AAP undeterred, continues filling forms

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 10

Despite a strong opposition, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going ahead with filling of the forms which contain the policies to be offered by the party if it comes to power.

AAP candidate from Sahnewal Harjot Singh Bains was served notice for distributing forms of welfare schemes. A complaint had been filed in this regard by SAD MLA Sharanjit Singh Dhillon.

Yesterday, AAP volunteer and SAD activists came face to face at Bhamian Khurd village. SAD block samiti member Jaswinder Singh objected to the filling of the forms. The police and Election Commission authorities then reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

Sources said the row is over the filling of registration forms where names and phones numbers of people were being jotted down.

SAD workers alleged that these forms would be sent to party headquarters in Delhi and will be further handed over to a call centre allegedly run by AAP. Sources said the caller would take feedbacks from the residents about the candidate and persuade them to vote for AAP.

However, AAP has denied these allegations.

“We have learnt about the complaint and we will file an appropriate reply. We are not doing anything illegal and will continue to fill the forms,” Harjot Singh Bains said.

Meanwhile, Darshan Singh Makkar, AAP Ludhiana zone observer, said “Our manifesto is very long. So, for the convenience of people, we have highlighted some points on the pamphlets and are distributing it in various constituencies.”

On January 6, Samrala SDM and Returning Officer Nidhi Kalotara had served two notices on the local unit of AAP for filling the forms. The notices were served on a complaint by the Congress workers.

The next day, two supporters of AAP’s Ludhiana East candidate Daljit Singh Grewal alias Bhola were rounded up from Jodhewal when they were filling the forms. They were let off following a protest by Grewal and his supporters.