Days after moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court, accusing the Akalis for attempting to hijack the Panchayat poll process, Punjab Congress on Sunday declared to give the ruling alliance a "tough fight" in the ensuing elections.
The party, in fact, has convened an "emergency" meeting of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) including all party legislators, former MlAs, District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, and other senior party leaders on Monday at party's headquarters in Chandigarh, to draw future action plan.
"Punjab Congress would give tough fight to SAD-BJP alliance in the Panchayat, Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections despite the fact that ruling alliance is making desperate attempts to hijack the democratic process," said State Congress chief and Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa, addressing party workers at dharna against power tariff hike held by Punjab Youth Congress
Bajwa added that an emergency meeting of PPCC has been called "to decide the future course of action to counter the arbitrary demarcation of wards, clandestine notification for Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections, and other related issues".
Alleging that SAD is trying to grab Panchayats by illegal means, Bajwa asked as many as 2816 "unanimously elected Panchayats" in the state to state whether they have been given Rs three lakh as promised by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the previous elections.
On power tariff hike, Bajwa maintained that agitation against steep hike in power rates would remain continue. "People of Punjab are reeling under burden of high power tariff. During past six years of SAD-BJP rule, 80 per cent power tariff hike is registered," he said.
He added that on the front of power generation, the "present Government has failed to fulfill its promise of making Punjab power surplus by 2010. During Congress regime, agriculture sector got eight to 10-hour daily power supply and 24-hour supply was given to domestic sector. Now Punjab is facing unannounced power cuts in every sector".
Bajwa said that Punjab Government had made promise to present tax-free budget but during three months period a burden of Rs3,000 crores was imposed on people. "Punjab Government is forced to review the property tax under pressure from Congress party. Congress would also raise the issue of taxes of Rs3000 crores in the next session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha," he added.
Bajwa also made it clear that the party will continue to struggle against the SAD-BJP's anti-people policies. "Pradesh Congress will expose the ruling alliance among the people of Punjab on the issues which they promised to deliver but failed. Congress will take the election manifesto of SAD and BJP among the electorate of Punjab and ask the people to whether any one out of 47 promises made in the manifesto has been fulfilled," added Bajwa.