Capt Amarinder sounds bugle for 2017 assembly elections

Sunday, 25/01/2015

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=123587&boxid=58017&uid=&dat=2015-01-25

Amritsar : Punjab Congress, albeit without its state unit party chief Partap Singh Bajwa, on Saturday seemingly sounded the final bugle for the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab, urging people to maintain their momentum and ensure that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP government was inflicted a defeat. “This is the beginning of the final battle,” the Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh declared to a large gathering who attended the ‘Lalkaar rally’ against the SAD-BJP government here on Saturday.

Addressing the rally here on Saturday, Congress leaders, who included besides Capt Amarinder Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar, former PCC presidents Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Laal Singh and former Union Ministers R L Bhatia, Preneet Kaur and Manish Tewari, said that the Congress could not be seen more powerful and more united as it was today with almost each and every party worker and leader from all over the state registering his presence and participation.

Speaking on the occasion, Capt Amarinder declared that it was the beginning of the final and decisive battle against the SAD-BJP regime, which will be taken to its logical conclusion in 2017 assembly elections which Congress was certain to win with a majority.

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Punjab for showering so much love and affection on him by participating in the rally in such numbers.

He also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its double standards for preaching one thing and practising something else. He pointed out, while the BJP president Amit Shah was claiming to hold a rally against drugs at Amritsar, his party was supporting the SAD in the Vidhan Sabha.

The former Chief Minister dared Shah, “If you are really sincere about dealing with the problem of drugs, better withdraw your support to the SAD.” He pointed out, that not only in Punjab, even in Delhi BJP was aligning with SAD, despite claiming that they were not happy with the alliance.

Asserting that the BJP ran away from holding a rally in Amritsar after the Congress announced to hold one the same day, Capt Amarinder took a dig at Amit Shah. He said, while the BJP claimed that the Amritsar rally was postponed because of Shah being busy in Delhi elections, he was actually going around in Bihar.