Buoyed by their success in DSGMC polls this year, the Akali Dal on Thursday held meetings with its Delhi unit and finalised a list of MLAs from Punjab, who would be camping in the national capital for the upcoming December 4 poll.
The list has over 30 MLAs and six ministers -- including Dharamkot MLA Jathedar Tota Singh, Attari MLA and minister of animal husbandry Gulzar Singh Ranike, Amritsar (south) MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Ropar MLA Daljit Singh Cheema, revenue minister Bikram Majithia, cultural affairs minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur and finance minister Parminder Dhindsa -- apart from Badal junior.
Party's Amritsar district president Upkar Singh Sandhu said more than 150 workers would be going to Delhi on party's call for canvassing in the elections.
The list was prepared after SAD president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal announced that the party has settled for four seats in the polls. The party has chosen a mix of old and young MLAs to canvass for its four yet-to-be announced candidates.
The SAD MLAs, however, are dithering over banking upon the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue again.
"The 1984 issue is unforgettable. I am of the view that younger generation of Delhi, especially Sikhs, would be more curious to know what had happened in 1984 and to what extent Congress party could go. But we wouldn't want to rekindle the issue again. There are bigger issues of corruption and development," said Bolaria, who has been chosen apparently due to his proximity with Majithia.
Talking to TOI, SAD (B) spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said that besides corruption and inflation, their main poll plank would be injustice meted out to Sikhs during and after 1984 anti-Sikh riots, allegedly by the Congress party.
However, some of the younger members of the party are of the view that banking solely on anti-Sikh riots would be a difficult plank to win over non-Sikh voters across the board.
"SAD is also known for giving its silent consent to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee that had been honouring killers of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, army chief A S Vaidya, former Congress party chief minister of Punjab, Beant Singh. These issues could well be exploited by their political opponents," an MLA, wishing anonymity, said.
During the last assembly polls in 2008 too, Akali Dal had fought on four seats. Three seats on BJP's party symbol -- Adarsh Nagar, Shahdara, Jung Pura -- and one seat, Rajouri Garden, on its own symbol in Delhi, but lost all four seats.
This time, SAD (B) is contesting elections from Hari Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Shahadra and Kalkaji assembly constituencies of Delhi.
DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK said, "We will be pleased that our party high command and workers would be coming to encourage the candidates." Workers and leaders from Punjab would be party's ambassadors in Delhi for elections, he added.
0 comments:
Post a Comment