AAP no threat to Cong in Punjab: Bhattal

Former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal on Tuesday said she did not foresee the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab in the forthcoming parliamentary elections and that there was no threat to the Congress in the state.

She was here to address the 'Halla Bol' rally organised by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
"People of the state are with the Congress. We had lost the last assembly elections due to our silly mistakes and misunderstandings. People of the state are getting punished by the SAD-BJP alliance and we feel guilty for our mistakes which we failed to rectify in time. Now, everything is getting back to normal and we will show it by winning all 13 parliamentary seats in the state," she said, adding, "In Delhi, the jhaadu (broom) clicked for the wrong reasons, but in Punjab we are the strongest."

Bhattal denied factionalism in the state Congress. "This is media hype. If I fail to attend a programme, it is shown as if I belong to another faction. We are all united. You can see that all the people present here could be seen at the function of any other Congress leader," she said.

Reacting to Punjabi singer Miss Pooja joining the BJP, Bhattal said, "Congress leaders are competent to win the hearts of voters. The BJP has shown that they lack confidence in their leaders. We don't need a star singer for any parliamentary seat."

Bhattal said the Congress would oppose BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally at Jagraon. "The PPCC is chalking out a detailed programme to oppose Modi who is responsible for eviction of Sikhs from Gujarat," she said.

She said, "The time has come to be united for bringing the ill deeds of the ruling party before the public. We are determined for the betterment of the common man. In the forthcoming elections, people of the state would defeat the ruling party candidates."