The Home Minister, Buta Singh, and the Congress(I) vice-president, Arjun Singh, flew to Chandigarh in a BSF plane to make a last-minute bid to persuade the Punjab Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, to agree to the Venkataramiah Commission’s recommendations and create conditions for the transfer of territories on June 21. As things stand, the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and Hindi-speaking areas to Haryana on June 21 looks unlikely and now dates may have to be fixed in view of the latest stand taken by the Punjab government.

Confusion over transfer

In what form the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will discuss the proposal for transfer of territories and the allied matters at its sitting is not certain. The Punjab cabinet, which discussed a draft of the central ordinance at its meeting, failed to decide the issue. The Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, told newsmen after the cabinet meeting that the draft did not contain details of boundaries after the contemplated territorial transfer. “It was a tentative draft”, he added.

Cong-I likely to win 30 RS seats

The Congress(I) is poised to win 30 of the 45 seats as nominations closed in the Rajya Sabha biennial poll in eight states. Basing its nominations on the strength of the party, the Congress(I) has fielded five candidates from Bihar, three from Rajasthan, eight from Uttar Pradesh, four from Maharashtra, three from Orissa, two from Tamil Nadu, five from Madhya Pradesh and one from Punjab.