09052023-JTR-01.qxd 5/9/2023 12:14 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune OPPN TARGETS RULING PARTY OVER UNFULFILLED PROMISES SONAM PERFORMS AT KING CHARLES’ CORONATION EVENT The event also saw performances by pop stars Katy Perry and Take That at Windsor Castle on Sunday. P3 SUNNY MAX 36°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 19°C DAHAAD A CLUTTER BREAKER FOR ME, SAYS SONAKSHI The SAD-BSP juggernaut held rallies at Shahkot and Kartarpur and a roadshow in Nakodar. P2 FORECAST Actress Sonakshi Sinha is playing the role of a cop in Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s web show. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7:05 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:33 AM » TUESDAY | 9 MAY 2023 | JALANDHAR CEO takes stock of final preparedness Tribune News service HOLIDAY ANNOUNCED SAD-BSP candidate Sukhwinder Sukhi at a tea stall in Jalandhar on Monday; and Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary during a roadshow in in the city. PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH Candidates on the ground, as every vote counts JALANDHAR SEVERAL POSTER COMPLAINTS LOK SABHA BYPOLL ■ The complaint cell set up for the election has been receiving several complaints regarding alleged illegal party posters which have been installed at various places in the city. ■ Tehbazari Wing officials of the Municipal Corporation said they were flooded with complaints and every day they were removing around 100 posters from the city Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May8 Months of fierce canvassing to attract voters ahead of the Lok Sabh byelection on May 10 finally ended today in the district. However, bypoll candidates Sushil Kumar Rinku, Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, and Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary continue to interact and meet people as now it is over to the voters to decide their fate. Until today, the city was abuzz with high-pitch public- Illegal posters pasted on a roadside berm in front of the DC office in Jalandhar. ity events of different political parties. Even though the poll din has ended and road- shows and rallies are over, parties can still organise door-to-door campaigns and interact with the electorate. The senior and local leaderships of the parties have throughout maintained a direct contact with voters. Until today evening, parties made a good use of autorickshaws to make announcements, and pamphlets, and party flags to make their presence felt. They even brought in workers from other districts to give a fillip to their respective campaigns. In the run up to the last days of the canvassing, announcements and songs eulogising candidates reverberated every nook and corner of the district. The last day i.e., Monday saw pamphlets being thrown in the residences of the voters. As per the instructions of the Election Commission, public meetings of more than five persons will be restricted for 48 hours from 6 pm on May 8 till the conclusion of voting on May 10. Jalandhar, May 8 Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Monday virtually reviewed the poll preparedness and arrangements being finalised by the civil and police administration to ensure free, fair and peaceful Lok Sabha byelection. The voting will start at 8 am and continue till 6 pm on May 10 while the counting will take place on May 13. Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Singh apprised the CEO that necessary arrangements were being finalised at all 1,972 polling booths as the 98 per cent vote slips had already been distributed to voters. All these polling booths have the facility of web casting so as to keep a close eye on the election activities besides setting up a dedicated control, he added. It was also informed that nodal officers had been deputed at district and Assembly constituency level. The transportation of EVMs will also be carried out in foolproof security arrangements since 703 GPS enabled vehicles are engaged for this purpose, said Deputy Commissioner, adding that public conveniences, especially for Divyang and aged voters, would be ensured. The facility of wheel chairs and ‘Chon Mittar’ (Election Friend) will also be there. Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal and Deputy Commissioner-cumDistrict Election Officer Jaspreet Singh announced holiday in all government and non-government schools and colleges on Tuesday in view of the bypoll. A holiday in government offices, boards or corporations and government educational institutions has also been announced as local holiday under the Negotiable Instrument Act. All voter employees in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment will be entitled for a paid holiday on polling day. GNDU EXAMS PUT OFF Due to the Jalandhar byelection, all theory and practical exams of GNDU scheduled for May 9 at all the examination centres of Jalandhar district are being postponed. A new date will be intimated later, said Prof Palwinder Singh, Professor Incharge, Examinations. SSP (Rural) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar informed the Election Commission that nearly 98 per cent licensed arms had already been got deposited in the Lok Sabha Constituency and law and order situation would also be maintained at all cost. Senior officers of Civil and Police administration were also present in the virtual meeting. Jaspreet Singh also clarified that no political party would campaign within the Continued on page 2 Petty crimes like snatchings, A poll marked by switchovers, family splits thefts find echo in election Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 8 “Sada dil tutteya hoeya, asi kihnu vote paiye,” says 65year-old Charan Singh as he shows his recently robbed shop. A barrage of thefts, robberies, snatching, false cases and a unanimous grievance that their womenfolk (in some cases men too) can’t step out in the evening on their own in the villages, due to gangs of active snatchers on bikes, have left villagers in the hinterland harried. This remains the key grievance of villages in Jalandhar as the Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls on Wednesday. Peeved at successive governments, including the present dispensation in the state, the villagers said all all gov- Stolen goods purchaser held Phagwara, May 8 Nakodar police have succeeded in nabbing a stolen goods purchaser and recovered 115 mobile phones, five cooking gas cylinders, two stone-cutter machines, two wood cutters, five packets of electric wires, 12 wrist watches and three LCDs from his possession. Superintendent of Police Manpreet Singh Dhillon said the arrested accused, Om Parkash. has confessed before the police that he purchased these items mostly from drug addicts who often sold their own or stolen goods to him at throwaway prices to fulfil their requirement of drugs. — OC People during a rally at a village in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH ernments had failed to address the issue. Surprisingly, at many places, queries on key issues led to an outrage on thefts. When asked who they would vote for — at roadsides, near tyre shops, grocery stores and at villages saaths — the primary concerns villagers raised was a rise in petty crime and false cases — which had also forced some Continued on page 2 Jalandhar, May 8 Every election matters; considering the General Election next year, this byelection matters even more so for all parties. The hectic and starstudded campaign shows that parties left nothing to chance to register a win. A number of party veterans and seniors hopped ship in a matter of days as parties tried score over each other. From AAP candidate Sushil Rinku and BJP candidate Inder Iqbal Atwal to a host of leaders and countless workers changed parties ahead of the Jalandhar bypoll, creating dramatic moments and emotional highs for all involved. Many a party bode tearful adieus and also cursed their former favourites who hopped overnight, leaving their former dispensations clueless. Two of the most dramatic join- Charanjit Atwal Earlier: SAD Now: BJP Inder Iqbal Atwal Sushil Rinku Chandan Grewal Mohinder Bhagat Earlier: SAD Earlier: Congress Earlier: SAD Earlier: BJP Now: BJP Now: AAP Now: AAP Now: AAP ings included those of Congress leader and former MLA Sushil Rinku joining the AAP and the announcement of his candidature. The second-most joining resulting in an emotional outburst was senior BJP leader Mohinder Bhagat leaving the BJP Both the BJP candidate . and his father former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal resigned from the SAD and joined the BJP in a matter of days. The most talked about exit was that of Sushil Rinku. He and his former party threw barbs at each other and hogged constant limelight ahead of the poll. Rinku’s exit has both been mourned; and he has also been called a traitor by Congress leaders. In turn, Rinku took potshots at the Congress leadership by saying his previous party was less disciplined than AAP . Congress party president had also recently expressed misgivings on Rinku becoming ‘Khaas’. While senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu called Rinku a implementation of the Land Sealing Act for providing some piece of land to labourers and landless tillers.” He recalled, “While we were going about our business, a woman activist was manhandled. She got injured and was badly traumatised. She had to be hospitalised immediately.” He added, “We are demanding the registration of a case against the SAD leaders.” The SAD dismissed the incident as just a malafide attempt to dent the image of the party. — TNS traitor, Raja Warring said, “We gave the MC (councillor) ticket to (Sushil) Rinku for the first time afterwards one more time and then to his wife. We also made him the MLA. Then we accommodated him by withholding ticket to likes of people like Kaypee Sahib (Congress leader Mohinder Singh Kaypee). Par jadon ‘khaas’ banda ban gaya tan Bhagwant Singh Mann lai gaya. (But when he became special, Bhagwant Mann took him away. “ Ahead of polls some fami- Plantation drive along Chitti Bein opposed Woman manhandled at rally, action sought Jalandhar, May 8 Members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union have alleged that a woman activist was allegedly manhandled outside the venue of a SAD rally at Dyalpur village in Kartarpur last evening. As per reports, a SAD rally was underway when activists of the union, led by Kashmir Singh Ghugshore, reached the venue. Ghugshore said, “As part of the agenda of our union, we have been visiting the rallies of all parties. We have been asking them if they would pledge to strive for the Jagbir Brar Earlier: SAD Now: AAP lies were also split across party lines over night. The father son split of Chunni Lal Bhagat and Mohinder Bhagat was one such split. BJP leader Mohinder Bhagat (65) a pillar in the Jalandhar West constituency, quit the party he served all his life to join AAP While he shared . meals and discussed elections with his party colleagues a day ago, the party was taken aback by his exit. His father veteran BJP leader and former Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal as well as former colleague KD Bhandari were moved to tears as they sat beside a startled Chunni Lal who vowed to stay in the BJP and work for the party, even though his son left. BJP leader Avinash Chander and his brother bizman Steven Kaler also went separate ways. Kaler joined AAP ahead of the bypoll. However, Continued on page 2 Farmers under the banner of Kisan Sangharsh Committee outside the DC office in Jalandhar. c m y b Jalandhar, May 8 The Kisan Sangharsh Committee held a protest outside the District Administrative Office on Monday. The farmers protested the plantation alongside Chitti Bein. “We are not against the planting of saplings, but it should be done in a proper manner. When there is plantation in this manner, this blocks the way of water resulting in deluge in our fields,” the protesting farmers said. They also handed over a memorandum in the name of DONE IN HAPHAZARD MANNER, NO PLANNING, ALLEGE FARMERS the Deputy Commissioner. The farmers gathered in large number outside the office and demanded a planned plantation alongside the bein so that they (farmers) do not suffer. “We have been protesting against this for the past two months, but no one has heard our plea yet,” Ranjit Singh Aliwal, the district president of the committee, said. — TNS