SAD,Cong: A show of power at Rakhar-Puniya mela

However,the focus of the party was development projects undertaken by the SAD government and those in the pipeline.

Badal said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance on safety of the Sikhs in J&K was not enough and much more needed to be done at the ground level. The Akali leaders also expressed concerns over the flood-like situation in various parts of the state following the release of water from the Bhakra dam.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the administration was ready to deal with any eventuality and said his government was focusing on integrated development in the next one and half year.

“Be it urban areas or rural,we are initiating a large number of projects with an integrated approach. In the next one-and-half-years we will concentrate on development works,” said he.

In the Congress camp,its legislative party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and party’s state chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee hit out at the ruling alliance for ‘total failures’ on all fronts,especially in checking floods and taking measures.

“People are fed up with this nikammi (useless) government. They have made up the mind to throw them out of power in the next Assembly polls,” she told the gathering,which was slightly more than that of the ruling party.

Kaypee took up the matter of political vendetta unleashed by the ruling combine against the Congress workers saying they will have to pay the price for targeting the Congressmen.

However,in both the camps a few key players were missing. While former CM Captain Amarinder Singh was conspicuous by his absence at the Congress rally,former minister Bikram Singh Majithia stayed away from the Akali’s rally,giving rise to speculations about the respective party’s unity.

Apart from the morning showers,a few groups tried to play spoil sport. The major surprise was the Kissan Sangrash Committee (KSC),a warring farmers’ body,had organised a huge rally on the occasion. KSC chief Satnam Singh Pannu lashed out at Badal for cheating the farmers and imposing power bills with back dates dues.

He said they would organise major protest throughout the state from September 15 to voice their grievances.