Badal kicks off campaign in Lambi, seeks another term

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, January 9

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today kicked off his campaign from his home turf Lambi. He visited 13 villages on the first day. Before initiating the campaign, the CM paid obeisance at religious places of all communities at his native Badal village.

He appealed to the voters to keep in mind development, peace and communal harmony in Punjab while casting their vote.

He alleged that the Congress had filed an application seeking ban on the Atta-Dal scheme. “If the Congress is unable to do anything for the poor, it should at least not seek scrapping of existing schemes. Even farmers will be made to pay electricity bills for tubewell connections, if they vote for the Congress,” he claimed.

Badal said: “The Congress has never fulfilled the promises made by it in its poll manifestos. There should be a ban on parties that fail to fulfill its promises to contest the elections.”

Asked about the SAD-BJP’s unfulfilled promise of giving free laptops to students, the CM claimed: “We have done more than what we promised. The other parties are saying that drugs will be wiped out of the state in four weeks. Even malaria takes more than four weeks for recovery. Both Congress and AAP are trying to outdo each other in making fake promises.”

Targeting AAP, he said: “Kejriwal has done nothing in Delhi. His party had given an affidavit in the Supreme Court favouring Haryana on the SYL issue. They are worse than even the Congress.”

He did not mention AAP leader Jarnail Singh even once. Asked about his main opponent, Badal said: “I never think like this. I work for the welfare of people and then go to their court to seek votes.” On “ardasia” Balbir Singh’s likelihood of contesting from Lambi, Badal said: “All are welcome. I respect everyone.” He appreciated PM Narendra Modi, saying that the Centre was giving all possible assistance to the state.

To file nomination on January 12

Badal said he would file his nomination papers from Lambi on January 12. The gatherings for Monday’s programmes were smaller in comparison to Sangat Darshans, may be due to expenses being counted by the Election Commission.

Two Kejri rallies in Lambi: Jarnail Singh, AAP candidate from Lambi, said party convener Arvind Kejriwal would hold two rallies in his segment. Besides, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann would visit Lambi on January 15 for a roadshow, Jarnail told the media in Malout. tns