10062022-TTC-01.qxd 6/10/2022 12:19 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 6 NO.159 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 PREZ AT IIM-JAMMU: ADOPT AREAS TO ENSURE GROWTH J&K /thetribunechd READY TO WORK WITH INDIA TO HELP LANKA, SAYS CHINA WORLD CIL FLOATS MAIDEN INDIA POISED TO ENTER TENDER TO IMPORT BIO-TECH TOP LEAGUE: 2.41 MT COAL BUSINESS MODI BACK PAGE friday | 10 june 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Election for 16th Prez on July 18, NDA set for comfortable win Haryana, 3 other states set to witness nail-biting Rajya Sabha contest today Aditi Tandon and Mukesh Ranjan Only ECI-provided pen allowed | Polling to be videographed | Voting for 16 seats Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 9 Elections to the office of the 16th President will take place on July 18 and votes counted on July 21, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The new President will take oath on July 25. Article 62 of the Constitution mandates the presidential election before the incumbent’s term ends. President Ram Nath Kovind’s term expires on July 24. For the high-stakes poll, the ruling NDA is comfortably placed, while a disunited Opposition is only beginning consultations on a continued on page 9 MOOSEWALA KILLING ‘Supplier of arms’ among 2 detained Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, June 9 The Punjab Police on Thursday detained from Bathinda two key suspects in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, one of them under investigation for RED CORNER NOTICE ISSUED AGAINST GOLDY BRAR INSIDE supplying weapons to the killers. A police official confirmed the detentions and said the interrogation of Keshav and Charanjit Singh, alias Chetan Sandhu, was underway to continued on page 9 48 in race for post of CIC in Himachal Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, June 9 Several serving and retired bureaucrats are vying for the posts of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Member, Information Commission, with almost 150 applications having been received. The term of present CIC Narinder Chauhan ends on June 30. With June 8 being the last date for applying for the post of CIC, 48 applications have been received. Prominent among those who are in the race include Additional Chief continued on page 9 IN BRIEF Expect relief from heat after June 16: IMD NEW DELHI The Northwest continued to reel under heatwave, even as the India Meteorological Department said relief from heat was likely after June 16. INSIDE Covid: Scale up testing, Centre directs states NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday asked all states and Union Territories to ensure high level of testing in areas reporting cluster of Covid-19 cases. PTI Sailor accuses coach of ‘improper’ behaviour NEW DELHI: Days after a cyclist accused her coach of harassment, a sailor has alleged that a coach made her ‘uncomfortable’ during a foreign trip. INSIDE Oppn opens parleys for joint candidate RESULT ON JULY 21 Nomination begins: June 15 Last date of nomination: June 29 Withdrawal of nomination: July 2 Voting: July 18 | Counting: July 21 TOTAL ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES 10,86,431 HALFWAY MARK: 5,43,215 4,809 TOTAL ELECTORS (776 MPs | 4,033 MLAs) 5,43,200 Total MP vote value; each MP vote value 700 5,43,231 Total MLA vote value (MLA votes vary across states) Vibha Sharma SPECIAL OBSERVERS FOR POLLS Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 9 The biennial elections to the 16 Rajya Sabha seats in four states — Haryana (2), Rajasthan (4), Maharashtra (6) and Karnataka (4) — are set for a nail-biting finish after the zealous safeguarding and “training” of MLAs in resorts amid allegations of attempts at horse-trading. Special observers have been appointed to oversee the poll process, which will be videographed, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on the eve of the polls. He also said STATE HARYANA* R’STHAN K’TAKA MAHA SEATS CANDIDATES 2 4 4 6 3 5 6 7 *BJP: Krishan Lal Panwar | Congress: Ajay Maken | Independent backed by BJPJJP: Kartikeya Sharma votes cast by any pen other than one provided by the ECI would be considered invalid. Notably, the special pen was introduced after the “ink controversy” in Haryana when 12 votes cast with “wrong ink” were declared invalid in 2016. Bienniel elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats across 15 states were announced recently and all 41 candidates in 11 states — Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Telangana, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand — were declared elected unopposed last Friday. Elections to the 16 remaining seats will be held tomorrow as the number of candidates exceed the seats going to the polls. In Maharashtra, where there is a fierce contest for six seats among seven candidates, the ruling coalition today received a major setback when a court rejected the bail plea of two arrested leaders Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, whose votes are critical for the elections. Both are members of the NCP which along with the , Congress is a part of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi. continued on page 9 Nawab Malik Anil Deshmukh SETBACK FOR MVA: MALIK, DESHMUKH DENIED BAIL In Maharashtra, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday received a setback when a court rejected the bail plea of two arrested leaders Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, whose votes are critical for RS poll. Nupur, Jindal, Owaisi among Some progress on border issue: MEA on China 32 booked for hate speech ❝ New Delhi, June 9 The Delhi Police have registered two separate FIRs against 32 persons for allegedly spreading hate and hurting religious sentiments through their remarks on social media, officials said on Thursday. While one FIR names suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, the other is against 31 persons, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand, former Delhi BJP media in-charge Naveen Kumar Jindal and journalist Saba Naqvi. The FIRs were registered on Wednesday after an analy- Asaduddin Owaisi Yati Narsinghanand Naveen K Jindal Nupur Sharma DELHI POLICE REGISTER TWO FIRs ■ All booked for spreading hate, hurting religious sentiments through social media posts ■ Nupur Sharma, suspended BJP spokesperson, named in one FIR and the remaining 31 named in the other ■ BJP recently acted against Nupur, Jindal over remarks against Prophet Mohammad CURFEW IN BHADERWAH, ARMY CALLED IN INSIDE sis of social media. Following protests by Muslim nations over their alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammad, the BJP had recently suspended Nupur while Jindal was expelled from the party. continued on page 9 New Delhi, June 9 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said multiple rounds of talks with China have led to some progress in resolving the issue on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). “We will hold dialogue to resolve the issue. Another round of meeting between senior military commanders will ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS SOON Another round of meeting will be held soon. It is our expectation that the Chinese side will work with the Indian side to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the remaining issues. Arindam Bagchi, MEA SPOKESPERSON be held soon. It is our expectation that the Chinese side will work with the Indian side to reach a mutually acceptable solution on the remaining issues,” said MEA spokesper- son Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing here. Bagchi said India had maintained regular communication with the Chinese side at multiple levels. “There have been 15 rounds of meetings among senior commanders and 10 rounds of the Working continued on page 9 edit: chinese infra buildup