Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Patiala, With newly appointed state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh deciding to challenge the Badals on their home turf, the Akalis today announced to counter him by holding a rally at his home town Patiala.
SAD spokesperson and Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said the party would hold a rally in the district during the second phase of its “Sadbhavna” rallies. “We will announce the date soon,” he said.
Amarinder had yesterday said he would assume charge of the state Congress in Bathinda. He is yet to announce the date. He had also said that the Congress was popular in Punjab as his wife Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur had defeated the Akali and AAP candidates.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Surjit Singh Rakhra, whose village is a few kilometres away from Patiala, said the Akali Dal would prove who was more popular in Patiala. “We have decided to hold a mega rally at Mehmadpur village and the strength at the rally would be at least two times the Congress will muster at its proposed Bathinda rally,” he said.
Within a day after the Congress announced to hold a rally in Bathinda, the Akali leaders went into a huddle to counter the move.
Rakhra held a meeting with party leaders and proposed to organise a rally at Captain’s hometown.
A party leader said it was decided that the Akali Dal should hold rallies across the district to mobilise the rank and file of the party against the royal family with an aim to “exposing Amarinder and his divisive policies”.
