The Punjab Congress has hailed the poll schedule for the Punjab announced by the Election Commission, saying the limited time available for electioneering would help cut down on unnecessary expenditure.In a statement, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) spokesperson and vice-president Sunil Jakhar pointed out that his party had, in fact, been in favour of early elections and had been demanding poll schedule announcement for the past several weeks in view of the continuing misuse of official authority by the Akali government.Referring to the political appointments being made by the SAD-BJP government on daily basis, evidently in a bid to hide its own failures and woo the electorate, Jakhar said all such politically motivated appointments of the last three months would be reviewed by the Congress once it comes to power.
Jakhar pointed out that salaries and pensions were not being disbursed to government employees on the pretext of lack of lack of funds in the state treasury, whereas the ruling Akali Dal was wasting government funds to promote their vested political interests."With an intent to influence them in favour of SAD, the leaders of the ruling Akali Dal are distributing grants to Panchayats and sports kits to the youth," stated the Punjab Congress vice president. Jakhar also said that just to get political mileage ahead of the crucial assembly elections, even incomplete government projects are being inaugurated. He vowed to expose the scams of the Akali-BJP government so that action could be initiated against the guilty.