CM Saini's surprise visit delights Karnal villagers
The residents of Karnal's Fafdana were in for a surprise as Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini — who was on his way back from the state-level Maharana Pratap Jayanti celebrations held at Assandh's Salwan — made a pit stop at their village. Getting off his vehicle, CM Saini headed straight toward a group of villagers huddled under a tree. Wide-eyed with astonishment, the locals patiently answered every question the CM asked about the development issues being faced in the area. Later in the journey, Saini's convoy also had a stopover in Jalmana village, where he again seized the opportunity to mingle with local residents and traders.
AAP pulls out all stops ahead of June 19 bypoll
With the high-stakes Ludhiana (West) byelection slated for June 19 fast approaching, AAP is pulling out all stops to woo urban voters. The state Cabinet gave its nod to the land pooling policy for 27 towns and cities during a meet chaired by the CM last Monday. The following day, it okayed a proposal to waive off the loans taken by 4,727 families belonging to the SC community that amount to a staggering `68 crore. Then on Wednesday it cleared an amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act of 1958 to reduce compliance burdens on 95% of small businesses.
Cracks appear in Punjab Congress leadership
Even during an election season, the grand old party fails to put up a united front. Every now and then, internal rifts make headlines, much to the embarrassment of the top Congress leadership. And the party just can't catch a break! The posters released for its Ludhiana (West) candidate, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, have renewed speculation of a power play. Why? Because they notably don't feature photos of state unit president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. While the party may insist that all is well, the divide couldn't be more apparent.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh
hsbajwa73@gmail.com
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The Hindu
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After Ladki Bahin scheme, Maharashtra hikes liquor duties to ease cash crunch
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