The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday accused the ruling Congress of selling party tickets for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference in Amritsar, Badal said there was extreme resentment in the Congress party at the manner in which the Congress trio of Harish Chaudhary (party affairs in-charge for Punjab), Navjot Sidhu (Punjab Congress chief), and Chief Minister Charanjit Channi had sold party tickets.

“This is why the Congress is being virtually dismantled in the state. Even kith and kin of senior leaders like Charanjit Channi and Rana Gurjit Singh have put up their family members as independents. You will now witness  Channi losing from both Assembly constituencies, Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur, he is contesting. Sidhu has already lost the battle from Amritsar East. All that remains is his exit from the Congress on the day the results come in,” the SAD leader said.

Meanwhile, addressing a party rally at Shri Hargobindpur (Gurdaspur), Badal said Punjabis could not afford to waste another five years by giving one chance to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and would repose faith in the tried and tested pro-development policies of the SAD-BSP combined.

Urging the people to understand the devious game plan of AAP, the SAD chief said a party of outsiders (AAP) is trying to sway voters by asking for a chance.

“I ask AAP why Punjabis should trust AAP. Its convener came to Punjab five years back and his party even won 20 seats to emerge as the principal opposition party in the state. However instead of raising the voice of the people, eleven out of its 20 legislators merged with the Congress,” he said.

Badal said AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal did not even come to Punjab more than once a year before the start of the election process.

“He (Kejriwal) did not care to send any medicines to Punjab as chief minister of Delhi. He did not even visit the State during the Covid pandemic. How can you trust him to stand by you in case you give him a chance and elect AAP to power?” Badal asked.

Urging Punjabis to reject outsiders, the SAD president said the SAD-BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) alliance alone represented the regional aspirations of the people.