Cong indulging in vendetta politics: BJP

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 13

The state BJP today alleged that the party feared vendetta politics during the bypoll to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency on October 11.

A cross section of senior BJP leaders, including former state president Manoranjan Kalia, said “We respect the word of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh that there will be no vendetta politics. However, his fellow colleagues are sending a very wrong message on the ground by engaging in a display of power politics. The scenario smacks very much of vendetta politics.”

State secretary Vineet Joshi said, “The state police have booked senior leaders of our alliance Sucha Singh Langah and Sewa Singh Sekhwan (both former Cabinet ministers) in the Ghallughara incident recently. The duo won’t be able to participate in the campaign. We have reports from different Assembly segments about our leaders being threatened.”

Joshi said, “Expectedly, the entire top leadership will be camping in Gurdaspur backed by the government machinery. We feel it is going to be an election between the Punjab Government and the SAD-BJP alliance.”

BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal said, “The alliance partners are working in tandem. There were minor differences in Gurdaspur and Batala Vidhan Sabha constituencies earlier. However, the top leadership of SAD, including former CM Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal, have met the leaders of the BJP and also communicated to the rank and file about the importance of unity in the election.”

Barring Batala and Fatehgarh Churian, the BJP leadership has toured seven out of the nine constituencies. The state leadership sits excitedly in suspense over who will get the ticket to the parliamentary constituency.