13062025-LT-01.qxd 6/13/2025 1:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CYCLING BECOMES DAILY FITNESS REGIME FOR MANY SADIA KHATEEB PLAYS UZMA IN ‘THE DIPLOMAT’ PANCHAYAT 4: SACHIV JI AND MANJU DEVI ARE BACK! Cycling is now witnessing an unprecedented resurgence as a preferred fitness activity. P3 Sadia says real-life story shook her so badly that it took her a month and her parents’ support to begin healing.P4 Prime Video has released the trailer for Panchayat Season 4, confirming its worldwide premiere on June 24. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 45°C | MIN 31°C YESTERDAY MAX 45°C | MIN 31°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.25 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:21 AM FRIDAY | 13 JUNE 2025 | LUDHIANA West byelection: A fierce contest amid shifting political dominance Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 12 Over the past four decades, the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency has witnessed nine electoral contests, reflecting a dynamic and competitive political landscape. While several parties have claimed victories during the period, the Indian National Congress (INC) has emerged as the most successful, securing the seat on six occasions. However, the recent elections have seen a shift in voter preferences with the rise of new political contenders. The West constituency came into being in 1977 and the first seat was won by Janata Party’s A Vishwanathan with 53.3 per cent votes. In 1980, the seat was won by Joginder Pal Pandey from the INC with 51.5 per cent votes. INC candidate Harnam Das Johar managed to secure the seat in 1985 with 46.2 per cent votes and in 1992 with 45.4 per cent votes. In 1997, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Maheshinder Grewal won the seat with a 55.2 per cent vote share followed by INC’s Harnam Das Johar again in 2002, who secured victory with a 52.9 per cent vote share. In 2007, SAD’s Harish Rai Dhanda managed to win the seat by bagging 57 per cent votes. In 2012, Bharat Bhushan Ashu strengthened the Over the past four decades, Ludhiana West has witnessed nine electoral contests. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN CONG WON LUDHIANA WEST SIX TIMES While several parties have claimed victories during the past four decades in the Ludhiana West segment, the Indian National Congress has emerged as the most successful, securing the seat on six occasions. INC’s position by winning the seat with an increased vote share of 62.8 per cent. However, in the 2017 elections, Ashu’s victory came with a slight dip in voter support, as he secured 54.4 per cent of the vote share but was still enough to maintain Congress’ stronghold in the constituency. The Ludhiana West segment witnessed a significant shift in voter preference during the 2022 Assembly elections. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who had previously maintained dominance, saw his vote share dropped drastically to 28.3 per cent. The Aam Aadmi Party candidate, Gurpreet Gogi, secured victory with 34.8 per cent of the vote share — a number that, while enough for a win, did not cross the halfway mark of the total votes cast. With the seat now vacant following the untimely demise of Gogi, all eyes are on Ashu, who has been presented with a rare second chance to reclaim his Sukhbir seeks votes to strengthen regional party Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 12 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Thursday sought votes for his party’s nominee in the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency to strengthen the regional party. Campaigning for Parupkar Singh Ghuman for the June 19 bypoll, he said: “Only a regional party can fulfil aspirations of Punjabis and resolve pending issues, besides providing people-centric governance. Parties from Delhi only exploit Punjab.” Training guns on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the previous Congress governments in the state, he accused them of acting like the erstwhile East India Company. The SAD supremo said the Ludhiana West byelection has given voters an Sukhbir Badal meets voters during campaigning in Ludhiana. opportunity to take the AAP government to task and begin its ouster from the state. “Punjab had never suffered so much...the law and order situation has reached such an alarming stage that businessmen are opting to invest in other states as extortions and targeted killings have become the norm,” he said. Reminding the people of the previous SAD regimes in the state, Sukhbir said: “Our guiding philosophy is ‘sarbat da bhala’. We value and respect each community.” He also invoked his late father and five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to remind the voters about developments undertaken during the previous governments led by him. position. The question remains — will he be able to bring the Congress back to power in Ludhiana West and secure what could have been his third electoral win? “In the previous Assembly elections, a decisive shift in voter sentiments was seen and there was a wave against conventional political parties, which propelled the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to victory. Unlike a direct rejection of the Congress alone, the electorate expressed discontent with established political forces, which led to AAP winning with absolute majority. Now, after three years, people have seen the working of BJP leaders mourn death of Vijay Rupani Ludhiana, June 12 The news of former Gujarat CM and Punjab BJP in-charge Vijay Rupani’s death in a plane crash today came as a shocker for all in the city as two days ago, he campaigned in the Ludhiana West assembly segment. A condolence meeting was held at the BJP office in Model Town Extension, where party leaders prayed for peace for the departed souls and shared cherished memories of their leader. BJP district president Rajneesh Dhiman said: “This is a huge loss for his family, the party, and society as he was a noble individual.” Ludhiana West bypoll incharge Avinash Rai Khanna said: “We were both members of the RS and since we were working in Punjab, we developed a close bond.” The BJP cancelled all outdoor events scheduled for the evening due to the unfortunate incident. — TNS the AAP government and they now want a change,” said Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in power in the state, the party is making every effort to secure a win in the Ludhiana West byelection and aims to retain the seat left vacant after the demise of Gogi. AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora, who is also the Rajya Sabha MP is banking on his , track record and development initiatives to secure public support. “The Halwara international airport project, upgrade of the Civil Hospital and the ESI Hospital and the construction of four major bridges over the Sidhwan Canal are some of the works undertaken by me and I am confident that my work resonates with the people,” Arora said. Despite Ludhiana West being a clear-cut urban constituency, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to secure a victory here. The party has contested the past two Assembly elections independently, without an ally, but has struggled to break the dominance of rival parties in the region.In the 2002 Assembly elections, the BJP garnered 18.5 per cent of the vote share. By 2022, the party had managed to increase its vote share percentage to 24.2 per cent. Ashu symbol of arrogance, Arora of humility, choice is clear, says Kang Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 12 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu, urging the people of Ludhiana West segment to reject his arrogance and embrace the humility and service-driven approach of AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora. In a statement, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang accused Ashu of creating an environment of fear and intimidation during his tenure as MLA and minister. Kang said Ashu’s behaviour had made him a symbol of arrogance and power abuse. “Ashu’s language such as threatening to ‘crush’ officials and his public humiliation of a female district education official in front of schoolchildren and teachers, has left the people of the city fearful of his return to power,” he said. Contrasting Ashu’s record with Arora, Kang said, “On one side, you have a man whose arrogance has alienated not only the public but also his own party workers while on the other side, Arora represents humility, accessibility and a genuine will to serve. The latter is a businessman from a humble background, entering politics solely to work for the betterment of the city.” Kang also pointed to allegations of corruption and abuse of power against Ashu, saying: “This is not an opinion, it is a matter of public record. The media has extensively reported Ashu’s intimidation of police officials and govern- MP Malvinder Kang addresses mediapersons in Ludhiana. ment officials and even Congress workers. His character is that of a bully, unfit to represent the people of Ludhiana West.” The AAP leader appealed to voters to choose wisely in the byelection, saying: “AAP stands for a clean, honest and accountable government. Arora’s record as a Rajya Sabha MP and his dedication to public service demonstrate his commitment to resolving real issues of people.” Kang appealed to the voters: “This election is not only about electing an MLA, its about choosing between fear and trust, between arrogance and service. Ashu had his chance but he squandered it with his overbearing behaviour. Ludhiana West deserves better and Arora is the better choice.” The AAP leader also pointed out Ashu’s desperate attempts at apology to save the face now. “The people of Ludhiana West know Ashu’s arrogance too well. They will not be misled by his sudden change of heart during the election season. This time, they will vote for progress, humility and integrity,” concluded Kang. Meanwhile, Baljinder Kaur, MLA from Talwandi Sabo, addressed a poll meeting on Thursday in support of AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora, who is contesting the Ludhiana (West) Assembly byelection. In her speech, she highlighted achievements of the AAPled state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. She said the government had been fulfilling promises made to the people and described its policies as “pro-people” and “proindustry.” She mentioned that she has been campaigning in Ludhiana (West) for the past 10 days and had received overwhelmingly positive feedback about Arora. “The people say Arora is a grounded, honest, and dedicated leader. He is the most deserving candidate,” she said. Recalling the contribution of late MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, she said the people of the constituency had supported him wholeheartedly. After his untimely demise, AAP’s senior leadership chose Arora as the party candidate, she noted. “I am confident the voters will extend the same support to Arora, who has proven his commitment to development over the past three years,” she added. Kejriwal, Mann did not attend Kabir Jayanti govt event in Jalandhar: Channi Tribune News Service udhiana, June 12 Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal have failed to keep their promise of making a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister. Says they returned after inaugurating park three km away from venue Residents wear T-shirts bearing 'Satyamev Jayate' in favour of Cong candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu in South City. “Not only this, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal did not even participate in programmes organised in the memory of Dalit Gurus. An example of the same is the absence of the two leaders in a government programme organised on Kabir Jayanti in Jalandhar on Wednesday. Kejriwal and Mann spent time in the factory of their rich friend after inaugurating a park, which was located about 3 km away from the Kabir Jayanti event venue. They were also scheduled to attend the government event,” he said. He said Kabir Bhawan was constructed during the Congress regime at a cost of Rs 12 crore. The present government did not even pay attention to the cleaning of the sarovar. It was not using the machinery made available for the water body by the Congress govern- ment at Bhagwan Valmiki Teerth in Amritsar after spending crores of rupees. “When I was the CM in the then Congress government, I had given a cheque for Rs 25 crore to the Dera Sachkhand Ballan management for a study centre of Guru Ravidas’ words at Dera Ballan, the holy place of Guru Ravidas, which was taken back by Kejriwal,” he said. Later, , Kejriwal and Mann again went to the dera to present the same cheque. But the amount of Rs 25 crore has not been released to Dera Ballan till date. Before the Assembly elections, votes were sought by filling forms, promising to give Rs 1,000 per month to women as per Kejriwal’s guarantee but even after 40 months, women have not received a single rupee. A meeting was held in favour of Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a group of people from the Ludhiana West constituency in South City. Wearing T-shirts bearing ‘Satyamev Jayate’, they gave a message to vote for truth. Ashu, while discussing about entering the election fray on the slogan of ‘Satyamev Jayate’, said votes could be obtained by doing politics of lies, by misleading voters for some time but lies do not last long. The time of those who misled people in 2022 and played politics on the basis of lies is now over. Punjab lags behind due to non-implementation of Central schemes: Puri One died, another feared Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 12 While listing 11 years achievements of the NDA government at the Centre, Union minister for Petroleum and Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that Punjab was lagging behind while other states and country are progressing at a high pace due to Central Government policies, whereas Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government was not implementing people-centric schemes of the Centre. Puri emphasised that while India has made significant strides in development, including advancements in the space sector, Punjab has not fully benefitted from central welfare programmes. He attributed it to the AAP government’s purported nonimplementation of these initiatives, citing the Ayushman Bharat Healthcare programme as a regrettable example. “All Central schemes are available throughout the country,” Puri noted, “but if these aren’t implemented in states like Punjab, it’s a matter of deep regret.” Minister Puri also highlighted the Narendra Modiled government’s achievements over the past 11 years, focusing on India’s substantial economic progress. Earlier, Avinash Rai Khanna, former state president of the BJP came to the city to campaign for party candidate Jiwan Gupta. Khanna while addressing a press meet attacked the ruling AAP for not keeping its poll promises made in 2022 Assembly elections. Khanna said crores of rupees of public money have been spent on advertisements. Women of Punjab were promised monthly financial aid of Rs1,000 by AAP , which was still unfulfilled. c m y b drowned in Sutlej Canal Our Correspondent Minister Hardeep Puri addresses the media. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, June 12 A youth of Baiyewal village in Koom Kalan died due to drowning in the Sutlej Canal and his companion was feared drowned when the duo, along with two other friends, went for swimming in the canal on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Shubpreet Singh (29) while Gurmeet Singh was feared drowned. The duo along with two other friends had gone for swimming in the canal in the afternoon. Gurmeet reportedly started drowning when in an effort to rescue him, Shubpreet Singh also lost control.