Badal hits out at estranged nephew

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today hit out at his estranged nephew and former Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, saying he has no base among the people, which was why he was "running" around to strike alliance with other parties.
"He neither has any base amongst the people, nor any ideology due to which he is running from pillar to post for striking an alliance with either AAP or Congress, for his political survival," Badal told reporters in Maur assembly segment in Bathinda district.
Manpreet served as Finance Minister in the SAD-BJP government before severing his ties with Shiromani Akali Dal three years ago and floating his own political outfit People's Party of Punjab, which fought the last assembly elections without success.

On being asked about the announcement made by Gurdas Singh Badal that his son Manpreet would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda, the Chief Minister said it would hardly make any difference as the former Finance Minister and his party have been "rejected" by the voters of the state time and again.
Bathinda parliamentary constituency is at present represented by 86-year-old Chief Minister's daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur, who is a SAD MP.
Lashing out at the PPP leader, Badal said Manpreet has betrayed his "mother party" (SAD) due to which the people of state do not trust him anymore.

Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal should produce proof of corruption charges leveled by him against senior leaders of the country.

"No one becomes corrupt if Kejriwal puts their name in any list. The Delhi Chief Minister must corroborate his claims with the relevant facts," he said.
To another question,Badal said sensing their "inevitable" defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, "the Congress party is desperately making every effort to woo the voters and increasing the number of subsidised LPG cylinders was a part of this strategy".
He said the people would not get swayed with "such political gimmickries of the Congress-led UPA government and would teach a befitting lesson to them in the coming polls".