AMRITSAR: After losing out in the race to the
Congress CM face,
Punjab Congress president
Navjot Singh Sidhu has moved back to Amritsar East to campaign and addressed nine gatherings on Monday. He claimed to have made "unprecedented" development in his constituency, especially his adopted Mudhal village.
While talking to mediapersons here,
Sidhu said he would continue to work for the development of Punjab and upload his
Punjab Model
on his Facebook page. Asked whether his Punjab Model will be implemented now or not, Sidhu replied, "Punjab Model is shared for the entire state, I've no copyright on it. I intend to ensure people's welfare. Anyone can take up any good point from it, I've no objection. I've already handed it over to the party but (chief minister) Charanjit Singh Channi has the power to implement it," he said while campaigning door-to-door in his constituency. Channi was recently announced as the Congress's CM face in Punjab.
Sidhu claimed that he never aspired for money or any influential position in life. "All I want is to serve Punjab and change it for the better. My fight for the reformation of Punjab will continue and it doesn't require any post," he said.
About the allegations against Channi for being corrupt, Sidhu said, "Kuchh to log kahengay, logo ka kam hi kehna (The people would say something; their job itself is to speak)". He said opponents would say anything and that the Congress had done whatever it had to do and now it was up to the people to do their part.
Calling the SAD(B) a defunct political party with corrupt leaders, Sidhu said the fight was between the Congress and the AAP. Mocking his Akali opponent in Amritsar East assembly constituency, Bikram Singh Majithia , he said, "Meri ladai pissua nal ni, wadae chotae nal hai (my fight is not with fleas but with the big bull)". He also questioned SAD(B) president
Sukhbir Singh Badal's source of money for the construction of five-star hotels and raising a fleet of 6,000 buses.
A senior Congress party functionary said were eying nearly 32% SC votes of the constituency to ensure Sidhu's win. "Channi himself is an SC and is likely to visit Amritsar. We will ensure that he visits Amritsar East to give a sense of belongingness to the SC voters," he said. However, PPCC general secretary Joginderpal Dhingra said Channi's programme had not been finalised yet.
Sidhu’s wife cancels poll programmesFormer MLA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, did no election campaigning on Monday, leading to speculation that she had cancelled programmes because the party had picked Charanjit Singh Channi over her husband as chief ministerial face for Punjab. Earlier in the day, her office had sent her a schedule for four election programmes from 11am to 6pm. However, soon after, she had cancelled those engagements for “unknown reasons”. Asked about it, her tour coordinator Girish claimed that it was for “health reasons” and after two days of travel fatigue. He said she will resume campaigning on Tuesday.