Ludhiana: Opposition raises public issues to counter ‘repeat’ hype of Congress

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, February 9

It’s the season of canards, jibes, invectives and lampoons as never before. Issues and factors seem to have taken the backseat in the run-up to the high-stakes Punjab Assembly polls, slated for February 20 in Ludhiana district, which sends a maximum of 14 MLAs, accounting for almost 12 per cent of the total 117 members, to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

The mainstream parties, the ruling Congress and the main Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), besides the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with its new ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with its new political partners the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s breakaway Akali faction SAD (Sanyukt), and the newly-formed two farmers’ outfits, the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), comprising 19 farm unions, including the one led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, and Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) formed by a Haryana farm leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, which have also forged an alliance, are hitting below the belt. This election is witnessing the most unparliamentary language attacks.

In a desperate bid to confuse common voter and draw people’s attention deflected by the popular wave on which the AAP is riding, political leaders are spreading misconceptions among the public. The Cong poll strategists are stepping up unfounded non-issues in Punjab. Saravjit Kaur Manuke, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Punjab Vidhan Sabha

While the BJP is riding high on the narrative of nationalism and security following the lapse in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security arrangements, which left his convoy stranded on a flyover for around 20 minutes, near Ferozepur on January 5, and the repeal of three contentious farm laws, claiming it has “won over” the agrarian community in the border state, besides the performance of its government at the Centre, the Congress is hopeful of returning to power on the basis of its 111-day governance led by Charanjit Singh Channi, who replaced Capt Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister in September last.

However, the AAP, the SAD-BSP alliance, the SSM-SSP coalition, the left parties and the candidates of other lesser known regional outfits, besides few Independents in poll fray here are raising the issues of plight of farmers and traders, joblessness, inflation, slow economy and the pangs faced due to the now-withdrawn farm laws, that claimed hundreds of lives during the year-long farmers’ stir.

Even as the issues raised by the Opposition are keeping ruling party leaders on their toes and making them work hard to clear what they claim as “result of the misrule in the past”, other parties are blaming the Congress for “all ills” prevailing in society and “inaction” in much-hyped drugs and sacrilege cases.

The AAP and the SAD-BSP combine are also accusing the ruling party of “failure” to fulfil most of its pre-poll promises and “doing nothing” for the benefit of the trade and industry. However, all the parties, including the Congress, are raising voice against the BJP for putting farmers and the agrarian state in trouble due to farm laws.

Even at the local level in rural and urban areas, leaders are hitting below the belt.

“In a desperate bid to confuse the common voter and draw people’s attention deflected by the popular wave on which the AAP is riding, various political leaders have started spreading misconceptions among the public. The Congress poll strategists are stepping up such unfounded non-issues in Punjab as they perceive a popular wave in favour of Kejriwal,” said firebrand AAP MLA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Saravjit Kaur Manuke, who is seeking re-election from Jagraon.

“Senior leaders of various parties appear to have lost their grip over campaigning and their cool too. With the poll heat rising, they have started losing their tempers and consequently passing jibes, invectives and lampoons. In some cases they have started using unparliamentary language in the run-up to the Assembly elections,” she added.

Targeting the ruling party, the sitting Dakha MLA and SAD candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali said, “In the last five years, the Congress government gave just catchy phrases, but failed to address the employment problem and ensure betterment of farmers and industrialists as per its promise.”

“The atmosphere across state is tense and filled with hatred. The traditional parties wish to get votes in the name of caste and religion,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, the SSM supremo. Contesting his maiden election from Samrala, the CM face of the farmers’ outfits said, “This election is for better future and to protect state from the anti-farmer and anti-Punjab forces.”

Countering the Opposition attack, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, while campaigning for party nominees in the district, said the Opposition was bereft of issues following what he claimed as an “unprecedented” performance during his 111 days of his tenure as CM.

The BJP was “exposed” for its “anti-farmer” stance, the AAP was riding on “false hype” and the SAD-BSP alliance had “failed” to get out of its “sins” committed in the past, said Channi. “The issues before the Congress and its intention are clear,” Channi added. The Opposition leaders were also targeting the Congress saying there was an atmosphere of “chaos and uncertainty” in the grand old party, which is also in a “state of confusion”.

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