145;Previous seat sharing to continue146;

A Confrontation between ruling alliance partners SAD B and BJP seems inevitable, with SAD B chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today virtually rejecting the BJP demand for contesting on four seats in the upcoming general parliamentary polls.

Sukhbir says formula of three seats for BJP and 10 for SAD is 8216;practical, rational8217;

A Confrontation between ruling alliance partners SAD B and BJP seems inevitable, with SAD B chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today virtually rejecting the BJP demand for contesting on four seats in the upcoming general parliamentary polls. He categorically stated that the previous alliance arrangements, in which the BJP had been fighting on three seats, with remaining 10 seats with SAD, was an ideal arrangement and must remain in force in the ensuing polls as well.

When asked about the BJP demanding to contest on four seats this time, Sukhbir Badal, who visited various grain markets in Majha region today to take stock of paddy procurement, said they would sit together and discuss the matter with the BJP, but reiterated that the earlier seat-sharing arrangements were 8220;practical and rational8221;.

The BJP had yesterday stated that the party must get one more seat to contest, citing their performance in the last Assembly elections. The BJP, apart from Amritsar and Gurdaspur, from where former cricketer Navjot Sidhu and Bollywood star Vinod Khanna has been declared candidates, respectively, wants to contest the Ferozepur and Ludhiana seats as well.

Junior Badal, when asked further, said there is even a likelihood that the seats, which were traditionally with the BJP, are swapped with SAD. 8220;We will discuss this point also when the matter comes up for discussion,8221; he said.

On the other hand, Sukhbir made a scathing attack on the UPA government for slow procurement of paddy. 8220;The Central agencies are not lifting the paddy, which is spoiling in the markets. The agencies are playing havoc with the lives of farmers,8221; he said, adding that strict specifications for procurement were unnecessarily being slapped to lift the paddy. 8220;This discrimination has been going on for decades. Knowing that about 50 per cent of the total grains would be coming from Punjab, the Central agencies have still not made any proper arrangements to procure paddy from the markets here,8221; he said.

Accompanied by Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Gulzar Singh Ranike, Badal also lambasted the Centre for banning Sharbati variety of rice. 8220;Last season, the price for this variety was encouraging and farmers got even up to Rs 1,400 per quintal, but this time the price is not even Rs 900, resulting in losses to farmers,8221; he said, adding that they had been demanding a special bonus for paddy, but the Centre had paid no heed so far. Asked if the state government would give any relief to farmers in wake of the low prices, he said they do not have enough resources.

Ministers accuse Congress of neglecting Majha, Doaba areas

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Three Punjab ministers on Friday accused the successive Congress governments at the Centre and in the state for 8220;systematic and sustained neglect8221; of Majha and Doaba regions. The three ministers said that if it was not for investments made by the SAD-BJP government, there would neither have been an international airport at Amritsar nor three universities, nor Ranjit Sagar Dam. 8220;We challenge Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Capt Amarinder Singh to a live television debate on the neglect of Doaba and Majha by successive Congress governments. In the past 18 months, the SAD-BJP government has started projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore in these areas,8221; said Kalia, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Sucha Singh Langah. These ministers alleged that the entire border belt remained in a state of utter neglect during the Congress rule. They said the SAD-BJP government this year alone has completed infrastructure projects to the tune of Rs 3,372 crore.