Out of power, SAD feeling weak in Bathinda: Manpreet
Friday, 15/03/2019
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BATHINDA : Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Thursday said the Shiromani Akali Dal, which is no longer in power in the state, is finding itself in a weak position in Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.
Talking to reporters during induction of local BJP councillor Asheshar Paswan into the Congress fold, Manpreet said the SAD could win the Bathinda seat by a slender margin of around 19,000 votes in 2014 Lok Sabha polls despite using all the government machinery at their command.
“Officials right from the level of patwari to higher-ups in the civil administration and from a constable to higher officials in police then helped the SAD. Now when it is out of power, the party feels weakened ,” he said while adding that it is the Akali Dal’s internal matter to decide whether to field Harsimrat from Bathinda or not. “But this time the government machinery is not at their service,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, he made an appeal to people to vote judiciously in the Lok Sabha polls as it will decide in which direction the country will proceed in the future. “The politics of BJP is aimed at creating rifts among people on the basis of religion and caste while the politics of Congress is based on creating bonds among people from different religions and castes,” he said.
Manpreet said unemployment and price rise, will be the main issues in the Lok Sabha polls.
On allegations that liquor was served in a SAD rally in Khadoor Sahib on Wednesday, he said Sukhbir Badal should quit politics as he is neither bringing any respect to his family nor serving people in any way.
