Foes” have turned friends again. After putting up a fight in the recently-concluded Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Tuesday presented a united front by sharing the same dais.
In a show of strength and the unity of the two coalition partners ahead 2014 Parliamentary polls, all the prominent leaders and Ministers were present during the function to felicitate as many as 299 newly elected zila parishads members, hailing from the ruling combine.
Notably, at some of the seats in Panchayati Raj institutions’ elections, the two parties had fielded its candidates against each other after failing to reach on a consensus. However, all the winners of the ruling coalition were presented with the ‘robe of honour’ (saropa) first by Chief Minister and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal and then State BJP chief Kamal Sharma.
Sounding the polls bugle for 2014 lok Sabha polls, Badal called upon the people to maintain the winning trend to finally root out the Congress completely from the State in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in 2014.
He referred to the alliance’s unprecedented wins in Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections, 2012 State Assembly elections, followed by two by-elections in Dasuya and Moga, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls, corporation elections and now in Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections.
“People of Punjab has shown full faith and confidence in SAD and BJP and out rightly rejected the Congress,” said Badal.
Citing an example of the recent election results, Badal said that the ground realities could be judged by the fact that people had even rejected the Congress party candidates in the constituencies of State party chief Partap Singh Bajwa, leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar and former Chief Minister Rajinder
Kaur Bhattal.
In a reward, Badal also announced to set up Kisan Bhawans in all district headquarters to facilitate the people besides, establishing well-furnished zila parishad offices.
Badal also directed the elected representatives to conduct a meeting with the deputy commissioners, or senior superintendents of police, or the sub-divisional magistrate or the superintendents of police concerned in three months time to resolve their grievances.
Badal also asked the Ministers to inform the respective zila parishad member when they are visiting any particular area, so that they can take up their issues with them only there.
In another major decision, Badal also announced to prepare a directory of contact numbers of zila parishad members to be circulated. “I will also ask my staff to inform me as soon any member call me and get me in touch with them,” he added.
Besides, the zila parishad members would also be given identity cards, on the basis of which they can meet the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, or the Ministers “anytime, whether at office of residence just by showing this card”.
For the purpose, the DCs concerned would be asked to collect the passport size photographs of all the members.
SAD chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal announced that the party would also issue identity cards to all the members of zila parishad and block samitis for which he has asked them to update their particulars in the SAD office.
Also speaking on the occasion, Kamal Sharma pointed out that with this recent verdict of the public in favour of SAD-BJP, Opposition Congress must have realised their shortcomings.