Candidates’ blame game ‘immaterial’

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 13

Despite the fact that residents have been facing several problems due to lack of basic facilities, candidates in the MC polls are busy playing the blame game. Instead of discussing urgent issues like lack of potable water, poor sewerage, pathetic condition of roads and other basic facilities, the candidates have taken to blaming each other in the election campaign.

The residents are demanding desilting of sewerage lines, paving of roads and regular availability of potable water from the contesting candidates, but the latter are more concerned in targeting their opponents.

There are several billboards installed in the city, where an unknown person has alleged that the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has failed to fulfil the promise of waiving farmers’ loans and eradicate drugs. Similarly, Congress activists have been accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inflicting hardship faced on common people by way of demonetisation and GST. The billboards with such propaganda are displayed in the city.

The city residents want that the civic body elections should be contested on the local issues.

Kuljit Singh, a political expert, said, “The allegation on political parties and their state or national leaders is immaterial in the local body elections. Proper availability of clean, potable water should be an issue. Blaming Modi or the Captain is an escape route for party leaders.”

Mandeep Singh, a student, said, “The condition of roads and streets is pathetic. The sewerage in walled city often gets choked. The city gets inundated even after moderate rain but instead of discussing these issues, candidates are busy blaming each other in the election campaign.”