AAP holds roadshow to thank voters, commuters bear brunt

To thank voters of the Ludhiana West constituency for showing faith in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its winning candidate Sanjeev Arora, a roadshow was taken out here on Tuesday.

The ‘show of strength’ by AAP bigwigs included Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP Punjab president Aman Arora, Manish Sisodia, MLAs, municipal councillors, workers and supporters. The roadshow started from near Baba Papa outlet in Ghumar Mandi and moved towards Aarti Chowk.

Though it was a show of not over 40-45 minutes, it irked residents and commuters as vehicles were parked in a haphazardly manner on the Ferozpur road between Aarti Chowk to Bhai Bala Chowk. Most of the vehicles were of AAP workers and supporters who had gathered in good numbers to make the event successful.

Naren Jain, a commuter, who had come to get fuel refilled from a petrol station on the road, said it was a maddening experience as vehicles were parked here and there and he found it too difficult to move on the main road. The traffic moved at a snail’s pace due to rush of the parked vehicles under the bridge.

Shopkeepers in Ghumar Mandi have expressed happiness that now no roadshows would be held in connection with political rallies as the results of the bypoll were declared on Monday. “We can’t park our vehicles near shops. Vehicles of workers are parked in streets. Footfall of customers also decline due to the same,” rued a shopkeeper dealing in footwear in Ghumar Mandi.

The authorities had deployed 400 police personnel on duty during the road show and commuters from Ghumar Mandi to Aarti Chowk had to either take alternative routes or avoid the particular stretch till the roadshow was over.