Moga February 5:
Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), declared the Moga byelection battle open here.
Like the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee ( DSGMC) elections, he said, the SAD would register a thumping victory in the local assembly contest as well. “We’ll win by at least 51,000 votes,” he said. He ordered the party workers from outside districts to stay in the battleground till the Moga seat was conquered. “I was thrilled to see your zeal in leading the party to victory in Delhi,” he said. “I expect the same performance in Moga.” Asked about the criminal cases pending against new entrant Joginder Pal Jain, his candidate for the byelection, Sukhbir said court had not convicted Jain, so far.
“SAD never invited Jain to the party on the pre- condition of giving him the election ticket,” he added. Mocking at Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president captain Amarinder Singh, he said the rival had got the “Maharaja treatment” during the Moga election campaign, “with trucks bringing in his food and luxuries”. “It seems he has arrived at a wedding party,” said the deputy chief minister. “He’ll be so busy splurging, he’ll not have the time to meet the common man.”
