Punjab: All major political players rally against each other – on the same day

Amarinder, at his mammoth rally in the Badals home district of Bathinda took a pledge to root out the menace of drugs in three weeks if voted to power. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal took a dig at Amarinder saying he was still hung up on feudalism and called the Congress rally a “Coronation” rally. Amarinder said the Badals may call him a “budha sher” (old lion) but he was enough to eat up all the “jackals.” Seeing AAP as a potential rival, speakers at the SAD rally took on the party: Sukhbir called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a big fraud, who had failed to deliver on promises to the people of Delhi.

Amarinder, who was formally handed over the baton of PPCC chief by the outgoing president Partap Singh Bajwa at the rally, tried to touch a chord with the public by announcing that he would provide jobs to the unemployed within the first year of his government and eradicate corruption. He took the oath by holding a Gutka, (smaller version of Sikhs holy book), saying it was from the historic Damdama Sahib.

All eyes were on the Congress rally today. Besides putting up an impressive show, the Congress camp was able to put up a united front with Bajwa, former chief minister and known Amarinder baiter Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and all the other senior leaders of the party together at podium together. Bajwa’s hug for Amarinder made the day for the Congress as the former said he was willing to relinquish his charge a hundred times if it could resurrect the party.

The Akalis put up an impressive road show but their rally paled in front of Amarinder’s primarily because it was in the latter’s bastion and it was their nth rally in the series being held across Punjab. An Akali leader said it could not be compared with Amarinder’s as they got people from cross the state and the Akalis got them from only four districts.

AAP organised dharnas at 11 district headquarters. Party leaders said they were different as they did not drive hordes of people to their venues but volunteers came on their own. Their volunteers said they got messages on social media and participated in the dharnas demanding the resignation of Tota Singh for the pesticide scam coming to light in his department under his watch.