News Analysis India

Tag: Punjab Polls 2022

  • ‘Thoko Thoko, Ruko!! Zoor k Thoko!’: Amarinder mocks Sidhu after Channi declared Congress CM face for Punjab

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress has taken a jibe at Congress’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu after Charanjit Singh Channi was declared the chief ministerial candidate for the assembly polls.

    Using a hashtag ‘#CurtainsForSidhu’ on its Twitter handle, it shared a picture in which Gandhi, Sidhu, Channi and Sunil Jakhar held each other’s hands and raised them in the air.

    However, the face of Sidhu got covered accidentally for a few seconds because of his shawl.

    “A picture is worth a thousand words,” said the PLC in a tweet on Sunday.

    Further mocking Sidhu, the PLC said, “Thoko Thoko, Ruko!! Zoor k Thoko!,” a reference to Sidhu’s penchant of saying “Thoko Tali”.

    Before the announcement of the CM face, Sidhu had said in a tweet, “Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision”.

    “Warm welcome to our leading light Rahul Ji, who comes to give clarity to Punjab. All will abide by his decision !!!”.

    To this, the PLC replied, “You won’t.”

    Singh was removed from the post of the chief minister by the Congress last September and later he floated his own party.

    The PLC is fighting the February 20 Punjab assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

  • AAP leaders want to loot Punjab, alleges CM Charanjit Singh Channi

    By PTI

    LUDHIANA: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday attacked the AAP, alleging that its leaders have come from Delhi to “loot” Punjab.

    He also hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, saying how can he call himself an ‘aam aadmi’ (common man) while staying in expensive hotels whenever he visits Punjab for the February 20 state assembly elections.

    Addressing a virtual rally here, Channi, who was declared as the Congress’ chief ministerial face by party leader Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the AAP gave tickets to at least 40 people who were denied a ticket by other parties.

    “What kind of change do they want to bring here? They have come here to loot Punjab,” alleged Channi.

    “How can Kejriwal be an ‘aam aadmi’? He stays in big hotels here, lives in big houses in Delhi. The Delhi chief minister draws the highest salary among all chef ministers in the country,” he claimed.

    Channi accused the AAP of spending Rs 500 crore on advertisements in Punjab.

    “From where did this money come? Did (AAP leader) Bhagwant Mann have so much money? They got the money after looting Delhi and tomorrow they will loot Punjab,” he further alleged.

    Attacking Mann, who is the AAP’s chief ministerial candidate, Channi said he was a “proxy”.

    “There is a big difference between running a stage and the state,” said Channi as he took a swipe at the comedian-turned-politician Mann.

    Channi said 700 farmers laid down their lives during farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws and put the blame on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

    “Who is responsible for this? It is the BJP government and SAD, which cleared the farm ordinances as well as the AAP government which notified (one) farm law. Now, they seek votes here,” said Channi.

    Addressing the event, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said he was never after any post during his 17-year-long political career and stressed that he wanted to improve the lives of people.

    Hailing Gandhi’s leadership, Sidhu said it was he who appointed a Dalit chief minister in Punjab.

    “Today, Punjab needs new foundations. Keep Sidhu as the first brick of that foundation,” he said pointing towards Gandhi.

    Sidhu said if he remained the Punjab Congress chief, then the posts of chairman of various boards and corporations will be given to party workers and not MLAs.

    “I will resign the day such a post is given to somebody else (than a party worker). Workers are the backbone of the party,” he said.

    Earlier, former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar alleged that the SAD, BJP and AAP are hand-in-glove and their aim was to grab power.

    “Even after 700 farmers sacrificing their lives people don’t understand that all three parties are hand-in-glove, then I would feel the farmers’ sacrifice went in vain,” said Jakhar.

    On the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political front of farmer unions, fighting the upcoming polls, Jakhar said if the organisation’s decision to contest benefits the AAP, SAD or BJP in a direct or indirect way, the families of the 700 farmers will never forgive them.

    Hailing Gandhi’s leadership, he said a leader is known by his courage of conviction and there aren’t many leaders around who dare to do what they say.

    “Who made Channi CM? It is Rahul. It is a historic decision of your political career that you made an ordinary person from the Scheduled Castes community the chief minister,” Jakhar said, pointing towards Gandhi.

    “I am a mere party worker and whatever I am is because of the party. Whatever decision you take, we are with you,” Jakhar said in his speech before Gandhi announced Channi as the party’s chief ministerial candidate.

  • Punjab polls: BJP questions Rahul Gandhi’s locus standi to name Congress CM face

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The BJP on Sunday questioned the locus standi of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to announce his party’s chief ministerial face for the Punjab Assembly polls, saying he doesn’t hold any position in the party right now.

    Rahul Gandhi on Sunday arrived in Ludhiana for a virtual rally and he will announce the chief ministerial face of the party.

    “Rahul Gandhi does not hold any position in the party so in what capacity and authority will he be announcing the party’s CM candidate today,” Union Minister for Jal Shakti and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat asked in a statement.

    While choosing the CM candidate is indeed the party’s prerogative but people of Punjab would like to know what authority Gandhi has in the party right now, other than being one of the 50-odd MPs belonging to the Congress, he said.

    Shekhawat said Gandhi had resigned as the Congress president in 2019 in the aftermath of the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

    His only qualification now is that he possesses the surname “Gandhi” surname, he said.

    The union minister also criticised the Congress for excluding from the CM race Sunil Jakhar “just because he belonged to a particular religion”.

    “The Congress party owes an explanation not only to the people of Punjab but the country as a whole, as to why Mr Jakhar was not considered for the CM’s position,” said Shekhawat.

    Sunil Jakhar had claimed recently that 42 MLAs wanted him to be the chief minister of the state after the unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh last year.

    Jakhar could be heard saying this in a video, which had surfaced online, while addressing a gathering in Abohar on Tuesday.

  • All will abide by Rahul Gandhi’s decision, says Sidhu ahead of announcement of Congress CM face

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Ahead of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls, state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday said everybody will abide by his decision.

    Gandhi arrived in Ludhiana on Sunday to hold a virtual rally and announce the chief ministerial face of the party.

    “Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision “.

    “Warm welcome to our leading light Rahul Ji, who comes to give clarity to Punjab. All will abide by his decision !!!” Sidhu said in a tweet.

    Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi are the main contenders for the chief ministerial candidate.

    Both have assured Gandhi they will stand by the party’s decision.

    Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Punjab needs a chief ministerial face who can lead the state to a prosperous future.

    “Punjab today needs a face that can lead Punjab to a prosperous and bright future, and today shri @RahulGandhi ji is coming to Punjab to announce that face. We welcome them on their arrival in Punjab,” Randhawa said.

    During his last visit to Punjab on January 27, Gandhi announced at a virtual rally in Ludhiana that the Congress will soon declare its chief ministerial candidate and a decision on it will be taken after consulting party workers.

    Besides taking feedback from its leaders and workers, the Congress sought the opinion of the public on who should be its chief ministerial candidate through an automated call system.

    On Saturday, Sidhu, without naming any party, had said that a face would decide whether 60 candidates are elected as MLAs or not.

    He also stressed that only a person who has a roadmap for Punjab and who enjoys people’s trust can ensure that 60 contestants get elected as legislators.

    Elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly will be held on February 20.

    The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

  • SAD is the only party with a strong presence across Punjab: Sukhbir Singh Badal

    By Express News Service

    After snapping ties with the BJP at the Centre and in Punjab over the contentious farm laws, the Shiromani Akali Dal has tied up with BSP in the upcoming Assembly poll in the agrarian state. Talking to Harpreet Bajwa, party president and former deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal says his party alone has a strong presence across all three regions of the state.

    How many seats do you think the SAD-BSP alliance will win? Will you be able to form next government?

    I think the SAD is being vastly underestimated. This is mainly because of the monopolisation of poll surveys by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP is misusing its Rs 850-crore advertising budget to influence voters. There is a groundswell for the pro-people, especially social welfare, policies of the SAD and we are confident of winning 75 seats.

    Reports from the ground suggest your party has improved a lot during the last one month. What has led to this?

    One is the complete crumbling of Congress. It tried to befool people by effecting a change in guard. However, its Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been completely exposed as a man who has not only misused the SC card but also engaged in corruption. Similarly the AAP is being viewed as a party of outsiders, which is actually doing its utmost to install Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister of the state.

    It is perceived that the main fight in the Assembly election is between the Congress, SAD and AAP?

    This varies from region to region. SAD alone has a strong presence across the state. The AAP is concentrated only in three districts in the Malwa belt where it is the main contender along with the SAD. It is totally absent in Doaba and Majha regions. Similarly, Congress is putting up a fight only in the Doaba belt.

    What is your strategy considering that you were badly bruised in the last Assembly polls?

    Contrary to this impression, I would like to say that the SAD’s core base remained intact even during the last election even though a crucial drop of 5 to 6 percentage points cost us the chance to form the government. We lost because the people believed Captain Amarinder Singh when he said he would waive off all loans. His false promise cost us dear.

    The issue of sacrilege is again haunting your party as in the last polls? The Congress has managed to resurrect the issue just before the election.

    As I said earlier, it was the false promises of the Congress party, including the assurance of ghar ghar naukari, which cost us dear. As far as the issue of sacrilege is concerned, it has now come back to haunt the Congress. The party is being accused of failing to give justice to the Sikh community by punishing those behind the heinous acts of sacrilege. The party is also being accused of politicising the issue and also failing to nab the culprits responsible for acts of sacrilege during its tenure. We have all seen how the Congress government failed to take any effective action in the case of sacrilege at Sri Darbar Sahib recently.

    How much of a setback do you think the drug case registered against Bikram Majithia will prove to the party? Has it not hurt your party in the game of perception in these polls?

    Far from causing any setback, the SAD and its cadre have been charged up following registration of the vendetta-fuelled case against Majithia. It is the cadre who wanted Majithia to be fielded against state Congress president Navjot Sidhu from Amritsar East. The SAD is on the upswing as our cadre is firm on taking Sidhu and the Congress to task for registering a false case against Majithia.

    Will the SC card played by Congress by appointing Charanjit Singh Channi as CM impact the SAD-BSP alliance?

    We need to examine Channi’s track record on issues of Scheduled Castes first. He was part of the cabinet that denied SC students their scholarships. He did not say a word against the SC scholarship scam. He did not resist the deletion of blue cards of BPL families. He has never stood up to fight for the rights of Dalits. He can never emerge as their champion now.

    INTERVIEW | Our numbers will not come down, says Charanjit Singh Channi

    What is your take on the alliance between the BJP, Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanykut)?

    Zero plus zero plus zero will always be zero.

    With farmers forming a front and fighting the polls, does your party foresee any dent in your predominantly rural vote bank?

    You will see the results yourself. All Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SSM) candidates will bite the dust. The support received by the SSM was on account of the resentment against the farm laws. It was never for the formation of a political outfit.

    Why should people vote for SAD-BSP alliance?

    The SAD has its own track record. The state became power surplus during our tenure. We laid out a modern road network. We created air connectivity. All social welfare benefits being received by the under-privileged were given to them by Parkash Singh Badal. We simultaneously took everyone along and ensured peace and communal harmony. All this has been torn asunder by the Congress government.

    You have been in alliance with the BJP for a long time. In a scenario where no party gets a majority, will the SAD have a post-poll arrangement with the BJP to form the government and keep Congress and AAP out of the arena?

    There is no such move as of now. We don’t think such an eventuality will arise as the SAD-BSP alliance will form the government on its own strength.

    Has SAD returned to Panthic politics (Panth is an expression for Sikh religious community) as senior and old-time leaders have re-joined the party? You are also being credited with turning Akali Dal, a Panthic party, into a Punjabi party?

    The SAD has always been a Panthic party and a Punjabi party. This is because we have safeguarded both Panthic ideals and also stood by Punjabiat. Even now, if you see, we have fielded the most number of candidates from the Hindu community even as we maintain our Panthic identity.

    Who will be the CM face of the SAD-BSP alliance?

    The party core committee has decided to nominate me for this post.

    ALSO READ | Badals own tractors, Sukhbir has horses and weapons

    If voted to power, as you promised earlier, will an SC person be the deputy chief minister?

    Yes, the party has not only taken a decision to have a person from the Scheduled Caste as deputy chief minister but a person from the Hindu community will also be made the deputy CM.

    What is your take on the raids by the Enforcement Directorate on Chief Minister Channi’s nephew, Bhupinder Singh Honey?

    Corruption done by Channi is out in the open. The CM had been protecting his nephew Honey by even posting security personnel from the CM’s security detail with him. Honey was working at the CM’s behest. All this has been exposed now.

    In 2017, Congress declared Captain Amarinder Singh as the CM face just a week before the polls and it worked to its benefit. Suppose Congress announces the CM face this time too, how will it impact your party?

    A: Nothing can save the Congress party. Even Rahul Gandhi understands this. Severe infighting has led to the complete collapse of the ruling party. 

  • Punjab polls: Rahul likely to announce CM face of Congress during virtual rally in Ludhiana

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party for the upcoming Punjab assembly elections during his virtual rally in Ludhiana on February 6.

    A video has gone viral in which Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is heard telling this to his supporters during an election meeting at Chamkaur Sahib. “I will be with Rahul Gandhi at a virtual rally in Ludhiana on February 6 and there he is expected to make the announcement of the CM face,” he said.

    He told them to watch the virtual rally and accordingly make arrangements. This video went viral.

    This would be Rahul’s second visit to Punjab after the announcement of the assembly elections after his earlier visit to Amritsar and Jalandhar. In the virtual rally in Jalandhar, he declared that at the request of both Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi, a CM face will be announced soon.

    Following this, the Congress has started taking feedback from workers and voters on who should be the party’s CM face. A pre-recorded message through the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) is being sent out to mobile numbers of voters across the state, saying, “Sat Sri Akal Ji. I’m calling on behalf of AICC, New Delhi. We are seeking your feedback for the choice of the candidate for the post of Punjab Chief Minister; Press 1 after the beep for Charanjit Singh Channi; Press 2 for Navjot Singh Sidhu; Press 3 if you feel the Congress should go without a CM face.”

    The party has already got approximately 52 lakh responses from voters through the IVRS system till date. Also, feedback is being taken from district presidents, block presidents, party candidates, AICC coordinators and survey teams spread across the 117 assembly seats, said sources.

    Both Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu have, directly or indirectly, made a case for themselves to be declared as the party’s candidate for the top post.

  • Denied ticket, Channi critic and Punjab Congress leader Jagmohan Kang joins AAP

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Upset over denial of party ticket from the Kharar Assembly segment, senior Congress leader and former Punjab minister Jagmohan Singh Kang on Tuesday joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

    Kang along with his two sons Yadwindra Singh Kang and Amrinder Singh Kang joined Arvind Kejriwal’s party.

    “Disenchanted with Punjab Congress- Jagmohan Singh Kang Saab, 3 time cabinet minister and MLA joins AAP along with his sons & Youth Congress leaders Yadavindra & Amrinder. @ArvindKejriwal ji enrolls them into the party. AAP Punjab is going strength to strength with each passing day,” AAP leader and party’s Punjab’s co-incharge Raghav Chadha in a tweet.

    The Congress gave the party ticket from Kharar seat in Mohali district to Vijay Sharma.

    Kang had been blaming Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for allegedly opposing his candidature from this seat.

    Ever since the Congress denied him the ticket, Kang had been threatening that his son Yadwindra Singh Kang would contest as an Independent from the Kharar seat.

    Kang had been the minister for Animal Husbandry, dairy development and fisheries in the Amarinder Singh-led government in 2002-07.

    Voting for Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats will be held on February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.

    Meanwhile, AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Monday said Punjab governor B L Purohit has asked the state police chief to probe into the alleged illegal sand mining racket in the state.

    He said Governor Purohit ordered a high-level probe after an Aam Aadmi Party delegation recently submitted a memorandum to him, seeking his intervention for the registration of an FIR in the “multi-layered illegal sand mining racket” in the state.

    The Punjab unit of AAP welcomes Governor Purohit’s decision, Chadha told reporters here.

    The governor has ordered the Punjab director general of police to conduct a high-level inquiry in the allegations of illegal sand mining, he said.

    In a communication addressed to Punjab DGP V K Bhawra, the governor principal secretary J M Balamurugan, wrote, “I am directed by the Hon’ble Governor to forward a representation dated January 24 submitted by Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab.”

    “I am directed to request you to have an investigation done on this matter at the highest level. Action taken on this matter may kindly be intimated to this office,” Balamurugan wrote to the DGP.

    This communication was shared by the AAP with the media here.

    Chadha, meanwhile, appealed to the DGP and Punjab Police not to come under any kind of political pressure and register an FIR in the matter after conducting a fair and independent investigation into the whole matter.

    Chadha said, “We had already exposed the sand mafia in Chamkaur Sahib, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Channi”.

    He said the AAP will be keeping an eye on the investigation by the Punjab Police as it is a very serious matter.

    He also targeted Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the Enforcement Directorate’s recent seizure of cash amounting to over Rs 10 crore, including about Rs 8 crore from a relative of the CM, during raids conducted by the central agency during a probe into an anti-money laundering case against illegal sand-mining operators in the poll-bound state.

    Channi has categorically denied having any link with his relative’s case and accused the political opponents of running a “slanderous and misleading” campaign against him.

    “When people of Chamkaur Sahib were seeking answers to the illegal sand mining, Channi ji went to Bhadaur to contest the polls from the second seat. But we want to tell him that our party candidate will win from Chamkaur Sahib and Channi will be defeated by the AAP nominee from Bhadaur as well,” he said.

    Chadha said people will not make those victorious from whose relative crores of rupees were seized by the ED.

    “If during 111 days of CM’s tenure, crores are seized from one relative, he cannot wash his hands from this. These are the people who looted Punjab and that is why we are seeking one chance from people to bring an honest government to power and strengthen the hands of AAP,” he said.

    Replying to a question on Punjab Congress president, Chadha claimed, “Navjot Sidhu’s sole aim is to become the chief minister, he is not concerned about the welfare of people of Punjab.”

    Verbal duel breaks out between Sidhu, Amarinder

    Punjab Lok Congress chief Amaridner Singh Monday predicted an “abysmal” defeat for Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East, saying the Punjab Congress chief won from this seat in the past only with the support of the BJP.

    He also dubbed as a “farce”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s announcement that the party’s chief ministerial face will be decided with inputs from the ground.

    After filing his nomination papers from Patiala Urban and inaugurating his party office in the city, Singh termed “ridiculous” Sidhu’s charge that he was behind the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) fielding Bikram Singh Majithia against the state Congress chief.

    “I am not Majithia’s uncle,” said the PLC leader, adding that with 38 per cent of the voters in Amritsar East being Hindus and 32 per cent SCs, Sidhu’s defeat was certain.

    The BJP, as part of the alliance with PLC and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), has fielded a strong candidate from the constituency, he added.

    The SAD has fielded Majithia from Amritsar East seat from where Sidhu is seeking re-election in the February 20 state assembly polls.

    On Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Congress would announce its chief ministerial candidate in the state after taking inputs from the ground, Singh said this was just “theatrics”.

    He pointed out that as per procedure, the people elect their MLAs and then the Congress Legislature Party decide on the chief minister.

    “So all this talk is just drama.”

    During a virtual rally in Jalandhar a few days ago, Gandhi had said the Congress would go to the Punjab assembly polls with a CM face which would be declared after taking inputs from party workers.

    On farmers’ decision to contest the upcoming assembly polls, Singh said it was their right to do so.

    Singh said he had always personally always supported farmers, and pointed out that his government had announced jobs and Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the farmers who died during the agitation against the farm laws.

    He exuded confidence that the PLC-BJP-SAD Sanyukt alliance will form the next government in Punjab He said the decision to allow some of the PLC candidates to contest on the BJP symbol was taken keeping in mind the voter demographics.

    While four PLC candidates will contest on the BJP poll symbol in urban segments, two will fight on PLC symbol in the rural constituencies, he said in the party statement.

    According to the seat sharing arrangement, the BJP is fighting on 65 seats, PLC on 37 and SAD (Sanyukt) on 15.

  • Punjab Polls: Charanjit Singh Channi has assets worth Rs 9.44 crore

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has assets worth Rs 9.44 crore, according to his poll affidavit filed on Monday.

    Channi on Monday filed his nomination papers from Bhadaur seat in Barnala district. The Congress has fielded Channi from two Assembly segments, the other being Chamkaur Sahib.

    According to his election affidavit, Channi (58) owns an SUV, Toyota Fortuner, worth Rs 32.57 lakh while his wife, who is a doctor, has two vehicles worth Rs 45.99 lakh.

    Channi, who is the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab, has shown his moveable and immoveable assets, including those of wife, worth Rs 2.62 crore and Rs 6.82 crore, respectively.

    He has agricultural, non-agricultural land and commercial property at Kharar in Mohali and Rupnagar, according to his affidavit.

    ALSO READ: Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi files nomination papers from Bhadaur, says he has come to constituency like Sudama

    There is one residential house with 14,062 square feet of area in Morinda in Channi’s name and another residential property with 13,500 square feet of area at Kharar in Mohali in his wife’s name, as per the affidavit.

    Both Channi and his wife’s total liabilities, including a car loan, stand at Rs 88.35 lakh, as per his affidavit.

    Channi has declared his total income at Rs 27.84 lakh for 2020-21. Channi has declared business as his profession.

    He has done BA, LLB from Panjab University, and MBA from Punjab Technical University and is now pursuing PhD from the PU, Chandigarh.

    Channi, who replaced Amarinder Singh last year, is the first chief minister of Punjab from the Scheduled Castes community.

  • Punjab polls: Amarinder’s assets worth Rs 63.73 crore

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A farmhouse in Mohali’s Siswan, ancestral Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala, diamond and gold jewellery are among the total assets worth Rs 68.73 crore declared by former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh during the filing of his papers for the Assembly polls here.

    Singh was accompanied by BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat during the submission of his papers from the Patiala Urban seat.

    According to his affidavit, Singh owns moveable assets worth Rs 10.42 crore. He owns immovable assets worth 58.31 crores. The 79-year-old scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family has no vehicle in his name.

    He declared gold jewellery, including diamonds, worth Rs 51. 68 lakh while his wife has gold jewellery worth Rs 37.75 lakh. He has shown agricultural and non-agricultural land in Haridwar, Shimla, and Mohali.

    Singh, under his Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) category, has declared Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala, an inherited property, having a market value of Rs 35 crore and a farmhouse in Mohali’s Siswan worth Rs 12.50 crore.

    ALSO READ: Punjab polls: Bhagwant Mann has assets worth 1.97 crore; Sidhu declares properties worth near 45 crore

    He also declared total liabilities of Rs 9.26 crore. He declared his total income at Rs 39.99 lakh for 2020-21.

    Singh served as the chief minister of Punjab twice. But he could not complete his last tenure as the Congress unseated him from the post of the chief minister in September last year amid a bitter power tussle with Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu.

    Voting for Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats will be held on February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.

  • COVID-19: Election Commission to review ban on physical rallies, roadshows on Monday

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI:: The Election Commission of India will hold a review meeting on Monday regarding the continuation of the ban on physical rallies and roadshows in view of the upcoming assembly elections.

    Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra will meet Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan today. The ECI will also meet with Health Secretaries and Chief Secretaries of poll-bound states virtually. Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Election Commission of India on January 22 extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 31.

    The Election commission had put a ban on election rallies and roadshows until January 15 first and later extended till January 22. The poll body had on January 22 gave relaxation for physical public meetings of political parties or contesting candidates for Phase 1 allowed from January 28 and for Phase 2 from February 1.

    As on date, the limit of five persons for door to door campaign is 10 persons, excluding security personnel and video vans for publicity permitted at designated open spaces with COVID restrictions.

    Assembly elections in five states will be held between February 10 and March 7, the Election Commission of India informed earlier this month, as it announced the poll schedule for the states of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.