The last Punjab Assembly session before the 2014 parliamentary polls, starting from Monday, is expected to see both the ruling and the Opposition parties in Punjab launch a scathing attack on each other in their endeavour to kill more than one bird with a single stone.
The attempt apparently will not only be to blow apart the other party’s image, but also to build its own. The timing is propitious as the session, just ahead of the polls, is expected to serve as a battleground for the parties to fight it out in full public view to prove right its stand on different issues. Even as the main Opposition party, the Congress, has gathered enough ammunition to attack the ruling combine, the SAD-BJP alliance is also not hanging easy and is ready to counterattack by raising the national issues.
In dock over the alleged involvement of one of its minister in multi-crore drug case, the Congress would make the most of the issue. Charging up to take on the State Government for shielding the Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia after he was named by arrested drug smuggler and former Punjab police DSP Jagdish Bhola in a multi-crore synthetic drug case.
“We want the SAD-BJP combine Government to answer why they are shielding Majithia after a drug smuggler had named him as ‘drug kingpin’ and others after the inquiries have accused them of being involved in the drug case,” the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar told The Pioneer. With the State Government mired in another controversy, the Congress is all geared up to target the ruling alliance on the same — thanks to its another minister Anil Joshi.
The ClP chief has sought an appointment from the Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil to take up the issue of Election Commission of India (ECI) charging the State local Bodies Minister for having more than one vote. “We have sought an appointment from Governor for Monday ahead of the Assembly session… we are going to seek Anil Joshi’s dismissal after a case has been registered against him following the Election Commission’s intervention for being enrolled as ‘dual voter’,” said Jakhar. He added, “We want the Governor to clarify, in his address, as in what action the State Government has taken on Joshi and Majithia.”
Besides, the Congress will also oppose the State Government’s claims on the revival of industrial sector. “We would seek a white paper from the State Government on the situation of the industries in Punjab. We want to know how much industries have come up, how much investment is there, how much employment it had generated in the past seven years,” Jakhar said.
This is not all! The Congress would also raise the issues of shortage of sand and gravel besides its high prices, increasing unemployment, SAD-BJP combine not fulfilling its poll promise of providing employment allowance, among others. On the other hand, the SAD-BJP combine is all prepared to respond to Congress’ attack with Congress’ poor performance at the national level. Other than listing its “developmental activities, and “the work done in all spheres”, the SAD-BJP alliance Government would take on the Congress for their leaders poor show” on the national front “which is mired by corruption, inflation, no growth, and so on”.