Warring, who is also the Ludhiana MP, said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was badly mistaken that the Congress would allow it to abuse power and misuse the official machinery for the elections.
“First of all, we will not let any misuse of the official machinery and second, in case any official is found to be misusing his position to help the AAP, his proper record will be maintained,”, he warned.
“As I have already said and I am repeating it today, we won’t forget, we won’t forgive and we won’t spare”, he said.
Taking a dig at the AAP, he said that the Congress has its strong roots and foundations in Punjab for 140 years and it will not be intimidated by a party which is just born.
The Ludhiana MP sought to dispel the myth that the by-elections are normally won by the ruling party.
“We won in Barnala, supposedly the stronghold of the AAP and we will certainly win Ludhiana West, which has always been our stronghold”, he claimed.
He observed that in addition to a strong Congress base in Ludhiana West, there is a lot of anti-incumbency against the government over its “failure” on all fronts, particularly the law and order.
Warring said said nobody was feeling safe in Punjab as “loot and robbery had become the norm of the day”.
He alleged, “It is a double whammy for Punjabis as on the one hand it is criminals, on the other hand it is the AAP government which is looting and robbing the people.” Meanwhile, Congress candidate for Ludhiana West assembly by-election, Bharat Bhushan Ashu questioned the AAP and its candidate to answer people on what they have done in the last three and a half years rather than telling people about what they are going to do in the remaining one year.
“If you could not do anything in the last three and a half years, what will you do in the remaining one year”, he asked the AAP, while addressing a public meeting in the Rishi Nagar area.
He pointed out the AAP leaders were now promising the “moon” to people, claiming that they will do wonders in the remaining one year of their term.
Ashu also said that three and a half years are more than enough to judge the ruling party’s performance which has not only been an “outright failure, but that of — loot, robbery, political vendetta and victimization of political opponents.” When asked about the main challenge, he expressed confidence that the support he was getting from the public was obvious that he had practically no competition with anyone.
“My fight is only against Kejriwal, as the local AAP candidate is just a poor pawn forced into the contest”, he said.
Replying to a question about the AAP candidate, Ashu said, he had full sympathies for him, since he was and continues to be reluctant to contest.
“His plight is like that of a sheep who is being dragged to the slaughterhouse to make way for Arvind Kejriwal to Rajya Sabha”, Ashu said, adding, “my fight is with Kejriwal and the people of Delhi who have grabbed everything in Punjab”.
He said that on June 19, people of Ludhiana West will deliver a decisive verdict against the AAP outsiders and make a beginning to check them out.
“Enough is enough, now this must stop”, he asserted, while referring to the complete hijacking of the government and the administration by the outsiders.
The bypoll to Ludhiana West assembly seat in Punjab will take place on June 19 and the counting will be held on June 23. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. PTI COR CHS OZ OZ
