Ludhiana, June 12 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Thursday appealed to the people of the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency to strengthen the regional party to pave the way for overall development as well as peace and communal harmony in Punjab.

Campaigning for party candidate Parupkar Singh Ghumman in the constituency, Badal said that “only a regional party can fulfil the aspirations of Punjabis and resolve pending issues, besides providing people-centric governance. Parties from Delhi only seek to exploit Punjab”.

On the Aam Aadmi Party government as well as the previous Congress regime, he said: “These governments have acted like the erstwhile East India Company. They have both looted Punjab to fill the coffers of their Delhi leadership.”

Asserting Punjabis had wasted eight years already, Badal said that the Ludhiana West by-election has “given an opportunity to take the AAP government to task and begin its countdown”.

He said Punjab had never suffered so much as under AAP rule.

“The law and order situation is such that businessmen are opting to invest in other states now. Extortions and targeted killings have become the norm. AAP legislators are working in collusion with the drug mafia, due to which drug trafficking and drug overdose deaths are only increasing.”

Asking the people to compare this with Akali Dal rule, Badal said: “Our guiding philosophy is ‘sarbat da bhala’. We value and respect each community. People of all communities have always felt that the late Parkash Singh Badal was one among them. This was the confidence all communities had in Sardar Badal and SAD.”

He also stressed how the SAD had a proven track record of undertaking record development. “See around you. All development projects, be it thermal plants, airports or expressways — they have all come up during SAD governments. The same is the case with all major infrastructure works in Ludhiana, be it the elevated road or the southern by-pass.”

Badal also appealed to the people to distinguish between all the candidates in the fray before exercising their franchise.

“Parupkar Ghumman is a leading advocate who is known for several social initiatives. He is most deserving of your votes. In stark contrast, AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora is based in Gurugram and is only contesting the elections to pave the way for Arvind Kejriwal’s ascendency to the Rajya Sabha,” he added.

The bypoll to the Ludhiana West assembly seat will take place on June 19, and the counting will be held on June 23. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.

–IANS

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