The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab is expected to announce its first list of candidates for 2017 State Assembly elections this week. Party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday said that the SAD would announce its candidates in next two weeks.
“SAD has already conveyed to its probable candidates, but the official announcement would also be made soon,” said Sukhbir while interacting with the media persons after welcoming the Congress leader Seth Satpal Mall, along with Cabinet Ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Ajit Singh Kohar, into the party-fold.
Sukhbir, responding to a query regarding Aam Aadmi Party’s announcement of VAT rationalisation in its manifesto, said: “Kejriwal should stop befooling the people by releasing visionless manifestos”.
He said that everyone knows that GST is all set to replace VAT across the nation from next financial year but Kejriwal is talking about VAT, which shows his common understanding about the issues pertaining to the society.
Terming the Congress as a sinking ship, Sukhbir said that in next 10 days, more Congress leaders would join SAD as they are feeling stifled in the party due to factionalism. He stressed that SAD-BJP coalition would make a hat-trick and the Congress would be on the same footing as in 2007 and 2012 elections.
The Congress suffered a major setback with its prominent Dalit leader Seth Satpal Mall joined the Akali Dal along with his supporters. Mall belongs to a traditional Congress family and considered as an influential leader in Doaba region of the state.
Holding the position of party’s general secretary, Mall was a strong contender for the party’s ticket from Adampur assembly segment.
Committing to work with full zeal and strength to ensure the record victory of SAD-BJP in the ensuing assembly elections, Mall said that he and thousands of his supporters would guarantee record margin victory of SAD-BJP candidates.
He said that grass root leaders and workers were suffering most because of factionalism in the Congress party.