Badal seeks another term to complete development agenda

Shiromoni Akali Dal (Badal) patriarch and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday set the tone for the Assembly elections as he sought another term for the ruling coalition to complete its unfinished agenda of development and to ensure overall welfare of society.

Flanked by his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, senior Badal said the coalition will fight this election on issues of development, peace and communal harmony in the state. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said people were fed up with politics of vendetta and wanted development and prosperity.

He claimed that the over 10 lakh people who had come to attend the Maha Vikas Rally (Mega Development Rally) was a clear indication that they have already given a mandate to the SAD-BJP combine to rule for another five years.

Giving the poll cry, Badal senior launched his attack on the Congress—swinging between panthic agenda and development. Blaming the Congress for Operation Bluestar and 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Badal was also scathing on his main Opposition for the state of affairs in Punjab.

"The Congress has had the longest time to rule the nation and it is for all to see the state where they have taken Punjab to. It is time people choose between right and wrong," he told the gathering.

Badal, who has been the chief minister of the state for four times, said his party was in touch with the grassroots and listed out a series of pro-poor schemes to prove they were on track with the agenda of development. From atta-dal, Shagun, 5 marla free plots to SC/BC, free distribution of cycles to girl students under Mai Bhago Vidya scheme to Right to Services Act, waiver of tubewell power bills for farmers and free 200 units of power for poor people, Badal said his party had addressed those very sections of society that the Congress had ignored.

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