The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Tension in Ajnala on poll-eve

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Other States

Other States - Punjab

Tension in Ajnala on poll-eve

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, FEB. 22. Tension was running high today in the Ajnala constituency of Punjab where polling for the Assembly by-election is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday). Amid charges and counter-charges, the Amritsar police filed a case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code against senior Akali leader and legislator Vir Singh Lopoke.

Mr. Lopoke, who represents the neighbouring Raja Sansi constituency, along with three others, was charged in an incident in which his gunman allegedly fired from his automatic weapon, injuring a Congress supporter, Sardul Singh, in Jasraroor village late last night. Mr. Lopoke claimed that Congress workers attacked them when they attempted to prevent them from distributing cash to purchase votes.

On the other hand, Congress legislator, Jasbir Singh Gill, alleged that Congress workers were attacked by a group of Akalis led by Mr. Lopoke, when the former tried to oppose their attempt to bribe the voters and terrorise Congress supporters in the village. Intervention by senior police officers helped to pacify agitated Akali workers at Talwandi village, who picketed the local police station. They charged that the police had attempted to abduct one of their local workers at the instance of a Congress leader.

Through a statement here, the Chief Electoral Officer, G.S. Cheema, claimed to have made all arrangements to ensure a free, fair and peaceful poll. He said that 131 of the total 143 polling booths had been declared sensitive. All the presiding officers and 50 percent polling officers were drawn from the Central Government services.

Mr. Cheema said that to supervise 1,49,856 voters exercise their right to franchise the Election Commission had appointed two observers and deployed about 1000 security personnel drawn from the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Rajasthan Home Guards.

Meanwhile, according to a party release, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) claimed to have successfully defied the orders of the Amritsar District Magistrate banning the entry of outsiders into Ajnala constituency. It explained that the action was resorted to in a peaceful and democratic gesture of resistance, aimed at delivering a strong message on the eve of polling that the Akalis would not submit to the alleged high handedness by the ruling Congress party.

The release said that the SAD president and former Chief Minster Parkash Singh Badal led the Akali charge this morning, declaring the District Magistrate's action as "illegal and highly prejudiced'' as ministers and other leading lights of the ruling party "along with their goons'', made a mockery of the orders by freely moving about in the constituency.

Mr. Badal said that the party resorted to this protest action only after the Election Commission, continued to remain inert even when the SAD had lodged its complaint and drawn attention towards gross violation and rampant high handedness of the ruling Congress, which was misusing the administration to its advantage.

Mr. Badal entered Ajnala at the head of an Akali cavalcade, which comprised former Ministers Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Kanwaljit Singh and Balwinder Singh Bhunder. Moments later, Sukhbir Singh Badal, MP, also rode into the constituency leading a group of youth Akali workers from Amritsar.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Tension in Ajnala on poll-eve