22122024-ATR-01.qxd 12/22/2024 12:08 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST DENSE FOG LAW AND ORDER SITUATION WORSENING, SAYS BAJWA MALERKOTLA POLICE WARN CITIZENS OF CYBER CRIMINALS SOME ACTORS WHO MADE A MARK WITH SEQUELS IN FILMS Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the law and order situation had worsened in the state. P3 The Malerkotla police have launched a campaign to update senior citizens about their rights and privileges. P3 MAX 18°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 6°C In 2024, several beloved onscreen characters made a triumphant return, much to the delight of fans. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 5.31 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.27 AM » SUNDAY | 22 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR SAD bags 3 seats, 1 goes to Independent BAGS 9 IN RAJASANSI Amritsar, December 21 In the elections held today for the first time in Baba Bakala Sahib Nagar Panchayat, seven candidates of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, three of the Shiromani Akali Dal and an Independent candidate won from the 11 wards. Two AAP candidates, from Ward No. 5 and Ward No. 12, have already won unopposed. Ramandeep Kaur Randhawa from Ward No. 4, Sarabjit Kaur from Ward No. 7 and Ranjit Kaur from Ward No. 10 of the Shiromani Akali Dal have won. From Aam Aadmi Party, Sukhwinder Kaur from Ward No. 1, Jaimal Singh Bhullar from Ward No. 2, Gurmeet Kaur from Ward No. 3, Gurmeet Singh Panesar from Ward No. 6, Maninder Singh Soni from Ward No. 8, Ravi Singh from Ward No. 11 and Ranjit Kaur from Ward No. 13 have been the winners. From Ward No. 9, the only candidate from Vikas Welfare Committee, Baljit ■ Also, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won nine out of 13 seats in the Rajasansi Nagar Panchayat elections. AAP candidates won nine seats, BJP two seats while the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal won one seat each in two wards. Kaur, won the election, while the Congress party has not won a single seat. In Majitha, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Davinder Singh emerged victorious in the Majitha bypoll from ward number 4, securing 396 out of a total of 704 votes polled. His closest competitor, Aam Aadmi Party candidate Raj Balwinder Singh, trailed behind by only 121 votes. Also, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won nine out of 13 seats in the Rajasansi Nagar Panchayat elections. AAP candidates won nine seats, BJP two seats while the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal won one seat each in two wards. — TNS Congress leads, still short of majority Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 21 The Congress party won 38 seats in the Municipal Corporation elections, held in 85 wards of the city today. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party won only 24 seats while 10 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party, four candidates of Shiromani Akali Dal and nine Independent candidates won the elections. It is for the first time that a party in opposition has got the lead in Municipal Corporation elections as the party in power had won the MC elections if one were to go by history. However, the number of elected councillors of the Congress would not be enough to prove majority in the MC General House. There are a total of 90 members in the MC House, including 85 councillors and five elected MLAs from urban constituencies. The Congress needed 46 councillors to prove majority to elect its Mayor from their party. There was strong resent- VISHAL KUMAR/SUNIL KUMAR AAPcandidateswinin 7Baba Bakala wards Winning BJP candidate from Ward No.60 Gaurav Gill (centre) and (below) SAD candidate from Ward No.30 Avtar Singh Trakanwal. Congress candidates Raj Kawal Preet Pal Singh Lucky and his daughter Dr Shobhit Kaur, who won from Ward Nos. 14 and 9, respectively, celebrate their victories in Amritsar on Saturday. VISHAL KUMAR ment among the residents over poor sanitation conditions, choking of sewers and poor condition of roads and streets. The government delayed the elections for around two years. There were no cadre and grassroot leaders developed by AAP The . MLAs and ministers from Amritsar failed to get any development projects for the city, which led to strong antiincumbency. Some of the Independent candidates supported by Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh also won. However, irrespective of the trends, the results were yet to be officially declared by the authorities when last reports came in. Recounting was to be held at several places and a final picture is expected to emerge only on Sunday. Pink booths set up in Polling peaceful barring stray incidents Low voter turnout in Amritsar, Rajasansi Aujla, Dhaliwal engage in verbal duel; supporters of candidates scuffle urbanareaswitnessed PK Jaiswar Amritsar, December 21 The District Election Office had set up one pink booth during the civic body elections here on Saturday. A pink booth was set up at Ward No.47 at Senior Secondary School (Boys), Kot Baba Deep Singh. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney visited the booth early in the morning to interact with polling staff, comprising all women. She said only women staff had been deployed at the pink booths. These booths are painted pink and a canopy of the same colour is A pink booth at a school in Ward No. 47 in Amritsar on Saturday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 21 Barring minor skirmishes that broke out between rival camps, polling for the Municipal Corporation elections remained largely peaceful in Amritsar on Saturday. The policemen deployed on poll duty remained on their toes the entire day and immediately rushed to the spot when information was received of any scuffle breaking out or any possibility of a law and order problem. Senior officials, including Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, also remained in the field and visited various polling booths and interacted with the cops and polling staff stationed there. A minor scuffle between Congress and AAP workers took place in ward number 28 over alleged casting of bogus votes. However, police officials reached there, defused the situation and disengaged those involved in heated arguments. Congress candidate Saurav alias Mithu Madaan also reached the polling booth where the incident took place. Similarly, a scuffle erupted in ward number 85 when AAP candidate Manmeet Kaur Amritsar, December 21 A low voting turnout was witnessed during the elections to the 85 wards of the municipal corporation here on Saturday. Even though markets and commercial establishments along with educational institutions remained closed, the turnout at polling booths, especially in posh areas of the city, was low. In contrast, localities inhabited by low-income groups showed enthusiasm as long queues were witnessed at polling booths in these areas. The voting for 85 Wards of the MC started at 7 am. In the morning, it was felt that people had turned up in low numbers due to the prevailing cold wave conditions. People stand in a queue outside a polling booth in Amritsar on Saturday. SUNIL KUMAR and her supporters accused Independent candidate Natasha Gill and her husband Kamal Kumar Bori of putting pressure on the voters by bringing outsiders in the ward. She alleged that Natasha Gill also scuffled and physically assaulted her. Senior police officials like ADCP Harkamal Kaur and ACP Shivdarshan Singh also reached there. The people also staged a dharna against the alleged excesses by Bori who has several criminal cases against him. A scene was also created in Ajnala sub-division where elec- tions for two wards of Ajnala Nagar Council were being held. Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal had an argument over the presence of a large number of outsiders in the ward. Aujla questioned Dhaliwal over the presence of outsiders and why he was moving around in the area with a large number of supporters which was unethical and against the law. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Bhullar conducted inspections across polling booths to assess the law and order situation, strengthen security measures and maintain peace to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process in the city. He said around 2,600 employees and officials have been deployed at polling locations, besides patrolling parties, flying squads and striking reserves. PCR units were actively patrolling their areas to ensure rapid response and maintain order. He said every Assembly constituency was being supervised by a Deputy Commissioner of Police or Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in order to thwart any untoward incident. Only 9 per cent of the voters exercised their right to vote during the first two hours of voting. By 3 pm, the District Election Office reported that voting percentage had increased to 39 per cent. Though the final figures regarding poll percentage would be released at a later stage, district officials stated that nearly 50 per cent people cast their vote. In comparison, local bodies in rural areas witnessed a better voting percentage. At the Baba Bakala nagar panchayat, 61 per cent polling was recorded. At the Majitha nagar council, 60.85 percentage was witnessed while the Ajnala nagar panchayat saw the highest polling of 78.84 per cent. — TNS VISHAL KUMAR also erected. Apart from installing poll-related information and to encourage the voters with special needs, the staff had assistive devices to help them. “We have made all kinds of security arrangements,” she said. At the Rajasansi nagar panchayat, a pink booth was set up. SDM, Lopoke, Gur Simran Kaur said most of the votes of women are registered at this booth, hence this booth was declared a pink booth. The SDM also inspected the booths set up at Lopoke and instructed the staff to report for duty on time. Tribune News Service Residents were confused about polling booths as the administration shifted locations of some booths in Amritsar on Saturday. Amritsar, December 21 A positive side of the civic body polls that were held across the district today was that for a change, the city roads seemed clear of traffic snarls. A holiday was declared in all schools and colleges, educational and other institutions and government offices due to the elections, resulting in city roads being clear of traffic jams that have otherwise become a familiar problem. Encroachments on roads and footpaths by vendors and shopkeepers choke streets while busy routes like Novelty Chowk, Lawrence road and Putlighar road have become a VISHAL KUMAR With clear roads, MC polls bring respite from traffic jams Robbers loot ~3.96L from bank Owing to the civic body elections, many roads remained almost empty in Amritsar on Saturday. daily nightmare for the commuters. The interior areas of the city like Katra Jaimal Singh, Telephone Exchange, Katra Sher Singh, Hall Bazaar and Shastri Market remained clear for traffic movement throughout the day today due to poll diversion. c m y b Voters who had exercised their franchise were seen enjoying a day out with families, thronging popular eateries. “It is not usually possible to access narrow lanes of the walled city on regular days due to traffic jams, but today, thankfully, we have ample parking space and a breather on roads,” shared Vishal Kumar, who took his family out for a ‘chana-poori’ breakfast at the famous Kanha sweets. The GT road stretch from the railway station till Khalsa College, which has become notorious for traffic jams every day, also seemed clear with people out for a drive with friends and family today. Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 21 Two unidentified armed miscreants looted ~3.96 lakh from the HDFC bank branch at Nawa Pind located on Mehta road in Jandiala here on Friday. The robbery took place despite the fact that the police were on alert in view of the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Council elections to be held on Saturday. Though the police have registered a case in this connection, it was yet to make any breakthrough with the cops being busy with poll duty. However, police officials said the accused would be arrested soon. HAD COVERED THEIR FACES ■ Vikas Kalia, branch manager, HDFC bank, told the police that at around 11.37 am, two persons, one of whom appeared to be a Sikh and the other with shorn hair, entered the bank. They had covered their faces. The accused took out a revolver and pointed at the cashier, threatening to shoot him. They decamped with ~3.96 lakh from the bank. Vikas Kalia, branch manager, HDFC bank, told the police that at around 11.37 am, two persons, one of whom appeared to be a Sikh and the other with shorn hair, entered the bank. They had covered their faces. The accused took out a revolver and pointed at the cashier, threatening to shoot him. They decamped with Rs 3.96 lakh from the bank. The police said a case under Section 309 (2) of BNS and under provisions of the Arms Act has been registered in this regard. “The police was scanning footage from the CCTV cameras in the area to find clues about the perpetrators. The CCTV cameras at the bank were also being analysed,” said Investigating Officer ASI Rashpal Singh. He said the accused would be arrested soon.