Amidst opposition by SAD’s district leaders on the candidature of Sarabjit Singh Makkar from Jalandhar Cantonment, party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Thursday asked the people to elect him as MlA and he would ensure development in the area.
“You just elect Sarabjit Singh Makkar as MlA from Jalandhar Cantonment, I will send you two loaded trucks of notes, that too of new currency for Development,” he said, while addressing a gathering in Sofi village.
Sukhbir, who laid foundation stone of Industrial Training Institute in state BJP chief Vijay Sampla’s ancestral village, said: “Makkar is very close to me and my father and very hardworking, you just elected him as an MlA to form SAD-BJP Government in Punjab, once again.”
Accompanied by Makkar, Sukhbir also announced a grant of Rs 1.25 crore for the development of Sofi village.
Reacting to media queries on controversy over Makkar’s candidature as SAD’s district president Gurcharan Singh Channi has openly raised revolt against him, Sukhbir said: “Everything will be settled down soon”.
On former SAD MlAs joining Congress, Sukhbir said that he has scored self-goal by joining Congress.
“Earlier Sidhu and company were inviting parties to take them, but later on started pleading the parties to take them…I wish Congress good luck for taking Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who was finding it difficult to get her space in any party,” he added.
He also justified denial of party tickets to SAD leaders Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Avinash Chander saying that they “failed to perform as MlA, that is why they were denied tickets”.
“Now Congress is taking ‘rejected mall’ of SAD, as earlier Congress was also criticising these MlAs, when they were in SAD,” Sukhbir said.
“You see, one cannot take his seat as MlA as his personal property, for which you will have to perform,” he added.
Responding to AAP’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s candidature from Jalalabad, Sukhbir said: “I will visit my constituency only once to campaign.”
“Bhagwant Mann even does not know the names of the villages in Jalalabad constituency and he would lose his deposit from there, Sukhbir Badal said, while responding to a query, whether fielding of Mann against him was AAP’s strategy to keep him confined to only one constituency.
“I don’t even need to campaign in my constituency and visit only once to campaign,” Sukhbir said.
On SYl issue, Sukhbir said that chapter is closed for ever, as Punjab Government has already de-notified land acquired for SYl.
Meanwhile, Gurjit Singh Sanghera, son of Congress former Cabinet Minister, and Avtar Henry on Thursday joined the Shiromani Akali Dal. Besides, Iqbal Singh Dhindsa, husband of thrice Independent councillor Raminder Kaur Dhindsa, also join hands with Akali Dal.