Chandigarh, December 30- Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa President Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today while wishing happy New Year to people of Punjab said that party gained its lost political ground in 2013 and he has high hopes on performance of Congress party in the Lok Sabha elections in the year 2014.
In a statement issued here Mr. Bajwa expressed his gratitude to the party high command, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, President, AICC & Sh. Rahul Gandhi Vice President, AICC for giving him the responsibility of Punjab Congress and thanked the Congress leaders and workers in the state for extending him cooperation in holding phase 1 and phase 2 of mass contact programme. He said that when he took over in March 2013 the party workers were frustrated due to two successive defeats of party in assembly elections of 2007 and 2012. “The things have changed drastically in about 9 months and party workers were mobilized to launch an offensive against the ruling SAD-BJP alliance”, he added.
Mr. Bajwa said that in 2013 Congress had contested elections of village Panchayats, block samiti and Zila Parishad and gave a tough fight to SAD-BJP alliance particularly when the whole election process was hijacked by ruling combine. The violence by SAD-BJP goons had claimed lives of seven Congress leaders and dozens were injured. False cases were registered against Congress men and forced to withdraw their nominations. He said that Congress had won few seats in Panchayat elections but it proved a turning point in political scenario in Punjab.
Mr. Bajwa said that Congress party took the initiative of exposing corrupt ministers in the cabinet of Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and highlighted the bungling in the development grants sent by center. He said that book scam in the education department with the connivance of concerned Minister had brought to book the corrupt practices of this government. He said that Congress party had exposed the Chief Minister on the issue of ‘Sangat Darshan programme’ which is an apparatus for multi-layer corruption in the government.
Mr. Bajwa said that Congress party had confronted SAD-BJP government on almost all issues where public interest was violated. He said that Congress had raised the issue of law and order and stood by the families of victims including three ASI’s of Punjab police. He said that activities of mining mafia were exposed by Congress leaders. He said that party had exposed SAD-BJP on fake promises made with every section of society. The Congress took up the issue of property tax and heavy charges imposed on regularization of illegal colonies. The SAD-BJP government was forced to go on back foot and in both cases the common people get the relief.
He said that party had opposed heavy taxing of raw material for industry, revision in power tariff and bus fares. “Even we took strong stand against imposing wealth tax on agriculture land and made the Union Finance Minister Mr. P. Chidambram to withdraw the proposal and the minister acknowledged my efforts on the floor of house”, he stated.
PPCC President said that economic crisis in Punjab was man made and SAD-BJP government was fully responsible for it. He said that Punjab had slipped to 12th place in economic performance. The economic and unemployment issues was taken up by Congress vigorously but unfortunately present government is not serious in solving these basic problems. He said that what ever jobs in Punjab were created were funded by center government under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan. However mismanagement of funds had played havoc with health and education departments.
He said that the Congress party was raising its voice to expose the names of political leaders including three cabinet ministers in SAD-BJP government involved in synthetic drug racket. He said that
The Congress party has been doing its duty of watchdog being responsible opposition. It is only in the coming Lok Sabha elections that people of state would get an opportunity to show their anger against anti-people policies of SAD-BJP government.
Mr. Bajwa said that with the constitution of PPCC the party stands united to face the challenge of Lok Sabha elections. He said that he had already started third phase of his mass contact programme which will cover all 117 assembly constituencies. He said that Congress party expected to win all the seats of Lok Sabha. He said that after taking lessons from Panchayat elections, the Congress would put forward stiff resistance to any attempt by SAD-BJP alliance to rig the polls.
Mr. Bajwa said that people of state were fed up by SAD-BJP government and Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal who is by proxy running the state was taking cosmetic measures to divert the attention of people from real issues. He said that NRI Sammelan and recently held Progressive Punjab Investment Summit were only political gimmicks and nothing useful is expected from such futile exercises .He said that Congress party wish to see a happy and prosperous Punjab and may be year 2014 revive hopes of the people of state.