Punjab Assembly poll 2022: Ahead of results, leaders speak out

Predictions set to go wrong: Charanjit Singh Channi

A day ahead of the counting of votes, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi claimed the exit poll predictions would be proven wrong. “We will comfortably form the government. Let the votes be counted tomorrow, the people’s mandate will clear the things”, he said. The results will not only be the litmus test for Congress but also for Channi, under whose face the party went to the elections in the state. The elections’ outcome will set the agenda of a future leadership in the Punjab Congress, after party leaders Rahul Gandhi replaced the Jat centric leadership with a Dalit leadership – as part of social engineering.

A senior party leader said the polls results would tell whether decision of party’s top leadership to play the Dalit Sikh card with face of Channi paid back or it. With serious differences among the top state leaders, the poll results would also decide Channi’s future political stature. “We are keeping our fingers crossed. We are hoping that Dalit factor has played beyond Doaba region”, said an AICC leader. — TNS

Will get absolute majority: Bhagwant Mann

Claiming the Aadmi Party (AAP) will win over 80 seats, chief ministerial candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said “the mandate of the people is clear in the exit polls and our party will form the next government which will free Punjab from the clutches of various mafias.”

Mann visited the strong room located at Mahindra College, Patiala, and inquired about the arrangements made for the security of EVMs and counting of votes.

He said Punjab residents were fed up of the past 70 years of misrule, which has left a debt of over Rs 3 lakh crore on the state. “With a thought that every penny should be accounted for, the people of the state have voted for AAP this time, said the AAP CM candidate. He appealed to AAP workers keeping a vigil outside the college to remain alert for the next 24 hours. Addressing the workers, He said the years of hard work was finally going to be paid off tomorrow as AAP would form the next government with absolute majority. — TNS

SAD-BSP to form next govt: Sukhbir Singh Badal

Predicting that the Congress will face a crushing defeat in the results to be declared on Thursday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday claimed the SAD-BSP would cross the magic number and form the next government in the state.

“The Congress will not even win 20 seats this time. The SAD-BSP will get atleast 16-17 seats in the Majha region only”, he said, after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar along with his family. When asked if the SAD-BSP can get in to an alliance with any other party post polls, if need be, he confidently said: ‘The SAD-BSP will form the government on its own without needing anyone’s help.”

He said the SAD was a Panth Punjab’s organisation and the voice of Punjabi people. “As Punjab progressed during our earlier terms, we will again bring it back on the path of development with more intensity,” he said.

Questioning the credibility of the exit polls, he said these should be banned as these were paid promotions by parties. — TNS

People will give us chance: Capt Amarinder Singh

Former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he expected a verdict in the favour of his party and the alliance partners BJP and SAD (Sanyukt). In his statement on the eve of the counting of votes, Capt Amarinder said, “The counting of votes marks the conclusion of the electoral festival of democracy and we are confident of an outstanding result.

“We trust people’s judgement to deliver a positive verdict in our favour and provide us with a chance to serve them for next five years,” he said, while adding, the feedback from the candidates and workers was very positive and encouraging.

The former Chief Minister said the people of Punjab understood the importance of a “double-engine” driven government in the snesitive border state, which will watch and safeguard the national interest and help in reviving the economy. “Promising days are ahead for Punjab,” he remarked. —