MODI TO ADDRESS TWO RAllIES IN PUNJAB
Chandigarh: Taking the campaigning to the next level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two rallies in Punjab in favour of SAD-BJP combine. The two rallies will be held in Jalandhar and ludhiana. “Modi will be in Jalandhar on January 27, and in ludhiana, he will address another rally on January 29,” said state BJP Secretary, Vineet Joshi. Besides Modi, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP general secretary Ramlal will also address a rally in Jalandhar on January 22.
KAlIA’S AIDE JIMMY KAlIA JOINS CONGress
Jalandhar: In a ‘triple’ setback to BJP’s candidate from Jalandhar Central and former cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia, his close confidant Shekhar (Jimmy) Kalia on Thursday joined the Congress at Amritsar. Jimmy Kalia is not only close relative of Manoranjan Kalia, but also used to be known as his “right hand” managing all affairs of the BJP leader during 2012 assembly polls. Apart from Jimmy Kalia, an independent councillor of Rama Mandi area, falling under Jalandhar Central constituency, Mandeep Jassal, also switched his loyalty towards Congress. Interestingly, Manoranjan Kalia had recently engineered Jassal’s entry in BJP.
AAP AllEGES SAD-BJP GOVT OF IGNORING PENSIONERS, EMPlOYEES’ DEMANDS
Chandigarh: AAP’s Pensioner’s Wing chief Jagdev Singh Garcha on Thursday alleged SAD-BJP government of ignoring genuine demands of state’s employees and pensioners. “Total 3.5 lakhs pensioners and 4.25 lakhs government employees had to suffer because of the anti-employee policies of Badal government,” he said. Garcha said the central government had implemented revised scales from January 1, 2016, but Punjab government denied to do so. “Despite of appointing chairman of pay commission, the commission is still unable to start its work of implementation,” he added. AAP leader said that Punjab government promised to release 10 percent dearness allowance (DA) of January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2014, in January but no initiative has been made in this regard yet. “The employees are not even given raised DA of 25 months,” he said.
INFlOW OF AAP TO CONGRESS VINDICATES THAT BOTH ARE MIXED-UP: SAD
Chandigarh: SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra on Thursday said that Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh has let the cat out of bag when he claimed of an influx of AAP cadre and its leaders to the Congress in run up to the polls. Taking a dig at Amarinder’s claim at Amritsar that 2,500 AAP workers, including founding members, were joining Congress, Chandumajra said that all those who were on deputation to AAP in Punjab were now returning to the parent party. “There is no reason to gloat over this inflow to party-fold as the Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin with both interested in grabbing power and not in serving people,” he said while dubbing AAP as B-team of Congress. “In Delhi, Congress had not only supported AAP government but Congress had shifted its vote bank to AAP in previous assembly polls to ensure AAP victory…It is not without reason that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did not move against his predecessor Sheila Dixit though he had threatened to put her behind bars on assuming power again,” he added.
MORE JOIN CONGRESS
Amritsar: In a big push to Congress poll campaign, around four dozen leaders from the SAD, BJP and AAP joined the party on Thursday in the presence of state unit president Capt Amarinder Singh, who said that the joining would further strengthen the party ahead of the assembly polls just two weeks away. Among those who joined the party was Krishan Sharma, who had been associated with BJP and RSS for four decades before quitting the party in 2014 to contest the lok Sabha election from Amritsar as Nav Bharat Democratic party candidate. AAP’s Majha media in-charge Gurbhej Singh along with several other AAP leaders also joined Congress.
AMARINDER CREATES IMAGINARY
FEARS, FIGHT WITH THEM: SIRSA
Chandigarh: SAD spokesman and Adviser to Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday said that Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh should offer an unconditional public apology to SAD chief Sukhbir Badal who had alleged that Nabha jailbreak was part of his strategy to create terrorist violence and also spread fear psychosis amongst voters close to polls. “Main kingpin Kuljeet Singh, alias Neeta Deol was arrested on Tuesday from Indore on the specific information provided by Punjab Police…It is now abundantly clear that Amarinder’s allegations are totally baseless, unfounded, unsubstantiated and unadulterated flight of his devilish mind,” Sirsa averred. Notably, Capt Amarinder had expressed apprehension of revival of militancy in the state and also argued that Sukhbir Badal would use the services of escaped gangsters to create chaos confusion and violence in run upto elections. “Obviously, the arrest of jail-escapees demolishes Amarinder’s apprehensions and proves beyond doubt that he had been creating ghosts in airs and fighting with them,” said Sirsa adding that to gain political mileage, Amarinder can stoop so low, even to the extent of compromising national interest too.
CONG’S SIDHU PROMISES MOHAlI’S All-AROUND DEVElOPMENT
Mohali: Focusing his election campaign in Mohali town, Congress’s candidate Balbir Sidhu on Thrusday said that after coming to power, his party will turn Mohali into a model city. “We have certain plans and ideas to turn Mohali a town that can be an example for others,” said Sidhu, while shared Congress’ poll manifesto with shopkeepers besides discussing their problems.