PHAGWARA: SAD (Amritsar) will contest the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections across Punjab with full organisational strength, the party announced after a major meeting of its Doaba Zone leadership. The high-level gathering was held under the chairmanship of chief spokesperson Dr. Harjinder Singh Jakhu, with senior leader Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji in special attendance.
Following the Punjab Election Commission’s declaration of local body polls, political activity has accelerated across the state. SAD (A) similarly initiated its election preparations by bringing together district jathedars, constituency in-charges and circle in-charges from Fagwara, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Bhulath, Hoshiarpur and surrounding regions for a detailed strategy session.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Dr. Jakhu emphasized that the entire party cadre under the leadership of president Simranjit Singh Mann is united and determined to fight the elections vigorously. He asserted confidence that the party would emerge victorious in a significant number of seats.
Dr. Jakhu levelled strong allegations against the state government, claiming it orchestrated widespread high-handedness in the previous panchayat elections, including violence, firing incidents and the registration of “false and baseless cases” against party workers. Referring to the recent Tarn Taran Sahib by-election, he accused the government of repeating similar misconduct and warned that SAD (A) would not tolerate any such actions in the forthcoming polls.
Commenting on the Election Commission’s decision to use ballot papers instead of EVMs, Dr. Jakhu described it as a “government drama” intended to mislead the public. He added that if any manipulation or wrongdoing occurred during the voting process, the party would deliver a firm and uncompromising response.
He further announced that the complete list of SAD (A) candidates for Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections will be released on November 30.
Addressing the gathering, Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji reiterated that SAD (Amritsar) is the true representative of the common people. He accused the Aam Aadmi Party of functioning as the “B-team of the BJP, ” alleging that both parties were responsible for policies harming Punjab’s youth and agriculture. He criticised the AAP government for failing to make Punjab drug-free even after nearly four years, calling it “deeply shameful” for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.