30092024-TT-01.qxd 9/29/2024 TRUMP: WILL FIX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION WORLD /thetribunechd 10:59 PM Page 1 13 RAJNATH TAKES BAILOUT SWIPE AT PAK BACK PAGE CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 271 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH monday | 30 september 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Poll campaign wraps up in J&K, Will give pensionable jobs to all Agniveers, says Shah 40 seats to vote in final phase Vows rail projects in Haryana, employment to 5L youth Do or die for BJP, Cong in Jammu region, NC & PDP in Valley Prakash Karat is CPM interim coordinator Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 29 Former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has been named coordinator of the party’s politburo and the central committee as an interim arrangement in the wake of the death of incumbent general secretary Sitaram Yechury earlier this month. FULL-TIME GEN SECY TO BE ELECTED NEXT APRIL The decision was taken at a meeting of the CPM’s central committee here today. A fulltime general secretary of the CPM would be elected at the “24th Congress” of the party, scheduled to be held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, next April. The name of MA Baby, politburo member and former Kerala Education Minister, is said to be in active consideration for the general secretary’s post. CPM’s West Bengal secretary Md Salim is also in the race. However, those familiar with the working of the CPM say the next general secretary would be from Kerala as the party’s organisational strength is the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Arjun Sharma Sumedha Sharma, Parveen Arora & Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Jammu, September 29 Campaigning for the highstakes third and final phase of the J&K Assembly elections culminated on Sunday with keen contest on the cards among the NC, PDP and Awami Ittehad Party in the Valley and a do-or-die battle between the BJP and Congress in Jammu division. Polling will be held in 40 of the total 90 seats, the highest in all three phases, on October 1 to seal the fate of 415 candidates. Twentyfour of these seats fall in the Jammu region and 16 in Kashmir. Over 39.18 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballot. Security has been stepped up in the seven districts — Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Udhampur, Samba, CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting at Jasrota in Kathua on Sunday. PTI KHARGE TAKEN ILL DURING RALLY ■ Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was taken ill during a rally in Jasrota belt of J&K’s Kathua district. After medical aid, Kharge said he was “not going to die before PM Narendra Modi was removed from power”. Modi later dialled Kharge to enquire about his health INSIDE Congress demands FM’s ouster over poll bond FIR New Delhi, September 29 The Congress on Sunday demanded the resignation of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after a case was registered against her in connection with the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme. The opposition party accused Sitharaman of “undermining democracy” and called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the controversial scheme through a special investigation team (SIT). The CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 FATE OF LONE, LAL SINGH ON LINE ■ The final phase election will decide the fate of J&K People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone from Handwara, Congress’ Raman Bhalla from RS Pura-Jammu South, BJP’s Devender Singh Rana from Nagrota and Congress’ Choudhary Lal Singh from Basohli Gurugram/Karnal/Mahendragarh, September 29 Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured voters in pollbound Haryana that the BJP in its third term in the state would create 5 lakh more jobs, which would be given to the youth solely on merit. He also said the BJP was committed to providing permanent and pensionable jobs to Agniveers. “We will deliver on this,” he asserted. “Don’t hesitate to send your children to the Army. Haryana and the Centre will give pensionable jobs to every single Agniveer. After five years, you will not find even one Agniveer who will be without a pensionable job,” the Home Minister said. Addressing a poll rally in favour of BJP candidate Rao Home Minister Amit Shah during a rally in Badshahpur on Sunday. PTI Narbir in Gurugram’s Badshahpur, Shah hit out at the Congress, alleging that during his tenure as CM, Bhupinder Singh Hooda ran a government of agents and property dealers. “Dealers, dalals (middlemen) and damad (son-in-law) used to rule during the Hooda government’s tenure and corruption was rampant. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Committed to Cong ideology: Vikramaditya to Kharge Tribune News Service Explains his remarks on ID cards for vendors New Delhi, September 29 Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here on Saturday and explained to him what prompted his recent remarks mandating eateries in the state to dis- play owners’ details. He also assured him about being steadfast to the party’s ideology and principles. Vikramaditya said his remarks were based on the recommendation of a seven- c m y b member committee set up by the Assembly Speaker to form a street vendors’ policy. Prior to his meeting with Kharge, Vikramaditya on Friday met senior party leaders KC Venugopal and Rajeev Shukla. Earlier, facing a backlash over the remarks, the state government had to issue a clarification, saying no such decision had been taken. Besides, Vikramaditya was summoned to Delhi by the top leadership for an explanation over his statement. After meeting Kharge, Vikramaditya said he had assuaged the high command’s concerns over his remarks and described as “misconception” the perception that the Uttar Pradesh model was being followed in his state. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9