Khanna slams Bajwa, questions his "absence" from Gurdaspur

Claiming an anti-Congress wave in Gurdaspur, BJP candidate from this Lok Sabha seat Vinod Khanna today alleged sitting Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa, his rival in the election, had failed to solve problems of the people owing to his constant absence from the constituency.
"The anti-incumbency wave against Bajwa is no fiction. People have not seen him here at all. They are eager to know where their MP was when they were grappling with their woes," the film-star-turned politician said.
Addressing a string of election meetings in Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Batala, Khanna asked his rival where he had utilised his Member of Parliament Local Area Development fund.

"A local area development fund of Rs 5 crore is given to an MP every year. People want to know where the money has disappeared," the former BJP MP said.
Gurdaspur had been deprived of growth and development as Bajwa had failed to get any central scheme sanctioned for the area, he said.
Khanna further alleged his rival had failed in bringing any industry, including the Rail Coach Factory, to the area.

He said Bajwa had "failed miserably" to improve the lot of women who, he said, were backbone of the country.
The former BJP MP said nearly 8.2 per cent of the unemployed youths in Punjab were from Gurdaspur region.

Khanna said, if elected an MP from Gurdaspur, his key priority would be to ensure growth, development and prosperity in the region.