After weeks of campaigning and mudslinging, the big guns of Punjab Politics — former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, State Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, sitting Sangrur MP and the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal — officially entered the fray for 2014 lok Sabha polls.
Besides, sitting MlA Pawan Kumar Tinu too filed his nomination papers as SAD-BJP combine candidate from Jalandhar reserved constituency.In all, 25 nominations were filed on the third day of nomination process that started on April 2. With this, the figure of nominations till date has touched 45. Estranged nephew of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet Badal, who is contesting from Bathinda as Congress-PPP alliance candidate, too filed his nomination papers from Bathinda against his sister-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal — the sitting MP. Interestingly, he filed the papers on the Congress symbol — the hand.
Initially, Manpreet had made it clear that he would contest the polls in alliance with the Congress only on the party’s poll symbol — the kite. Considering technical hiccups and keeping in view the connection people’s failure to make connect with the Congress and kite, he could not get the ‘kite’ symbol, and finally has to contest on Congress symbol.
APRIl 10 DEClARED HOlIDAY IN Govt OFFICES IN ut
Punjab Government on Friday notified public holiday for the employees, registered as voter in Chandigarh and Haryana, on April 10 in all Government offices, boards or corporations and educational institutions of Punjab Government located in Chandigarh on account of General Elections. Haryana and Chandigarh are going to poll on April 10.
In another order, Punjab Government has declared a public holiday on April 30 in the State — applicable to all Government offices in State of Punjab located in Punjab and Chandigarh, all offices, boards, corporations of State Government located in Punjab and at Chandigarh and all educational institutions within the State of Punjab.
ECI BANS EXIT, opinion POllS
As per the ECI directions, there shall be restriction on conduct of any exit poll and publication and dissemination of result of such exit poll from April 7 (7 am) to May 12 (6 pm). Besides, the opinion polls have also been banned in Punjab before 48 hours from the time of voting on April 30.
RECORD haul OF DRUGS, lIQUOR WORTH Rs345 CRore
After imposition of Code of Conduct, a record seizure of drugs including synthetic drugs and liquor of worth Rs345 crore has been seized in the State. These includes 12,693 kilos of poppy husk (Rs2.53 crore), 68.35 kilos of heroin (Rs340.17 crore), 109.82 kilos of opium (Rs50 lakh) and 1,540 gms cocaine (Rs10.78 lakh). “The flying squad or static surveillance teams have check cash of Rs2.55 crore out of which Rs4.48 lakh have been seized,” said Additional Chief Electoral Officer B Purushartha.