AAP's Delhi MLA to take on Parkash Singh Badal in Punjab polls

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded AAP MLA from Delhi Jarnail Singh as the candidate to contest elections against Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday proposed candidature of AAP MLA Jarnail Singh at a political rally at Mr Badal’s home turf Lambi.

Mr Kejriwal announced candidature of Mr Singh and asked the people if he would be the right candidate against veteran Akali leader and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Kejriwal said so far PPCC president Amarinder Singh and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal with tactical understanding have been nominating weak candidates against each other, so that their opponents could pose easy wins.

“However, this time we will not let Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh to have a walkover in the elections. That is why we are fielding our strongest candidates against Amarinder, Badal, Sukhbir and Majithia in order to give them a taste of political dust,” Mr Kejriwal added.

The AAP national convenor while giving instances of tactical understanding between Badals and Captain Amarinder said that the candidate who was nominated by Mr Amarinder Singh against Mr Sukhbir Badal from Jalalabad could not even save his deposit, similarly, Mr Amarinder Singh also fielded a weak candidate against Majithia in the 2017 Assembly polls, who could merely get 7,000 votes.

Both Mr Amarinder Singh and Mr Badal not only jointly contest election to facilitate each other’s win but also share business interests such as of sand and gravel, transport, liquor and above all backup candidates, who have been embroiled in drug trade in Punjab.

Mr Kejriwal said for instance, senior Akali leader Sarwan Singh Phillaur, who had to step down from the Cabinet after his and his son’s name cropped up in drug trade, Mr Amarinder Singh welcomed him in the Congress with open arms.

Mr Kejriwal said Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Akali MLA, who was the right hand man of Bikram Singh Majithia too was welcomed by Captain Amarinder Singh in Congress fold, this clearly showed both Badal and Captain Amarinder’s families have joined hands to ruin Punjab turn by turn.

Jarnail Singh while speaking on the occasion challenged Badal to have an open debate with him on superficial development; the Akali Dal has been talking about.

“Thousands of farmers have committed suicide, youngsters have been dying due to drugs, transport, liquor and cable businesses have been captured by Badal family, is this the model of development, Badals were boosting off?, Jarnail quipped adding that let Badal choose venue and time for open debate of his choice.