CHANDIGARH; An Akali Dal (Mann) candidate for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency Satnam Singh and his companion were shot dead in Sarguddi village in Jalandhar district Thursday afternoon police said.
Assailants also shot at and injured an Akali Dal (Badal) candidate Kirpal Singh Shant and shot dead five persons including three of his guards in Nathana village in Bhatinda district.
Also shot dead was an assembly candidate of the AISSF in Ropar district June 15.
Jatinder Singh a candidate of the Manjit Singh faction of the AISSF for the Chamkaur Sahib Assembly seat was shot dead in Rattangarh village police said. His gunman was injured.
A woman candidate for the Punjab Assembly escaped an attempt on her life while four militant.
Twenty-two empty cartridges of AK-47 rifle were recovered from injured in militant-related violence Junel5 while an independent candidate for the Verka assembly constituency was missing.
An election commission spokesman told PTI that elections to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency had been countermanded following Sanam Singh’s murder
Police said Satnam was shot at and seriously injured with his companion Balwinder Singh president of the Goraya Truck Union while they were at an election meeting in Sarguddi village. The two were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead.
Bakhshish Singh contesting from the Verka reserve assembly constituency was reported to be missing from his home in Verka area his family said in a complaint.
Two men went to the house of an Akali Dal (Badal) worker Karam Singh in Nathana village where party candidate for Nathana assembly Kirpal Singh Shant was taking dinner and started firing indiscriminately killing five persons including three security guards a driver and Karam Singh’s wife on the spot.
Militants shot at and injured a CPI activist Surinder Singh Sandhu while he was getting his vehicle refueled in Tam Taran Sandhu’s security guard Amrik Singh was killed in the incident
They also shot two persons one of them identified as Amar Singh in Chamita village in Ludhiana district while a woman was gunned down in Gujar village. Three militants were arrested after a brief encounter with security forces near village Kharta in Ludhiana district Wednesday
Election to the constituency has been countermanded an election department spokesman said here. Jatinder Singh went to the temple at 1205 hrs on getting information that two persons wanted to meet him. He was not accompanied by his official guards police said.
Shortly afterwards the candidate was shot dead. The assailants escaped despite deployment of the army in the district two days ago.
Jatinder Singh was the 21st assembly candidate to have been shot dead during the current election campaign. Two candidates for the Lok Sabha were gunned down by militants and another assembly candidate died due to heart failure
Elections would now be held for 103 of the 117 assembly and 12 of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies The 20 assembly candidates who have died so far were contesting 23. Assembly seats
Fresh electoral process has been initiated to hold elections for 11 assemblies and one Lok Sabha seat along with the rest of the state on June 22.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 21, 1991
