Ludhiana: AAP MLAs begin cleanliness drive; poll stunt, says opposition
The move comes two days after former Delhi deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia, during a meeting on Wednesday, asked AAP councillors and legislators to spearhead such a drive in their areas
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on Friday initiated a cleanliness drive in their respective constituencies, joining workers of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) sweeping the roads besides taking feedback from sweepers. The BJP has termed it a political drive aimed at attracting the attention of voters.
The move comes two days after former Delhi deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia, during a meeting on Wednesday, asked AAP councillors and legislators to spearhead such a drive in their areas.
Ludhiana North constituency MLA Madan Lal Bagga, Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Sidhu, Ludhiana South MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chinna and Ludhiana Central MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi among others kicked off the cleanliness drive. Bagga said he, along with senior MC officials, stayed on-site for over two hours to oversee the cleanliness effort. He stated the campaign would ensure garbage, weeds and shrubs are cleared from the wards and alongside roads in the constituency.
A duty schedule has been set for the MC staff to keep public spaces clean and attractive. “With chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s guidance, the Punjab government is working tirelessly to create a clean, green and pollution-free Ludhiana,” Bagga said.
To ensure garbage collection runs smoothly, the MLA urged residents to call him directly at 94172-01818 if door-to-door garbage collection vehicles skip their areas. “Every resident, especially the youth, must help make our city clean and green,” he said.
Meanwhile, district BJP chief Rajnish Dhiman said, “We welcome the cleanliness drive started by AAP. But why it has started when poll (Ludhiana West assembly) is round the corner?”
AAP sources say the cleanliness campaign, along with Sikhya Kranti (education revolution), is a part of party’s broader strategy to showcase its model of governance and people-centric policies ahead of the upcoming by-election.
Residents in some areas welcomed the efforts. “We had raised complaints about unattended garbage heaps for weeks. It’s only after this campaign began that the area has finally been cleaned,” said Rajinder Kumar, a shopkeeper in Field Ganj.
During the Wednesday meeting, Manish Sisodia, according to people familiar with the development, had emphasised the importance of impactful groundwork in the run-up to elections, urging leaders to engage with residents and improve civic conditions at the grassroots.
