CHANDIGARH – Punjab is set to witness a big political battle on December 15. The three main stake holders — the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) — have announced their programme to test their might on the day.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has started marshaling the political forces at his command to challenge designate Punjab Pradesh Congress president Amarinder Singh in Patiala, the headquarters of the erstwhile royal state.
On the other hand, Amarinder is busy mobilizing the Congress cadre to challenge the Badals the same day at their home turf in Bathinda, represented by Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the Lok Sabha. Amarinder Singh wants to prove that the party leadership was right in choosing him the state unit chief, so, he wants to make it a big show.
His entire effort is focused on pushing the Badals on the back foot in the Malwa region. However, Sukhbir Badal, who has a firm grip over the party and the government, is not prepared to yield ground. The Patiala rally will be the third one to be organized by him in the Malwa region.
The AAP is positioning itself to challenge the principal opponents. It has been silently preparing for the big battle. Party insiders say AAP is not prepared for over-exposure in the political arena at this stage. Its game-plan is to prepare its cadre at the booth level without any fanfare.
Party insiders say AAP has a definite roadmap, but it wants to avoid a political burnout before the elections. Its effort is to prepare its activists to peak out at a time when the state actually enters the election mode.
eir relatives, others claim that the police didn’t register an FIR on their complaint. A large number of complainants also allege that the police have kept them in illogical confinement. Then, there is another set of complainants who allege police torture,” said Baljinder Singh, member of PSHRC, while confirming the figures.
