29022024-CT-01.qxd 2/29/2024 1:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune HP LEGISLATORS' MOVEMENT KEEPS P'KULA COPS ON TOES GANGSTER ARRESTED AFTER CHAPPAR CHIRI ENCOUNTER CONGRESS WORKERS TAKE OUT TRACTOR RALLY HP Cong legislators' movement since morning amid political slugfest in hill state kept cops on their toes. P2 Police nab Banwari Pal of Kaushal Chaudhary gang after a brief encounter at Chappar Chiri. P2 Congress workers, led by ex-MLA Kuljit Nagra, hold tractor march from New Grain Market, Sirhind. P2 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 140 PANCHKULA 93 MOHALI 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 134 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF MAN DIES IN MISHAP Chandigarh: Gajjan Singh reported that the motorcycle Sandeep Singh of Tandi village, Mohali, was riding was hit by a scooter near the Dhanas lake. The doctors at PGI declared him dead on arrival. A case has been registered. TNS POWER SHUTDOWN MOHALI 9.30 am to 4.30 pm: Sector 67, NABI, ISB, Biotech, Sukhgarh village, Raipur Kalan, Mauli, Nano Majra, Sambhalki and Chilla WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH APNI MANDI: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar MOHALI APNI MANDI: Sector 76 PANCHKULA APNI MANDI: Sector 5 TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 24°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.21 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.48 AM » THURSDAY | 29 FEBRUARY 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Mayor takes over, to BJP eyes no-confidence motion focus on sanitation Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Promises free 20K litres of water per month Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 28 Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, who finally assumed charge as Mayor today at the Municipal Corporation office, was accorded a red carpet welcome. A red carpet was laid at the entrance to the building. Amid the beating of dhols and loud cheer by party leaders and workers, Dhalor assumed charge. He was declared winner of the mayoral poll on February 20 by the Supreme Court setting aside the outcome of the January 30 poll declaring BJP’s Manoj Sonkar the Mayor. Sonkar was announced the winner after eight votes were declared invalid by presiding officer Anil Masih. The new Mayor had not assumed charge till yesterday citing personal reasons. He took over today adhering to the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions. Punjab Chief Minister’s OSD Rajveer Singh Ghuman, co-in charge of city AAP SS Ahluwalia, senior AAP leaders Pradeep Chhabra, continued on page 2 Senior leaders of the Congress and AAP congratulate Mayor Kuldeep Kumar after he assumed charge on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY A LIFE FULL OF STRUGGLE CHANDIGARH: Life has been full of struggles since childhood for Dhalor. His family was allotted a house in Dadu Majra under a rehabilitation scheme after the slum in Sector 25 where they lived was destroyed in a fire. Growing up was not easy among six brothers and sisters and his father being the only breadwinner in the family. His mother later did some small works and brother picked rags to support the family. Dhalor joined a kabbadi team and played nationals representing Chandigarh between 1997 and 2001. He had to quit school after 12th standard due to family circumstances. His family faced a tough time and Dhalor had to do sanitation work. He used to sweep streets in Sectors 22, 44 and 8. He later rose to become the chairman of Bhagwan Balmiki Shobha Yatra in 2020 and quit sanitation work. He had been affiliated with the RSS and the Congress. In 2021, he joined AAP and won MC election. At present, Dhalor runs a tent business. “I kept working hard despite many ups and downs in life,” said Dhalor, who lives close to a dumping ground at Dadu Majra. c m y b Chandigarh, February 28 Having managed to secure a sufficient number of councillors’ votes for the coming elections to the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, the BJP has now stepped up efforts to get more councillors on its side so that it can move no-confidence motion or persuade new Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor to jump the ship. According to BJP leaders, negotiations with two councillors of the Opposition are in the final stage. They claimed a total of four councillors were in touch with leaders of the saffron party. No-confidence motion can be passed with a two-thirds majority. If all 36 members (35 councillors and the ex- Claims more councillors will join saffron party BOTH PARTIES TO GO WITH SAME CANDIDATES The BJP as well as the Congress, which is fighting the polls in alliance with AAP, have not changed their candidates. Kuljit Singh and Rajinder Sharma, from the BJP, and Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi, from the Congress, filed nominations. BJP SHIFTS COUNCILLORS Kuljit and Rajinder Sharma of the BJP file papers for Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. NITIN MITTAL officio member, i.e. MP) are present in the House, then the BJP needs, at least, 24 votes to bring no-confidence motion. However, it has a total of 18 votes, excluding the SAD’s one vote. According to the party leaders, by getting more councillors on its side or making some to abstain from House proceedings, the BJP can After nominations, the BJP took its councillors to Pinjore. However, three AAP councillors, who recently joined the BJP, are staying at some other place. AAP and the Congress have not moved their councillors. have its own candidate as Mayor. The talk of having Dhalor on its side was also doing the rounds in BJP circles. “He will have to choose continued on page 2 Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang module busted Tribune News Service Police officials address the media on Wednesday. RAVI KUMAR Chandigarh, February 28 Crime Branch of the UT police has busted a module of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang with the arrest of three shooters, who were in the city to eliminate gangster Bhupinder Singh Rana, alias Bhupi Rana, during a court hearing. Bhupi Rana has several cases against him and is 3 shooters had planned to kill Bhupi Rana in court lodged in the jail. The police said Sunny, alias Sachin, and Umang, both residents of Rohtak; and Kailash Chauhan, alias Tiger, of Faridabad, had been arrested. The trio had planned to shoot gangster Bhupi Rana at the continued on page 2
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