Will SOPU-INSO alliance register a win?

In a press conference held on Monday,members of the two parties,sporting each others banners,announced their alliance and panel of candidates.

It was said that SOPU will field their candidate Rajwinder Aulakh on the presidents’ post while INSO members Virender Boora and Deepika will contest for the post of vice-president and general secretary. Though the candidate for the post of joint secretary was not announced,but members present made it clear that it would be from INSO party.

When asked why the party did not form an alliance with ABVP,with whom they had an alliance last year,SOPU leaders blamed it on the difference of thought and ideology.

“They talk of hindutva and that is something we cannot preach here in the university. So we have decided to form an alliance with INSO,” said Harpreet Multani,a SOPU member.

While SOPU kept talking highly of INSO and its ideology during the day,the tables were turned in the evening.

Talking to Newsline,SOPU member Barinder Dhillon said: “We might go in for only a two-seat alliance. Our party is still discussing the same and a final decision will be taken soon.”

On the other hand,INSO member Vikas Rathi said the party had not been intimated about any such development by SOPU.

“Our party would not be going in for a two-seat alliance and incase SOPU approaches us with this option,we will break the alliance,” he said.

Taking a U-turn again,party members were seen together in the night claiming that they would be contesting the election as an alliance.

Meanwhile,INSO seems to be having the upper hand as it has been approached by both PUSU and SOPU as alliance partners.

Much depends upon the fate of the SOPU-INSO alliance and in case it fails to materialise and INSO joins hands with PUSU,the latter would be in a stronger position.

Though not announced officially,PUSU has decided to form an alliance with Haryana Students’ Association (HSA).

Both Narinder Gujjar of HSA and Cherry Brar of PUSU said their parties are together and would soon announce their alliance.

Outsiders campaign on campus
SOPU supporter Rajwinder was seen during the press conference. Also,Parminder Singh Pamma,an active member of PUSU for the last eight years but an ‘outsider’,has reportedly taken up a room in the guesthouse and is busy campaigning for the party. The authorities’ claims that outsiders are not allowed to campaign on campus does not seem to be a deterrent for the parties.

Student booked for defacing property
A case of property defacement was registered against Shiv Karan Singh Shibi,chairman of All Colleges,India National Student Organisation,Chandigarh,on Monday after he allegedly pasted a poster on a city roundabout. The police said investigations are on.

Traffic police fine violators near PU
The Chandigarh Traffic Police has intensified its challaning drive near the Panjab University keeping in view the forthcoming student elections on September 5. The police have set up nakas on all the gates of the university,a traffic police official said.

More than 155 traffic violators were challaned by the police during the last weekend,a traffic police officer said.

While 68 were challaned for wearing non-ISI helmet,another 43 were challaned for not wearing helmets. The traffic police also imposed 13 challans for wrong-side driving,18 for jumping red light,nine without seat belts,one for using mobile phone while driving,two challans for taking U-turn where prohibited and one vehicle was also impounded near the university campus.