Will give tough fight to Akalis, says Bajwa

Tribune News Service

Kakkarwal (Dhuri), April 7

Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today predicted a pitched battle between the Congress and the SAD in the Dhuri Assembly byelection, claiming that the Congress has gained a lot of ground in the last few days.

He admitted that earlier there was despair among the Congress rank and file, but things had improved a lot. Bajwa said the party workers had accepted Simar Pratap Singh Barnala as their candidate. He alleged because of the prevailing circumstances in the state, every trader, industrialist and small shopkeeper was unhappy.

Bajwa said farmers too had been feeling cheated as the SAD had supported the Modi government for amendments to the Land Acquisition Act which were “anti-farmer”. In another such move, the Modi government was going to disband the Food Corporation of India, he said.

Shakeel Ahmad, AICC general secretary, and in charge, Punjab affairs, said the voters were keen to give a message to the SAD-BJP government that they were “unhappy”. He said the Congress was united and would win this seat.