Candidates make last-ditch efforts to woo voters

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 19

With campaigning for the byelection in Ward No. 30 coming to an end on Wednesday, candidates of the BJP and the Congress were seen making last ditch-efforts to woo the voters. The byelection will be held on Friday.

Notably, the Ward No. 30 seat has been lying vacant since December 18, 2017, after the death of Congress councillor Ramdas. In the 2008 MC elections, the BJP had won the seat, but in 2015, the Congress bagged it.

Apart from doing door-to-door campaigning, Congress workers reached out to residents individually in market areas of the city on the last day. The Congress is primarily banking on the reputation of its candidate Jeemal Wadhawan and development agenda it has chalked out for the ward.

The Congress candidate said, “Finding out solutions to the stray cattle menace, waterlogging and parking problems in the ward will be our top priorities.”

BJP workers took out a bike rally in different markets and residential areas in the ward to woo the voters.

BJP candidate Munish Sharma, who is the grandson of former president of municipal council, Bathinda, Moti Lal Sharma, said, “After trailing in Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency by 3,743 votes in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had to field an octogenarian and senior party member to contest the bypoll. The Congress is not contesting the election on developmental works. It is on a face-saving exercise, which is quite evident as the party had to field an old warhorse.”

“We have got a hearty response from the residents of the ward during the rally. We will resolve problems of water and parking space in the ward, especially in the market areas,” added Sharma.