News Analysis India

Tag: Punjab Polls 2022

  • Power tariff slashed by Rs 3 per unit in Punjab months ahead of assembly elections

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet on Monday decided to slash power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, a move which comes just months ahead of the Assembly polls and will put a burden of Rs 3,316 crore per year on the exchequer.

    The announcement was made by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi after the Cabinet meeting.

    “We are reducing power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers,” said Channi addressing the media here.

    It is a “big Diwali gift” for people, he said, adding that the decision will come into effect immediately.

    He said according to a survey conducted by his government, people wanted quality and cheap power.

    Punjab is going to the Assembly polls early next year.

    [Live] Announcing a Historic Decision for the Welfare, Progress and Prosperity for the People of Punjab, during a Press Conference at Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh. https://t.co/vBmNaN5P6I
    — Charanjit S Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) November 1, 2021

  • ‘Trade sector will gain if AAP wins in Punjab’: Kejriwal ahead of polls

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal lashing out at the rampant corruption, crime and mafia rule in Punjab, announced that if the party is voted to power in the state in the upcoming assembly elections, the state will be freed from criminals, goons, corruption and inspector raj. 

    The AAP government will be responsible for the safety of every trader and businessmen.

    While addressing the ‘Vyapariyan te Karobariyan nal Kejriwal di galbaat’ programme, Kejriwal made two big announcements for businessmen as he said that after the formation of the AAP government,  the responsibility for the security of every trader would be the government’s. Stop being afraid and start planning for business and industry development now, he said.

    He also announced that like Delhi, they will give an honest government in Punjab as well. Kejriwal appealed to the people of Punjab, “Punjab has given a lot of opportunities to the Congress, Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government in the state, now give the Aam Aadmi Party a chance.”

    Kejriwal sought the cooperation of the traders and businessmen and appealed to the entire business community to become partners. He said that like other parties, we don’t take money from the traders but seek cooperation and share in the government. 

    Kejriwal promised to eradicate crime, corruption and inspector raj in Punjab. He said that in Punjab there was a need for business to flourish so that youth could get employment.

    Therefore a safe environment free from crime and corruption would be created in Punjab. Kejriwal questioned the traders, “What is the ‘jojo’ tax? Why don’t the police take action against the goons?”

    Criticizing the Congress government, Kejriwal said it was easy to imitate the people, but difficult to implement; because CM Charanjit Singh, after seeing the AAP government’s works, announced the abolition of inspector raj, participation of traders and provision of facilities to industries, but did not implement them.

    He alleged that the state government had neither good intentions nor a good policy. Due to this about 2,700 hotels were closed and thousands of industries moved out of Punjab.

    At the paprty’s event, AAP Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann said, “The established governments in the country consider traders, arhtiyas and industrialists as thieves, while they are the ones who pay the highest taxes.” 

  • ‘Nawan Punjab BJP De Naal’: Saffron party to contest all seats, ready for tie-up

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  The BJP will contest all 117 seats in Punjab in assembly elections for which as the party has given a new slogan – ‘Nawan Punjab BJP De Naal’ (A new Punjab with BJP). The party is open to seat sharing if Amarinder Singh floats his new outfit. 

    The party has repeated its stand that it is ready to have a dialogue with the protesting farmers as it claims that they have been “misguided for vested political interests”.

    The BJP’s Punjab in-charge and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday sought to clear his stand on the question of alliance with Amarinder.

    “As of now Amarinder has said he is ready for seat sharing, so let him respond. My party’s parliamentary board will decide on it,” Shekhawat said.

    “We will welcome all those who accept our ideology,” he said, claiming the party will form the next government in the state.

    He said the Congress state unit was a divided house and that in the last six months,over 5,000 people from other parties have joined the BJP in Punjab. Shekhawat said the BJP will give due political recognition to all segments in the state. He accused the other parties of lacking any vision for the prosperity of the state. “The voters will reject them.”

    On the farmers’ agitation, he said the government put the new agricultural laws on hold for 18 months.

    “Even now we are ready for talks as our intentions to address the issue can never be doubted. Our doors are always open,” he said.

    On expanding the BSF jurisdiction, Shekhawat said national security was beyond compromise.

    The incidents of drug smuggling and drones carrying weapons had increased manifold. Amarinder had raised the issue a number of times with Home Minister Amit Shah. 

    “The special assembly session called on November 8 by CM Charanjit Singh Channi on the BSF jurisdiction is a ploy to divert the attention of the public from key issues,” he said.

  • Shiromani Akali Dal​ announces four more candidates for 2022 Punjab Assembly polls

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced on Tuesday four more candidates for the Punjab assembly polls to be held next year, taking the total number of names announced so far to 74.

    Baldev Singh Mann has been fielded from Sunam while Harpal Juneja will contest from Patiala Urban seat, said senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema.

    Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Gobind Singh Longwal will be fielded from Lehra and Hardev Singh Megh from the Balluana assembly segment.

    The SAD had in June allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for elections to the 117-member Punjab assembly.

    According to the seat-sharing arrangement, the Mayawati-led BSP will fight in 20 of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab, while the rest will be contested by the SAD.

  • Punjab will be free from stubble burning if AAP comes to power in state, says Gopal Rai

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said Punjab, which generates around 20 million tonnes of paddy straw annually, will become free from stubble burning if the Aam Aadmi Party forms government in the state.

    Assembly election in Punjab is slated for early next year.

    Rai said Delhi has provided a solution to the problem of stubble burning in the form of microbial solution Pusa bio-decomposer and it will be distributed for free in all Punjab districts like the AAP government has been doing here.

    “Punjab will become free from stubble burning if AAP forms a government in the state. We will rope in the district administrations in Punjab and spray Pusa bio-decomposer in fields for free like we have been doing in Delhi,” Rai said.

    “It’s not so tough (spraying bio-decomposer on lakhs of acres of land). You only need the willpower to do it. We will do it positively,” he asserted.

    This won’t be as expensive as other measures being taken for crop residue management, the minister added.

    Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh attract attention during the paddy harvesting season between October 15 and November 15 as farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and potato.

    It is one of the main reasons for the alarming spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR.

    Despite a ban on stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, farmers continue to defy it as there is a short window between harvesting paddy and sowing wheat.

    The high cost of manual or mechanical management of straw is a major reason why farmers choose to burn stubble.

    On October 5, the Delhi government started spraying Pusa bio-decomposer, a microbial solution that can turn stubble into manure, over 4,300 acres belonging to 844 farmers in Delhi.

    Last year, 310 farmers had used it on 1,935 acres of land.

    In Punjab, paddy is cultivated on 2.814 million hectares of land.

    According to officials, UP is using the bio-decomposer in 10 lakh acres of area, Punjab in five lakh acres and Haryana in one lakh acre of land.

  • Shiromani Akali Dal flays CM Channi, Congress leaders for chartered flight to Delhi

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Taking a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s claim of “aam aadmi sarkar”, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday questioned the use of a chartered flight to Delhi by him and his deputies.

    Channi, his two deputies and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday flew to Delhi in a chartered flight to hold discussions over the new state Cabinet with the party’s central leadership, according to sources.

    Slamming the Congress leaders, the SAD in a tweet said, “After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 kms from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used?”

    ​ALSO READ | Channi, Sidhu to be faces for Punjab polls, says Congress amidst fresh firefighting

    “Or is this chest thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi family’s Delhi darbar culture,” the party tweeted.

    In Delhi, the Congress leaders are expected to meet AICC general secretary Harish Rawat and other party leaders for deliberations on cabinet expansion, said party sources.

    Sidhu uploaded a photo of him in which he was seen with Channi and Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa beside a chartered plane.

    “In line of duty !!,” Sidhu tweeted.

  • Charanjit Singh Channi to be next CM of Punjab, Capt Amarinder offers ‘best wishes’

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Congress’ Dalit face Charanjit Singh Channi was elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab on Sunday and will be the next chief minister, succeeding Amarinder Singh who resigned a day ago following a bitter power tussle in the party.

    AICC general secretary Harish Rawat said in a tweet, “”It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab.” 

    Channi (58), a minister in the outgoing Amarinder Singh cabinet, comes from the Dalit community. Channi’s selection assumes significance as the dissension-riven Congress faces the Assembly polls in less than five months.

    The BJP had earlier announced that if voted to power in Punjab, it will make a Dalit the chief minister, while the SAD, which is fighting the coming polls in alliance with the BSP, had said that its Deputy Chief Minister would be from the Dalit community.

    Channi met the Punjab Governor and staked claim to form government, sources said, adding that Rawat and the party’s central observers Ajay Maken and Harish Chaudhary accompanied him.

    Charanjit Singh Channi will be new Punjab Chief Minister of Punjab he is elected as new CLP leader#Pb @Newindianxpress, @TheMornStandard, @gsvasu_TNIE, @khogensingh1
    — Harpreet Singh Bajwa (@Harpreet_TNIE) September 19, 2021
    Amarinder Singh said he hopes that Channi is able to keep the border state of Punjab safe. “My best wishes to Charanjit Singh Channi. I hope he’s able to keep the border state of Punjab safe and protect our people from the growing security threat from across the border,” he said.

    Earlier, senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was said to be the frontrunner for the post.

    However, after Channi’s name was announced, Randhawa said, “I welcome the decision of the party high command.” Another senior leader, Brahm Mohindra, too welcomed the election of Channi, who is considered close to state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

    Early in the day, hectic talks were held to finalise the name of new leader of the CLP, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned as the chief minister amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu.

    Rawat, Maken and Harish Chaudhary who have been camping at a hotel here held discussions with the MLAs and took their feedback. 

  • Protesting farmers misread my statement, says CM Amarinder Singh

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  A day after farmers unions took umbrage to his suggestion that protesters move out of Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said it was unfortunate that the agitators gave a political twist to his statement without understanding the misery they were wreaking on the commoners. He said the farmers’ leaders statement against him, despite his government’s support to their cause, was uncalled for.

    Reacting to Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s criticism, Amarinder said they had misinterpreted his appeal and linked it to the upcoming Assembly polls. “The Congress government and the people of Punjab have stood with the farmers on the issue of the farm laws. It is sad they are now suffering due to the continued protests of the farming community across the state,” he added.

    He asserted there was no question of trying to split the farmers of Punjab and Haryana, all of whom were equal victims of the apathy of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the neighbouring state. “My government, in contrast, has not only firmly supported the farmers’ fight against the farm laws but has even brought in amendment Bills in the Assembly to mitigate their adverse impact,” he pointed out, adding those Bills had, unfortunately, not been forwarded by the Governor to the President for assent.

    Pointing out that the farmers’ fight was against the BJP, which was solely responsible for thrusting the anti-farmer legislations on Punjab and other states, Amarinder said inconveniencing the people of Punjab was not justified in the circumstances. He rejected the Morcha’s claims that there was no paralysis of the government in Punjab due to the farmers’ protests, pointing out it was not the Adanis or the Ambanis whose interests were being hurt but the common people and the economy.

    The Adanis’ assets in Punjab were a miniscule 0.8% of their total assets, and the presence of the Reliance Group stood at a nominal 0.1%, Amarinder observed, adding the losses caused to these industries in the state were too minor to be of any concern. “It is the people who are suffering due to the disruption of services as a result of the protests,” he said. He said already the situation is becoming serious on the grain storage and procurement fronts due to the agitation, with lifting of the stocks by the FCI and state agencies getting obstructed.

  • BJP inducts ex-prez Giani Zail Singh’s grandson Inderjeet ahead of Punjab polls

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: In line with the drive to enlist new Sikh leadership ahead of the Punjab polls next year, the BJP on Monday inducted Inderjeet Singh, grandson of the former President Giani Zail Singh.  With its former ally Shiromani Akali Dal bracing up to contest in the alliance with the BSP, the BJP is looking for candidates who can contest from rural areas of the state. BJP national general secretary Dushyant Gautam, the party in-charge for Punjab, inducted Singh in the party. 

    Singh hails from Ramgarhiya sub-caste, which is said to have strong presence in a few pockets of Punjab. He told reporters that he has fulfilled the aspirations of the former president and added that the Congress hadn’t treated his grandfather well. “My grandfather wanted me to join the BJP. He had introduced me to L K Advani.” 

    Gautam claimed that the BJP has a special place in the hearts of people of Punjab.  The BJP, incidentally, is facing the farmers’ anger in Punjab over the enactment of the three contentious farm laws. The farmers’ unions have also intensified their protests which have been going on for the past nine months. The BJP, however, hopes to build the party campaign on pro-farmer measures, including DBT of funds. 

  • Shiromani Akali Dal announces 64 candidates for Punjab polls 2022

    By Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal announced 64 candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections on Monday, becoming the first political party to do so in the poll-bound state.

    In a statement, the SAD said Sukhbir Singh Badal will contest from Jalalabad,  Tota Singh from Dharmot, Janmeja Singh Sekhon from Zira, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema from Ropar, Maheshinder Singh Grewal from Ludhiana West, Sikander Singh Maluka from Rampura Phul, Jagmeet Brar from Maur, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon from Sahnewal and Gulzar Singh Ranike will contest from Attari. Anil Joshi, a former BJP leader who joined the party recently, is candidate from Amritsar (North).

    While party president Sukhbir Badal will contest from Jalalabad, his father and party patron Parkash Singh Badal does not figure in the list. The party has not announced any candidate from Lambi from where he is a sitting MLA.

    “Our party president had already announced 22 candidates earlier in the last few months. With this list, we have decided 64 candidates. The remaining 33 candidates will be declared in the coming months,’’ said party spokesman Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema. “As we have an alliance with the BSP, our party will fight on 97 seats and the BSP will contest in the remaining 20 seats.” Cheema added that new faces were given tickets apart from the sitting MLAs. “People from across the society have been accommodated in the list.”