Cong, SAD cross swords as poll season descends

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Chandigarh November 12:

With former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh taking over the reigns of Congress in the state on Friday and the ruling SAD-BJP getting into active campaigning mode, the state's tryst with the next assembly elections suddenly seems to be much nearer than the 2012 deadline. Dance of democracy has just begun.

As the Punjab Congress Bhawan buzzed with frenzied activity, preparing for the gala take-over ceremony of new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Amarinder Singh, in distant Badrukhan in Sangrur, Punjab's deputy CM and CM-aspirant Sukhbir Badal was already on the job, making speeches that sounded like poll sound bytes.

The ruling party, which is facing flak from both Congress and its own breakaway leader Manpreet Badal, who feel that it "mishandled the state's finances", is now into damage control mode, doling out figures to prove that the government has improved the financial condition of the state.

Meanwhile, buoyed by the response that Amarinder received at Amritsar on November 9, the Congress is busy mobilizing crowds to turn Friday's event into a mega show of strength in order to strengthen the impression of growing anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling alliance.

Though, there was no confirmation about the visit of any senior leader from Delhi till late Thursday evening, the party claimed that Mohsina Kidwai was likely to be present at the ceremony. Mindful of the prospect of anti-incumbency vote, the SAD-BJP alliance is hoping to make a comeback on development plank by providing unprecedented infrastructure development to Punjab.

 
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