Activists of political parties clash at Samana in Patiala district
CHANDIGARH: Over 71% voters in Punjab exercised their franchise on Sunday, amid incidents of violence at few places and allegations of rigging as well as booth capturing, to elect 400 members for eight municipal corporations and 1,902 for 109 municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
The counting of votes polled in 4,102 polling booths of total 2,302 wards across 22 districts of the state would be held on February 17.
The fate of a total number of 9,222 candidates in the fray was sealed in nearly 7,000 EVMs, with Mansa district recording the highest 82.99% polling, followed by Bathinda (79%) and Sangrur (77.39%). Mohali district recorded the lowest polling at 60.08%. Total 39,15,280 voters, including 20,49,777 males, 18,65,354 females, and 149 transgenders were eligible for voting in municipal bodies elections.
Troops and officers of 3 Kumaon (Rifles) and 70 Brigade Commander, RK Shivrain with war-like stores of killers of Wandhama Pandits. Pic: HQs, 70 Infantry Brigade
CHANDIGARH: As you read the newspaper this morning, 23 years back to the time a bloody battle was on in the high snows of the Kashmir valley. The blood of seven terrorists, including a Pakistan Army regular, was seeping into the ivory snows of Safapora, outside their cave hideouts blasted by infantry’s 84-millimetre Carl Gustav rocket launchers. The crack team of 3 Kumaon and 9 Dogra had released Russian-made special incendiary munitions deep into the recesses of snow and rock, and any terrorist who fled the ‘crematory fire’ was nailed by the troops who slithered and slid down the slopes in hot pursuit. The souls of 23 Kashmiri Pandits slaughtered by this Harkat-ul-Ansar gang 19 days ago on January 25, 1998, had found partial peace.
Sukhbir Singh Badal
The February 14 local body elections in Punjab, to be held amid the ongoing farm protests against the three central farm laws, would be a litmus test for the political parties ahead of the legislative assembly elections early next year. SAD president and Ferozepur MP Sukhbir Singh Badal shares his views with Sanjeev Verma on the Republic Day farmers’ tractor rally incidents in Delhi and elections to municipal bodies .
When the Union government has refused to repeal the three contentious agri laws, do you think farmers should agree to its offer of putting these laws on hold for the next 18 months?
Representative image
MOHALI: Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested two gangsters and recovered two pistols, live cartridges and magazines from their possession.
Derabassi deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurbakshish Singh Mann said, “Harmanjit Singh, 25, and Arun Sarwan, 23, residents of Moga, were arrested on January 30 and taken in police remand. On Thursday, the court extended their police remand.”
Cops have recovered an automatic pistol and two live cartridges from Harmanjit. A semi-automatic pistol, three magazines and three live cartridges were recovered from Arun.
The DSP said, “During interrogation, the duo revealed that they were to sell these firearms to some people in Mohali, but they are not revealing their names. We, however, suspect that they were hired to carry out unrest in the district during the election days.” During investigation, police learned that cases were registered against them in Moga on charges of attempt to murder, extortion, ki