Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: The Amritsar (East) assembly segment is set to see one of the most high-profile contests, as Bikram Singh Majithia of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accepted the challenge posed by Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu and will contest only from Amritsar East and his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia will now contest from Majitha.
Former minister Majithia said he had decided to answer the call of duty and contest the forthcoming assembly elections from Amritsar (East) constituency and hand over the responsibility of the Majitha seat to his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia.
He said he has foreseen a feeling of confusion in the minds of the people of Amritsar East who would rightfully feel that he might forsake the seat if elected from two constituencies. “I have addressed this concern and decided to contest the next elections from Amritsar East alone,’’ he said.
Majtihia said the election was also about breaking the arrogance of Madhya Pradesh Congress President Navjot Sidhu.
“I have decided to teach him to respect the people of the constituency. You will see that he will start to love people by the end of the campaign. He will learn to respect elders. He will have to stop making statements in the air and will have to descend down to the level of the common man,’’ he said.
Asserting that the people of Amritsar East felt humiliated by Sidhu’s behaviour, the SAD leader said, “Sidhu has never participated in any social function of the constituency. He has not gone to grieve at anyone’s passing away. He is not only unmindful of his constituents but also deceives them by promising projects like sports stadiums and over bridges on the eve of elections and forgets about them once the elections are over.”
“Now when he goes to meet the people he will see for himself the state of roads and streets in his constituency. People will ask him why he failed to ensure even basic facilities to them including potable drinking water and sewerage facilities. Now the time has come for him to be answerable to his constituents,’’ he said.
Asserting that he had come to win hearts in Amritsar East, Majithia said, “I have won the hearts of the people of Majitha with arduous work and dedication. I have been one with them and they have returned my affection manifold by electing me to office manifold times. It is with a heavy heart that I am shifting from Majitha to Amritsar East. It has not been an easy decision. But I felt that sometimes in politics, circumstances force you to take such difficult decisions. This is one such instance. I am grateful to the people of Majitha as well as my core team for giving me permission and blessings to contest the forthcoming elections from Amritsar East.’’
Majithia said he was confident his wife Ganieve Majithia would serve the people of the Majitha with utmost dedication. “It is not an easy decision for her also but I am confident she will do her best to continue the family’s tradition of service to the people.’’
The SAD had fielded Majithia from two seats – Amritsar East and neighbouring Majitha.
