Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today hailed the Congress's victory in the Shahkot bypoll as a "vindication" of the government's people-centric policies, a rejection of the "negative" politics of SAD and "decimation" of AAP.
He asserted that with a two-thirds majority in the Assembly now, his government can pass pro-people legislations without the fear of opposition blocking them.
In a statement issued after Congress's Hardev Singh Ladi defeated SAD's Naib Singh Kohar by over 38,802 votes, the chief minister said the people of Shahkot had voted for positive change and development.
Now, with a two-thirds majority in the House, his government can bring in any legislation it wanted in the interest of the people of Punjab, without the fear of a negative opposition obstructing its passage, said Amarinder Singh.
The SAD's continuing string of defeats in Punjab showed they had completely "lost favour" with the people, who were not willing to forget or forgive them for the "miseries and harassment" they were subjected during the 10-year "misrule" of SAD-BJP combine, the chief minister said.
Despite SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and senior leader Bikram Majithia camping in Shahkot through the entire campaign duration, the people rejected the Shiromani Akali Dal, he added.
Talking to media persons here, the chief minister also said the BJP was faring "badly" all over the country - a clear sign of the mood of the people ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not come back to power, it will be the Congress which will form the next government in the country," said Amarinder Singh, adding the current trends showed people's enchantment with Modi was history.
He attributed this to the "brazen violation" of democratic principles by the BJP, which had "lost" all credibility in their desperation to "grab power by hook or by crook".
As far as the Aam Aadmi Party was concerned, it had completely lost the script and was "no longer relevant" in the country's political arena, said the chief minister adding the Shahkot poll had shown that "theatrics and antics" of AAP's Sukhpal Singh Khaira had "failed" to convince the people of the party's seriousness.
The chief minister advised AAP, whose candidate got just 1,900 votes, to pack its bags and leave Punjab instead of continuing to shame itself with such shocking electoral defeats.
Amarinder Singh thanked the people of Shahkot for not being taken in by the opposition's "false" propaganda and for continuing to repose their faith in the Congress party's sincere commitment to their welfare.
The farm debt waiver for marginal and small farmers would be completed by November, and law and order, which had shown major improvement since his government took over, would be maintained at all costs, Amarinder Singh said.
The employment generation process was well on track, with over 1.6 lakh youth already being given jobs in the past one year, he said, vowing to ensure the implementation of his 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar' promise in letter and spirit.
Amarinder Singh thanked the Congress rank and file for scripting the victory, especially Rana Gurjit, who headed the campaign, and office-in-charge Sandeep Sandhu.
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