Ludhiana, January 28 (DNS)- The People's Party of Punjab-led Sanjha Morcha will play a crucial role post-elections, said senior CPI (M) leader and Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, after addressing rallies in support of PPP candidates in Doaba.
Yechury said: "This is the first time that the people of Punjab have got an alternative other than the Congress and the Akali parties. Like football, the people would run between two goal posts. Now, the PPP and the Left parties have provided them another choice”
He said the Congress and the BJP were not much different from each other, whether in was the economic policies or “looting” the country’s exchequer. Asked as to what were the winning chances of the Sanjha Morcha, he said: "We are contesting the elections to win. There is strong anti-incumbency and bitter infighting within the Congress that forced Rahul Gandhi to declare yesterday that Capt Amarinder Singh would be the Chief Minister. In such a scenario, it is possible that the Sanjha Morcha may play a crucial role in these elections."
He denied any alliance with the Congress. "We are against the economic policies of the Congress. If the Congress wants to have an alliance with us, it will have to rethink its economic policies," he ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, Jan 22 (DNS)- President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Captain Amarinder Singh, has promised all amenities to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), if elected to power in Punjab. Singh said that if the Congress party is voted to power then there would be a special department to address the grievances of the NRIs and also a proposal of a special NRI court would be taken up with the state chief justice.
"I just want to tell you, we have decided that when our government is formed, we will open an NRI centre in the Chief Minister's office, so that day to day contract and pressure can be maintained. The second problem that you have told us is when you make investments here you get entangled in court cases," Singh said on Saturday.
"It is impossible for you to make regular trios to India for court cases. We have put it in our manifesto that we will take it up with the Chief Justice of Punjab to make special courts for NRIs so that on a day to day basis cases are taken and disposed off soon," he added.
Punjab is one of five states due to hold elections this year. As per the schedule planned by Election Commission, the state assembly poll in Punjab would be held on January 30.
In Punjab, the main battle is expected to be between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)- Bharatiya Janata Party alliance and the Congress party. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and son of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, heads the ... Read Full Story
New Delhi, January 21 (DNS) Congress on Friday claimed Rahul Gandhi's leadership has "created fear and frustration among all the opponents of the party" in Uttar Pradesh assembly poll.
Replying to a quesiton, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said "opposiition parties are frightened by the growing popularity of Priyanka Gandhi".
He claimed "a wave is sweeping in favour of the party in the Assembly elections which will turn into "historic" results for it everywhere including Uttar Pradesh".
"We will not go into specifics but our internal assessment, survey and reports show we are proceeding to historic figures in each of the state", Singhvi told reporters here.
While the march of progress in Punjab was "vigorous, conclusive and decisive," he said the Congress is not relying on cyclical anti-incumbency.
In Uttarkhand, the "mere sham and drama" of changing the Chief Minister by BJP will "not fool the electorate", he ... Read Full Story
BARNALA, January 17 (Doaba News Service) The Sehajdhari Sikh party after withdrawing its 21 candidates has started campaigning for the Congress, for January 30 elections. Party president Paramjit Singh Ranu said "the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal had always been blaming Congress for divide and rule policy but the ruling party conniving with BJP-RSS has divided the Sikh community by debarring large number of Sikhs from having voting rights in religious body SGPC. Actually it is not Congress but the Badals and the BJP which has been dividing the community for vote politics".
Ranu, campaigning for Barnala Congress nominee Kewal Singh Dhillon said "Sehajdhari Sikhs have rescued their voting right in the SGPC after a long legal battle but staring at the defeat the Badals are planning to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 (Punjab Act). They want to take up the Sehajdhari voting issue through Vidhan Sabha, and thus want to nullify the high court orders in a tactful manner and the party has decided to support Congress to keep Badals away from the assembly in the interest of the Sehajdhari Sikhs".
He said, as per 2011 census the total Sikh population in Punjab is 1.74 crore and only 55 lakh Sikh voters were enrolled in the SGPC electoral rolls, leaving behind 50 lakh as minors and ineligible, the balance 69 lakh Sikhs have been declared as patits, Sehajdharis and non-panthik and are not allowed to vote in the SGPC elections.
These 69 Lakh Sikhs, who believe in Guru Granth as their Guru and have faith in 10 Gurus and ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, January 5 (DNS)- The process for elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly commenced today with Governor Shivraj Patil formally issuing notification for the polling to take place on January 30.
The nominations will close on January 12, scrutiny will take place on January 13 and the withdrawals would end on January 16, an official spokesman said here today.
As per the draft electoral rolls, the total number of voters is around 1.74 crore for whom 19,724 polling stations would be set up. The polling would take place from 8 AM to 5 PM.
The counting of votes would take place on March 4 after the completion of the election process in remaining four states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. The term of the present House ends on March 14, 2012.
In the 2007, general elections 76 per cent of the 1.67 crore voters had sealed the fate of 1,043 candidates against 65 per cent of the 1.58 core voters sealing the fate of 923 candidates in the 2002 elections.
The security deposit of 798 candidates was forfeited in the 2007 polls which returned the SAD-BJP alliance to power with SAD winning 49, BJP 19, Congress 44 and remaining five seats going to the Independents.
Earlier in the 2002 polls, the Congress had returned to power winning 62 seats. SAD won 41 seats, its alliance partner BJP three, CPI two and Independents won nine seats. The security of 655 candidates was forfeited in these polls.
Of the major contestants, the SAD had got a vote share of 37.09 per cent in 2007 as against 31.08 per ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, January 5 (DNS) BSP Supremo Mayawati will address four rallies in Punjab on January 21 and 22 to woo voters, even as the party hopes to fare better in the state Assembly elections on January 30.
BSP MP and National General Secretary Narender Kashyap said the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister will address rallies at Kharar in Mohali and in Nawanshahar on January 21.
On the next day, she will address meetings in Muktsar and at Chhapar in Sangrur districts. Kashyap said his party would make significant gains in the Punjab polls.
The party released a list of 21 candidates in addition to the names for 90 candidates announced earlier for the 117-member House. ... Read Full Story
