By PTI
LUDHIANA: Union minister and BJP’s in-charge for Punjab polls Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday said the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and the saffron party are likely to join hands for the upcoming assembly polls in the state.
He said the talks between the two parties are in progress in this regard.
Both the parties are like-minded and hold identical views on several issues, Shekhawat added.
He was here to address a state-level workers’ meeting.
Shekhawat alleged that Punjab was lagging behind in all fields and had slipped down from a top position to the 16th in the country in respect of growth.
“The state was in an economic mess, carrying huge debts of approximately Rs four lakh crore and requiring paying tremendous amounts of interest. In the field of employment also, Punjab stood far behind the national average in the country,” he said.
Shekhawat asked BJP workers to expose the political parties which are trying to befool the people by making false promises.
He lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking how many of his promises he made to people of the national capital have been fulfilled.
He exhorted the party workers to work hard for the formation of the BJP government in the state.
On the occasion, former Akali MLA Mohan Lal Banga and former IAS officer S R Ladhar were among 21 persons who joined the BJP.
Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma, Punjab affairs in-charge Dushyant Gautam and other senior leaders of the party were present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress on Tuesday launched a campaign to seek inputs from the people of the state for preparing a manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing media here, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the manifesto committee Partap Singh Bajwa said the draft of the manifesto for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections will be complete in 15 days.
Punjab assembly polls are due early next year.
Bajwa asserted that only those promises would be made in the manifesto which are implementable, laying emphasis on sectors like agriculture, education, health, women.
Under the ‘Aawaz Punjab Di’ campaign, the party will be taking inputs from the people of the state for the manifesto of the upcoming elections.
Rohan Gupta, chairman of social media department of the Congress said, “The Congress party believes in listening to the problems being faced by people at the ground level and solve them rather than just politicicing the issues for political benefits like other parties.”
He said under this campaign, a special toll-free number is being launched where can give a missed call.
The person concerned will then get a message to know where he or she can share suggestions, Gupta added.
Bajwa praised the Charanjit Singh Channi-led state government for taking several “pro-people” decisions in a short span of time.
To a question, he said the committee will incorporate the suggestions of both Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the manifesto.
“We are going to incorporate the model of the Congress. We will incorporate suggestions of the CM sahib and Pardhan Sahab (Punjab Congress chief),” he added.
Asked whether he himself will contest the state elections, Bajwa replied in affirmative.
When pressed from which seat he will be contesting, he said, “You will come to know.”
Congress national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said, “We believe in two-way communication, not in one way form like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Farm laws are an example of the BJP and Modi’s authoritarian nature. They did not talk to the stakeholders who were directly affected by these laws and imposed them without any communication.”
“This is the difference between us and them. We believe in talking to the people first and taking their views before making laws,” he added.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday promised Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop damage, restoration of old pension scheme for government employees, free power for all religious places and ending alleged sand and liquor mafia if the SAD-BSP alliance comes to power in Punjab next year.
Shiromani Akali Dal patron and five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal exuded confidence that in the coming assembly elections, the SAD-BSP alliance would repeat the performance like it had witnessed in 1996 when it had won all Lok Sabha seats.
Addressing a rally organised to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the Akali Dal, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said there would be four fronts — the BJP, the Congress, the AAP and the SAD-BSP in the coming assembly polls.
“Out of these four, only the SAD-BSP alliance is your front.
We know your issues and problems and (will) also fight for you,” he said while exhorting people to vote for the alliance.
He lashed out at rival political parties – Congress, AAP and the BJP – for not understanding the problems and raising the issues of people of the state.
The Akali Dal was formed on December 14, 1920 and completed 100 years last year.
Announcing new poll promises, Sukhbir Badal said farmers would be given crop insurance cover for any damage of their crop and minimum Rs 50,000 compensation would be given if the SAD-BSP alliance comes to power.
He further promised restoration of the old pension scheme for government employees.
At present, the employees recruited after 2004 are not entitled for pension after retirement.
“Electricity supply to all religious places, including gurdwara, temple, mosque and church, will be made free,” he said.
He also promised formation of a government corporation for the mining sector to end the sand mafia.
Badal also promised to end the monopoly in the liquor business.
He said more graveyard grounds would be made available for the Muslim and Christian communities.
He announced that the SAD-BSP alliance would not allow anyone to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the state.
“‘Bhaicharak Sanjh’ cannot be compromised with. I am also committed to taking Punjab to new heights of development”, he further said.
Later, former chief minister and Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal said in 1996 when there was an alliance between SAD and BSP, it won all Lok Sabha seats.
This time too, the alliance will get similar results and repeat history, asserted Badal.
The former chief minister said he will perform whatever duty the party assigns him for the upcoming assembly elections.
Badal said the choice before Punjabis was “straight and simple”.
It’s one between having a government of the Punjabis, for the Punjabis and by the Punjabis on the one hand or having “boastful puppets” remote controlled by outsiders, he said.
The Akali stalwart also warned the Government of India against the “dangerous adventurism” of the past and said nothing should be done to disturb the atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in Punjab and outside.
Speaking on the occasion, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) general secretary Satish Mishra said the alliance was set to sweep the forthcoming polls by securing 100 seats.
He also lashed out at other rival parties including the Congress and the AAP.
A resolution condemning the Congress government’s alleged attempts to register false cases against SAD-BSP alliance leaders was passed in the rally.
