Filing his nomination papers from the Amritsar East assembly constituency, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday dared his opponent and arch-rival SAD's Bikram Singh Majithia to fight only from this constituency, and not also from Majitha seat.
Three-time MLA Majithia, who is also contesting from his bastion Majitha seeking his re-election for the fourth time in a row, had filed his nomination papers a day before. The two are known arch-rivals and have been at loggerheads since the time Sidhu was Amritsar MP as BJP leader and the saffron party was running an alliance government with Akali Dal in Punjab.
“If you (Majithia) have so much guts, and have faith in people, then leave Majitha and fight from one seat here. Fight! Do you have the guts?” said Sidhu, while talking to reporters after filing his nomination papers.
Hitting out at the Akalis, Sidhu said, “They have come only to play the spoilsport. But in this ‘Dharam Yudh’, they will not succeed because where there is 'Dharma' there is victory.” “Yato Dharmastato Jayah (Where there is dharma there is victory), said Sidhu, the sitting Amritsar East MLA, accusing the SAD of "looting" Punjab.
Sidhu’s statement came a day after Majithia on Friday accused the Punjab Congress chief of having failed the people of Amritsar East as their representative. Majithia also alleged that Sidhu, who is the sitting MLA from Amritsar East, has not done anything for the people of his constituency.
Saying that now the people will decide the fate of those who have “cheated and deceived” them, Majithia said that facilities like roads, sewerage and quality drinking water have not been provided till now.
Taking a dig at the ‘Punjab model’, he said that Sidhu has been representing this constituency one way or the other for more than 18 years but has done nothing for it.
“Now people will ask him for his report card. He cannot befool them with some imaginary Punjab Model. He has to tell the residents of Amritsar East why he has failed them as their representative,” he said.
