NURMAHAL:There is a strong anti-incumbency against the ruling Congress for
"reneging" on its poll promises while people do not "trust" AAP,
claimed SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, adding that both parties will
be "wiped out" in the Punjab Assembly elections.
The SAD president was addressing a joint rally of SAD and Bahujan
Samaj Party here on Friday.
The 59-year-old leader accused Chief Minister Charanjit Singh of
indulging in a "drama" by trying to protect himself as a "aam aadmi"
(common man) and alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
wants to become the CM of Punjab.
The Shiromani Akali Dal president said people of Punjab know that it
is only his party that delivered on its promises.
He claimed that the progress of the state remained stalled in the past
four-and-half-year rule of the Congress.
"There is a strong anti-incumbency against the Congress. People are
fed up with this government, " Badal told the media , referring to
his visits to several Assembly constituencies.
The graph of the Congress has "drastically" gone down, claimed Badal.
"There has been no chief minister for nearly five years. The Congress
just defrauded people and played with their emotions, " said Mr Badal,
adding that the ruling party "reneged" on its poll promises, including
complete debt waiver for farmers.
People did not think that they would be "defrauded", said Badal as he
added that former chief minister Amarinder Singh had taken a "false
oath" of the "Gutka Sahib" (a religious text) before the 2017 Assembly
elections and made tall promises.
Taking on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Badal claimed that people of
Punjab do not "trust" it and asked the party's national convener
Arvind Kejriwal to first implement in Delhi the promises he is making
in Punjab.
"His only dream is that he wants to become the CM of Punjab, " said
Badal, while pointing to an AAP banner, which says "ik mauka Kejriwal
nu" (one chance to Kejriwal).
He alleged that Kejriwal had always "backed down" from what he had promised.
Badal asked if he had given ₹ 100 to a woman in the national capital
as the SAD leader was questioning his promise of ₹ 1, 000 per month for
women of the state.
"Has he given ₹ 100 to a woman in Delhi? First, he should give 300
units of free power in Delhi where he gives only 200 units, " he said.
Kejriwal had promised up to 300 units of free power in Punjab if his
party came to power.
He also claimed that teachers in Delhi were working on contractual
basis and asked Mr Kejriwal to show any person who was regularised in
the past 10 years.
Kejriwal on Saturday had promised temporary teachers in Mohali to
regularise their jobs.
Badal said he sees the Congress as his party's main rival in the
elections but at certain seats there will be a direct contest between
the SAD and Aam Aadmi Party.
The SAD president assured that the focus of the next SAD-BSP BSP
government would be on quick development, education and health. . We
are committed to creating mega integrated schools at block level
besides creating 500 bedded hospitals in all districts. Nakodar MLA
G.S.Wadala and BSP leaders also addressed rally.