Chandigarh, February 1 (DNS) Punjab Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh slept well last night. He got up late this morning and washed his hair bath. “I didn’t get a get a chance to do so for a long time”, he says, relaxing at his Sector 10 residence here.
Sipping coffee with his confidant Arvind Khanna and former PPP leader Kushaldeep Dhillon, he gave the feeling of a battle well won.
In the backdrop of famous paintings of Allah Baksh, a reproduction of those at the new Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala, Amarinder says: “I don’t agree with you people when you say there is no wave”. He says it is true that people were first hesitant to express their feelings openly. “That was because they were afraid of Bikram (Majithia) and Sukhbir (Badal)”. He claims there was a surge in favour of the Congress in the last five days of campaigning, pointing out that ‘satta’ market had also given the party 63 - 64 seats. “The assessment of these guys is rarely wrong”, he observes.
Amarinder says the Akalis are miscalculating the strength of the BJP and the saffron party “is not likely to get more than four seats - two seats in Amritsar (Navjot Kaur Sidhu and Anil Joshi) and one seat in Sujanpur (Dinesh Singh). The Congress will win 32 seats in Majha and Doaba and around 40 in Malwa.” Rebuffs suggestions that there could be a hung assembly, Amarinder says the party has done well in the Malwa that has 68 seats. He claims the party will get near 100 per cent Dera Sachha Sauda votes. “South ... Read Full Story
NEW DELHI, January 29 (Doaba News Service)- Punjab and Uttarakhand will vote on Monday to elect new assemblies with the Congress hoping to oust the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine in the country's grain bowl and the BJP in the hill state.
According to the Election Commission, 1.76 crore voters are eligible to vote in the 117 constituencies of Punjab in the second round of five-state elections that began on Saturday. The voter population is around 6.3 million in Uttarakhand, which has a 70-member house.
In Punjab, the Congress led by former chief minister Amarinder Singh has levelled major charges of corruption against the government of Parkash Singh Badal. Most seats in Punjab will see a triangular contest between the ruling SAD-BJP alliance, the Congress and the Sanjha Morcha, which includes the Left and People's Party of Punjab (PPP) led by Manpreet Badal, a nephew of the chief minister who broke away from the Akali Dal.
The main contestants include Badal (Lambi), Amarinder Singh (Patiala city), Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal (Jalalabad) and Amarinder's son Raninder Singh (Samana). Congress leader and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has been fielded from Lehra.
Two former officials, D.S. Guru, who was principal secretary to the chief minister, and P.S. Gill, a former director general of police, are contesting from Bhadaur and Moga respectively.
In Uttarakhand, Chief minister B.C. Khanduri, who replaced Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank last year after corruption allegations ... Read Full Story
New Delhi, January 28 (DNS) The campaigning in Uttarakhand and Punjab for the Assembly elections slated for January 30, ends on Saturday.
In Uttarakhand 800 candidates are in the fray for 70-member Assembly seats, while as 1880 aspirants are in the fray for 117-member Assembly seats in Punjab.
The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair polls in both the states slated on January 30.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari will address rallies in Pathankot and Chandigarh while his colleague, MP Shatrugan Sinha is scheduled to campaign in Ludhiana on Saturday.
Amarinder Singh's Congress, the Parkash Singh Badal-headed SAD-BJP combine and the Chief Minister's nephew Manpreet Singh Badal have come out as strong contenders over weeks of campaigning.
Meanwhile in Uttarakhand, Congress veteran ND Tiwari on Wednesday jumped into the race of chief ministerial post in the event of his party returning to power.
Earlier on January 25, Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi in an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN said that the use of black money during the Assembly elections was a major cause for concern and the EC was trying its best to deal with it.
Across the five states getting ready for the Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, nearly Rs 45 crore of illegal money has been seized so far. Out of that, nearly Rs 30 crore has been seized from Punjab only.
Sources in the Election Commission said that money is just the tip of the iceberg to buy votes in ... 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
Jagraon/Khanna, January 21 (DNS)- Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, addressing a public rally at the Grain Market in Jagraon today in support party candidates Isher Singh Meharban, said that the Akalis were yet to overcome their sectarian mindset.
He said they had never thought about Punjab but their own “narrow and vested interests” which had resulted in Punjab’s decline from number one to the 19th place over-all development. Amrinder said if voted to power, the Congress would provide crop insurance to the farmers. "We will provide every assistance, including financial, to the farmers to motivate them to grow crops other than wheat and paddy", he said.
He pointed out that during his previous term he had introduced the farm-to-fork concept and roped in the Reliance Group to help farmers to diversify to growing vegetables. “The Akalis abandoned the project, lest the Congress got credit for the same.”
Among others who addressed the rally were MP Manish Tiwari, Congress candidate Meharban, MLA Gurdeep Singh Bhaini and Sehajdhari Sikh Party president Paramjit Singh Ranu.
Earlier, addressing a rally in Khanna in favour of Congress candidates Gurkirat Singh Kotli, grandson of the late Beant Singh, the PCC chief sent a stern warning to the rebels. He announced the expulsion of former president of Ludhiana DCC (Rural) Bhalinder Singh for opposing the official candidate. Attacking the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), he said the latter had reached a secret pact with the SAD and “are fighting ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, May 23 (DNS)- PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh today asked the Akali-BJP government in the state to explain why petrol in Punjab was the costliest in the country. He asked the government to reduce the VAT on petrol so that the prices were brought down to bring these on a par with the neighbouring states.
In a statement issued here, Amarinder Singh said the taxes imposed on petrol was 32.75 per cent in Punjab compared to 20.5 per cent in Haryana, 24 per cent in Himachal Pradesh and 22 per cent in Chandigarh.
The former Chief Minister said the state government should reduce the taxes and provide relief to the people.
Phagwara: Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Bholath Congress MLA and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, alleged the state government was pursuing vendetta politics. He said the VB in Punjab had lost credibility and was working like a private army of the Badals. It had first ensured the collapse of corruption cases against the Badals and Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon and was now on a ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, May 20 (DNS)- Getting tough against “rebels”, the Congress today issued show-cause notices to MLAs Sukhpal Khaira and Surinderpal Singh Sibia (both ex-district presidents of Kapurthala and Sangrur, respectively) asking them why action should not be taken against them for indiscipline. The duo had been accused of airing their grievances in the media after the announcement of the PCC list of office-bearers and district chiefs.
Sources revealed that the notices had been issued by PCC vice-president Lal Singh seeking their reply by May 25. The letter has reportedly been issued at the instructions of the PCC president, Capt Amarinder Singh.
Nearly a dozen Punjab legislators, it is learnt, separately met the Congress high command in Delhi. These leaders reportedly said that deserving people, especially the young who took cudgels against the SAD-BJP leaders (when the senior Congress leaders got cowed down out of fear of reprisal and vendetta politics) had been left out.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was told that contrary to his ideology of brining the youth forward, most of the people who figured in the list were between 50 and 80 years and some had even got two or three posts.
Khaira confirmed that he was in Delhi and had met Rahul Gandhi and other leaders.
“We have told them what we felt and have now left it to them to take any action in this matter.” He, however, clarified that he and others accompanying him did not indulge in any anti-party activity and had only conveyed ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, May 11 (DNS)- Several Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders and hundreds of their supporters joined the Congress and were inducted into the party by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh in the presence of party leaders, legislators and former ministers.
Prominent among those who joined the party today included Surjit Singh, Gurdev Singh, Jarnail Singh, Resham Singh, Manjit Kaur, Gurdev Singh Lehri, Bihari Singh and Yadvinder Singh.
Welcoming them into the party fold, Capt Amarinder said that the Congress always stood for secularism and inclusive growth.
He said the BSP leaders would further strengthen the party. He maintained that only the Congress had been advocating the cause of the downtrodden and less-privileged sections of society.
Talking to mediapersons, the BSP leaders, who included Surjit Singh from Bathinda, Jarnail Singh from Mansa and others, said they were disillusioned with the BSP as the party state president Avtar Karimpuri and the party in charge for Punjab Narinder Kashyap were hand in glove with the ruling SAD-BJP ... Read Full Story
New Delhi, May 11 (DNS)- With just nine months to go for the assembly elections in Punjab, the Congress today recast its state unit and announced important committees to “guide” the party in the runup to the polls. The list has a pro-Amarinder Singh tilt with a large number of his supporters and well-wishers getting important positions. Supporters of Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Jagmeet Brar have also been adjusted.
Capt Amarinder Singh heads the PPC committee that has seven vice-presidents — Kewal Dhillon, Sukbinder Sarkaria and Rana Gurmeet Sodhi (all Jats), former ministers Lal Singh (OBC) and Jagjit Singh (SC), Rana KP Singh, a Rajput, and Ashwani Sekri from Batala.
Among the eight general secretaries are Vikram Bajwa, son-in-law of Bhattal, and Fateh Singh Bajwa, brother of MP Pratap Singh Bajwa. Also on the list is former MLA Harminder Jassi who has close ties with Dera Sacha Sauda. Amarinder Singh acolyte Arvind Khanna is on the manifesto committee.
Former ministers OP Soni, Rana Gurjit Singh and Ramesh Dogra and Aruna Chowdhary are the other general secretaries.
Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh, and Ripjit Brar, brother of Jagmeet Brar, are on the 33-member executive committee that also includes Sunil Jakhar, Tripat Bajwa, Sunil Datti, Razia Sultana, Lakhbinder Garcha, Raman Bhalla, Tejinder Bittu, Surinder Mahay, Rakesh Pandey, Vijay Sathi, Krishan Bains, Kuldip Nanda, Praveen Chopra, Davinder Darshi, Salamat Masih and Mai Roop Kaur.
On the seven-member manifesto committee are Amarinder ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, May 3 (DNS)- Under criticism for not having given due representation to the state’s minority community, Backward Castes and SCs while appointing 25 district coordinators, Punjab Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh today appointed seven members from these communities as coordinators.
On the nine-member list released today are Love Kumar Goldy, RC Dogra, Ashok Kumar and Upinder Sharma from the minority community; Malkit Singh Dakha and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot (both SCs), Surjit Singh Dhiman (BC) Tejinder Bittu and Jasbir Singh Dimpa.
The first list was heavily tilted towards Jat Sikhs with 17 of the 25 coordinators from the community. Even while Capt Amarinder Singh has made the list more representative as was demanded by some Congress men, he has not succumbed to pressure from senior leaders to accommodate their supporters or relatives.
All those who find their names on the new list are Congress men of standing. Upinder Sharma and RC Dogra are veterans who seemed to have been sidelined earlier. Others like Malkit Singh Dakha and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot are the emerging face of the SC leadership in the state dominated by the Choudhary brothers, Jagjit Singh and Santokh Singh, till now. Jasbir Dimpa is a favourite of Amarinder who is a heavyweight in Majha politics. A PPC spokesman said that more coordinators had been appointed to streamline working as some had been saddled with eight to nine constituencies. The new list ensured that no coordinator had more than four constituencies ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, April 5 (DNS)- The PPCC will start the second phase of public meetings in Assembly constituencies from Patti in Tarn Taran district on April 8.
A party spokesman here said PPCC President Amarinder Singh and other senior party leaders would address public meetings in the Assembly segments. The party will also hold political conference on Baisakhi at Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo on April 14. The PPCC President would also attend a function at Smana on April 7, which was being organised in the memory of the late Hardyal Singh Rajla.
In the second phase of its mass mobilisation programme, the PPCC would hold public meetings in all the 117 Assembly segments. Amarinder would have direct and close interaction with leaders and workers during these meetings. The first phase of the party rallies culminated on March 23 at Khatkar ... Read Full Story
KHATKAR KALAN, March 23 (Agencies)- A buoyant and upbeat Congress today declared a war on a demoralised Shiromani Akali Dal during the martyrdom anniversary function of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev here today. This is the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh where both the Congress and the SAD-BJP alliance organised the rallies. Despite the misuse of official machinery the ruling alliance could not manage even half the crowd as compared to the Congress.
The entire Congress leadership including the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress Working Committee member and party in charge for Punjab Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak, Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Jagmeet Singh Brar, Ms Perneet Kaur, Ravneet Bittu and others unanimously resolved to defeat the Akalis who had not only failed the people of the state but had also let lose a reign of terror on the Congress workers.
Taking lead the PCC President Capt Amarinder said, the very fact that over two lakh people had turned up at the Congress rally against less than fifty thousand in that of the Akalis’ had indicated that there was an overwhelming mood for change in Punjab. “The sea of people in and outside the Congress venue only proved one thing beyond any doubt that the countdown for the Akalis had started”, he remarked . The PCC President said, the Congress workers had confronted so much resistance from the official machinery to discourage them from reaching the rally but nobody could break their resolve.
Paying ... Read Full Story
Jalandhar, March 7 (DNS)- The ruling Akali Dal failed to fulfil any of the promises it had made in its manifesto at the time of the Assembly elections in 2007.
Waving a copy of the Akali manifesto during a district-level rally at the Dasehra ground in Jalandhar Cantonment today, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh questioned “Can Akali leaders name even a single promose of their manifesto which they had fulfilled?”
On the other hand, Congress implemented all the 44 promises, which it had made in its manifesto during the 2002 Assembly elections, he claimed.
Apparently keeping in mind that Dalits had a considerable population in Doaba region in general and Jalandhar district in particular, Amarinder stated that the Akalis had made promises to provide free power up to 400 units to each Dalit family, five marla houses and special quality education to Dalits, but they did not fulfil any of them after coming to power.
Amarinder said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had started taking the help of film actors to attract crowds.
Alleging that both Akali and BJP leaders are indulging in corruption, Amarinder asked Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia to clarify that on what grounds he had waived off over Rs 50 lakh non-construction fee of Akali MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar’s building.
Underlining the need for improving the primary education and healthcare, he said the government schools could also provide best education. Quoting the example of Dr Manmohan Singh, Amarinder said he had also ... Read Full Story
Faridkot, February 14 (DNS)- Accusing the SAD-BJP government of stifling Centre-sponsored schemes in Punjab, PPCC president Amarinder Singh today claimed that only the Congress could ensure development after coming to power in the state.
“Without forming a government in the state, it is not easy to carry out development works and for this you (voters) need to support the Congress in the coming Assembly poll,” he said while addressing a gathering here.
He alleged that the benefits of welfare schemes were not reaching the targeted population despite the fact that adequate funds were provided by the Congress-led UPA government for roads, social welfare and other infrastructure development projects.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder said the Badals were “responsible” for financial crisis in the state. He further said Badal was trying to “hijack the Punjab Public Service Commission to facilitate the appointment of his “favourites” to this constitutional body.
Flaying Sukhbir Badal, who had earlier represented the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency, he challenged to show development works carried out in this area while referring to his promises to turn Faridkot into Paris and Disneyland. “You remember when you elected him to Parliament, he promised you the moon,” he asked people while remarking Sukhbir never returned to fulfil his promises.
Amarinder promised to set up a super-speciality cancer hospital and a research institute in the area and regretted that the ... Read Full Story
ਜਲੰਧਰ, 12 ਮਈ (ਪੱਤਰ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਕ)- ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਫਸੇ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ਮਨੋਰੰਜਨ ਕਾਲੀਆ ਤੇ ਚੌਧਰੀ ਸਵਰਨਾ ਰਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਤੁਰੰਤ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਕੈਪਟਨ ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਜਲਦੀ ਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਡਾ. ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਸਾਰੀ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਤੋਂ ਜਾਣੂ ਕਰਵਾਉਣਗੇ। ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਲਦੀ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਕਹਿਣਗੇ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਸੂਬੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਤੇ ਅਮਨ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਬਣੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ। ਕੈਪਟਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਤੋਂ ਸਮਾਂ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪੱਤਰ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ। ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਹਾਈ ਕਮਾਂਡ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਦੇ ਅਹੁਦੇਦਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਚਿਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਉਡੀਕੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਲਿਸਟ ’ਚ ...
ਮਜੀਠਾ, 5 ਮਈ (ਪ੍ਰਿਥੀਪਾਲ)-ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਦੇਸ਼ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਕੈਪਟਨ ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਫੇਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਜ਼ਿਲਾ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਦਿਹਾਤੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸੁਖਜਿੰਦਰ ਰਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ ਲਾਲੀ ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨਗੀ ਹੇਠ ਬਲਾਕ ਮਜੀਠਾ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਅਹੁਦੇਦਾਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਮੀਟਿੰਗ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਵਿਖੇ ਹੋਈ। ਮੀਟਿੰਗ ਵਿਚ ਲਾਲੀ ਨੇ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੈਪਟਨ ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੀ 13 ਮਈ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਫੇਰੀ ਦੇ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਲਾਲੀ ਨੇ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕੈਪਟਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਹਲਕੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਕਾਂਗਰਸੀ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹੋ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਧੱਕੇਸ਼ਾਹੀਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਜਾਣੂੰ ਕਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਦੁਖ ਤਕਲੀਫਾਂ ਹਾਈ ਕਮਾਨ ...
