Blame game eclipses civic issues in Patiala

With Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh staying away from campaigning on his home turf, his wife Preneet Kaur and Cabinet Minister Brahm Mohindra have been busy wooing voters. Both are assuring the electorate that all promises made by the Congress ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls would be fulfilled, besides overall development of the district.

Ex-minister Surjit Singh Rakhra has been holding the fort for the SAD, while another former minister Daljit Singh Cheema and BJP leaders Vijay Sampla, Prabhat Jha and Rajinder Bhandari have visited Patiala to canvass for party candidates. From the AAP camp, Bhagwant Mann spared a day for party candidates.

Campaigning has revolved around allegations and counter-allegations, even as civic issues such as encroachments, erratic water supply, poor roads and absence of a sewage treatment plant have taken a back seat.

The SAD-BJP alliance has accused the Congress of misusing police to threaten its candidates and failing to fulfil promises after forming the government. AAP candidates have been telling voters that there is a nexus between Congress and SAD-BJP leaders.

Nominees from AAP and the SAD-BJP camps have alleged that officials, in connivance with the ruling party, wrongly got their papers cancelled. Three Congress candidates have already been declared winners after the papers filed by their rivals were rejected on “technical grounds”.

Wards: 60
Reserved:
Women: 30 
BC: 2
SC: 8
Candidates 207 
Cong: 60
SAD: 41 
BJP:        16
AAP: 46 

Results declared: 3 wards (all Cong)

Aman Sood