The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that a massive wave is going on in the state in favour of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and if the polls are held today then main opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would suffer a disastrous drubbing. He also added that the youth power would play a significant role in the victory of SAD-BJP combine in the 2017 assembly polls enabling a hattrick.Replying to a query by mediapersons regarding list of candidates during sangat darshan at Gidderbaha constituency, the Deputy Chief Minister said that all the workers and leaders of each constituency know the name of the candidate to be fielded and the formal announcement concerning this would be made soon. He also took a dig at the opposition parties and said that they should be more worried about announcing of the candidates.
Attacking AAP, S. Badal said that now its leader Bhagwant Mann has declared at political conference in Issru that if willing then SAD can purchase AAP candidates by paying Rs. 1 crore per candidate for all the 117 constituencies which has proved in ample measure that AAP has been overpowered by greed of money and it has no concern for the welfare of Punjab. Adding more, he said that whatever stratagem the congress may choose to employ now, its total rout from Punjab as in the whole country is crystal clear. Taking pot-shots at Captain Amarinder Singh, the Deputy Chief Minister said that during his tenure as Chief Minister, Captain did nothing for development of the state except patchwork on the roads.Earlier in his address, the Deputy Chief Minister castigated ex-Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and said that the person proving disloyal to his family cannot be trusted to work for welfare of the constituency. He said that Manpreet Singh Badal used filthy and unparliamentary language against Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal which has not been attempted by opposition leaders even. Terming party loyalty as thicker than even the blood relations, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the way in which Manpreet Singh Badal is acting as sychopant of the Gandhi family is something which deserves condemnation.
The Deputy Chief Minister also disclosed that S. Parkash Singh Badal is the lone political figure who started his political journey as sarpanch and progressed to be the Chief Minister whose sagacious advice and training is even better than Harvard University. Thanking voters of Gidderbaha, the Deputy Chief Minister said that it is due to the voters of the constituency that S. Parkash Singh Badal rose to be the national leader and the name & fame enjoyed currently by Badal family in country and abroad is due to the voters of Gidderbaha. He also revealed that S. Parkash Singh Badal is the only leader of Punjab who has distributed developmental grants to each village by personally visiting there.Terming overall development and prosperity of the state as the big achievement of SAD-BJP government, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that Punjab has seen progress only when a government headed by S. Parkash Singh Badal has come to power. He listed shagan scheme, pension scheme, atta-dal scheme, free bicycles for school girls, free health insurance scheme, free power to farmers, free power worth 200 units to the SC-BC families, distribution of sewing machines to women, Disbursing sports kits & gyms to the youth, constructing dharamshalas in the villages, making Punjab power surplus and excellent road network as among the crowning glories of the SAD-BJP government.
On the occasion, Chairman District Planning Board Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon apprised the Deputy Chief Minister of some problems of the area to which S. Badal gave a patient hearing. The Deputy Chief Minister also announced the setting up of a 66 KV grid at a cost of Rs. 4 crore besides widening of Gidderbaha-Doda road at a cost of Rs. 12 crore. He also distributed development oriented grants to the 26 panchayats and 11 urban wards of the Gidderbaha constituency apart from disbursing tricycles, sewing machines, bicycles to the school girls, new cards to the beneficiaries of atta-dal and shagan scheme.Among others present on the occasion were District Co-ordinator Avtar Singh Vanwala, Chairman & SGPC Member Navtej Singh Kaouni, Chairman Surjit Singh Giljewala, Senior SAD leader Sant Singh Brar, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sumit Jarangal, SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill and other senior leaders.