‘Bathinda result to decide who people want in power’

He said the poll result in Bathinda,where his wife Harsimrat is pitted against Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder,would be a litmus test for Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh and also decide their popularity among the people of Punjab.

A confident SAD chief said the Lok Sabha poll result would seal the fate of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh,as his son and wife would “lick the dust” in Bathinda and Patiala

Lok Sabha seats. “Let the Bathinda seat be a test for Capt’s popularity,” he said.

Sukhbir Badal said the SAD-BJP regime had already accepted the recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission and would implement them soon. “We have not wasted any time in implementing the recommendations and were following the mandatory procedures,” he said.

Junior Badal claimed this was the first time that a government was going to the polls on the development agenda and would emerge victorious by sweeping the polls.

Addressing a public rally in support of SAD-BJP candidate from Patiala Prem Singh Chandumajra,Sukhbir Badal claimed that the NDA would form the next government at the Centre and hoped that Punjab would be put on the path of speedy development thereafter.

Enumerating on the achievements of their regime,the Deputy CM said the government was all set to make the state power-surplus,create new international airports at Mohali,Ludhiana and Machhiwara,ensure sewerage and drinking water for villages in the state,besides construction of new link roads and improvement in civic amenities.

Launching a scathing attack on former CM Capt Amarinder Singh,Badal said he was living in a world of illusions and was making a fool of the people of Punjab. He charged Capt Amarinder of saving taxes by filing false income tax returns,claiming that his income came from selling milk.

Badal urged the people to be more cautious and conscious in choosing their representatives “because you are voting for a government at the Centre whose policies and decisions will shape the fate of your families”.

The junior Badal,who also addressed rallies at Banur and Lalru,besides Ghanaur and Patiala later in the day,also repeated the lofty promises of farm loan waiver for farmers,farm credit at 4 per cent interest and slashing diesel prices by Rs 10 per litre. He also assured to revive the industry in the state by offering the same concessions and incentives available in the hill states.

Earlier,Chandumajra made an emotional appeal for voting him to power as he was the “son of the soil”,while he blamed his rival Preneet Kaur of being inaccessible and for not raising public issues in Parliament.

Meanwhile,a local prominent Congress leader of the area,Jatinder Kaur Wairach,quit the Congress to join SAD along with her supporters.

Meanwhile,senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Gurbans Singh Punia also joined the Congress after leaving the Shiromani Akali Dal,in the presence of Capt Amarinder Singh,at new Moti Bagh Palace here today.

Gurbans Singh Punia announced that he will soon arrange a mega rally on May 4 at Dhillon Palace and said that Congress had honoured Punjabis by making Manmohan Singh PM.

Capt Amarinder Singh,while welcoming Punia in the party fold,said workers and leaders of SAD were frustrated with the “dictator-like” functioning of Sukhbir Singh Badal.