbent MLAs from there remained important ministers. Political standing of the family may be judged from the fact that whosoever defeated Master Gurbanta Singh and Chaudhary Jagjit Singh became a minister in recognition of the fact that he defeated a political heavyweight.Piara Ram Dhanowalia of the Republican Party defeated Master Gurbanta Singh in 1967 and became a minister in Justice Gurnam Singh’s first non-Congress government. Avinash Chander of the SAD, a political novice at the time, was rewarded with the position of the Chief Parliamentary Secretary by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, on defeating political stalwart Chaudhary Jagjit Singh. Again, Sarwan Singh, an Akali, defeated Chaudhary Surinder and became a minister in recognition of his success in trouncing a strong opponent.Having been promised the ticket from Kartarpur by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh following the death of Chaudhary Jagjit Singh in August 2016, an official announcement for Chaudhary Surinder Singh’s candidature came recently.So what are the top agendas? “The major focus will be made on providing employment to youth here. We would make strenuous efforts to bring some corporates to further enhance the employment opportunities in the constituency,” said the Dalit leader, who is a fitness freak.Will he be able to revive the lost glory of the historic furniture market of Kartarpur?”I don’t think there is a need to do that as a majority of the manufacturers had already shifted to other professions after facing tough competition from the Chinese market. However, we will encourage entrepreneurship efforts in the area,” said the Congress leader.As Kartarpur had always remained a constituency where a candidate has only won by a mere margin of 500 to 1,000 votes, what impact it will have on the Congress prospects after the arrival of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is reported to have attracted around 10,000 to 15,000 persons from a database of 1.5 lakh voters?”No, I am hopeful that our traditional vote bank has remained intact and will not be disturbed with the arrival of other political parties in the area. All that which ensure my win is my proud legacy and my will to serve people,” claimed Chaudhary Surinder.

Chaudhary Surinder Singh

• Party: Congress
• Qualification: MA History
• Constituency: Kartarpur
• Poll record: Contesting for the first time.
• Focus: To provide employment to every family in the constituency. Will make strenuous efforts to bring some corporates to further enhance the employment opportunities

It’s Kaypee-Tinu face-off in Adampur after 15 years

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

It will be a repeat of 2002 as former minister Mahinder Singh Kaypee, whose candidature from the Congress was announced today, will contest against sitting MLA Pawan Tinu from the Adampur Assembly segment.Kaypee and Tinu had come face-to-face 15 years back as both of them had then contested from Jalandhar South seat (now Jalandhar West after the last delimitation). Tinu, who was the BSP candidate then, had lost to Kaypee by 13, 485 votes.The situation was different in the constituency. “Tinu was a candidate from a weaker party. He is now a sitting MLA of the Akali Dal and is riding on party’s achievements, including the foundation stone laying of airport in the constituency, laying of sewage works and upgrade of Bhogpur sugar mill. Kaypee was then banking on the fact that his father and five-time Congress MLA Darshan Singh Kaypee, had been killed by militants just 10 years back. Kaypee, who has been out of power for 10 years, has now come on a different turf,” said a political observer from Jalandhar.There are other factors on which the fight will depend. It is believed that Pawan Tinu has been facing dissidence within the party with Akali leaders including councillor Darshan Singh Karwal and his two brothers, and SGPC member Gurcharan Kaur Kalra, while political observers say Kaypee has no such dissidence as two other claimants from the party have got adjusted well. Satnam Kainth, who contested the last time, is now the candidate from Banga while Seth Satpal Mal had joined the Akali Dal and is now the candidate from Kartarpur. The presence of the AAP and the BSP candidates from the reserved seat too would be other deciding factors.