People want Cong back in power: Punjab CM Channi

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Feb 20 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday said that the people of Punjab have decided to bring the Congress party back to power with a huge majority.

Talking to media before going to the polling booth to cast his vote, he said, "The position is clear, people want Congress back, and we are heading for a two-third majority."

He alleged that the Dera Sacha Sauda in connivance with the BJP has supported the Akali Dal in this Assembly poll. "Dera was responsible for the incidents of sacrilege in Punjab and they are getting their support now in the polling," Channi further said.

Claiming that money has been reverted to the people by waiving off the old electricity and water bills whereas the rates of both water and electricity have been reduced to give relief to the people. "We will be giving free education to all in the state and also give scholarships to Other Backward Communities (OBCs) and weaker sections, and we will formulate a policy on this soon after we come to power," he added.

Talking about the main issues of the election, the Punjab CM said that his tenure of 111 days has been only about work and due to this we are witnessing a huge support from the people.

Responding to a question on Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal's poll campaign, Channi said that Kejriwal wants to come to power by hook or crook. For this he has taken the support of the terror organisations like Khalistanis and sought a letter from the US-based Khalisatni leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Talking to IANS, the Punjab CM said that in the morning he prayed at the Chamkaur Sahib Gurudwara "for a good government which works for the development of the state, and may the 'Ram Rajya' be established in Punjab".

"I have left everything to the people of Punjab, whatever the 'Janata' (people) and almighty will do, that will be the best," Channi said.

He also visited a Shiv temple in the morning and performed 'puja' there.

Polling was underway in Punjab on Sunday and over 2.14 crore voters will be deciding the fate of 1,304 candidates.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to make the election completely peaceful by the state administration. A total of 24,689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been set up at 14,684 places in the state, out of which 2,013 have been identified as critical and 2,952 sensitive polling stations.

Apart from this, there will be 1,196 model polling stations, 196 women operated polling stations and 70 differently abled (Divyaang) polling stations. Webcasting of all polling stations are also being done.

There are 2,14,99,804 voters in the state, out of which 1,12,98,081 are males, 1,02,00,996 are females and 727 are transgenders. There are 1,304 candidates in the election fray in the 117-Assembly constituencies, wherein 1,209 men, 93 women and two transgender are trying their luck in this poll. Of these candidates, 231 belong to national parties, 250 are from state level parties, 362 from unrecognised parties and 461 are independent candidates.