Ludhiana, January 9
The Shiromani Akali Dal may have kicked off an intense campaign in a number of Assembly segments in Ludhiana district, but, like in other parts of the state, it has to counter powerful and influential rebels in several segments. Some prominent leaders of the party who were denied ticket were conspicuous by their absence at today's rally here, indicating that they were in no mood to reconcile. The SAD is likely to face serious rebellion in Jagraon, Ludhiana (rural), Payal and Ludhiana West.

In Jagraon, where the party renominated Mr Bagh Singh Mallah for the third consecutive time, the supporters of Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal are up in arms. Mr Aliwal, a two-time MP from Ludhiana, had been promised ticket in Assembly elections when the SAD allotted ticket to his arch rival (within the SAD), Mr Sharanjit Singh Dhillon.

For a while, it was believed that Mr Aliwal had almost been finalised as the party candidate. But, at the last moment his name was dropped.

Mr Aliwal's supporters are blaming Mr Sukhbir Badal for the denial of ticket to him. Mr Aliwal has kept his cards closed and has been maintaining that he draws his strength from his supporters and will take decisions according to their wishes. It indicates that he may even adopt a rebellious course.

In Ludhiana (rural), the Bains brothers have already raised a revolt against the party nominee and an Akali veteran, Mr Hira Singh Gabria. Mr Simarjit Singh Bains, a local councillor and district youth president of the SAD, and his brother, Mr Balwinder Singh Bains, who is the member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, have given a week's time to the SAD leadership to replace Mr Gabria, failing which the senior Bains would contest as an independent.

In Ludhiana West, there is no dissidence within the party. Although Mr Amarjit Singh Chawla was disappointed over the nomination of Mr Harish Raid Dhanda, later on he agreed to take charge of his (Mr Dhanda's) campaign at the behest of SAD secretary Daljit Singh Cheema. But, the SAD alliance partner, the BJP is so far cool and indifferent towards Mr Dhanda as the party feels that the Ludhiana West segment belongs to it. 

Ludhiana, January 9
The Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today sought to allay the apprehensions of the former Tohra loyalists that they had been allotted difficult seats. He said, this was a myth created by the enemies of the SAD.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Mr Badal said, "even the candidates themselves had no apprehensions about their victory as the party was on a comfortably pitch". He claimed, the SAD was quite confident of the victory and there was no question of any "difficult seats".

"We have not fielded candidates for losing", Mr Badal remarked, while asking, "who will wish his candidates to lose". He asserted that the SAD candidates would win with landslide margins "even from the segments you term as difficult".

Mr Badal said, had those been the difficult and "given up" seats, there would not have been any rebellion from those segments. He pointed out, there were a number of candidates wanting to contest from those segments. He said, in fact there was no term as "Tohra loyalists". Because, according to him, everybody belonged to the Shiromani Akali Dal.

He alleged that such "terms" were being deliberately created by the "enemies of the party and the panth" to create confusion as they were apprehensive of a "landslide Akali victory in the elections". But none of their ploys will work, he asserted.

Ludhiana, January 9
While maintaining that she will not like her husband Parkash Singh Badal and son Sukhbir to be vindictive towards Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Ms Surinder Kaur today said she could not forget the harassment to which she and members of her family had been subjected to by the Chief Minister.

During a function in support of Ludhiana West party candidate Harish Rai Dhanda here, she said, “I cannot forget what he did to us. He was too personal in his vendetta. Once our government is formed, we will not be vindictive like him.”

She said although they had reasons to do so, her party’s government would not pursue a vindictive agenda.

“Our party will instead focus on development, real development, and not the hoax one, as is being done by Amarinder”, she asserted.

Later addressing women workers of the Ludhiana West segment, she said the time had come to get rid of the current government.

She claimed that it had not done anything except filling its own coffers. She said her party had a great vision of a great and progressive Punjab.

Expressing gratitude to Ms Badal, Mr Dhanda questioned the claims of the Congress of setting up power projects in the state.

He said the Congress had not added a single unit of power and the situation was the same as left by Mr Badal five years ago.

Mr Dhanda said he was confident of making it to the Assembly, with the ‘overwhelming’ support coming to him from all quarters.

Ludhiana, January 9
Former Amritsar Member of Parliament and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is seen too frequently with the leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal than his own (that of the BJP). Not just that, instead of his favourite bright shades, Mr Sidhu has started wearing the blue turban, symbolic of Akali identity, now quite regularly.

This has raised apprehensions among BJP quarters that Mr Sidhu might be planning a permanent future within SAD itself. It is learnt that Mr Sidhu's proximity with Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, has irked many a leader in his own party because he is being seen more with the Badals than his own party leaders.

In fact Mr Sukhbir Badal had recently planned a route march across the state along with Mr Sidhu. However, the march was later cancelled. Even at a public rally here today, Mr Sidhu was wearing a blue turban.

It is understood that Mr Sidhu was keeping his options open for the time being. After resigning his seat from Parliament, he has got more close to the SAD leadership. He is believed to be waiting for the party's decision on Amritsar parliamentary seat that he hopes for his wife. It is learnt that the BJP had thought of fielding his wife after getting apprehensive that it may not be able to retain Mr Sidhu for long, in case he was not actively involved with the party. However, the party is believed to be exploring some other options as well.

Mr Sidhu may himself be waiting for the party's decision about Amritsar parliamentary seat. Only then he may reveal his cards. For the time-being he seems to be keeping SAD in good humour with his blue turban. And he knows it too well what he means to convey by wearing that colour after giving up all the bright shades he used to earlier. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 9
Terming the majority of politicians as ‘property dealers’ and ‘traders’, Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, president, Lok Bhalai Party and a leader of the third front in Punjab, called upon the intellectuals and scholars of the region to join hands with the front to save the state from the clutches of the Congress and the SAD.

The political rallies and elaborate demonstrations during election campaigns were mere wastage of national income, he said.

Mr Ramoowalia was talking to Ludhiana Tribune after addressing a rally at Dehlon village, near here, today. Alleging that leaders of the SAD and the Congress had successively been plundering government treasuries in Punjab, he urged the intellectuals and scholars to support candidates launched by the third front and save the state from being bankrupted further.

“As the majority of top leaders of the Congress and the SAD have been found involved in corruption during their respective regimes, people of the state should not fall prey to their fake assurances,” said Mr Ramoowalia.

Earlier kicking off the election campaign of the party nominee, Mr Karam Singh Rurka, the former Union Minister maintained that the third front, if voted to power, would strive for universal brotherhood and peace. “Contrary to the policies of the Congress and the SAD to win power by dividing people on caste and creed, we will strive to generate love and affection among various sections of society and create an atmosphere congenial for everlasting development in the area,” said Mr Ramoowalia.

He blamed the SAD for ignoring the interests of Punjabis in general and the Sikhs in particular. He alleged that these leaders did not bother to spend a single penny on the welfare of masses out of the annual income of Rs 287 crore of the SGPC.

Ludhiana, January 9
As the real estate boom continues this year it is Non-Resident Indian (NRI) investors who are actively investing in the region. City-based real estate developers, Deepak Buildcon Infrastructure, that announced its project of developing apartments and penthouses in June last year, has sold off the penthouses even before the completion of construction.

“The penthouses that cost over Rs 1 crore each have been bought by NRIs. One-third of the total number of apartments have also been sold off. The trend is quite encouraging and people continue to invest in real estate, particularly in property on prime locations,” Mr Deepak Singal, CEO of the company, told Ludhiana Tribune today.

On the continuing boom in real estate the segment, Mr Singal said: “Last year the boom prevailed across most geographical locations. This year market is still rising, but it is more inclined towards urban areas and prime locations”.

The concept of semi-furnished apartments is relatively new to the city and the company expects to cater to growing demand for modern accommodation by urbane customers. The company has also constructed a sample apartment for its prospective buyers to have a look.

Disclosing the price range of the apartments, he said it varied between Rs 32 lakh and Rs 58 lakh, depending on the area.

Ludhiana, January 9
A state-level meeting of agriculture experts was organised at Punjab Agricultural University here yesterday.

Presiding over the meeting, the Director of Extension Education, Dr N.S. Malhi, said the yield of wheat was likely to increase in view of timely sowing of the crop. He laid stress on popularisation of farm literature to achieve precision in various farming operations. Dr Malhi said the university would publish a bulletin on cultivation of cotton on scientific lines.

The area under wheat cultivation had increased by two lakh hectares and the 80 per cent crop was sown timely. He exhorted the experts to work hard to face various emerging challenges in agriculture. He also called for reducing the area under paddy cultivation.

Till date 16 lakh quintal of cotton had been purchased in various markets of Punjab and it at least 8 lakh quintal more was likely to arrive in the markets.

Dr Sat Pal Mehra, Additional Director of Extension Education, welcomed the Director and other agricultural experts.

Meanwhile, a two-member delegation from Walter Sisuriti University, South Africa, visited the PAU yesterday. The delegation was headed by chairman of the governing council of the university Soma Dota Fekenny.

At a meeting with PAU Vice-Chancellor K.S. Aulakh, the delegation expressed the desire to learn from the agricultural experiences of the PAU experts.

The Director of Rural Development Centre, South Africa, Dr N.P. Liswahgi, said the development model of Punjab was most suitable for their country. The delegation also held discussions with Director of Research B.S. Dhillon and Dean, College of Agriculture, G.S. Chahal. The delegation visited various departments of the university.

Samrala, January 9
An amount of Rs 1 lakh was presented here today by Lala Mangat Rai, President of the Youth Akali Dal (Samrala city), to Jathedar Jagjeewan Singh Kheernian, at the inauguration ceremony of his office. The office was inaugurated by district president (dihati) Jathedar Umedpuri and Mr Avinash Khanna, state president of the BJP.

Ludhiana, January 9
The ailing tigress at the local tiger safari was today shifted to the Chhat Bir zoo, near Chandigarh, as the local authorities claimed that it would get better medicare facilities there.

Tigress Elaichi had developed some problem in her back legs and was unable to move for two or three days.

A veterinarian from the Punjab Veterinary Department was called to the city to examine it.

Mr Parmod Kumar, local safari supervisor, said Elaichi needed treatment and it was not possible for them to take it to the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Husbandry University as they did not have a proper vehicle.

It was not possible for the veterinarian, Dr M.P. Singh, to visit Ludhiana every day, he further said.

Senior officials decided to send it to Chhat Bir as it would get good medicare facilities there, he added.

Mr Parmod Kumar said reports of all other tests showed that the big cat had no infection or  parasite.

The experts had now been saying it might be suffering from some neurological disorder, but it was difficult to say anything with certainty till a proper diagnosis was done.

The local tiger safari was now left with four tigers and four tigresses.