MUKATSAR SAHIB: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today thanked Punjabis for reposing their overwhelming faith and trust in the SAD-BSP combine by coming out in strength on the last day of campaigning to snub both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress party.
“Never before has Punjab witnessed such a sea of humanity coming out on the roads in overwhelming support of any political party”, the SAD President said after attending a mammoth road show from Kotkapura byepass to the Ghaa Mandi chowk in the city where a massive rally was organized in favour of party candidate Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi.
Speaking at the rally, Mr Sukhbir Badal said “the Congress party knows the game is up and that it has been consigned to the dust bin. It will not get more than ten seats in the assembly elections”. He said Punjabis had also seen through AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal who has been thoroughly exposed as a divisive and communal leader who had an anti-farmer and anti-poor agenda besides being essentially anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabis”. He said AAP would not even be able to reach its last term figure of 20 and could secure between ten to fifteen seats.
Mr Badal said even Kejriwal has seen the writing on the wall. “That is why he is now crying wolf and complaining that all political parties have ganged up against him. Even he has realized that Punjabis have consolidated in favour of the SAD-BSP combine. Kejriwal is thoroughly discredited because people feel that he is not only anti-Punjab after taking a stand against Punjab in the Supreme Court on the issues of its river waters besides demanding closure of its thermal plants, but has refused to implement the social welfare measures he is promising in Punjab in Delhi”. Mr Badal said Punjabis had also realized that the Delhi Model itself was a sham and that Kejriwal was trying to win the election on the basis of an Rs 850 crore advertisement campaign.
Speaking about the Congress party, Mr Sukhbir Badal said “people are judging the Congress by its five year misrule which was marked by corruption, scams, gundagardi, gangster culture, persecution of scheduled caste and weaker sections as well as the sand and liquor mafia. People realize that the Congress government added one lakh to the State debt but did not implement even one of the promises made to the people be it complete loan waiver, jobs for youth, Rs 2, 500 per month old age pension, Rs 51, 000 shagun or Rs 2, 500 per month unemployment allowance. It is due to this that the Congress party has virtually dissolved in Punjab and will not cross the ten seat mark”.
Mr Badal said the SAD-BSP combine was heading towards an absolute majority. “Our seats are increasing by the day with people realizing the time tested pro-farmer, pro-poor policies of the SAD coupled with its commitment to peace and communal harmony is the only way forward. We are on the eighty seat threshold and this figure may increase even further on polling day”, the SAD President added.
Asserting that the SAD-BSP alliance was committed to developing Muktsar and its surrounding districts, Mr Badal said “we are also committed to giving a facelift to this historic town which has received the blessings of Guru Sahiban”. He also hailed the contribution of party candidate Kanwarjit Barkandi to society at large on the occasion.
Mr Badal also detailed that the next SAD-BSP alliance government was committed to increase the old age pension from Rs 1, 500 per month to Rs 3, 100 per month. He said similarly the shagun benefit would be increased to Rs 75, 000 per beneficiary. He also announced that the alliance government would give Rs 2, 000 per month to women heads of below poverty line families, Rs ten lakh student card for higher studies, Rs 10 lakh medical insurance, create one lakh government jobs and ten lakh private jobs, distribute five lakh houses free of cost to the poor and needy as well as give 5, 000 five marla plots to the poor in each constituency of the State. Mr Badal also announced the price of diesel for agriculture use would be lowered by Rs 10 per liter once the SAD-BSP government was formed and that all domestic consumers would receive 400 units of free power per month.