The Tribune – SAD-BJP alliance to elect leader

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 7. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party will meet their newly elected legislators to elect leaders of their legislative parties, besides evaluating their performance in the just-concluded poll.

A joint meeting of legislators of the two parties will be held at Punjab Bhawan in the evening to elect the leader of the alliance.

Parkash Singh Badal, SAD patron, is expected to be elected to the post despite pressures from certain quarters that Sukhbir be handed over the reigns , indicated sources.

After the morning meeting, the alliance leaders will go to Anandpur Sahib to participate in the Hola Mohalla conference.

The SAD will hold a meeting of the core committee in the evening.

Sukhbir Badal, accompanied by state BJP president Ashwani Sharma, is expected to meet Governor Shivraj Patil to stake claim to form the government either tomorrow evening or Friday morning.

The new government is expected to be sworn-in at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium, Mohali, say sources.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Governor on the recommendation of the Punjab Cabinet, has dissolved the 13th Vidhan Sabha under Sub Clause (B) of Clause (II) of Article 174 of the Constitution.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120308/punjab.htm#4

The Tribune – Families with growing clout in politics

Prabhjot Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 7. The 14th Vidhan Sabha will be an unusual conglomeration of major political families. A few families have not let go any opportunity to get either into Parliament or the state legislature or both, indicating the growing dynastic tendency in the body polity.

While seven families will be represented both in the Legislative Assembly and Parliament, four others just missed the bus.

The Five MP-MLA couples from Punjab are Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat, Justice Nirmal Singh (retd) and Paramjit Kaur Gulshan (both SAD), Navjot Kaur Sidhu and Navjot Singh Sidhu (BJP), Amarinder Singh and Preneet Kaur and Charanjit Kaur Bajwa and Partap Singh Bajwa (both Cong).

Former Punjab Congress chief Mohinder Singh KP and Santosh Chaudhary, however, just missed joining this select band as their spouses Kusum and Ram Lubhaya were defeated at the hustings.

Two new members in the Vidhan Sabha – Amarpal Singh Bonny and Parminder Singh Dhindsa – have their fathers in Parliament. They are Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

Dilraj Singh Bhunder , son of Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder, and Raninder Singh , son of Lok Sabha member Preneet Kaur, lost also lost the electoral battle.

Normally, senior members of the state legislature graduate to the national legislature, Parliament. In case of Punjab, it appears to be the other way round. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal have been MP.

Four former MPs, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Rana Gurjit Singh, Chatin Singh Samaon and Charanjit Singh Athwal, have preferred to return to the state legislature. But Balwant Singh Ramoowalia and Prem Singh Chandumajra (both SAD) have failed to do so.

The only father-son pair in the House will that be of Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir with Gurdas Singh Badal and Manpreet Singh biting the dust and Amarinder’s son also suffering a defeat. In the last House, besides the Badals, Chaudhary Swarna Ram (BJP) and Chaudhary Mohan Lal (SAD) were the other father-son duo.

While the Bains brothers – Balwinder Singh and Simarjit Singh – have created a record of sorts by becoming the first-ever pair of Independents in the House, the pair of Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and Chaudhary Santokh Singh represented the Congress in the 12th Vidhan Sabha. The brothers have lost this time.

This Vidhan Sabha will be well-represented by different sections of society- doctors, bureaucrats, sportsmen, artistes, liquor barons, realtors and transporters. The liquor barons are Amrik Singh Dhillon, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Deep Malhotra. Dr Daljit Singh Cheema (SAD) and Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu (BJP), first-time MLAs, are qualified allopaths. Mohammed Sadique, who defeated Darbara Singh Guru, former Principal Secretary to CM, is a renowned folk singer and perhaps the first one to get into Vidhan Sabha in recent years.

Pargat Singh is the first-ever hockey Olympian to be elected MLA in Punjab. Other than Pargat Singh, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi has been an international shooter.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120308/punjab.htm#3

The Hindustan Times – TMC upbeat about becoming national party soon

Kolkata, 9 March 2012. Encouraged by its performance in the just-held Manipur Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress said it was moving closer to being recognised as a national party.

To become a national party, a political outfit has to get recognised as a state party in at least four states and the TMC has earned that tag in three states, Mukul Roy, all India general secretary of the party, said.

“We are moving towards becoming a national party. After Manipur, the Trinamool Congress has the distinction of being recognised as a state party in three states, the other two being West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh,” Roy, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, told PTI.

While in West Bengal, he pointed out, the party had bagged 185 out of 294 seats, in Arunachal Pradesh it secured five seats out of 60.

TMC, a new entrant to Manipur politics, will become the main opposition party in the 60-member House by virtue of winning seven seats.

Asked if the party was hoping to achieve the national status after the Assembly election in Tripura in 2013, he said there would be elections in some states prior to Tripura.

He said that newly-elected party legislators in Manipur would make a “courtesy call” on party supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

On whether party MLAs in Manipur would press for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in operation in the state, Roy said, “Party MLAs there would work in accordance with commitments made in the election manifesto.” (Press Trust Of India)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Kolkata/TMC-upbeat-about-becoming-national-party-soon/Article1-822658.aspx

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

From Den Haag to Delft and back  
30 December 2011

Delft Station
The new sub-surface station will replace this building and the only rails visible will be those of HTM Tram 1 and 19, as the NS railway line will go underground like in Rijswijk, north of Delft

Delft Station, Tram 19 to Leidschendam

Delft Station
Slightly different view of the building

Den Haag, Leidschenveen-Ypenburg, HTM Tram 19

Den Haag, Leidschenveen, RandstadRail station
Served by RET Metro E and HTM TramTrain 3 and 4
HTM Tram 19 stops underneath the rail viaduct

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

To see more Belgium and Netherlands gurdwara pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/

More Belgium / Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

Published in: Belgium, Europe, Gurdwaras, My Web Diary, Pictures, Public Transport, The Netherlands

The Hindu – Badal rules out ‘vendetta politics’

Badal Pita, Badal Putr

Chandigarh, 8 March 2012. Ruling out any scope for “petty vendetta politics,” Punjab’s 31st Chief Minister-elect Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said the government would remain dedicated to fulfilling the aspirations of the people by accelerating the pace of development.   Mr. Badal was addressing a rally of Akali workers after paying obeisance at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib on the occasion of the historic festival of Hola Mohalla, a party release said here.

He said the focus would be on pro-poor and development policies as well as completing the “unfinished tasks” of the previous tenure.

Mr. Badal announced extension of the free bicycle scheme to girl students of the 9th and 10th class, besides free education to all girl students up to post-graduation.

“Emotional bonding”

Later talking to reporters, Mr. Badal ruled out the possibility of any controversy over the number of BJP ministers in the Cabinet. He said the alliance was not merely political as both parties enjoyed an emotional bonding.

Responding to questions, he said the Congress paid the price for the unprecedented price rise, corruption and failure to provide security to the citizens.

Party president Sukhbir Singh swore to intensify the war against the drug trade and called upon the people to join hands with the government to remove the scourge.   He warned the Akali Dal-BJP workers against any complacency as the “historic” victory mandated heightened efforts to fulfil the aspirations of the electorate.

He said efforts would be made to improve infrastructure in villages and cities, and governance, besides strengthening systems to tackle corruption.

Record fifth time

Mr. Badal, 84, will be sworn in as Chief Minister on March 14 for a record fifth time. On Thursday, the newly elected legislators of the Shiromani Akali Dal unanimously chose him as the leader of the legislature party.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur memorial at Chhaparchiri in Ajitgarh (Mohali) district, about 20 km from here. Mr. Badal is expected to formally call on the Governor after Friday’s joint meeting of the newly elected MLAs of the SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party combine, which won 68 seats in the 117-member House.

The meeting is also expected to select a deputy chief minister. Some central leaders of the BJP are likely to participate.

For the third time in a row, the Akali Dal-BJP has chosen a venue outside the customary Raj Bhavan for the ceremony. In 1997 and 2007, the swearing-in was held in the world famous Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali.

Set up during Mr. Badal’s fourth tenure, the memorial is dedicated to the historic victory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur over the Mughal governor of Sirhind in 1710.

A veteran leader, who has led various political movements, including the historic Akali struggle against Emergency, Mr. Badal held the Chief Minister’s post in 1970, 1977-80, 1997-2002 and 2007 till date. Though his political career began in 1947, Mr. Badal was first elected as MLA in 1957.

The meeting of the elected Akali legislators was held in Punjab Bhawan, government run guesthouse, where Mr. Sukhbir Singh proposed his father’s name as the leader. While unanimously agreeing to the proposal, the legislators showered liberal accolades on the party chief for chalking out a detailed strategy to decimate the Congress.

Thanking the people and the party for the historic victory and reposing confidence in him, Mr. Badal exhorted the new MLAs to collectively take a vow to ensure justice and contribute in the ongoing development process. Mr. Badal was of the view that in this election the secular image of the alliance had been strengthened, while more than two dozen new faces had received a chance to serve the public. He appreciated the smooth alliance with the BJP in the last five years and vowed to carry forward the policies that had received people’s approval. (PTI)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2973460.ece

Dawn – Do more mantra doesn’t go down well in Pakistan: Sherry Rehman

Anwar Iqbal

Washington, 9 March 2012. When Pakistan is asked to do more in the war against terror, it does not go well with the Pakistanis because “we are doing what we can”, says Ambassador Sherry Rehman.

“We will respect the time that it takes them” to complete a parliamentary review of Pakistan’s relations with the US and “we look forward to hearing from them when they’re ready,” says State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.

The two statements coincide with a report by Washington Post’s associate editor, David Ignatius, on Thursday, saying that the United States and Pakistan have now decided to build a “calmer, quieter relationship with lower expectations, greater distance and fewer feuds”.

At a Women’s Day function on Wednesday night, the largest ever at the Pakistan Embassy, Ambassador Rehman noted that “the Pakistan story you hear in Washington is often only about the country that fights the frontlines of terror and extremism”.

This, she said, was a wrong impression.

“We are not just about bombs and bullets, Pakistan is also about women who lead the way forward,” the ambassador said.

“We have had a woman prime minister, women speakers, judges, foreign ministers, and now we have a major general”.

Referring to the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and others killed in the fight against terrorism, Ambassador Rehman said: “Many better people before me have had to take bullets … so when we are asked to ‘do more’ it doesn’t go down too well.”

“We are doing what we can with a war next door, a war that the combined resources of the US and forty plus nations have not been able to win,” she said.

At the State Department, spokesperson Nuland told journalists that the US understood Pakistan’s need to review the relationship.

“We continue to be in dialogue with them about an appropriate time for us to resume our own discussion,” she said.

Ms Nuland also refused to criticise Pakistan over the Iran gas pipeline project.

The Washington Post report noted that this changed tone indicated a new understanding between the US and Pakistan.

“The two countries, in effect, have taken a step back from their intense partnership and moved toward a more pragmatic framework,” Mr Ignatius wrote.

Both sides seem to have become comfortable with the decision to maintain a distance with each other, he noted.

To complete this reset, the two nations will have to work out “quiet compromises” on three key issues: drone strikes, border access to Afghanistan; and reconciliation talks with the Taliban.

“On each, the trick will be finding a formula that balances Pakistani sovereignty and American security interests,” Mr Ignatius wrote.

The drone attacks, he noted, had already reduced and the US now closely monitors the strikes, preventing the CIA from making unilateral decisions.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/09/do-more-mantra-doesnt-go-down-well-in-pakistan-envoy.html