Jalandhar bypoll: In first poll rally after Badal’s death, Sukhbir strikes emotional chord
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday struck an emotional chord with the people while addressing the first election rally in Jalandhar after the death of his father and former CM Parkash Singh Badal last month.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday struck an emotional chord with the people while addressing the first election rally in Jalandhar’s Goraya after the death of his father and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal last month.
Though Akali Dal was among first to begin campaign for Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll but its campaigning derailed to some extent for few days due to its patriarch’s death. Seeking sympathy votes for the party candidate, the SAD president remained focused on his father’s achievement throughout his speech.
Addressing the gathering in support of SAD-BSP candidate Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, Sukhbir listed out the initiatives including welfare schemes launched by Badal during his tenure as chief minister especially from 2007 to 2017.
Coming back to the political stage, Sukhbir appealed to the people that every vote in Dr Sukhi’s favour is a real tribute to his late father.
“Electing Dr Sukhi to the Lok Sabha from Jalandhar would be the most appropriate homage to five times chief minister Parkash Singh Badal,” said Sukhbir.
He added that name any welfare scheme, be it Shagun scheme, Atta Dal scheme, post matric scholarship scheme for SC students, distribution of tubewell connections, free electricity to farmer, chanellising of canal water and other—all these decisions were taken by Badal for the welfare of the people of Punjab.
“This government has completely ruined these schemes. Many of these were stopped by the incumbent government, while replicating few of them to get credit only,”Sukhbir said.
He added that by creating the state-of-art mandi system which led to procurement of food grains, creating focal points, establishing thermal plants, four lane expressways and airports and making Punjab surplus, Parkash Singh Badal was the architect of present day modern Punjab.
Sukhbir said his father was worried about the manner in which divisive politics were spoiling the atmosphere in the State in his last days. “Parkash Singh Badal felt that an attempt was being made to defame Punjabis by terming them as separatists and imposing the National Security Act on them. We must defeat such forces, he said while condemning the Aam Aadmi Party for colluding with the central government to defame Punjabis,” he said.
“It is a big responsibility on my shoulders to carry forward my father’s legacy and to run party affairs with the help of all the workers and leaders. We will follow the pro-farmer and pro-poor policies of Badal sahab while standing firm on the principle of peace and communal harmony,” Sukhbir said.
