Both Amarinder and Mann will meet their nemesis in Lambi and Jalalabad: Sukhbir Badal

Challenges Amarinder to contest from Lambi only and not keep Patiala as a stop gap; Says no AAP presence in Majha and Doaba
Raikot/Payal/Gill (Ludhiana),January 16, 2017: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today made it clear that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann would meet their nemesis in Lambi and Jalalabad respectively and that both he as well as S Parkash Singh Badal would never leave their constituencies to contest from any other seat.
Talking to newsmen after addressing a large public gathering here, the SAD president challenged Amarinder Singh to contest only from Lambi. “Why is he keeping Patiala as a stop gap? This proves that he knows he can never win from Lambi and is only contesting the seat to project himself as the chief ministerial candidate of the party at a time when the Congress has not declared its CM candidate”.
Speaking about the emerging contest in Punjab, Mr Badal said the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress were engaged in a direct contest in both and Majha and Doaba regions with AAP not having any presence in both these regions. He said AAP had a presence in only Malwa and that even in this region it was putting up a meaningful contest in only 21 seats. “So this means there is a triangular contest in only 21 out of the 117 seats in Punjab with all other seats witnessing a two way contest between the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress”.
Giving his reactions to the contest in Jagraon and neighbouring areas, he said the Congress did not even have candidates in a majority of seats. He said the Congress candidate from Jagraon was a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib and even Congressmen were googling his name to find out his antecedents. He said similarly the Congress candidate from Ropar was a resident of Chandigarh and there was a widespread revolt against him in the constituency.
Asking newsmen to gauge the mood of the people from the crowds which were coming to SAD-BJP meetings, he said “the people are happy with the development done by us and have made up their mind to endorse us again. They realize the tremendous progress made in Punjab and also the fact that if the Congress or the topiwalas come into power the State will be destroyed”, he added.
Speaking about AAP, the SAD president said Arvind Kejriwal was playing a dangerous game in Punjab by courting radical elements. He said AAP was inciting violence in the State and that this was would take Punjab back to turbulent times if allowed to succeed. He also asked the people whether Punjabis would ever accept an outsider as CM. “Kejriwal has double crossed the entire senior leadership of Punjab and has fielded them in seats from where they cannot win. This is because he plans to become CM himself”.
Earlier while speaking at the public meeting, Mr Badal asked the people to look around them and decide whether there was visible change or not. “We have transformed the State and can proudly state that now it is power surplus besides having the best road and air infrastructure. Contrast this with zero development during the earlier regime of Capt Amarinder and you will realize that the SAD-BJP alone has claim to your vote”, he added.