Amarinder confident that Cong will win four all bypolls in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday exuded confidence that the Congress will win all four assembly bypolls in the state and said the people are sick of the divisive politics of the SAD-BJP here.

Talking to reporters at Uchapind village en route his roadshow for Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, the Congress nominee from Phagwara, the chief minister said the party's performance in the state can be judged only after the completion of five years and not before.

He dismissed claims that the elections will be a referendum on the state government's performance.

"Overwhelmed & humbled with the warmth with which the people of Phagwara came out in support of @INCPunjab candidate Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal at today's roadshow making it clear that they are sick of the divisive politics of SAD-BJP that has ruined Phagwara for the past 10 years," he tweeted.

The bye-elections are going to be held on the assembly seats of Phagwara, Dakha, Mukerian and Jalalabad on October 21.

"Reports are that everything is going well and we will win all the four seats," he said.

On Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik's allegation that Punjab was in the grip of militancy due to weak policies of the state government towards mafia and miscreants, Singh alleged he was indulging in fear-mongering for deriving political mileage.

Alleging that Malik did not know the ground reality, the chief minister asserted that there was no possibility of revival of terrorism and the state government would not allow its resurgence.

"I know the reality, 24 terror modules have been busted, that 130 miscreants put in jail and that over 450 weapons captured," he said.

Asked if Punjab was also bearing the brunt of economic slowdown as former prime minister Manmohan Singh had said about Maharashtra on Thursday, the chief minister replied in the negative.

"Of course there is an economic slowdown globally and Indian economy is also suffering as the growth has plummeted to 5 per cent or something from 7.2 per cent in the country.

"But in Punjab there is an upswing. People are coming from all over to invest here. Investments worth Rs 50,500 crore have already been made and a number of MoUs signed. We are holding an investment summit on December 5 and I am going to Davos in February next year," he said.

Reiterating his demand for free access to Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, Singh said the neighbouring nation should not create hurdles or put conditions on pilgrims.

"What is the logic behind all these riders when the spirit of the corridor should be free access," he asked.

He said that the Indian government had told him that Pakistan was not budging from its conditions, but Delhi had taken a tough stand against it.

"I hope things will be resolved in the next meeting between the countries on October 20," he said.

On condoning the sentence of six policemen convicted of fake encounters and other serious crimes, the chief minister said the Indian government had condoned sentences of seven people out of 22.

On being asked whether SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal could find ways of wriggling out of holding the 550thParkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev under the aegis of the Akal Takht Sahib, Singh asked if there was any Sikh who did not bow before the supremacy of Akal Takht Sahib.