Ahead of the February 20 elections to the 117-member Punjab assembly, Ramesh Vinayak and Navneet Sharma speak with CM Charanjit Singh Channi of the Congress.
Why should people vote for your party?
I wouldn’t talk about the first four-and-a-half-year tenure (under Amarinder Singh). But in the 111 days that I got as CM, we were successful to a large extent in matching people’s expectations and mitigating their pain. Our decisions went down well with all sections. The Congress is seeking a mandate for another five years so that we can take Punjab forward.
What are the three challenges facing Punjab?
Arvind Kejriwal belongs to Haryana and is the Delhi CM. Punjab’s interests clash with both the states. He gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court for the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal to carry Punjab’s river waters to Haryana and Delhi. This is against our interests.
If AAP gets power in Punjab, Punjab’s interests will be compromised. The second issue is of drugs. I have taken the initiative to end all kinds of mafias. Improving the quality of education and health care in the government sector are other issues that I am committed to address. If I become CM again, my first order will be the creation of one lakh jobs.
What is your take on the race among parties to announce freebies?
I’m not in favour of this race, though our party also had to make such promises. If I am chief minister, it is because of the scheduled caste scholarship that I got as a student. To lift the poor from both SC and general categories, we will provide free quality education in government schools and colleges.
{{/usCountry}}I’m not in favour of this race, though our party also had to make such promises. If I am chief minister, it is because of the scheduled caste scholarship that I got as a student. To lift the poor from both SC and general categories, we will provide free quality education in government schools and colleges.
{{/usCountry}}Why do you deserve to be chief minister?
The fact that I implemented 150 decisions at the fag end of our government’s tenure, when the bureaucracy gets wary, shows my administrative skills. If I get another term, I will only do better as the aam aadmi’s representative in the CM chair.
What is your sense of the electoral mood in Punjab?
It’s the last stretch of the campaign and I can see people are realising that supporting the AAP can compromise Punjab’s interests. Amarinder Singh is a liability for the BJP. Thanks to his ouster, the Congress is in the reckoning and is heading towards a two-thirds majority.
The opinion survey showing a hung House is bunkum and influenced by the BJP that wants to rule through the governor’s rule. Punjab will vote decisively.