‘Discrimination with Majha’ to be Congress poll plank

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal hails from Bathinda in Malwa and his son, the ruling SAD (B) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, has been focusing on the home town, they said. “I had raised the issue earlier too. Badal family sees nothing beyond their home town. All projects are being taken to their region, while Majha and Doaba are being neglected,” said former Congress minister and a senior leader from Majha Partap Singh Bajwa.

His views were seconded by former MLAs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Ashwani Sekhri, Harpartap Singh Ajnala and MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

“We have taken up the matter with our state party chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee and election committee in-charge and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh. The issue will be one of the main agenda of our party,” said Sekhri.

“Show me one major project that this government brought to the border region during the last one-and-a-half-year rule,” said Dimpa, adding that some of the projects, including elevated road, broadening of the Jalandhar-Amritsar GT Road and widening of Amritsar-Attari Road were initiated during their government’s rule.

Notably, during the last assembly polls, the Congress was routed in Majha, where it could bag just three assembly seats out of the total 26, while the rest 23 went to the SAD-BJP.

And as the SAD had failed to make an impressive show in Malwa, its stronghold, it was Majha that coasted the combine to a win.

When asked about the discrimination, Sukhbir Badal, who was in the city recently, had said it was a mere political stunt by the Congress leaders. “We gave Rs 100-crore grant for the Holy City, and are completing the multi-crore elevated road project and work is also going on the GT Road. A Central university is being opened in Amritsar, and there are plenty of other projects for power generation, water supply and sewerage lined up,” he said.

But the Congress leaders are unimpressed.

“Ever since the Partition, the border areas have been neglected. The biotechnology park coming up at Dera Bassi was originally planned for Majha. The government is also dilly-dallying on the multi-crore integrated border post at Attari,” alleged DCC (Rural) head SS Lally Majithia.