M A I L B A G

Why did Cong lose elections in Punjab?

The Shiromani Akal Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine has won the elections defeating the mighty Congress in Punjab for various reasons. These include, among other things, unprecedented price rise, corruption, unemployment, falling standards in schools and colleges, dip in farm productivity and farmers’ protest movements against gobbling up of their precious land by big sharks.

The newly elected members of the State Assembly should come forward for ensuring a healthy and issue-based governance. They must demonstrate the requisite political will and commitment to ensure a clean administration, fast development and employment for the state’s youth.

I have the fullest confidence that Punjab can again become a number one state if all of us do our duty honestly without fear and favour. The rule of law must be enforced at all levels. So let us arise, awake and perform.

JAGTAR SINGH, Mohali

II

The politicians have reaped what they have sown. Corruption, caste divide and political manoeuvring have been eliminated by mature, vigilant, educated and sagacious voters who have shun party affiliations in favour of a clean polity.

The tainted and corrupt candidates have been punished. Affluence, pelf and fabled riches cannot always ensure victory at the hustings. Elections have also generated a lot of cheer, hope, optimism and jubilation in view of the spiralling prices, galling poverty and unbridled unemployment.

JARNAIL SINGH BRAR, Bathinda

III

For the Congress defeat in Punjab, PPCC chief Shamsher Singh Dullo and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are mainly responsible. Dullo had neither the personality nor the calibre to be the PPCC chief. He was instrumental in getting almost 6-8 winning candidates defeated by forcing his way in the allotment of tickets to wrong candidates.

Jagmeet Singh Brar was the only Congress leader who could match the oratory of Parkash Singh Badal. But he was sidelined all throughout. Capt Amarinder Singh wasted two years in cornering the Badal family and his deputy Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. He never visited district headquarters and sub-divisions to redress public grievances. Corruption was rampant and no efforts were made to contain it. The Congress high command never bothered to stem the rot in Punjab. Nor were the leaders told to mend their ways.

Major NARINDER SINGH JALLO, Mohali

IV

Finally, the Congress has met its Waterloo in Punjab and Uttarakhand. Rampant corruption and the governments’ failure to check price rise are responsible for the Congress defeat.

Anyhow, people have great expectations from Parkash Singh Badal and the BJP. If they become power drunk, they will also go the Congress way. They should heed the warning as sounded in the editorial, “Congress loses Punjab”: “He (Mr Badal) will have to ensure that his government is absolutely corruption-free, which means, he will have to keep a tight leash on those who caused disrepute to the party in the past” (Feb 28).

D.V. JOSHI, Bartana (Zirakpur)

V

Now that Punjab will have a strong opposition, the new Chief Minister will have to give good governance. He should not resort to witch-hunting like the previous government.

On priority, the government should check unemployment and price rise. To tackle power shortage, work on the only hydro-electric project in Punjab, Shahpurkandi dam, having an installed capacity of 168 MW, should be expedited. It can be completed in four years with an investment of Rs 1500 crore. Also small-scale industries should be preferred over big mega projects for improving the socio-economic profile of Punjab.

S.K. MITTAL, Panchkula

VI

Now that Badal is back along with his Badals, he and his colleagues will have to work hard to meet the rising expectations of the people who have brought the SAD-BJP coalition to power. Otherwise, he and his Badals will be defeated in the next election.

MOHAN SINGH BAINS,Jalandhar City

Captions with a difference Some of the recent news headlines in The Tribune speak of a very high sense of deep understanding and wit that is associated only with the art of cartoon-making. When England, after losing the Ashes series to Australia, won its first ODI against its arch-rivals, The Tribune headline was par excellence: “England rises from the ashes” (ref. to Phoenix and Series). Similarly, the leader headline, “Sad for Congress” (Feb 28) was a gem of a caption connoting a sad day for the Congress as well as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) replacing the Congress. A day after, the headline: “Badal will reign…, “connoting Mr Badal’s rule on one hand and “rain and clouds” on the other, happened to be a classical example of the art of captioning, brevity and reporting acumen in particular and journalism in general. It gives me real pleasure to come across such captions that provide a pleasant respite from the usual painful headlines proclaiming political, criminal and violent acts. Dr VINOD PANDYA, Principal, Vishvas School, Shahabad Markanda (Kurukshetra)