Punjab by-poll: CM Amarinder Singh confident of winning all four seats

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh assured the people that he would take care of the constituency as his own, and take forward the vision charted by former legislator Rajnish Kumar Babbi, who had passed way after a prolonged illness.

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Mukerian: Promising to nurture the Mukerian Assembly segment as his own, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday concluded the electioneering for Monday`s bypoll here with total confidence of a clear Congress victory in all four constituencies.

Trashing Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal`s charges of no development in the state under the current regime, he said: "Sukhbir is either blind or is doing an ostrich act to avoid facing the harsh reality that the people have rejected him and his party."

The entire Akali leadership is a spent force, and now they have nothing but lies to give to the people, the Chief Minister said.

He assured the people that he would take care of the constituency as his own, and take forward the vision charted by former legislator Rajnish Kumar Babbi, who had passed way after a prolonged illness.

Babbi`s wife and Congress candidate Indu Bala will translate all the promises made by him to the people of Mukerian, said the Chief Minister.

Describing Mukerian as a constituency of Congress stalwarts, Amarinder recalled the development work done by seven-time MLA Kewal Krishan, who had also served as a minister and a Speaker during his previous term as the Chief Minister.

The same level of development will be ensured once again by Indu Bala, with the full backing of his government, said the Chief Minister.

Confident of a clean sweep in all the four Assembly segments headed for voting on Monday, Amarinder Singh said while victory and defeat was a way of politics, the mood was clearly in favour of the Congress.

He rejected the suggestion that Dakha and Jalalabad were `hot` seats, saying he did not see them as unique segments in any way, and did not perceive either the BJP or the Akali Dal to be a strong opponent in these constituencies or in Phagwara and Mukerian.

Amarinder Singh, who was campaigning in all these seats for the past five days, said he strongly believed that all the four seats were set for a Congress win, with no other party standing a chance.