CM8217;s protege loses election

MUKTSAR, June 22: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's citadel was demolished in his own village when his protege Joginder Singh Goggi lost ...

MUKTSAR, June 22: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal8217;s citadel was demolished in his own village when his protege Joginder Singh Goggi lost the election of sarpanch to Sanjam Singh by 62 votes. Both the contestants were the nephews of the CM.

A confidant of the CM claimed that Badal wanted a unanimous election for the post of sarpanch here. Since he failed, he opted to remain neutral and did not play any role in the panchayat polls of his native village, the confidant added.

But queries revealed that CM8217;s family, including his brother Gurdas Badal, took a keen interest in the election and tried to woo the voters in favour of Joginder Singh. Taja Singh and Lali Badal, long time political rivals of the CM were supporting Sanjam Singh who retained the post of sarpanch.

Meanwhile, Bathinda police have registered a case against Natha Singh who allegedly disappeared with a ballot box of 617 votes from Gillpatti village after the process of counting of votes was completed. He has been booked under Section 124 of Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994.

In Buraj Mehma village, in this district, following pressure by the losing ruling party nominee, the result was not declared. The district electoral officer has sought the state election commission has sought the approval to declare results in these two village.

Meanwhile, as many as 10 persons from Jodhpur Romana village and Maruana were hospitalized after they sustained blunt injuries in different clashes related to the panchayat election. The doctor attending of them told ENS that no one was seriously injured.MOGA:
Candidates backed by SAD-B captured 70 per cent panchayats in the district while the remaining went to independents and those backed by the Congress.

Deputy Commissioner stated that out of 191 panchayats, 16 panchayats, were unanimously elected, 11 sarpanches and 17 panches were also elected unanimously. Apart from this, six sarpanches and panches of gram panchayats were elected unopposed.

Story continues below this ad

JALANDHAR: A case of rioting and obstructing a government servant from performing his duty was registered against five men who hurled a brick at a presiding officer and burnt ballot papers after the counting of votes after panchayat election at Parjian Kalan village in Shahkot block in the district last night, police said.

Meanwhile, the senior vice president of Punjab Youth Congress, Sukhpal Singh has alleged massive irregularities at the instance of the Akalis in the

panchayat elections in Kapurthala district and demanded repolling in the two villages.

Demanding repolling in Khasan and Talwara villages, Sukhpal said that nearly 100 voters of the two villages could not cast their votes as their names did not figure in voters list of any of the two panchayats.He said despite the bungling, many pro-Congress candidates had won in the Kapurthala district. This includes a Congress supporter Bibi Ranjit Kaur in Ramgarh village which had been returning Akali sarpanches for the past 50 years.