Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party MP, will contest the Punjab Assembly polls from Jalalabad, the seat currently held by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
AAP’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was in Jalalabad to address a rally on Sunday, proposed the name of Mr. Mann.
Mr. Mann said he was ready to contest against the Mr. Badal in any seat. The candidature of Mr. Badal has, however, not been announced on the first list of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
“I also invite Capt. Amarinder Singh [Congress State chief] to contest the Assembly election against Mr. Sukhbir Badal, instead of contesting from his traditional seat, to know whether the people of Punjab accept him as their leader,” said Mr. Mann.
Mr. Kejriwal accused the ruling Akali government and the Congress of playing a friendly match ahead of the Assembly polls. “Collusion between the Congress and the Akalis was visible today, as both the Akali and the Congress workers were showing him black flags. Have you ever seen Congress workers showing black flags to Akalis, or Akalis showing it back,” he asked.
