Heavy turnout to favour SAD-BJP combine: Dhindsa

Chandigarh, Feb 15 (UNI) Asserting that the heavy turnout in Punjab assembly elections would favour the Akali-BJP combine, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today claimed that the alliance would win more than 80 of the 117 seats.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Dhindsa said whenever there had been heavy turnout in Punjab elections since 1967, SAD had won the polls.

He said the Congress leaders were trying to create confusion among the minds of the people by claiming that heavy turnout would benefit them.

He claimed that the ''three Chief Ministerial aspirants'' of the Congress--Amarinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal--would lose their seats this time.

Mr Dhindsa alleged that the announcement of the political wing of the Dera Sachcha Sauda to support Congress in the elections had ''exposed the communal face'' of that party.

''The Akalis may suffer some loss due to the announcement, but it will cause more damage to the Congress and the sect itself,'' he said.

In fact, he claimed, the SAD-BJP combine had even gained by this development. ''Our supporters were motivated to come out in large numbers to vote .'' MORE UNI