BJP relying on ‘divisive’ tactics to seek votes: Punjab CM Mann

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday slammed the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of relying on “divisive tactics” to seek votes and neglecting its duty of serving the people.

Mann, who was addressing an election rally in Bahowal in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Hoshiarpur, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, said that his party was set to make a clean sweep in the state and the results would bolster AAP’s position at the Centre.

“We are winning in Punjab as well as Gujarat and Delhi. Whatever the election surveys may predict, AAP is going to win big. ”, he claimed.

Mann added the BJP has ‘failed’ to deliver meaningful progress and development for the nation. “Rather than addressing the pressing needs of the populace, the BJP has resorted to exploiting religious and caste identities to garner electoral support,” Mann alleged

A two-time MLA from Chabbewal assembly constituency, Raj Kumar had resigned from the state assembly and joined AAP on March 15 last month. A prominent Dalit leader, Chabbewal had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Hoshiarpur, but he lost to BJP’s Som Parkash by 48,530 votes. On April 16, the BJP fielded outgoing member of Parliament Som Parkash’s wife Anita from its traditional stronghold of Hoshiarpur, a reserved seat for Scheduled Caste candidates.

Mann said by throwing party supremo Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, the BJP could not stop the party from making strides. “I have brought Kejriwal’s message for the people of Punjab that they should vote wholeheartedly for the AAP candidates,” Mann said.

Mann said he was fighting Punjab’s battle with the centre and the governor, adding that if the party had a sufficient number of parliamentarians, no one could stop the central grants nor impede Punjab’s development.

Accusing the central government of ignoring Punjab’s interests, Mann said the Union government withheld ₹5,500 crore of the rural development fund.

“The state had witnessed unprecedented growth in two years of AAP rule with over ₹70,000 crore worth of investment in industry,” he said.

“We have shown in two years what we are capable of doing. In the coming years, there will be more industry, more employment and more resource building”, he added.