If the location of latest “sangat darshan” programme is an indicator, Dhuri, in Sangrur district has caught the fancy of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, especially after the Assembly seat fell vacant following the resignation by sitting Congress MLA Arvind Khanna.
Accompanied by Akali Dal secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, MLA, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Deputy Commissioner, Arshdeep Singh Thind, DIG Patiala range, Shiv Kumar Verma and Sangrur district police chief, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, the Chief Minister organised his favourite event at Bhasaur, Banbhouri, Belewal Darogewal, Eesra, Loharmajra, Eesi, Their Jattan and Dandogal villages, where he announced grants worth crores of rupees, an official release said.
Byelection to the Dhuri Assembly seat is vital for the ruling Akali Dal, whose relationship with the alliance partner, BJP, is in the doldrums.
In the 117-member House, the Akali Dal is just one short of a simple majority to ensure the safety of the government, while the BJP has 12 members.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesman and former MLA, Sukhpal Singh Khaira has written to the Election Commission of India, to restrain Mr. Badal from using the programme to influence the voters at the cost of the public exchequer. He demanded that Mr. Badal’s “sangat darshan” be videographed as the government had publically announced that it would be organised in two phases from January 21 to 24 and then from January 27 to 29.
Meanwhile, Mr. Badal said that the “sangat darshan” being conducted in Dhuri assembly constituency was not associated to any politics, rather the State Government was driven by an aim to deliver fruits of development and prosperity at the doorsteps of the citizens. He said that “sangat darshan” programme was the best way to redress the people’s grievances at a single platform besides ensuring unbridled development in a democratic set up by bridging the communication gap between government and the masses.
Addressing people from different villages of the Dhuri assembly segment on the first day of the programme, Mr. Badal said that it has been decided to hold a “sangat darshan” programme in one assembly segment of Majha and Doaba regions each, and two constituencies of Malwa every month.
He had decided to start with Dhuri segment under the revised plan and denied that the programme was related to the impending election in the constituency after its MLA had resigned.
