Sampat kicks off campaign in Adampur,fights ''outsider'' tag

Adampur, Apr 21 (UNI) While Congress was yet to declare its nominee in Adampur assembly byelections, The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Sampat Singh, kicked off his poll campaign here today.

Mr Sampat Singh addressed a party workers' meeting at Hisar and later launched personal contact with the voters of this constituency. Party Secretary General Ajay Chautala would inaugurate his poll office on April 27 and Mr Singh planned to file nomination on May 1.

Meanwhile, Prof Chattarpal, DCC president and Congress legislator, while addressing mediapersons, described Sampat Singh as ''an outsider in Adampur'' and claimed that INLD was not even a regional party as it could not find a local candidate.

''This seat belongs to Congress because our party has always won this seat in the past," he said.

Later, reacting to the remarks of Prof Chhattarpal, the INLD candidate retorted that it was ironical that ''Congress calls Italy-born Sonia Gandhi as insider but was calling him, who has been party office bearer for Bhattu and Adampur for many years, an outsider.'' ''It is my area and I belong to this place. Our party has a record to win byelections against ruling parties and the same is going to happen in Adampur,'' he asserted.

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