Punjab legislator and Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP) chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Monday launched his election campaign for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat and said he has accepted the challenge to contest from here "to end feudal politics of the Badal family".
Khaira launched his campaign with a roadshow from Mansa to Bathinda and said he was confident of winning the Bathinda seat with a huge vote margin.
The polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab will be held on May 19.
"I accepted the challenge to contest the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat to defeat sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is a symbol of feudal politics of the Badal family. My aim was to build a fight against feudalism and family politics and end feudal politics of the Badal family," Khaira told reporters.
He blamed the previous Akali Dal-led regime in Punjab of "nepotism and rampant corruption".
"Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and incumbent Capt Amarinder Singh, both represent the same feudal mindset. Both are helping each other to rule in Punjab turn by turn," Khaira alleged.
Khaira, the former AAP leader, had recently said that he would contest from Bathinda constituency, which is presently represented by Union minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Khaira, who formed the PEP after quitting the AAP in January, had challenged Harsimrat Kaur Badal for an open debate to discuss the burning issues of the state.
The PEP president's candidature was announced by former AAP leader and Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi, who is a member of the Punjab Democratic Alliance.
The PDA comprises of the PEP, Bahujan Samaj Party, Lok Insaaf Party, Gandhi-led Punjab Manch, Communist Party of India and the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India.
Hitting out at Parkash Singh Badal, Khaira said, "He was the chief minister for 10 continuous years, but he failed to resolve problems of people."
"Drugs, unemployment, poverty and sufferings of peasantry were core issues, but nothing was done to tackle these," he said.
"The condition of common people mainly the farmers of Mansa and Bathinda districts was deplorable. The highest number of farmer suicides are reported from Mansa and Bathinda districts," he alleged.
He claimed that Harsimrat Kaur Badal had failed to set up any major industry in the Malwa region though she was food processing minister at the Centre.
"She failed to take up issues of Punjab farmers and rising unemployment with the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre," he alleged.
Khaira claimed that the people of Punjab were fed up with the SAD-BJP alliance and the present Congress government in the state.
He said his party will provide a better alternative to the people of the state.
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