Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday described the verdict in favour of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Khadoor Sahib by-election as a referendum for the 2017 Assembly polls in the State.
Addressing a public gathering to kick start to enhanced pension scheme here in the precincts of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial, the Chief Minister said that the opposition parties had deliberately boycotted this by-poll apprehending their crushing defeat at the hands of SAD and now the Congress leadership was terming the outcome of Khadoor Sahib by-election as insignificant and inconsequential.
On the contrary, he said that it was crystal clear that the unprecedented mandate in favour of SAD candidate has set the futuristic agenda in motion that the SAD-BJP alliance was all set to form its Government for third consecutive term.
Badal said that the alliance would contest the forthcoming polls exclusively on the plank of peace, communal harmony, brotherhood and development to give a befitting reply to the divisive, anti-Punjab and anti-people forces, which were hell bent upon to destroy the social fabric in the state.
lashing out at the Congress, the Chief Minister, while squarely blaming it for meting out step motherly treatment to the state, said that the Industry and Agriculture of Punjab was ruined due to regressive policies of the Congress
party during its more than six decade long rule in the country.