DW BUREAU / Sangrur/ Ludhiana

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today started his tour to meet party candidates and workers in all parliamentary constituencies and while thanking them for the effort put in by them in the Lok Sabha polls, urged them to be ready to give a strong showing in the forthcoming by-elections.

The SAD president visited the residences of party candidates Iqbal Singh Jhunda in Amargarh and Ranjit Singh Dhillon in Ludhiana and also met party leaders and workers at both places. Asserting that the SAD alone could safeguard the rights of Punjab and Punjabis, Mr Sukhbir Badal said "we will continue to fight for the rights of Punjab. Be it safeguarding our river waters or demanding our capital city ? Chandigarh is transferred to us. We will also continue to seek a legal guarantee on MSP for farmers".

Urging the workers not to get disheartened by the poll results, Mr Badal said "now we have to get ready for the forthcoming by-elections. We must do our best to expose the corruption laden misrule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has bankrupted the State which has also seen a rise in drug addiction and gangster culture". He said the alliance between the AAP and the Congress had also been exposed in the elections with both parties colluding with each other to keep the SAD out of the picture. "People have seen how the Delhi based parties ganged up against the SAD", he added.

The party president held a detailed and freewheeling interaction with the leaders and the workers of the respective constituencies. He thanked everyone for toiling hard in the scorching heat. Both Mr Iqbal Singh Jhunda and Mr Ranjit Singh Dhillon lauded Mr Badal for leading from the front and giving an able leadership to the party besides the successful conduct of the Punjab Bachao Yatra. They also assured the SAD president to redouble their efforts to save the Panth and Punjab and said the party cadre would do its utmost to secure all seats in the forthcoming by-elections.

The SAD president received a rousing welcome at both places with party workers reposing complete faith in his leadership.
(editor@dailyworld.in)