Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu has dismissed the BJP's statements on contesting the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections independently or through an alliance, saying the party's strategy would make no difference to AAP.
Pannu said AAP would approach voters on the basis of its development work over the past five years and expressed confidence that the party would return to power for a second consecutive term, with Bhagwant Mann becoming Chief Minister again.
Highlighting Mann's accessibility, Pannu claimed that he was the first Chief Minister in Punjab's history since Independence in 1947 to maintain direct contact with ordinary people. He said Mann regularly stops to interact with people waiting along roadsides, making them feel that the Chief Minister is accessible to them.
Pannu further claimed that the AAP government had completed in five years several tasks that previous governments had failed to accomplish in 70 years. He cited the delivery of 88 per cent of canal water to agricultural fields, 600 units of free electricity and cashless health insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh among the government's key initiatives.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Pannu said its leaders were making contradictory statements, with some claiming that the party would contest all 117 Assembly seats independently while others were talking about an alliance.
He asserted that the BJP would not receive public support in Punjab, regardless of its electoral arrangement. Pannu referred to the farmers' protest at Delhi's borders, during which nearly 750 farmers reportedly lost their lives, and blamed the BJP for the situation.
He also accused the BJP of taking positions on sensitive Punjab-related issues, including the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Chandigarh and Panjab University. Alleging that the Centre had withheld funds due to Punjab, Pannu said the state's voters would judge the BJP on its policies and approach towards Punjab.
