It is a free for all battle in the run up to the Amritsar Lok Sabha election with BJP national leader and candidate Arun Jaitley, his Congress rival Captain Amarinder and Akali leaders hitting each other below the belt.
While Jaitley and Captain were indulging in tug of war over 1984 Operation Blue Star issue, Captain and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia resorts to calling each other 'Goonda', Coward, 'Hankari Raja'
Captain Amarinder and Majithia had been opening war of words earlier also but this time, the elections being crucial and stakes high, the political "Mahabharat" between Akalis and Congress is reaching a a new low. It is feared that the exchange of statements might lead to inciting of violence and cause trouble in the elections.
The political pundits feel that the real issues in the elections have gone to the back burner and the leaders are issuing personal threats which have nothing to do with the people's plight. The basic amenities in Amritsar, the holy city, where thousands of pilgrims and tourists arrive daily to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.
The dirty and broken roads, lack of proper street lights, insanitation all around, uncontrolled traffic scenes and jams and insecure environment is all around and political leaders instead of addressing these issues are resorting to personal comments which are in the bad taste.
The Amritsar seat is unique this time because as two main contestants Jaitley and Captain are both outsiders. Jaitley who grabbed the seat from Navjot Sidhu while another contender Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina had thought the seat to be a cakewalk but with the coming of Captain Amarinder the ground realities have changed and it is the now clash of titans.
The stakes are high for both as one of be powerful minister in the next government if BJP is voted to power and another would see his political career revived if he wins the seat.
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The war of words started when Captain called Jaitley "outsider" , who belongs to New Delhi and is contesting for the first time. Jaitley called Captain a "reluctant contestant" as he was unwilling to contest the Lok Sabha polls but was pushed into it by the Congress high command. He belongs to Patiala. Then the clash of words shifted to Majithia and Captain.
The election commission has also taken strong exception to the statements of Majithia who said that he will twist the neck of the Congress leaders and Captain warned him of dire consequences if he resorted to any misadventure of this kind. Now with their leaders spitting venom against each, the local level workers of each party are also getting angry and this might lead to new clashes in the elections.