Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said that the SAD-BJP alliance had broken the faith of people in democracy and weakened the foundation of democratic institutions by leaps of their actions.
Bajwa added that Congress had taken the decision to fight the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections to safeguard the people’s faith in democracy and they have succeeded in their aim. “Organised violence against Congress workers was an attempt by the ruling alliance to frustrate the Congress cadre and win unopposed. We have defeated their design and ensured the maximum possible participation of people. This is real victory of people of Punjab,” he said.
Bajwa, however, complimented the Congress candidates who won “despite all odds” and party workers for fighting vigorously against the coercive methods adopted by the SAD-BJP alliance to suppress the voters and particularly the Congress cadre.
“Ruling alliance had made brazen attempts to hijack the election process in connivance with the State Election Commission and Punjab Police right from the time of demarcation of zones for Block Samiti and Zila Parishad. Names of Congress voters were deleted and zones were demarked arbitrarily. Congress candidates were coerced and their nomination papers were rejected without citing any valid reason,” said Bajwa.
He said that notwithstanding claims by SAD-BJP Government, the people of Punjab are witness to rigging by way of pre-poll violence, political murders of opposition candidate and workers, booth capturing at large scale. He added that in n Amritsar district, the alliance has made a clean sweep by winning all nine Block Samitis of Raiya, Chogwan, Tarsikka, Harsh Chinna, Jandiala Guru, Verka, Ajanala, Majitha and Attari. In Barnala, the alliance has won Shehna.