‘Cong has an edge in Punjab’
Wednesday, 13/03/2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/-cong-has-an-edge-in-punjab/742310.html
As Punjab goes to polls on May 19, the Congress in the state is hopeful of a clean sweep. The Tribune reporter Rajmeet Singh speaks to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and sitting Gurdaspur MP Sunil Kumar Jakhar to know his views on the party’s prospects. Excerpts of the interview:
Punjab will go to the polls in the last phase. Were you expecting it early?
We were expecting polling in the first phase. Certainly, taking elections to mid of May has raised doubts. The opposition parties are questioning the move of the Election Commission to stagger the election schedule. It is creating doubt about the intention of the Narendra Modi-led NDA, not confidence. We are ready to meet any challenge. However, the BJP’s intention to keep the issue of airstrikes alive till last is clearly visible.
Why the conduct of elections in the last phase is worrying Congress?
As Punjab is an agrarian state and wheat harvesting is likely to be delayed due to weather, we were expecting early elections. The elections have been scheduled when the harvesting season will be at its peak. It will affect the polling percentage.
Will the Pulwama attack and subsequent airstrikes have its effect in Punjab?
The Pulwana issue has settled down. Being a border state, people understand the implications of the entire issue. The Congress will question Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the intelligence failure in the Pulwama terror attack. The BJP is silent on as to why the terror attack happened. Rather, it is glorifying the issue. The Prime Minister is playing with the sensitive and emotive issue.
You seem to be confident of sweeping the elections. What are the core issues?
We will clean sweep in Punjab as stated by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. First, there is hardly any opposition. The BJP is nowhere. The anti-minority face of the BJP stands exposed. Be it GST on langar or speeding up the work on the Kartarpur corridor, the BJP failed to act swiftly. Now, they will try to take credit for the Kartarpur corridor by falsehood. The RSS agenda is clearly visible in the appointment of Takht Hazur Sahib Nanded Board president against Sikh sentiments. The Akalis will have to explain the conduct of its alliance partners for hurting the Sikh psyche. The Congress is taking the investigations in sacrilege incidents and related firing incidents to its logical conclusion. Compared to Congress initiative on loan waiver, the BJP has not done anything for debt-ridden farmers of the state. No special package has been given to the border state, whereas same has been done in Himachal Pradesh.
When will the party announce its candidates?
So far, discussions have been held in the meeting of the state screening committee. However, nothing has been finalised so far. On some seats, the candidates will be finalised after seeing the candidature of the opponents. The Congress has an edge, irrespective of BJP stalwarts landing in the state to campaign.
The anti-minority face of the BJP stands exposed. Be it GST on langar or speeding up the work on the Kartarpur corridor, BJP failed to act swiftly. Now, they will try to claim credit for the Kartarpur corridor by falsehood.
