SAD, Cong take on each other in Patial, Bhatinda

Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress will hold rallies tomorrow at rival bastions of Patiala and Bhatinda to mobilize public support ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.
Besides, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also launch a state- wide stir, demanding the resignation of State Agriculture Minister Tota Singh over his alleged involvement in "pesticide scam".
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, who recently replaced Partap Singh Bajwa as the PPCC chief ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, will formally take over charge at the Bathinda rally. Senior Congress leaders Shakeel Ahmad and Ambika Soni are expected to attend it.
SAD is also going to hold a parallel rally in Patiala tomorrow.

Party spokesman and Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, who today reviewed preparations for the rally, said, "Lakhs of people will attend it...And there is a lot of enthusiasm among Akali workers."
The ruling party garnered huge public support for its Sadbhavna rallies held at various places in the state.

Meanwhile, Congress has alleged that some deputy commissioners, district transport officers and policemen were trying to harass the transporters who have agreed to provide buses for ferrying party workers for the Bathinda rally.
"We are trying to arrange for buses from Rajasthan and
adjoining areas to ferry people to the rally. People who can afford to pay for their travel would go on their own," Jakhar said.

Warning state government officials, Amrinder had said," "The Congress rally will be held in any case at any cost and people will certainly reach there in large numbers but imagine what will be your plight when we will form government just over a year from now."
Jakhar also feared that local authorities, at the behest of SAD, may manufacture "traffic problem" in Malwa region to prevent Congress workers from attending the rally.
AAP, on the other hand, as part of its campaign against the SAD-BJP regime, will hold a state-wide stir to press for the resignation of State Agriculture Minister Tota Singh over his alleged involvement in the "pesticide scam".

All AAP leaders including MP Bhagwant Mann, Sucha Singh Chhotepur would stage protests in their respective zones in the state.
The party leaders had said they would protest against alleged crackdown of Punjab police on AAP workers during a protest march on December 6.