India    01-Feb-2007

Punjab Police Chief S. S. Virk said the crime rate in respect of murder, rape, and kidnapping has increased in the State due to rising unemployment and the spread of urbanization. The crime rate has increased by about 20 percent, he said while giving figures which showed murder cases increasing to 852 in 2006 against 743 in 2005. Virk also stated undercurrents of terrorism still prevailed in Punjab, while few terrorists or militants were arrested who were active during the phase of terrorism in the State in the 1980s and early 1990s.

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India    13-Feb-2007

An estimated 71.97 percent of 1.66 crore voters exercised their franchise for the Legislative Assembly elections which passed off peacefully barring minor incidents.

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India    27-Feb-2007

The Congress party was voted out of power in the Legislative Assembly elections as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine returned to power with a clear majority. The SAD-BJP alliance won 71 of the 117 seats in the Assembly with Akali Dal itself winning 48 seats. The BJP won 19 of the 23 seats it contested. Congress, which had won 62 seats in 2002, secured 44 seats.

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