National
Congress sweeps Punjab municipal polls; opposition cries foul (Second Lead)
Chandigarh, Dec 17 (IANS) Punjab’s ruling Congress swept the municipal elections in the state on Sunday even as the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP alleged booth capturing and misuse of power.
The Congress won 58 wards in the Patiala municipal corporation, while the opposition failed to open its account.
In Jalandhar, the Congress won 66 wards while the Akali Dal-BJP won 12. In Amritsar, the Congress won 69 wards while the Akali Dal-BJP combine won 12.
Voting was held on Sunday for three municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala, and 29 municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats.
Minor clashes between Akali Dal-BJP workers and those from the Congress were reported in Patiala city and a few other places.
In Patiala, the hometown of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, police had to resort to a baton charge to disperse activists of both sides as the situation turned violent.
The Akali Dal demanded immediate countermanding of the elections, citing gross poll code violations in all wards.
It demanded a high level inquiry into violence and rigging done by Congressmen and registration of cases against civil and police officials, whom it accused of acting like Congress agents.
Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the State Election Commission (SEC) of “becoming party to the Congress conspiracy to defeat the voice of the people in the civic body elections”.
“We will approach the high court and expose the conspiracy of the SEC, the ruling Congress and police officers,” he said after the results came out.
“The party would also demand the immediate dismissal of State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu for becoming a Congress stooge and lowering the dignity of the high office held by him. If he has any self-respect he should resign immediately as he has betrayed the faith of the people who have high respect for the office of the Election Commissioner and don’t expect such partisan behavior from him,” Badal said.
“The SEC acted in a biased manner from the beginning. Akali delegations met him five times. He did not even give justice once. We protested against late receipt of voter lists and denial of no objection certificates to SAD-BJP candidates. He did not act on this complaint. The SEC failed to act even when officials refused to receive nomination papers of Akali candidates,” he added.
Amarinder Singh hailed the poll results as a “clear vindication of the Congress policies and a resounding defeat of the opposition’s deceitful propaganda”. “I congratulate the people of Punjab for not succumbing to the pressure tactics of the opposition,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Akali Dal and BJP leaders held a protest outside the office of the state election commission in Chandigarh on Sunday afternoon alleging rigging by the ruling Congress.
“We have not seen such murder of democracy as what happened today,” Akali Dal leader and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema told media there.
The main contest was among the Congress, main opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance. Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards had dominated the campaigning for the municipal elections.
The election for the municipal corporation of Punjab’s largest city, Ludhiana, was not being held as the electoral rolls were not updated.
This is the first big election in the state after the Congress government, led by Amarinder Singh, came to power after the assembly polls in March.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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