New Delhi, The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Akali Dal emerged big winners Tuesday, with one poised to govern Uttar Pradesh and the other breaking a four-decade jinx to retain power in Punjab, leaving national parties BJP and Congress to count their losses despite wins in two of the five states. Two ruling parties ousted, two holding on to power despite the odds and a neck and neck race in a fifth state - it was a confused electoral pastiche as millions of votes were counted for elections held in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. It was the biggest popularity test since the 2009 general elections. Punjab was set to go back to the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine, which survived anti-incumbency to emerge winner with leads in 63 seats against the Congress' 51 in the 117-member house. In Manipur, the Congress overcame the anti-incumbency to sweep the polls. However, the Congress government in Goa prepared to make way for BJP rule. In Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) faced defeat with trends indicating that it would get just 88 of the 403 seats, leaving the SP triumphant with a stunning mandate of 214 seats. The ...
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Chandigarh, Shiromani Akali Dal is all set to create history in Punjab. The party, along with its ally BJP, is cruising to victory, bucking anti-incumbency for the first time in the state's electoral history. The winning streak began early on Tuesday, and by 2 pm, SAD (32) and BJP (11) had together bagged 43 seats to Congress' 33. SAD was leading in 21 seats and Congress in 16. Around 2 pm, CM Parkash Singh Badal's media adviser Harcharan Bains addressed the media at Badal's home in Lambi, saying: "In the next few hours, SAD is going to emerge as the single largest party. We are on the verge of breaking 45-year-old record." The members of the Badal family, however, still chose to remain confined in the house and not make a public apperanace. Rebel Manpreet Badal Punjab has been rejected by the electorate of the state losing both his seats, including Gidderbaha, a seat he has been winning for four terms. The Congress' biggest blow came from what is considered its forte, the Doaba region of Punjab, which has a huge Dalit base. Mayawati may not have retained her magic in Uttar Pradesh but Punjab's Dalit belt has rejected the Congress that has lost in a number of seats and ...
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Chandigarh, January 24 (DNS)- War against drugs in Punjab has started showing encouraging results as this border state alone accounted for 60 per cent of country’s total seizures made under the NDPS Act during the past six months. Recoveries have only been a tip of the iceberg as the malaise has penetrated the state much deeper. How many of those arrested with contrabands are convicted will depend upon judicial scrutiny of all these seizure cases. Interestingly, spurt in seizures followed announcement of a performance-appraisal system by the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, a couple of months ago. And many of the enterprising district police chiefs were quick to get on the bandwagon of those trying to impress the new Home Minister with huge seizures that till a few months ago were a rarity. Otherwise, not many of serious cases of heinous crime have been solved that expeditiously as have been the narcotics smuggling cases. Though aberrations and wrongful projections of performances may not be ruled out in the race to capture special cash prizes given to outstanding performers, there has been a considerable change in the attitude of the police towards drug ...
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Amritsar, December 30 (Doaba News Service)-Several Sikh organisations here today collectively requested Akal Takht and the SGPC to convene a Sikh conclave to discuss the proposed amendments to the Nanakshahi calendar before a taking final decision on the issue. The Dal Khalsa, the Akhand Kirtani Jatha International, the DSGMC, the Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), the Sikh Students Federation, the Sikh Youth of Punjab, the Akal Federation and the Shiromani Panthic Council in a joint statement said the calendar was a valuable asset of the community. It would send the wrong message to the Sikh masses if it was unilaterally amended at this stage. Leaders of these groups, including Paramjit Singh Sarna, Manjit Singh Calcutta, Satnam Singh, Kanwarpal Singh, Harpal Singh Cheema, Parmjit Singh Gazi, Rajinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Mann and Baldev Singh claimed that SGPC chief Avtar Singh was playing a “partisan role” and accused him of being a puppet in the hands of his political masters. They said the SAD leadership was hell bent on hurting the sentiments of the Sikhs in order to gain votes. They said amendments to the calendar were uncalled ...
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