Punjab bypolls: SAD will teach Congress a lesson

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said his party was prepared to teach the ruling Congress in Punjab a "lesson of a lifetime" in the bypolls to four assembly seats in the state.

Bypolls in Phagwara, Jalalabad, Dakha and Mukerian assembly seats will be held on October 21 and results will be declared on October 24.

Urging the Election Commission to keep a "special watch" on Punjab to ensure free and fair elections in the state, Badal alleged that "a rootless and a desperate" ruling party here is certain to engage in foul play in a bid to escape humiliation.

"There is no such thing as a government in Punjab today. Even the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh remains invisible knowing he cannot face the people after the manner he has remained cut off from the state all this time," the former deputy chief minister alleged.

He claimed that governance is in a sorry state and people are "crying" even for basic amenities.

"The Congress is heading for a rout and it will resort to a brazen misuse of government machinery to save itself from total elimination," Badal claimed.

The responsibility of the EC will be the highest in these circumstances, he said.

The party is fully geared up and raring to go to teach the ruling party in the state a lesson of a lifetime, the SAD chief said in a statement.

The SAD cadre "excited and enthused" and was looking forward to the announcement of the bypolls, Badal said, adding that they are ready to hand a crushing defeat to the ruling party.

He said he would soon convene a high-level meeting of the party to finalise candidates and assign poll duties.