Political lines are getting drawn as nomination process for the Assembly election is under way in Punjab. On Monday, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal filed his nomination papers as the party candidate from the Jalalabad Assembly seat in Punjab’s border district of Ferozepur.
He was accompanied by his wife and MP Harsimrat Kaur and MP Sher Singh Ghubhaya. Mr Badal filed nomination papers in the office of sub-divisional magistrate Rajiv Gupta. Ms Krishna Rani wife of MP Sher Singh Ghubhaya filed her papers as the covering candidate of SAD-BJP alliance. Replying to the media queries after filing nomination papers, Mr Badal said that the Akali Dal-BJP alliance has been contesting the elections over development issues only and there will be no vendetta politics or personal attacks. He said that the alliance will gain a clean sweep victory and as the people of Punjab want continuation of accelerated development, they will vote for SAD-BJP government for the next five years so that alliance could complete the unfinished task of development besides continuing the development agenda for Punjab.
Commenting on the rebels in the Congress, the Akali president said that revolt in the Congress gave birth to a fifth front named “Azad Congress” in addition to the existing SAD-BJP alliance, Congress, Sanjha Morcha and BSP.
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Maya plays nrega dalit card
MANISH ANAND
New Delhi, Jan. 9
Apart from Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojna (PMAGY), the Mayawati-led UP government appears to have taken special care to ensure maximum dalit participation in the implementation of the MG-NREGA.
The ministry of rural development’s data suggest that UP had about 54 per cent SC participation in the MG-NREGA in 2010-11, while it was 56 per cent in 2009-10. The national average for the same hovers around 30 per cent only. Over 50 per cent dalit participation in the job scheme is in contrast to a mere 20 per cent participation of women in UP, which has been slammed on a number of occasions by the Centre for not meeting the mandatory 33 per cent norms.
The ruling BSP, hit by scams and corruption charges, is relying heavily on 22 per cent dalit vote-bank for its success in the forthcoming Assembly polls. “The BSP is the only political party, which takes a headstart with 22 per cent dalit vote base over the rival and addition of some other caste groups effectively makes the party a front runner in the state,” added the BSP functionary.