30082026-LT-01.qxd 8/29/2026 11:51 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 10-DAY SPECIAL SANITATION DRIVE KICKS OFF IN KHANNA ZINDAGI MUBARAK WITH SINGER-ACTIVIST DEV FIRST LOOKS OF DRISHYAM’S CHARACTERS UNVEILED Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond inaugurates initiative at Municipal Council office in Khanna. P2 He is on a Prem Yatra across U’khand and HP to donate 1,000 ukuleles to kids in villages & teach them music. P3 After standout eye campaign, Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar alongside Tabu and Rajat Kapoor. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6:49 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:58 AM SUNDAY | 30 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA AAP’s Yuvraj Sidhu, Congress’ Gaurav Bhatti win F&CC poll Aman Bagga loses contest despite ruling party’s numerical strength Councillors Yuvraj Sidhu (in yellow turban) and (right) Gaurav Bhatti celebrate their victory in the F&CC poll in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 29 In a first for the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, the election of two councillors to its Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) was held through secret ballot on Saturday, ending a nearly twomonth-long legal and political dispute. AAP councillor Yuvraj Singh Sidhu, son of Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu, and Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti were elected to the two posts, while Aman Bagga, son of MLA Madan Lal Bagga, lost the contest despite the ruling party’s numerical strength. The elections, held on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, saw a closely watched voting process at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan. Yuvraj emerged as the first winner while Bhatti secured the second seat through the preferential counting process. BJP candidate Ruchi Vishal Gulati finished fourth but congratulated Bhatti and described the outcome as a victory for the Opposition. Voting began around 11.30 am and was completed by about 12.40 pm. The results, however, was announced nearly three hours later after scrutiny, counting and clarification of issues raised by the candidates. Mayor Inderjit Kaur finally announced the results. A total of 94 councillors and six MLAs exercised their franchise. The six MLAs who voted were Hardeep Singh Mundian, Madan Lal Bagga, Kulwant Singh Sidhu, Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, Ashok Parashar Pappi and Daljit Singh Grewal. The voting pattern became the biggest talking point of the elections. The AAP has 48 councillors in the House, besides the six MLAs who were eligible to vote. Sources said the party had discussed its strategy at a meeting a day before the elections and had expected about 27 votes each for Yuvraj and Aman. The first-preference count, however, produced a different picture. Yuvraj secured 37 votes, Aman 22, Bhatti 19 and Ruchi 15. Seven ballot papers were declared invalid due to incorrect or double markings. As Yuvraj Sidhu had crossed the required quota, his surplus votes were transferred continued on page 2 c m y b 12-yr-old boy thrashed for flying kite Ludhiana, August 29 A case of assault on a 12-yearold boy has come to light at Guru Gobind Singh Nagar here. The child, who had climbed onto a neighbour’s rooftop to fly a kite, was first subjected to verbal abuse. When the frightened victim was going towards his house, some persons surrounded him and thrashed him severely. In her complaint to the police, Pooja Verma, the boy’s mother, stated that when her minor son had climbed onto the rooftop of a neighbour, Balvir Singh, around on Friday evening to fly a kite, the man started abusing him. As per the complaint, when the boy was walking towards his house, the man and other suspects thrashed him. They also kicked him in his private parts. As people gathered at the scene, the suspects left the place after threatening the victim. After the incident, the boy’s condition deteriorated. His family members reached the scene and rushed him to a hospital. Following the complaint, the Daba police have registered a case against Balvir and other suspects. The police are investigating the matter and collecting evidence in the case. Footage from CCTV cameras installed in the area was also being examined. — TNS Blood banks grapple with shortage amid rising demand Civil Hospital, Red Cross Society left with little supply Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 29 Amid the hot and humid weather conditions and with 23 dengue cases already reported in the district this year, blood banks are facing a shortage. The Civil Hospital’s blood bank and the Red Cross Society blood bank are left with around two to three days’ supply, raising concern over their ability to meet emergency demands. Only a few blood donation camps are being held these days owing to the extreme weather conditions. There is a severe shortage of negative blood groups. Amid rising dengue cases, the demand for single donor platelets is also increasing. The storage capacity of the blood bank at the Civil Hospital is 500 units and at present, it has only 120 units. On an average, 20-25 units of blood are consumed every day and maximum demand comes from Mother and Child Hospital where expecting mothers experiencing low haemoglobin are provided blood transfusion. The blood bank of Red Cross Society had only 34 units. The capacity of the bank is 250 units. Around 510 units are issued per day. The Civil Hospital blood bank has only 120 units left. INDERJEET VERMA The crisis is particularly acute for rare blood groups. Supplies of A-negative and AB-negative blood groups are nearly exhausted, posing a serious risk to patients in need. At the same time, the demand for single donor platelets (SDP) has surged, as dengue patients often require platelet transfusions to manage falling counts. Dr Amanpreet Kaur, blood transfusion officer at the Civil Hospital, said: “During summers, the problem of shortage of blood is faced as less number of blood donation camps are held due to the extreme weather conditions. On Sunday, one blood donation camp will be organised and we are hopeful of replenishing some stock,” she said. “I want to appeal to healthy residents to come forward for the cause. People should donate blood as it cannot be produced in a factory, she said. She said the apheresis machine, which was used to retrieve platelets from donors, was working now. It was lying defunct for many years. The machine needs to be in regular operation so that it should remain functional. The machine separates blood received from donors into its various components such as plasma, platelets and white and red blood cells. Dr Manvi Gupta, BTO at the Red Cross blood bank, has also appealed to the people for blood donation. She said every drop of blood one donates becomes a lifeline for someone battling illness, accident or surgery.