BJP campaign finally gets impetus in Phagwara

PHAGWARA: After the initial phase of sluggishness, BJP candidate’s campaign from Phagwara finally got the required impetus on Wednesday with BJP-SAD holding their first major joint public meeting wherein senior leaders set the tone and BJP indicated that it would pull out all the stops.
BJP national vice-president and Punjab affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha dispelled the apprehensions that SAD-BJP may not get along for a long time by announcing that BJP took pride in its alliance with SAD and bypoll results would lay the foundation stone of SAD-BJP government in 2022, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia put the onus of results on Som Parkash, his wife Anita and former MoS Vijay Sampla hinting that they needed to invest more energy in the constituency.
“I can guarantee that in 2022, SAD and BJP will form the government and nobody can stop it. But the foundation of that government will be in these bypolls on the four seats. The results would be the beginning of end of Captain Amarinder Singh's government. We take honour in our alliance. The alliance was formed by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya in 1960s (SAD-Jan Sangh alliance) and both parties will remain together,” Jha said adding that Badal senior had established himself as an ideal in the politics of the country.
Minister of State Som Parkash's role is considered most crucial in this election, during his speech he appeared to be throwing all his weight behind Bagha. “Now Bagha represents me, you should take it that I am contesting from here and Bagha’s victory would be my victory. He is a gentleman politician.” The big hoarding at the back of the stage also carried Bagha's picture along with Som Parkash's.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, "Akali workers would be putting all their might behind Bagha but he also sought to put the onus on Som Parkash, his wife Anita and former MoS Vijay Sampla." Specifically asking Punjab BJP president Shwait Malik to listen to his advice he said, “If you want to win only Bagha can't win. Entrust the areas to Som Parkash, Anita and Sampla and only then you can win. I am not saying they are not working hard but they need to focus their energies here more." He also asked Som Parkah that if he himself could win with 15 days of campaigning it would reflect his capacity and now it was again the time to show it.
Taking a dig at CM Captain Amarinder Singh, in whose name Congress appears to be running its campaign, he said that if CM was not available to ministers then how would he be available to a newly elected Congress MLA. “Even if you elect a Congress MLA he would remain ineffective as CM is neither accessible nor working. If SAD-BJP win the seats here, only then it would awaken Punjab government which is in deep slumber,” he added.
Prabhat Jha to focus on Phagwara for a week
Speaking to TOI on the side lines of the public meeting, BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha said that this bypoll was now a matter of prestige for the party. He revealed that he would stay in Phagwara from October 14 to 21 and would directly look after the election management. Meanwhile sources in BJP revealed that all the senior BJP leaders from across the state have been assigned tasks at micro-level. Former ministers and MLAs would be looking after five booths each and 45 of them have been given the task in Phagwara only.