Hitting his poll campaign in Jalalabad Assembly segment, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal on Sunday made promises, lashed out at his rivals and asked the people to “take control” of his campaign.
Sukhbir, asking the people to measure him by the work done by him, said, it was for the people to take control of his campaign. “I will be campaigning in the entire State and might be away for long periods. It is for you to make my campaign yours,” he said addressing series of public meetings.
Earlier, when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann as its candidate against Sukhbir, the SAD chief had declared that he would visit Jalalabad constituency just once.
Taking on Mann, Sukhbir said that it was for the people to judge whether they should trust a person who was in the habit of even visiting holy places under the influence of liquor. “He not only visits the holy places drunk, Mann had even attended Parliament under the influence of liquor,” he said.
He also urged the people to recognise those who were with them and outsiders who wanted to befool them with false promises. “AAP has betrayed the farmers on the issue of SYl and river waters while Congress had freezed recruitment and even stopped the free power facility to farmers as well as welfare schemes,” he said.
“In direct contrast, the SAD BJP Government had provided all round facilities to each and every section of society and ensured record development,” he added.
Sukhbir also promised “interest-free loans” of Rs 10 lakh to youth to start their own business if the SAD-BJP is returned to power once again. “The loans would be provided to the youth after giving them skill training so that they can become successful entrepreneurs,” he said.
He also announced that the SAD-BJP alliance would initiate a massive drive to provide pucca houses to all the houseless in the State.
He assured the people that special emphasis would be given to the border belt, particularly Ferozepur district, under this drive.
It has been learnt that Sukhbir’s convoy was also attacked at Kandhwala Hazirkhan village by four-five youngsters. A large group of cops were deployed amidst heavy brick pelting.
GIlCO BUIlDER IS SAD’s CANDIDATE FROM KHARAR
The SAD on Sunday announced Ranjit Singh Gill, a realtor, as its candidate from Kharar assembly constituency. Gill, who is owner of Gillco Valley — a private housing project in Kharar, is associated with SAD for a long time and is stated to be close to party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
He will be facing Congress siting MlA Jagmohan Singh Kang and journalist-turned-politician and first-timer Kanwar Sandhu of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Earlier, Gill’s name was being considered for Mohali as well. But, the ticket was later given to former IAS officer Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu.
Senior Akali leader Ujagar Singh Wadali, who unsuccessfully contested 2012 polls, was vying for a party ticket for his daughter who is presently Kharar Zila Parishad
chairperson.
SAD’s NATIONAl POlITICAl ADVISOR JOINS CONGRESS
SAD on Sunday suffered yet another severe setback in the run-up to the state assembly polls with its National Political Advisor and Punjab Agro Food Grain Corporation director Ranjit Singh Nikra joining the Congress party along with several of his supporters.
Nikra, who was also the national president of the Anti-Drug Federation of India (ADFI), has been appointed as the Chairman of Punjab Congress’ Anti-Narcotic Cell.
Welcoming the development, the state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh described it as another shot in the arm for the Congress and a sign of the total collapse of SAD in the State.
Nikra, who hails from Patiala, started his political innings as Patiala’s Youth Akali Dal (Badal) president in 1994, and had since worked with SAD in various capacities, including National Organising Secretary of SAD (Badal) from 2011 to 2015.
For a brief period, from 2009 to 2011, Nikra had joined Akali Dal (longowal) and served the party as its national youth wing president.
CONGRESS lEADER JOINS AAP
The AAP on Sunday got a major boost when senior Congress leader Sandeep Sharma and former cricketer Suresh Sharma joined the party in the presence of party affairs in-charge in Punjab Sanjay Singh.
Sandeep Sharma is former Zila Parishad member and brother of AAP candidate from Jalandhar (Central) assembly segment, Dr Sanjeev Sharma. Suresh Sharma, is a former cricketer and former coach of star cricketer Harbhajan Singh and had a long association with Jalandhar Cricket Academy.
AAP TO REMOTE CONTROl PUNJAB, ITS UNIT: SAD
SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema on Sunday asserted that AAP’s Delhi-based core team is keen to keep the top slots of Chief Ministerial or his deputy for itself while their Punjabi mercenaries are being used as sacrificial goats. “It is evident from party’s Punjab observers Sanjay Singh’s outright rejection of Bhagwant Mann’s claim to the coveted position,” said Cheema.
Cheema said that both AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh are eyeing on the top slots in Punjab and hence have been dithering on projecting chief ministerial face. However, to avert any controversy or embarrassment, the AAP had taken a position that it would announce its CM candidate after the polls, he said.
“AAP has fielded its prominent faces in constituencies where they are likely to forfeit their security deposits – be it Jarnail Singh in lambi, Bhagwant Mann in Jalalabad, Himmat Singh Shergill in Majitha. This is perfectly in tune with the party’s strategy to ensure defeat of any known face so that the ultimate command could come in the hands of core team of Delhi. Thus, the AAP supremo wants to remote control of Punjab through his tested cohorts,” he said.
CONGRESS YOUTH lEADER JOINS TMC
A day after Punjab Youth Congress general secretary Gurkimat Sidhu resigned from the party and all party positions, he joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday in the presence of former MP and TMC Punjab president Jagmeet Singh Brar.
Brar welcomed Gurkimat into the TMC at a massive show of strength organised in Barnala saying.
Inderjit Singh Randhawan joins APP
Congress Dera Baba Nanak MlA and party candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Sunday suffered a major setback with his elder brother and PPCC permanent invitee Inderjit Singh Randhawa joining Apna Punjab Party (APP) along with his son Deepinder Singh Randhawa and supporters.
Inderjit’s decision came in protest against the Congress party’s decision to field his brother while ignoring candidature of his son Deepinder, who is also party’s prominent youth leader.
At the same time, Punjab Youth Congress’s former secretary Deepinder announced to contest Punjab Assembly election from Dera Baba Nanak against his uncle and sitting MlA Sukhjinder Randhawa as APP candidate.
With them, Block Youth Congress president and NSUI district president also joined the APP.
Notably, Randhawas is a well-known politically influenced family of the area as Sukhjinder’s father, late Santokh Singh Randhawa had remained MlA thrice and even hold the post of state party president.