Bathinda will always be in my heart: Harsimrat

Amid speculation that the Akali Dal may shift her to the Ferozepur parliamentary seat for the Lok Sabha polls, Union Minister and party leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal Saturday said Bathinda will always be in her heart.

Wife of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Harsimrat said she was "fine" with whichever seat the Akali Dal fields her from as her aim was to serve the people of Punjab.

The SAD leader also attacked the ruling Congress and wondered how its candidates will seek votes as the party had "failed" to fulfil promises made before the assembly polls.

"I have affection for the people here (Bathinda) where I have done hard work for 10 years. They stood by me during the toughest tests. I cannot ever forget that," the sitting MP from Bathinda said.

"My heart is over here but of course my aim is to serve the people of the state. It is ok wherever I am sent (by party), I am fine. But Bathinda will always be in my heart," she added.

Despite speculation that Harsimrat Kaur Badal may be fielded from Ferozepur, she has been meeting party workers in villages falling in Bathinda parliamentary seat.

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal had earlier said that the party's core committee would take a decision on her candidature.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal had first won from Bathinda in 2009 when she defeated Raninder Singh, son of chief minister Amarinder Singh by 1.20 lakh votes.

In 2014, she trounced Manpreet Badal, estranged cousin of Sukhbir Badal, by over 19,000 votes.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal said ensuring progress and development and maintaining brotherhood and peace in Punjab are her top priorities.

She also took credit for several development projects in Bathinda including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), an airport and upgradation of a railway station.

Lambasting the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab, she said: "I fail to understand which promises they (Congress government) have fulfilled in two years."