Tarn Taran, March 12: Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief and ex-minister Bibi Jagir Kaur is the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate for the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, considered the citadel of the Akalis.
The seat was represented by Ranjit Singh Brahmpura in the 16th Lok Sabha. He parted ways with the SAD and constituted the SAD (Taksali), along with MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said candidates for the other seats would be declared shortly. He challenged Brah-mpura to re-contest. Gen JJ Singh (retd) has been fielded by SAD (Taksali).
Sukhbir termed the PDA, SAD (Taksali) and AAP ‘stooges’ of the Congress whose aim was to divide Opposition votes. Attacking Brahmpura, he told the crowd: “Your MP did not raise a single issue concerning your area or Punjab in Parliament for five years.”
The Tarn Taran Lok Sabha constituency, as it was called prior to it being renamed, has produced stalwarts such as former CM Partap Singh Kairon and LS Speaker Gurdial Singh Dhillon, both from the Congress. Akali stalwarts Baba Kharak Singh, Udham Singh Nagoke and Mohan Singh Tur also came from this constituency. At the political meeting today, Sukhbir accused Capt Amarinder Singh’s government of “not taking interest in development works” and focusing on filing “false” cases against Akali workers instead.
“Officials working at the government’s behest will be removed from service and put behind bars when the SAD returns to power,” he warned. He pointed out that schemes meant for the poor, such as Atta-Dal, had been stopped and the promise on “completely” waiving farm loans and ‘ghar ghar naukri’ had not been kept.
Former minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia said the government had promised 60 lakh jobs. “This means it was to give one lakh jobs every month. But the only job given so far is that to a grandson of the late Cheif Minister Beant Singh,” he quipped.
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