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Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Thursday, May 22, 2014 Mail Today, New Delhi, Thursday, May 22, 2014
Pappu & wife
Ranjeet only
couple in
this House
Govt to raise
awareness
on pesticides
THE Agriculture Ministry on
Wednesday informed the
Delhi High Court that an
extensive campaign has
been initiated by it to edu-
cate the public regarding
safe use of pesticides in
fruits and vegetables.
An affidavit filed by the
ministry said its Department
of Agriculture and Coopera-
tion has decided to conduct
an extensive campaign
through the media to edu-
cate the public (farmers,
traders and consumers)
regarding safe use of pesti-
cides and also to conduct
campaigns for safe ripening
and storage of perishable
fruits and vegetables.
It said the agriculture min-
istry has decided to extend
all assistance to the Delhi
government in this regard.
The submissions came fol-
lowing the HC seeking a
reply from the Delhi gov-
ernment and the Centre on
the steps to curb the alarm-
ing level of pesticides.
Mail Today
A BIHAR couple belonging to different
parties has made it to the Lok Sabha for
the second time.
Rajesh Ranjan, better known as Pappu
Yadav, and his wife Ranjeet Ranjan are
the only husband and wife duo to win the
parliamentary polls this time.
While Pappu defeated his formidable
rival, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, on
a RJD ticket by more than 56,000 votes
in the prestigious Madhepura seat,
Ranjeet won the elections on a Con-
gress ticket by over 60,000 votes,
defeating JD(U)s Dileshwar Kamat in
the Supaul constituency.
This is, however, not the first time when
the couple will be seen together in Par-
liament. They had both won the Lok
Sabha polls in 2004. While Ranjeet had
won the election from Saharasa back
then, Pappu won a by-election from the
Madhepura seat vacated by RJD chief
Lalu Prasad who had won the polls from
the Chapra (now Saran) constituency.
Interestingly, the couple had won the
polls from different parties even in that
election. While Pappu was an RJD MP,
Ranjeet had won her seat on an LJP
ticket. The couple is elated over their lat-
est win. We were also the only couple to
win the Lok Sabha polls together in
2004, Pappu, who has won the parlia-
mentary polls for the fifth time, said.
The couple, however, believed that
their allegiance to different parties
would make no difference inside Parlia-
ment. Inside the Lok Sabha, we will be
performing the duties of our respective
parties, Ranjeet said.
Incidentally, Pappu known to be a
Bahubali (strongman) leader over the
years in Bihar had to spend much of his
time in jail in connection with the CPI(M)
legislator Ajit Sarkar killing case in his
previous term.
Pappu Yadav and Ranjeet Ranjan
celebrate their victory in Patna.
BJP & SAD fight
lost Jaitley battle
Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia (left) is among the leaders of
the ruling BJP-SAD government who are involved in a blame game over
the defeat of their Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley (below). The BJP
veteran lost the LS polls to Congress Capt. Amarinder Singh (right).
By Manjeet Sehgal in Chandigarh
POLITICAL mud-slinging over
Arun Jaitleys poll debacle is get-
ting murkier in Punjab. The lead-
ers of the BJP and Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD), who were given
the responsibility to seek votes
for the senior BJP leader, are at
daggers drawn after the election
results were announced.
The war of words between Punjab
minister Bikram Singh Majithia and
Amritsar East MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu
is growing intense as the prominent
BJP leader lost the elections despite
having a nationwide trend that went in
favour of the saffron party.
As the National Capital is gearing up for
Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modis
swearing-in ceremony, Majithia and
Sidhu are accusing each other of shirking
the responsibility.
Mrs. Sidhu should explain how Congress
nominee Captain Amarinder Singh took a
phenomenal lead of 32,000-plus votes in her
constituency. She should explain to the
people of Amritsar whether the huge defeat
suffered by Jaitley from her constituency
was a reflection of her declining popularity
or a result of some mischief (that she had
done) to ensure Mr Jaitleys defeat, Tarn
Taran MLA Harmeet Sandhu, a supporter
of Majithia, said.
The Akali Dal leaders blamed
Sidhu for Jaitleys defeat, alleging she did
not campaign actively as her husband
was denied a party ticket in the Amritsar
constituency.
Navjot Kaur Sidhu was letting her per-
sonal pique at her husband Navjot Sidhu
being denied the party nomination .You
may have grouse against anyone, but
you knew that it was Mr. Arun Jaitley
from your own party who was con-
testing the elections, Harmeet
Sandhu said.
Retorting to Akali Dal leaders
barbs, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said
the Akali leaders cannot
shirk their own responsi-
bility by blaming her for
the partys debacle in
the constituency.
Half of the wards in
my constituency are
represented by the
Akali Dal counsellors.
I was not invited to
campaign in their wards, then how can they
blame me for the debacle? Sidhu said.
By supporting the Akali Dal leaders,
Chief Minister Parkash Sigh Badal had
also blamed Navjot Kaur for the senior
BJP leaders defeat in Amritsar.
Perturbed by the allegations of
Akali Dal leaders, Sidhu even
threatened to leave the party and
openly heaped praises on the
Aam Aadmi Party which won four
seats in the state.
I am here to stay in the party.
But if party takes my post (CPS)
back because of this defeat, I
will opt to move out. AAP
has won four seats in the
state and its vote share is
equal to the SAD, which
shows that the people
are not happy with the
performance of the
Punjab government,
Sidhu said.
By Giridhar Jha in Patna
SONU KISHAN
Cong to probe rout
THE Congress will soon constitute a
high-level committee to examine
why it failed to get the expected
results in the Lok Sabha polls in
Punjab, the partys first exercise to
set its house in order after the poll
debacle. We are constituting a com-
mittee of five leaders to find out why
the party failed to get desired results
in the state, AICC general secretary
Shakeel Ahmad, who is in-charge of
party affairs in Punjab.
The results in Punjab as also in sev-
eral other states have come as a
huge disappointment for Congress.
Congress chief has already hinted at
revamping the organisation. Of the 13
Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, AAP took
four, ruling SAD won four and its ally
BJP bagged two. Congress won only
three seats. PTI