ZP poll on SAD symbol

CHANDIGARH, April 28: The Akali Dal would contest the forthcoming elections to the block samitis and zila parishads in Punjab on party symbo...

CHANDIGARH, April 28: The Akali Dal would contest the forthcoming elections to the block samitis and zila parishads in Punjab on party symbol. The decision was taken at a meeting of its political affairs committee at Amritsar last evening.

Talking to the media persons here, party secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today said the elections to the gram panchayats, which are being held along with the block samiti and zila parishad poll, would not be contested on party symbol.

He said Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal, who has been authorised by the PAC to finalise candidate for the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha bye-election, would announce the decision within the next four or five days. He is going to Sham Chaurasi on April 30 to consult the party workers on the choice of the candidate for the Vidhan Sabha bye-election for that seat.

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Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh, Food and Supplies Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and party general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhunder would supervise the party campaign in Sham Chaurasi.

Dhindsa appealed to the panthic forces not to oppose the Akali Dal in Tarn Taran. He was referring to the announcement made by Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann to put up a candidate. Prem Singh Lalpura who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tarn Taran but preferred to retain the Vidhan Sabha membership, necessitating the bye-election, is also holding consultations with the splinter Akali factions to oppose the ruling Akali Dal.

Dhindsa said these Panthic forces should honour the mandate given by the people to the Akali Dal in the Lok Sabha elections and support the party candidate. The PAC took a strong note of the proposal to transfer Udham Singh Nagar of Uttar Pradesh to the proposed state of Uttaranchal. The meeting called upon the Centre to retain this district in UP.

It was decided that a party delegation led by Badal would shortly call on the President and the PM in this regard. Dhindsa said the issue was discussed with Atal Behari Vajpayee during his Amritsar visit yesterday.