Punjab bypoll battle: Vote for AAP’s pro-people policies & development, says Arvind Kejriwal
Kejriwal and Mann promised continued pro-people policies in Punjab, addressing rallies ahead of bypolls on November 20, focusing on development and job creation.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann asserted that the Punjab government will continue its pro-people policies and promised that the party will do ‘everything’ for the development of constituencies.
Mann and Kejriwal addressed rallies in Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak in favour of party candidates.
Bypolls to the four assembly seats – Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala – will take place on November 20 and counting of votes will be held on November 23.
Addressing a gathering in Jiyan village in the Chabbewal assembly segment in favour of party candidate Ishank Kumar, Kejriwal presented the report card of the AAP government’s two-and-half-year rule.
“As promised, the AAP waived off old electricity bills and offered free 300 units for every domestic consumer, leading to zero electricity bills,” former Delhi CM said.
Kejriwal added that both BJP and Congress are ruling most of the states in the country but have done nothing to unburden people from electricity charges.
“The concept of mohalla clinics has proved a boon for the people. The AAP government in Punjab had given over 45,000 government jobs on a merit basis,” he added.
Kejriwal said if his party’s candidate comes to power Chabbewal constituency will get an ITI polytechnic college and its irrigation needs will be met through water from the Bist Doab canal.
Addressing the gathering, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that in the previous government, the finance minister kept saying for five years that the treasury was empty.
“How could the treasury be empty when the previous government provided no free electricity, built no roads, nor created hospitals and schools? The actual reason was that they didn’t want to work for the people of Punjab for which they continued making lame excuses of empty state exchequer,” Mann said.
Contest between honest and dishonest: ex-Delhi CM
At Dera Baba Nanak, Mann and Kejriwal addressed a gathering in favour of AAP candidate Gurdeep Singh Randhawa.
Kejriwal said that if Gurdeep Randhawa is elected as MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, the state government will establish the biogas plant and sugar mill in the constituency. “The youth will get employment. Playgrounds and stadiums will be built to keep youth healthy and away from drugs. An ITI polytechnic college will also be opened”, he said.
Kejriwal said that the contest at Dera Baba Nanak was between ‘honest’ Randhawa and ‘corrupt’ Randhawa, referring to sitting MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, whose wife Jatinder Kaur, is the Congress candidate.
“Sukhjinder Randhawa only thinks about his family. That is why his wife is contesting this election,” former Delhi CM added.
Mann also slammed the Congress leader and said: “After two and a half years, the people have another opportunity. Vote for the AAP candidate, and we will work at double speed for the constituency’s development.”
Kejriwal doing politics in name of farmers: Sampla
Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla slammed Kejriwal for doing politics in name of farmers. “If Kejriwal is a pro-farmer leader, he should have gone to the house of farmer Jaswinder Singh from village Nadampur, Bhawanigarh district Sangrur, who committed suicide on November 5 after he was unable to sell his paddy produce on MSP,” Sampla alleged. He said that Kejriwal is mum on the issues faced by farmers in the state. “The AAP government has failed to make arrangements for smooth paddy procurement,” he said.