Lambi: Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has questioned the intention of the Aam Aadmi Party and cautioned people to stay vigil to protect communal harmony of the state.

Pointing out at the upcoming SGPC elections, Badal said, “These people will interfere in these elections as well and don’t fall into trap otherwise there will be a photo of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the Gurudwara Sahibs.”

He said the Shiromani Akali Dal is the party which has been standing with the people from time to time and fighting for the rights of the panth for ages.

Badal said that AAP has shown its ture colours already that outsider from Delhi will Governor the Punjab as AAP government sending names of two Delhi members for Rajya Sabha members from Punjab.

Badal has been on thanksgiving visits to the villages of his constituency Lambi after the results of the recently held elections. Today, he paid a grateful visit to the villages of Chak Middu Khera, Vadingkheda, Bhullar Wala Hakuwala and Middukhera villages of the constituency. Addressing in different villages, he said, “Victory and defeat is part of the life but I have a family relationship with this constituency.”

The post Don’t fall into trap of AAP in SGPC elections or else there will be Kejriwal’s photo in Gurudwaras: Badal appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

MOHALI: In yet another set back for senior Akali leader Bikram Majithia, the Mohali court has sent Majithia to judicial custody till March 22.

Majithia, who is facing charges in a drug case, had moved a bail application but the court has extended the remand after the arguments of the lawyers.

Majithia, who had earlier approached the court, said that such false cases could not break his morale.

“The Congress government tried its best to break him as they did not want me to contest the elections. The truth will prevail and this case is just political vendetta to malign my image,” he told media.

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New Delhi: Several exit polls ahead of results forecast a clear majority for Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab and BJP in Uttar Pradesh for BJP while predicted mixed results in Uttarakhand.

According to CNN News 18, News X and Republic TV, BJP-NDA will get 200-270 seats in UP while main opponent SP led alliance to get 119 to 160 seats. CNN News predicted 262-277 seats for BJP while SP allies 199 to 134 seats in the 403 assembly seats state.

Most of them predicted a clear majority for AAP in Punjab predicting 76-90 seats in the 117-member assembly.

Almost all the exit polls predicted that AAP will get majority and Congress to settle on second spot in Punjab.

Similarly, exit polls predicted a clear majority for BJP in Goa.

Votes will be counted on March 10.

The post Exit Polls: BJP set to win UP, AAP to form govt in Punjab appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

CHANDIGARH: Polling for Punjab Assembly Elections on Sunday ended peacefully with 71.95 % of the total 2.14 crores voters in the state turned out to exercise their franchise. He said of total 15469618 persons who have casted votes, there were 8133930 Males and 7335406 Females, while 282 were Transgenders/Others.

Giving the final details here on Monday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr S Karuna Raju said that of total 117 constituencies of the state, Gidderbaha remained at the top with highest polling percentage 84.93%, followed by Talwandi Sabo (83.70%) and Sardulgarh (83.64%), while Amritsar West (55.40%), Ludhiana South (59.04%) and Amritsar Central (59.19%) constituencies have witnessed lowest voting percentage.

He said that scrutiny reports of all the 23 districts have been received at the Office of Chief Electoral Officer.

He said that over 23 tonnes of COVID waste, which includes PPE Kits, face masks, hand gloves, face shields etc, was generated from 24740 Polling Stations on polling day in the State. The waste was collected and disposed off with the help of District Nodal Officers of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) appointed in each district in an environmentally sound manner, he added.

On Law & Order situation, Dr Raju said that some minor poll related incidents witnessed in the state and a total of 33 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered on day of polling to avert any untoward incidents. Of total 33 FIRs, 10 were related Minor Clashes, 16 of violation of prohibitory orders, three of poll related offences, three of other cases and one was related to Firing Incident.

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Chandigarh: Accused driver involved in collision with Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu’s car, leading to his death, has been granted bail by the Kharkhoda court in Haryana on Friday.

The court granted bail to truck driver Qasim, who was arrested in connection with Sidhu’s death in a road accident on KMP Expressway in Sonipat, was produced before the court by the Kharkhauda police on Friday. The police sought a two-day remand, but the court released him on bail.

On Tuesday, Punjabi artist Sidhu’s Scorpio car, who was on his way to Punjab with his girlfriend Reena Rai, travelling from Delhi via Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway, collided with a trolley near Pipli toll. Deep Sidhu died in the accident.

The police had registered a case against the the driver on the statement of his brother Mandeep Singh, a resident of Jagjit Nagar in Ludhiana, Punjab. The driver of the trolley, who was on the run since the incident, was arrested by Kharkhauda police from Delhi bypass on Thursday night. The accused has said that he was on his way from Kandhla in Gujarat to Muzaffarnagar in UP.

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Jalandhar: Former president of JNU Students’ Council and star campaigner of Congress, Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday said that BJP and Aam Aadmi Party have always done politics on religion, while Congress has made sacrifices to uphold the unity and integrity of the country.

Addressing an election rally in Alawalpur today in favour of Congress party candidate from Adampur constituency Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, he said that inflation, unemployment in India is increasing but instead of improving fiscal condition of the country, BJP is creating divisions among the people in the name of religion.

He said the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and Akali Dal are talking about bringing about a change in Punjab, while the Congress government has already laid the foundation for change by making Charanjit Singh Channi, born in a poor family, the Chief Minister of Punjab.

He said Kejriwal used to talk about health and education earlier, but now he too is doing politics on religion.

“Kejriwal’s is in cahoots with BJP and even his speech was written by BJP people,”

Kanhaiya said alleging that BJP and AAP working together in Punjab.

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Chandigarh: Five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal lashed out at Congress and Aam Aadmi Party during a rally at his home turf Lambi constituency.

He, however, did not speak a single word against Bharatiya Janata Party, SAD’s former alliance partner in Punjab.

Badal, 94, who is the oldest candidate in the fray in the country, said that political opportunists are contesting the elections and they are eager to turn Punjab into an open political mandi.

Claiming that around 62 candidates of Congress and AAP padty were defectors and they had neither commitment nor integrity, therefore, he called people to not elect them.

Badal dared both Congress and AAP to just name one issue which, Akali Dal did not fulfil during its governance in Punjab.

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Chandigarh: Following political parties and media have broadcasted a video statement of former AAP leader and famous poet Kumar Viswas, Election Commission of India has issued advisory to media not to publish ANI video of him as he leveled serious allegations on AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal ahead of Punjab elections.

CEO Punjab Dr Karuna S Raju issued a order asking media, politicians to not broadcast or use clip of Viswas and an appropriate action would be taken against them in case of violation.

The commission in its order said that the video being played is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and is against the directions of the Election Commission. The ECI took this step after the Aam Aadmi Party lodged a complaint in this regard stating the content inflammatory.

The post Ban on telecast of Kumar Vishwas’s statement, EC says it violates code of conduct appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh: With Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 are around the corner, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr S Karuna Raju on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with all the Returning Officers (ROs) of the state to review the checklist for Polling Stations and Dispatch Centre.

During the meeting, Dr S Karuna Raju directed all the officers to ensure that appropriate arrangements be made at each polling station, as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India.

CEO directed officials to ensure all the COVID-19 material including Mask, Gloves, PPE, Soaps, Thermometer, Sanitizer etc are available at every polling station and there should be COVID dustbins placed at booths. He also asked ROs to ensure that web cameras are working in all the polling booths.

He asked ROs to identify 5-10 volunteers for facilitating PwDs and elderly people at the Polling booths. He asked them to install selfie points and Muscat Shera at all the Polling booths.

“Give a warm welcome to Young voters, who are casting their vote for the first time by giving them certificates or flowers. He asked to ensure pick and drop facilitiy to Elderly and PwD voters,” he directed the officers.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer also instructed to use eco-friendly material such as paper glass, paper plates and eco-friendly plastic flexes etc. during the ensuing Vidhan Sabha Polls as per directions of Election Commission of India and Kerala high court’s decision.

He also ordered to use good quality public address system during disbursal of poll parties and collection of polled EVMs and give utmost hustle free environment to women staff.

Dr S Karuna Raju asked ROs to take Special care of Women staff and provide them drop facilitiy in case they gets free in late evening.

He asked the officials that the names of all the polling stations and booths should be clearly readable and ensure the cleanliness in the toilets besides providing safe drinking water to the electors.

He also asked them to ensure all the EVM carrying vehicles are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS).

The post Flowers, certificates to first time voters, Selfie points at booths to attract more voters in Punjab appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh: In Punjab Assembly Elections, the one force that exert a significant influence on voters are religious sects & deras.

The political heat in the state is at its peak ahead of the Punjab assembly elections. All political parties are using all sorts of tricks to woo the voters. Apart from other aspect, the caste equations in Punjab, there is as much dominance of deras, which have millions of followers and plays a vital role in vote bank in polls.

Leaving no stone unturned, all political leaders are making a bee line to meet and seek blessings of Dera leaders before elections.

Similarly, dera sacha sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim getting a 21-day parole is crucial as it has a massive vote bank in Malwa religion, likewise, recently, PM Narendra Modi had met the head of Radha Swami Dera, which has a strong base in Doaba and Majha.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also visited the Dera of Baba Ashutosh, popularly known as Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, to meet the dera organisers. He was recently seen spending the night at Dera Balla in Jalandhar. The dera has a good influence in the vicinity of Nakodar, Jalandhar and Nurmahal.

Recently, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had visited Sach Khand Ballan Dera of the Ravidassia community in Jalandhar. He also visited Sant Pritam Dass Dera Babe Jaure in Raipur Rasoolpur village of Jalandhar district.

On the same pattern, Akali Dal and AAP leaders have been making all efforts to get the dera supports as Arvind Kejriwal and SAD Sukhbir Badal had also visited various Deras to meet them.

Deras domination in Punjab

There are six such deras in Punjab, which not only have millions of followers but also have a political clout. In Punjab, a quarter of the population supports to some dera or the other.  These deras are – Dera Sacha Sauda, Radha Swami Satsang Beas, Nurmahal Dera (Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan), Sant Nirankari Mission, Namdhari Sect and Dera Sachkhand Ballan. These deras are extremely influential and have their influence in 68 assembly segments during elections.

While there are 30-35 seats where they can make and spoil the game of a candidate, the population of Punjab is 2.98 crore. Of these, there are about 53 lakh voters who believe in deras.

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