Ready for early poll: Badal; Names Bibi Jagir Kaur as party candidate from Bholath Assembly seat

Ready for early poll: Badal

Names Bibi Jagir Kaur as party candidate from Bholath Assembly seat

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal listens to the plight of an elderly resident at Bhai Ka Kera village in the Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Bhai Ka Kera (Lambi), Dec 25

Looking much confident after holding a series of Sadbhavna rallies in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the SAD-BJP alliance was fully prepared to face early elections.

Amid media reports regarding possibility of early Assembly elections, Badal, while interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of “Sangat Darshan” programme in Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district, said his party was ready for elections at anytime.

The ruling SAD-BJP combine will complete its second consecutive term in February 2017.

On being asked to comment on Congress’ state spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Badal said it was hardly an issue for them.

“It will not make any difference whether Khaira has joined the AAP or remained in the Congress. Earlier, he contested elections as a Congress candidate and this time he may contest as an AAP candidate, but our candidate from the Bholath constituency will remain the same — Bibi Jagir Kaur,” said Badal.

Replying to the statement of Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi, who had yesterday said his brother had still not got justice of attack on him and sought intervention of the CM to give justice to the Abohar Dalit youth Bhim Tank’s family, the CM said, “The state government is committed to firmly deal with any incident involving law and order. In the Abohar incident too, the state government is taking every step to deliver justice to the victims. A number of people have been arrested in the case.”

Badal, however, feigned ignorance on the reports of 10 Dalit families facing social boycott at Burj Dhillwan village in Mansa district and a large number of bicycles under the state government’s Mai Bhago scheme lying undistributed at a government school in Bathinda. He said, “I will ask the officers concerned while chairing a meeting at Badal village in the evening.”

‘Nihang’ accuses police of thrashing him

At Rasulpura village, a “nihang” stood up in front the CM and blamed the police of thrashing him and taking away his licensed weapon. He appealed to the CM to give him justice by taking action against the police. However, before the CM could hear his plight, some police personnel forcibly took him out of the “pandal”.

CM asks admn to hold camps in villages

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asked the Malout SDM to hold camps in villages to identify the people who are yet to avail the benefits of blue card and pension schemes. He also directed the administration to complete the entire process within a month and display the lists of new beneficiaries in the village.

Huge grants sanctioned

Unlike past, the Chief Minister today sanctioned huge grants for the development works in the villages. A senior officer said the CM sanctioned nearly Rs 4.85 crore for Dabwali Malko Ki village alone. He also sanctioned grants for the renovation and repair of all “dharmshalas” in the villages.

CM curtails Sangat Darshan

The Chief Minister had to curtail the three-day sangat darshan due to the demise of SAD’s district president Dyal Singh Kolianwali’s younger brother Karnail Singh yesterday. The programme, which began yesterday, concluded today.

Courtesy: The Tribune