Arun Jaitley kicks off BJP campaign in Amritsar
Kicking off the BJP campaign in Amritsar for the February 4 assembly polls, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the divided Opposition would help the Akali-BJP combine score a hat-trick in Punjab.
Kicking off the BJP campaign in Amritsar for the February 4 assembly polls, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the divided Opposition would help the Akali-BJP combine score a hat-trick in Punjab.
Hitting out at the Congress at a press conference here on Saturday, Jaitley said: “Terrorism in Punjab was the outcome of wrong policies of the Congress. As far as SAD-BJP alliance is concerned, it not only plays a political but also a social role in the state.”
“The factors that will work in our favour include the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and development works carried out by the Parkash Singh Badal government in the state, he added.
Jaitley, who lost the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in 2014 polls, lauded BJP candidate Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina for the bypoll, saying he was a popular face in the constituency.
Reacting to a media query that the party has fielded a weak candidate, Rajesh Honey, against Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East assembly constituency, Jaitley said: “Honey is party’s district chief and is a strong candidate. Also, he will always be accessible to the people of the constituency unlike Sidhu. Amritsar has had the misfortune of having an absentee member of Parliament for over 12 years, who was nowhere to be seen in the constituency and Parliament.