11032024-TTC-03.qxd 11-03-2024 00:27 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 70 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 BIDEN, TRUMP TRADE BARBS OVER BORDER, ECONOMY WORLD /thetribunechd TERROR HIDEOUT BUSTED IN POONCH, 7 IEDs SEIZED J&K PROMOTION OF FRUIT UP HAS REJECTED POLITICS CROPS HOLDS KEY TO OF APPEASEMENT, SAYS DIVERSIFICATION INFOCUS PM MODI BACK PAGE monday | 11 march 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com TMC snubs Cong, names nominees for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal Yusuf Pathan fielded from Adhir Ranjan’s seat | Kirti Azad, Shatrughan, Mahua also on list Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 10 In a snub to the Congress, which has been maintaining that talks with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the coming Lok Sabha elections are still on, the TMC on Sunday announced candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The Congress and the TMC, both members of the opposition INDIA bloc, had been trying to reach a seat-sharing arrangement in Bengal for months. However, the TMC could not come to terms with the Congress’ demand for giving it eight seats. Having announced the candidates, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC today made it clear that it was not interested in an alliance with the Congress in the state. The choice of candidate for Berhampore, represented in the Lok Sabha by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and WBPCC chief, apparently contained a message. Star cricketer Yusuf Pathan has been fielded by the TMC Yusuf Pathan Berhampore Mahua Moitra Krishnanagar Kirti Azad Shatrughan Sinha Bardhaman-D’pur Asansol West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at a rally in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI 16 SITTING MPs RENOMINATED ■ The TMC has renominated 16 sitting MPs, fielded 12 women & has brought in several new faces for the LS contest from Berhampore, Chowdhury’s seat. The Congress leader, reputed to be a sworn enemy of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, staunchly opposed what he thought was a “bad deal” being offered by the TMC to the Congress for joining hands against the BJP in West Bengal. “Our doors are always open ■ The names were announced by TMC gen secy Abhiskek Banerjee at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground and an alliance can happen anytime before withdrawal,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said when asked about the announcement of candidates by the TMC today. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh sounded upset and wrote on X, “The Congress has repeatedly India inks $100 bn free trade pact with 4 European nations OUR DOORS ALWAYS OPEN FOR ALLIANCE Our doors are always open and an alliance can happen anytime beforewithdrawal. ❝ — Mallikarjun Kharge, CONG PRESIDENT declared its desire to have a respectable seat-sharing agreement with the TMC in West Bengal. The Congress has always maintained that such an agreement has to be finalised through negotiations and not by unilateral announcement.” The names of the candidates were announced by TMC gen- eral secretary Abhiskek Banerjee at a rally at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground today. The nominees were later paraded by party supremo Mamata Banerjee in a dramatic fashion on a ramp erected at the ground. The TMC renominated 16 sitting MPs, fielded 12 women and brought in several new faces. Besides Pathan, it has also fielded former India cricketer Kirti Azad, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency. The seat is now represented by BJP’s SS Ahluwalia. From the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where Sandeshkhali is situated, the TMC has pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam by dropping sitting MP Nusrat Jahan. The TMC also re-nominated expelled MP Mahua Moitra from the Krishnanagar seat for the second consecutive term. While former Bollywood star Shatrughan Sinha would defend his Asansol constituency, popular TV presenter Rachana Banerjee will engage BJP’s Locket Chatterjee at Hoogly. Punjab&Haryana HCgets10more regularjudges Tribune News Service Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 10 India signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the four-nation European bloc EFTA on Sunday with a binding investment commitment of $100 billion over the next 15 years to facilitate the creation of 10 lakh jobs in the country. It will take up to a year to implement the agreement due to an elaborate ratification process of the pacts in different countries. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, continued on page 9 New Delhi, March 10 Thirteen additional judges, including 10 from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, were on Sunday confirmed as permanent high court judges. 2 ANDHRA JUDGES ALSO MADE PERMANENT EAM S Jaishankar and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal with leaders of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein on Sunday. PTI WHAT WILL GET CHEAPER LANDMARK AGREEMENT Luxury watches, chocolates, biscuits, clocks, seafood, fruits (olives & avocados), different oils (cod liver & olive oil), smartphones, bicycle parts,medical equipment and textiles boosting economic growth & creating avenues for our youth. — Narendra Modi, PM IN BRIEF SC to hear SBI’s plea on electoral bonds today NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will take up on Monday the SBI’s plea for extension of time till June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties. A five-judge Bench had on February 15 declared the poll bonds scheme unconstitutional. BACK PAGE Ex-judge Khanwilkar takes oath as Lokpal head NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday administered the oath of office of chairperson, Lokpal, to Justice (retired) Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Justice Khanwilkar was appointed to post in the last week of February. TNS Two new ECs likely to be appointed this week NEW DELHI: The vacancies which arose in the Election Commission due to retirement of commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey and the Saturday resignation of the second Election Commissioner Arun Goel are likely to be filled this week. INSIDE ❝ Landmark pact underlines our commitment to The 10 additional judges confirmed as permanent judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are Justice Kuldeep Tiwari, Justice Gurbir Singh, Justice Deepak Gupta, Justice Amarjot Bhatti, Justice Ritu Tagore, Justice Manisha Batra, Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeewan, continued on page 10 Amid tussle with JJP, BJP MP Brijendra joins Cong Tribune News Service New Delhi/Hisar, March 10 In a setback to the BJP in Haryana, Hisar MP Brijendra Singh today resigned from party’s primary membership and joined the Congress just weeks ahead of the General Election. Brijendra was official inducted into the Congress at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi. His father and senior BJP Hisar MP Brijendra Singh leader Chaudhary Birender Singh has been engaged in a war of words with Deputy CM and JJP leader Dushyant continued on page 10 Himachal Ind MLA, Cong rebel’s father booked RS POLL Complainants allege criminal conspiracy, misuse of money to buy votes Subhash Rajta Tribune News Service Shimla, March 10 In a fresh twist to the ongoing political crisis in the state, the police have filed a case against Ashish Sharma, Independent MLA from Hamirpur, Rakesh Sharma, father of rebel Congress MLA from Gagret Chaitanya 6-MEMBER COORDINATION PANEL SET UP ■ The AICC has formed a six-member committee for better coordi- nation between the government and the party in the state ■ CM Sukhu, HPCC chief Pratibha Singh, Deputy CM Agnihotri, Health Minister Shandil, Kaul Singh Thakur & Ram Lal Thakur are on panel Sharma, and others on a complaint of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthy and Bhuvneshwar Gaur, MLA from the Manali Assembly constituency. The complainants have alleged misuse of money and other resources to buy votes of MLAs and to ensure their abstention from the House when the Budget was passed, and criminal conspiracy against a democratically elected government. The complaint was filed at the Boileauganj police station in Shimla on Saturday evening. continued on page 9 c m y b Farmers block railway tracks at Devi Das Pura near Amritsar on Sunday. PTI Farmers squat on rail tracks in Punjab, Haryana; services hit RAIL ROKO 9 trains cancelled, 25 delayed | Many detained Neeraj Mohan & Aman Sood Tribune News Service New Delhi/Patiala, March 10 Farmers on Sunday squatted on railway tracks at many places in Punjab and Haryana as part of a “rail roko” protest called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to press the Centre for their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP and debt waiver. The protest led to disruptions at nearly 70 locations in these two states, resulting in the cancellation of nine trains PASSENGERS HARRIED ■ Train traffic completely halted for over four hours at many places in Punjab ■ Passengers seen waiting at stations or trying to find other means of transport ■ In Haryana, several protesting farmers detained at Dabwali and Ellenabad ■ ‘Rail roko’ call given after farmers’ “Dilli Chalo” march halted at Haryana borders and delays for around 25 trains. Even as the farmer unions had given a nationwide “rail roko” call, farmers from other states abstained from participating in the protest. Unions, however, claimed their agitation gained momentum in various parts of the country despite government crackdown in many states. “Numerous trains were cancelled in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” said a leader, claiming that the protest was a success. He claimed, “In Punjab, trains were stopped at more continued on page 9