Congress will retain power in Punjab, says Amarinder

Badal, Muktsar, Dec 8 (UNI) Kicking off an election campaign from the home turf of Shiromani Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today asserted that Congress would retain power during the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Addressing a mammoth rally at the native village of Parkash Singh Badal, the so-called stronghold of Akalis in the Malwa belt, Capt Singh said that nobody could deter Congress from forming the next government in the state because they have a clear mandate of the people which had been recently acknowledged by the tremendous response received from the masses in the Malwa and Majha region during the Punjab Vikas Yatra.

He hoped that the same would be replicated in the Doaba region also during the three-day Yatra beginning from December 11.

He said that Akalis had no political agenda to face the electorate during the next elections except ''criticising us for their personal ambition.'' Capt Singh cautioned the people to beware of the nefarious designs of Akali Dal that was bent to retard the process of overall development and progress in the state due to its narrow outlook and parochial nature.

He said that the massive participation of the people in today's rally was an indicative of the acknowledgement of the pro-people policies and programmes of Congress party. ''If at all, SAD is voted to power it would prove to be nothing but perpetrater of anarchy'', Capt Singh said.

He further pointed out that the Akali Dal with glorious past founded way back in 1922 was merely reduced to a private company of Badal and his cronies.

Launching a frontal attack on Parkash Singh Badal, Capt Singh charged Mr Badal of corruption during his three-term tenure as Chief Minister of the state.

Capt Singh said that he was confident that Mr Badal would be finally punished for his misdeeds as the Supreme Court had recently allowed prosecution against Badal. ''It is only a matter of time and he can not escape the trial at any cost'', asserted Capt Singh.

Castigating Badals for retarding the economic development of the state, Capt Singh blamed the senior Badal for grossly ignoring the interests of the state due to his vested interests to promote his clan.

The Chief Minister appreciated the Prime Minister for announcing an increase of Rs 100 per quintal as the highest ever MSP of wheat and that too before the sowing of the crop in the first time in the history of the state.

A glider encircled the rally displaying Congress flag and showered flower petals and placards to greet and cheer the people.

Among others, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Shamsher Singh Dullo and Deputy Chief Minister Rajender Kaur Battal also addressed the rally.

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