SAD, BJP members join Congress

Hoshiarpur: In a jolt to SAD, BJP and BSP, many of their leaders, including a sitting SAD councillor, joined the Congress in presence of Congress candidate Sunder Sham Arora. Sitting councillor Avtar Singh Kapur, chairman of the Nagar Council Shamchurasi Bhagat Ram, vice-president of the District Bar Association Karan Kahol, Navi Kapoor, district BJP medical cell chief Ashok Sud Happy, BSP vice-president Dharminder Dadra, former Shamchurasi BJP youth president Jasvir Kumar and senior vice-president of BSP Som Nath joined the Congress. PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh welcomed them to the party. OC

Lambi ticket seekers hail Capt move 

Lambi: With PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh expressing his desire to contest from Lambi, the ticket seekers from the segment, Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Jagpal Singh Abulkhurana, have welcomed the move. “The party should definitely field him,” said Khudian, president, Muktsar district Congress. Abulkhurana, PCC general secretary, said: “Amarinder only has to file his nomination from here, we will see the rest. I welcome him to this constituency. He will definitely win.” tns

Gangster’s sister in fray as Independent 

Fazilka: After being denied the Congress ticket, Rajbeer Kaur (45), elder sister of slain gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky, has announced to contest the Assembly elections from Fazilka as an Independent. Rajbeer had applied for the Congress ticket from Fazilka in August last year. The Congress has fielded SAD MP Sher Singh Ghubaya’s son Davinder Singh from Fazilka. Rocky had contested from Fazilka as an Independent in 2012 and given a tough fight to BJP and Congress candidates. oc

Moga Congress leader turns rebel 

Moga: PPCC secretary Manjit Mann, the lone sitting councillor of the party in the Moga Municipal Corporation, has raised a banner of revolt against the candidature of Dr Harjot Kamal from the segment. “My supporters have asked me to contest as an Independent,” he said. Mann has already started holding “nukkar” sabhas in the city. tns

AAP condemns thrashing of Sikh youth 

Ropar: AAP has condemned the alleged thrashing of a Sikh youth of Lodhimajra village by SAD workers during a public meeting of Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema. The victim, Harmeet Singh, had questioned Cheema over the incidents of sacrilege. AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich said over 100 incidents of sacrilege had hurt the sentiments of those who believed in Guru Granth Sahib. tns