In a bid to further broaden its base to give a tough fight to both Congress and the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the 2017 Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party has decided to organise another Statewide rally on December 15 to coincide with those of its rivals in Punjab.
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress have already announced to organise rallies on the same day — while Congress will hold a rally in Bathinda where its new State chief Capt Amarinder Singh would take over, SAD will organise rally in Patiala, known to be Congress stronghold.
Addressing a news conference, senior AAP leader and in-charge of Punjab affairs, Sanjay Singh rubbished the idea of grand alliance in Punjab saying AAP will contest all 117 seats in the State and claimed that it will sweep the polls.
Upholding the suspension of AAP MPs, Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Singh Khalsa, Sanjay Singh said that both the leaders had committed gross misconduct, and the decision of their suspension was taken by the disciplinary committee. He said that their cases were to be considered by the disciplinary committee only and if it decided to bring them back, nobody would have any problem.
Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s statement that party will welcome cricketer- turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu if he wants to join, Sanjay Singh said that neither Sidhu had approached AAP nor the party had spoken to him for the crucial assembly polls, which are due in 2017.
“The talks about Sidhu (joining Aam Aadmi Party) are only in news. Neither Sidhu has approached us nor we have talked to him. The news pertaining to him is coming out on its own. I do not know about the veracity of such news,” Singh said.
On Kejriwal’s recent statement about Sidhu, the AAP leader said, “We have always said from day one that our party will take a decision on those leaders in other political parties who have clean image.”
When asked if AAP would bring a “parachute candidate” for Punjab polls, he said the party would decide about the “face” of the party for the state at an appropriate time. Stating that the strength of local AAP leaders should not be underestimated, Singh said, “AAP has leadership which is capable of contesting elections and forming Government.”
Speculations are rife that ex-MP Sidhu might join AAP as the party wants to put up a face who has mass appeal among voters for the assembly polls. Kejriwal in Delhi on December 5 had said, “We will welcome Navjot Singh Sidhu if he wants to join AAP.”
Claiming that the victory of Delhi would be repeated in Punjab, he said, “There is no challenge from both parties (SAD and Congress). We will repeat the history of Delhi’s victory in Punjab.” Singh was accompanied by AAP’s Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and its Punjab co-convener Durgesh Pathak.
Asked about Kejriwal’s visit to Punjab, Singh said the Delhi CM would focus on Punjab in a big way before the assembly polls and will aggressively campaign in the State.
Kejriwal will be here six months before the polls and he will be campaigning for AAP which will sweep the polls in the State,” he said, adding that Kejriwal would also attend a rally on January 14 in Muktsar.
He said the party would not contest the Khadoor Sahib byelection. This seat fell vacant after Congress MlA Ramanjit Singh Sikky resigned from this seat.
To a question on a video released in October showing AAP MP Bhagwant Mann in a drunken stupor, Singh defended him and said the opposition parties were trying to malign his image. “We challenge (Deputy Chief Minister) Sukhbir Badal and (Punjab Congress chief) Captain Amarinder Singh to undergo dope test along with Mann... Truth will come out,” he said.
In the video, Sangrur MP, Mann was seen being forced to leave a religious ceremony after he was allegedly found drunk.
Demanding a high level inquiry into the allegations fake encounters during militancy days by Punjab police, made recently by ex-cop Gurmeet Singh Pinki, Sanjay Singh said that Ex-DGP of Punjab had been a blue eyed boy of CM Parkash Singh Badal and Capt. Amarinder Singh during his regime, thus their involvement in the alleged incidents should also be probed.