Channi to lose from both constituencies, claims Kejriwal

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is losing from both constituencies in the February 20 assembly polls. He alleged that Congress has become a "circus" and the people of Punjab would not vote for the grand old party. Kejriwal claimed the Aam Aadmi Party conducted surveys thrice and in all of them, it was ahead in both the seats.

Amritsar: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is losing from both constituencies in the February 20 assembly polls. He alleged that Congress has become a "circus" and the people of Punjab would not vote for the grand old party. Kejriwal claimed the Aam Aadmi Party conducted surveys thrice and in all of them, it was ahead in both the seats.

Channi, the Congress's chief ministerial candidate, is contesting the polls from his home turf Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar and Bhadaur in Barnala. The survey showed that in Chamkaur Sahib, Channi is liked by 35 per cent of people while 52 per cent chose the AAP, claimed Kejriwal, who is the AAP's national convener and the chief minister of Delhi.

In Bhadaur, 48 per cent of people liked the AAP candidate while Channi was preferred by only 30 per cent, he claimed. Kejriwal said Channi will remain the chief ministerial face of the Congress because he will lose from both the seats. Punjab is facing repercussions of a constant tussle for power amongst Congress members which is why people will not trust them, he claimed.

"We (AAP) are making plans for the development of Punjab in the next five years with our leaders, workers and people of Punjab. The Congress has become a circus. The people of Punjab are not going to vote for the one who runs the circus," Kejriwal said.

Claimed there was a tussle among several Congress leaders, AAP's chief ministerial candidate for Punjab Bhagwant Mann took a swipe at the Congress saying if the leaders of the party cannot contest elections together, what good future can they give Punjab. Congress candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has accused Finance Minister Manpreet Badal of trying to defeat him, he claimed, adding ex-chief minister Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur, a Congress MP, is campaigning for her husband in Patiala seat.

Similarly, Chief Minister Channi's brother is contesting against the Congress candidate from Bassi Pathana, Mann claimed. Mann alleged that Congress leaders do not care about the public. "Their only aim is to keep themselves and their family in power by any means. Congress cannot give a stable government to Punjab. Even if they come to power, they will continue to fight amongst themselves. Voting for Congress means compromising the future of Punjab, he claimed.

He said the entire AAP team was united for the development of Punjab. Kejriwal and Mann campaigned in Amritsar in favour of party candidates Kunwar Vijay Pratap from Amritsar North, Inderbir Singh Nijhar from Amritsar South, Ajay Gupta from Amritsar Central, Jasbir Singh from Amritsar West and Jeevan Jyot Kaur from Amritsar East constituency.

Addressing the meetings, Kejriwal alleged that the Congress and the Akali governments had not taken any step for the development of schools, colleges, hospitals in this border area district. He said if the AAP is voted to power, industries would be developed in the border district, including Amritsar.

AAP's senior leader Manish Sisodia canvassed party candidates KNS Kang from Dakha and Hakam Singh Thekedar from Raikot constituency in Ludhiana district. He said the people of Punjab alternately gave opportunities to the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress to form governments, but both the parties failed the people time and again. Party leader Raghav Chadha also campaigned in Kapurthala, Dasuya and Tanda.

PTI