It’s AAP versus SAD-BJP-Congress in Punjab: Sanjay Singh

CHANDIGARH : As an upbeat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gets ready for its first big battle after claiming Delhi, one of its top leaders says the AAP is fighting the “Mahagatbandhan” (Grand Alliance) of the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine and the Congress in Punjab.”We are fighting the ‘Mahagatbandhan’ of Akali Dal-BJP and Congress. They are all together,” senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, the party in-charge for Punjab, told IANS in an interview here.
“The people will wipe out the dirty politics of Punjab. The cloud (Badal) of corruption will be cleared from Punjab,” he asserted.Sanjay Singh, who has been focussing on Punjab for the past 18 months and is upbeat about the party’s prospects, said: “Other parties are scared of AAP. This is the biggest reason for our victory (in Punjab).
“The Congress, Akali Dal, BJP are all targeting us. All have a common agenda that AAP should not come (to power). They have been sharing power for five years each and have looted Punjab. Now they are together to ensure that, under no circumstances, the AAP comes to power here,” Sanjay Singh said.
In recent months, the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and the main opposition Congress have stepped up their attacks on the AAP and its top leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Akali Dal-BJP and the Congress are not targeting each other as much as they are targeting the AAP.
“If the AAP comes (to power), their gundagardi, corruption and mafia rule will end. We will put such people behind the bars. Whatever ‘dhanda’ (illegal activities) they were running so far, AAP is emerging as the people’s first choice to end all this mess,” Sanjay Singh said.
That the AAP is taking the Punjab election very seriously can be seen from the fact that it is ready to finalise its candidate for the 117 assembly seats by July this year though the elections are scheduled in February next year.”We have a process for selection of candidates. Everyone has to go through that process. People who are joining AAP have not been promised seats. They will also come through the same process. The first list (of candidates) will be out by May-end or June first week. By July we will finalise all candidates,” he said.