Jalandhar, March 11 (DNS)- The newly elected BJP Legislature Party chief, Bhagat Chuni Lal, has rubbished reports saying his party had demanded the Deputy Chief Minister's post from the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Interacting with mediapersons here, Lal, who received a hero's welcome on his return to the city after being elected to the post, said the decision of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the issue was supreme and acceptable to everybody in the party.
Meanwhile, the BJP would hold a central committee meeting on March 13, a day before the formal swearing-in of the new cabinet. ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, March 10 (DNS)- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) secured the youth vote with 11 of its 13 candidates turning victorious at the hustings. In comparison, the Congress bagged only two of the six seats allotted to its youth members.
Six young Akali candidates won in the Majha belt - Youth SAD chief Bikram Majithia (Majitha), Inderbir Bolaria (Amritsar South), Amarpal Bonny (Ajnala), Manjit S Manna (Baba Bakala), Bajit S Jalalusma (Jandiala) and Harmeet Singh (Tarn Taran). In the Doaba belt, Pawan Kumar Teenu was victorious from Adampur. In Malwa,Virender Kaur Loomba (Shutrana), Harpreet Singh (Malout), Parminder Dhindsa (Sunam) and Manpreet Ayali (Dakha) emerged winners.
Remarkably, most of the Youth SAD candidates won their seats with respectable margins. Several downed Congress stalwarts: Jalalusma defeated former Excise Minister Sardool Singh, Ayali defeated Jassi Khangura and Bolaria defeated Jasbir Singh Dimpa.
The Congress was able to win only two of the six seats allotted to its Youth Congress members- Kuljit Nagra from Fatehgarh Sahib and Raja Waring from Gidderabaha.The party’s young candidates were defeated in Ferozepur Rural, Payal, Balachaur and Majitha.
There seems to be two factors behind the success of young SAD candidates. One, most of them were groomed by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal during 2002-2007 when the SAD-BJP was in Opposition.
Second, Youth SAD president Bikram Majithia energised the youth wing holding district-level meetings and roadshows during the last one year. ... Read Full Story
Lambi, January 28 (PTI)- They share the common wall of their ancestral house, the family name and even the village name. But in the cut and thrust of politics, a common inheritance seems to matter little when it comes to electoral politics. Punjab's three Badal brothers are locked in a triangular contest in Lambi which goes to polls on Monday.
Fighting from here is Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, also the grand patriarch of Shiromani Akali Dal and the Badal family which hails from Lambi in Badal village. Challenging the CM are his brother Gurdas Badal and cousin Mahesh Inder Singh Badal. While the former is fighting to open the political account of his son Manpreet's newly-formed People's Party of Punjab, the latter is contesting on a Congress ticket, having fought as an independent in the last assembly elections.
The fight here is essentially in the family with Parkash Singh Badal running for the fifth time in a row. And though one would enter Lambi hoping mudslinging matches to be on, the brothers are refraining from running each other down in the public. For the outgoing CM, it is his brother Gurdas who is posing the biggest challenge.
Asked how he felt about taking on his own brother whom he had served for years, Gurdas Badal told PTI, "I have always dreamt of seeing my brother in the CM's chair. But things have now slipped out of his hands. He is only a face. It is his son Sukhbir Badal, the Deputy CM, and his family who are running the show. Nothing is in my brother's control nor does he assert ... 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
Patiala, January 28 (DNS)- Former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s ‘Jago Punjab Yatra got an overwhelming response in the Congress-dominated constituencies of Shutrana and Samana today. Attacking the previous governments, Badal said it was high time that the voters decided against corruption and voted for overall development of the state.
Followers stopped Manpreet’s vehicle in Samana, where he was scheduled to address a moderate gathering in a dharamshala nearby. Residents, especially youngsters, raised slogans urging Manpreet to address the gathering.
Congress insiders have started feeling that Manpreet, along with the Shiromani Akali Dal could hamper their vote bank. The gathering at Samana and Shutrana proved that anti-government vote was slipping away from Congress as several Congress supporters were a part of the gathering.
Speaking at his yatra in Shutrana, Manpreet alleged that Punjab had to under go another struggle to gain independence from the clutches of various mafia who had occupied all trades. “My focus is on meeting maximum people and elaborate them about corruption, drugs, unemployment and financial health of the state,” Badal told Reporters.
Addressing a rally in Shutrana later, Manpreet draw comparisons with states like Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Gujarat which have left Punjab far behind in terms of basic amenities to its citizens. “Even Bihar is a role model for other states, while Punjab, due to the decisions taken in the past and complete lack of planning is ... Read Full Story
Patiala, January 22 (DNS)- Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, today launched scathing attacks on former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. While interacting with mediapersons after attending the bhog ceremony of Balwant Kaur, mother of SS Sekhon, OSD to the Punjab CM, Dr Cheema claimed that when Manpreet was the part of the government, he was against the subsidies but now he is advocating for giving more subsidies.
He said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is a 90-year-old political party and history speaks that whosoever has deserted the SAD, has to regret later. “Let the next Assembly election in Punjab come. Then Manpreet will realise that he made a big blunder by leaving the SAD. “The speeches being delivered by Manpreet during the rallies being addressed by him in various parts of the state clearly reflects the double standards of Manpreet,” he said. ... Read Full Story
Muktsar, January 15 (DNS)- The historic Maghi Mela on Punjab here on Friday turned out to be the real battleground for political posturing among the three key players in the State politics-Sukhbir Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh and Manpreet Singh Badal-all of them blowing the electoral bugle in their own fashion.
Shiromani Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal thundered to inflict crushing defeat on his arch rival Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress, while former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal vowed to take the issue of development to everybody's doorstep. The crowd pulled by him was much bigger than that attending the meeting of the Congress leaders. Captain Amarinder reiterated he would bring all Akalis to justice for harassing the Congress workers.
The Maghi Mela in Punjab is an annual feature where respect is paid to martyrs but it finally ends up as an occasion where political parties show their strength by organising conferences. Since the State Assembly election is due in February 2012, all the parties had gone the extra mile to score points over others in terms of mobilising the crowd.
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal showed his strength by organising a huge gathering, which outshone those of the SAD and the Congress. "I am happy to say that the people have taken my words seriously," said a beaming Manpreet, who was expelled from the SAD last year following differences over the issue of fiscal reforms. The SAD was quick to add that the crowd in his ... Read Full Story
Patiala, December 26 (DNS)- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra today alleged that the CBI was a puppet in the hands of the Central Government and a clean chit to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the Faqir Chand murder case was a result of the weak case presented in the court by the CBI. He said the fate of the 1984 riots had been shocking so far only because “the CBI was acting on the dictates of the Congress”.
“It is shameful that victims are yet to get justice”, Chandumajra told mediapersons here after convening a meeting with Patiala Akali leaders. He said wherever happened during the riots was the murder of the democracy and it was under the rule of the Congress government. ... Read Full Story
Bathinda, November 18 (DNS)- Hectic political activity is on in the stronghold of the Badal clan in the Malwa region of Punjab following the appointment of Capt Amarinder Singh as the state Congress chief and ousted Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal launching a blistering campaign against the coalition government of his uncle Parkash Singh Badal.
Although the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was beaten by the Congress in the Malwa belt in the Assembly elections of 2007, the area is considered the traditional stronghold of Parkash Singh Badal.
The Congress and the rebel Manpreet Singh have apparently chosen to launch an offensive against the SAD in this region as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law and sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur represent various constituencies in this area.
While Ravneet Singh Bittu, president of the Punjab State Youth Congress and sitting MP, is currently touring various parts of the Malwa region campaigning against the Badal government, Capt Amarinder Singh is shortly expected to tour the region.
Manpreet Singh has chosen to launch his “Jago Punjab Yatra” primarily against the ruling Badals on November 24 at Faridkot.
Interestingly, he will visit the Ferozepur rural areas on November 26 but has listed the hotspots of Bathinda, Muktsar and Jalalabad towards the end of the first leg of his “yatra” itinerary in the last week of December and early January. These areas are of political significance because Harsimrat ... Read Full Story
Amritsar, November 18 (DNS)- The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which had resolved to reserve 33 per cent seats for women and which was the launching platform of the Nanhi Chhan campaign for women rights, has invited the ire of women for ignoring them while finalising the candidates for the executive committee of the Shiromani committee yesterday.
Contrary to its tradition, this time it was an “all-men show”. All four posts of office-bearers as well as 11 seats of executive members were filled by men only, whereas in the last SGPC executive committee, there were two women members - Bhajan Kaur Dograwala and Ravinder Kaur.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema cited “political compulsions” for their failure to reserve seats for women this time.
It is learnt that the name of Bhajan Kaur figured in the list, but it was withdrawn at the eleventh hour.
“We had one woman candidate on the list but her name had to be withdrawn after opposition members’ demand for including at least two members from their side got the approval of the general house,” he said.
Though considered apolitical, the SGPC elections are always fought on political lines. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the ruling party in Punjab, had backed Avtar Singh Makkar for the coveted post.
“At least one seat should have been given to a woman member, no matter what the political compulsions were,” said Kiranjot Kaur, an SGPC member.
The Nanhi Chhan campaign was on top of the ... Read Full Story
Anandpur Sahib, October 20 (DNS)- The Deputy Chief Minister and president of Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD) Sukhbir Singh Badal reached here on Tuesday afternoon to personally escort Anandpur Sahib MLA, Sant Ajit Singh, to Chandigarh for the CM’s press conference. The MLA, who had caused ripples after appearing at a press conference with the sacked finance minister Manpreet Badal, today took a u-turn and declared his allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal and to the Chief Minister while denouncing the former FM.
The motorcade of the SAD President, trailed by black cat commandos, reached the dera at Lodhipur around 1.30 pm and a closed-door meeting followed. While other SAD leaders like Bikram Singh Majithia and Prem Singh Chandumajra had arrived earlier to soften the ‘rebel’, the SAD President claimed to have explained why Punjab needed subsidies and their importance for the poor.
They emerged from the meeting after 25 minutes and Sant Ajit Singh declared that in the larger interests of the common man, he now disagreed with Manpreet Singh Badal’s views on withdrawal of subsidies. He was a party loyalist and subsidies had been promised in the party’s manifesto, he pointed out. There was clearly no way the party could back out from the commitment, he asserted.
He declared withdrawing support from Manpreet amidst slogans of “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh”. SAD sources claimed that frantic efforts were made during the last six days to make Sant Ajit Singh change his mind.
Addressing ... Read Full Story
Chandigarh, October 13 (DNS)- Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal was suspended from the party soon after the disciplinary committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal made a recommendation to this effect to the party president.
Suspended ostensibly for “anti-party” activities and for speaking out against the Deputy Chief Minister, also his cousin, Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Finance Minister has also been served a show-cause notice and asked to appear before the party in person on October 20 at the party office to explain his conduct.
The suspension, however, caught political circles by surprise because the disciplinary committee was earlier scheduled to meet on Wednesday, when the Finance Minister was expected to address a press conference in Chandigarh. The SAD disciplinary committee, it was felt, would be in a better position to decide on Manpreet’s future after he played his cards.
What hastened the exercise is still not clear but soon after the disciplinary committee met this afternoon for one and a half hours and forwarded its recommendation, party secretary Daljit Singh Cheema issued a four-line communique declaring that the party had decided to suspend Manpreet Badal.
The finance minister was in New Delhi on Tuesday and was scheduled to meet the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. While his telephone remained switched off, reports trickling in from the national capital held that the meeting did take place at 7.30 pm. There was no ‘immediate reaction’ to his suspension as Manpreet, ... Read Full Story
ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰਪੁਰ, 30 ਮਈ (ਬਲਜਿੰਦਰ ਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ)- ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦੇ 9 ਤੇ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਦੇ 7 ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਲਗਾਤਰ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਬਣਾਏ ਹੋਏ ਹਨ ਪਰ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਵਿਚ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਟਿਕਟ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਰਤ ’ਤੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।।ਇਹ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਅੱਜ ਇ¤ਥੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸ਼ਾਮ ਅਰੋੜਾ ਦੇ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਬਣਨ ਮੌਕੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਉਪਰੰਤ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸ: ਲਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਮੀਤ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਰਗਸ ਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੇ। ਸ: ਲਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿਚ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਦਾ ਭੋਗ ਪੈ ਚੁ¤ਕਾ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਸੰਸਦੀ ਸਕੱਤਰ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ’ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਪਾਏ ਗਏ ਹਨ।। ਆਏ ਦਿਨ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ’ਤੇ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਲ¤ਗ ਰਹੇ ਦੋਸ਼ਾਂ ’ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਅਸਤੀਫੇ ਲੈਣੇ, ਇਹ ਸਾਬਤ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ...
Muktsar, January 15 (DNS)- The historic Maghi Mela on Punjab here on Friday turned out to be the real battleground for political posturing among the three key players in the State politics-Sukhbir Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh and Manpreet Singh Badal-all of them blowing the electoral bugle in their own fashion.
Shiromani Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal thundered to inflict crushing defeat on his arch rival Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress, while former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal vowed to take the issue of development to everybody's doorstep. The crowd pulled by him was much bigger than that attending the meeting of the Congress leaders. Captain Amarinder reiterated he would bring all Akalis to justice for harassing the Congress workers.
The Maghi Mela in Punjab is an annual feature where respect is paid to martyrs but it finally ends up as an occasion where political parties show their strength by organising conferences. Since the State Assembly election is due in February 2012, all the parties had gone the extra mile to score points over others in terms of mobilising the crowd.
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal showed his strength by organising a huge gathering, which outshone those of the SAD and the Congress. "I am happy to say that the people have taken my words seriously," said a beaming Manpreet, who was expelled from the SAD last year following differences over the issue of fiscal reforms. The SAD was quick to add that the crowd in his ...
Chandigarh, October 13 (DNS)- Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal was suspended from the party soon after the disciplinary committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal made a recommendation to this effect to the party president.
Suspended ostensibly for “anti-party” activities and for speaking out against the Deputy Chief Minister, also his cousin, Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Finance Minister has also been served a show-cause notice and asked to appear before the party in person on October 20 at the party office to explain his conduct.
The suspension, however, caught political circles by surprise because the disciplinary committee was earlier scheduled to meet on Wednesday, when the Finance Minister was expected to address a press conference in Chandigarh. The SAD disciplinary committee, it was felt, would be in a better position to decide on Manpreet’s future after he played his cards.
What hastened the exercise is still not clear but soon after the disciplinary committee met this afternoon for one and a half hours and forwarded its recommendation, party secretary Daljit Singh Cheema issued a four-line communique declaring that the party had decided to suspend Manpreet Badal.
The finance minister was in New Delhi on Tuesday and was scheduled to meet the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. While his telephone remained switched off, reports trickling in from the national capital held that the meeting did take place at 7.30 pm. There was no ‘immediate reaction’ to his suspension as Manpreet, ...
