Congress candidate for Jalandhar by election Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary said on Sunday that the party will learn from the by poll result and come back stronger in the Lok Sabha general elections next year.
Addressing a press conference at her residence accompanied by Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and Jalandhar (Urban) District Congress president Rajinder Beri, Karamjit Chaudhary thanked the people for their support during the by poll and said the party will introspect and improve upon the shortcomings of campaign and will bounce back strongly next year, adding that she will continue to serve the people of Jalandhar, raising their voice on the all the platforms.
Thanking Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders, she said the party reposed immense faith in her by giving her responsibility to represent it as its candidate for the by election for Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, a seat that was represented by her husband Late Santokh Singh Chaudhary.
Speaking with the reporters, MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary said the Aam Aadmi Party’s victory is murder of democracy in cold blood, as during the by-election, the AAP purchased the votes through money, liquor and terror.
He said the AAP leaders often claim that they are an honest, “kattar imaandar” party, but to win this election, they misused government machinery, put pressure on voters though every department, and threatened the Congress councillors, sarpanches and panchayats with false cases and enquiries, if they did not support the AAP.
He said, “This election was fought not by the Aam Aadmi Party, but by the entire government. Throughout the campaign, the AAP government threatened the Congress leaders and voters; every minister and MLA of AAP was campaigning in the constituency; entire government machinery asked for votes for them, and before the polling, they distributed liquor and money.
But after all this, their victory margin was way lower than that of the Congress party during the Gurdaspur by-election, that was held during the Congress government.”The Phillaur MLA said on the polling day also, AAP leaders violated the model code of conduct, and their MLAs, leaders and workers were roaming in the Jalandhar constituency.
When Congress leaders and workers exposed these AAP MLAs and workers and sought action against them, he said, the FIRs were instead registered on Congress leaders and supporters themselves such as Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia. AAP government is indulging in vendetta politics, but we will not be cowered down and will fight tooth and nail against the injustices sought to be perpetrated by AAP dispensation, he said.
“I assure every worker who has been targeted, threatened and tortured by the AAP government during this election campaign that the Chaudhary family and Congress party stand steadfastly with them,” he said.
MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary said during the campaign, even the Chief Minister of New Delhi Arvind Kejriwal intimidated the voters, suggesting that they would have to come to the ruling party for any work.
Urging the AAP to work for the development of Jalandhar, he said the party asked for one chance from the people of Jalandhar, which they have gotten now and the government should work to fulfil its tall promises within the next 12 months.
Taking a jibe, he said Jalandhar already has three MPs of AAP in Rajya Sabha and asked if Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann could enlighten people about their contributions for the development of Jalandhar in the last one year.