BSP to support Akali Dal candidate for Jalandhar bypoll

Jalandhar, April 8 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) coordination committee on Saturday decided to field a SAD candidate for the forthcoming Jalandhar parliamentary bypoll slated on May 10.

Announcing this at a press conference here, SAD President Sukhbir Badal said a decision in this regard had been taken in a joint SAD-BSP meeting after discussions and that the decision had been endorsed by BSP supremo Mayawati.

He announced that the formal campaign would start on April 10 and that the entire rank and file of the SAD-BSP alliance would take active part in it.

Asserting that the people of Doaba region were prepared to teach a befitting lesson to the corrupt and "scam tainted" Bhagwant Mann government, which had failed on all fronts, Badal said the alliance would give voice to the grievances of farmers, Dalits, youth, businessmen and government employees, all of whom were fed up from the AAP government.

Meanwhile the SAD President lambasted the Chief Minister for punishing government employees for his failure by pre-poning office hours to 7.30 a.m.

He said this decision had been taken because the AAP government had failed to arrange power to meet the electricity demand during the summer months.

"In effect, the Chief Minister has announced that Punjabis should be ready for massive power cuts. Even paddy transplantation is threatened," he added.

Badal said in stark contrast the erstwhile SAD government had not only made Punjab power surplus but had also ensured uninterrupted power supply to farmers, industry as well as the common man.

"All this has been disturbed due to the incompetence of the Chief Minister who is more busy in ferrying his boss Arvind Kejriwal to Assam and other places instead of ensuring the welfare of Punjabis."

He also condemned the AAP government for failing to release compensation for wheat crop damage before conduct of 'girdwari' as promised in its election manifesto.

He said it was even more shocking that the Chief Minister had instructed deputy commissioners not to award more than 33 per cent damage award to anyone. "This effectively means that the AAP government is running away from awarding due compensation to farmers."

Badal said SAD would not take this lying down.

"We will ensure a sustained campaign to demand compensation at the rate of Rs 50,000 per acre to all farmers whose wheat crop has been destroyed due to incessant rain, high velocity winds and hail storms."

BSP Punjab in charge Randhir Singh Beniwal said the party workers would work with dedication to ensure the victory of the joint SAD-BSP candidate in the bypoll.