Former Union minister Preneet Kaur exuded confidence that the Congress would win the Patiala seat in the Lok Sabha elections and alleged that the opposition was harping on negativity as they did not any positive agenda.
Preneet, who is the wife of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, is also hopeful of getting a ticket to contest from the Patiala seat, considered a stronghold of the Congress.
"The Aam Aadmi Party has disintegrated and is in disarray and the Akali Dal has too many factions. Moreover, a lot of development has taken place in Patiala city and we all have worked hard as a party in the city and district. So we are confident that the party will win from this seat," she said.
She said development would be her poll plank if she is fielded from Patiala constituency and lambasted the previous SAD-BJP regime for allegedly neglecting the district for ten years.
Replying to a question on accusations of the Akali Dal and the BJP that the Punjab government reneged on poll promises, the three-time MP said they were making these allegations as they do not any positive agenda.
"They do not have any positive agenda. That is why they have been harping on negativity," she said.
Also Read
Despite being cash-strapped, the state government carried out development work in the last two years, she said. "I think people understand that three years are still left (of this government) and in these years, it will make good on all the poll promises," she said.
The Patiala seat, which has nine assembly segments, has always been regarded as a pocket borough of the Congress.
However in 2014, Preneet lost to AAP candidate Dharamvira Gandhi with a margin of over 20,000 votes. In 2004 and 2009, Preneet had defeated Akali Dal nominees Kanwaljeet Singh and Prem Singh Chandumajra respectively.
While the Congress is yet to announce a candidate for the Lok Sabha seat, the Akali Dal has named former state minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as its candidate from the constituency.
Suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi has floated his own party, the Nava Punjab Party, which is part of the Punjab Democratic Alliance.
The PDA has announced Gandhi as a candidate from Patiala, but the AAP is also yet to finalise its nominee.
Punjab will go to polls in single phase on May19.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content