DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday asked AAP leaders to take "positive agenda" to people and seek votes for the Lok Sabha polls on the basis of work done by his government in the past two years. Mann discussed a poll strategy with AAP candidate from Sangrur parliamentary seat Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and party MLAs from assembly segments which are part of the Lok Sabha constituency.

The chief minister, who is also AAP's Punjab unit president, is the MLA from Dhuri seat which is part of the Sangrur parliamentary constituency.

He has been taking meetings of party candidates along with MLAs to discuss strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. On Tuesday, he held meetings with AAP candidates from Patiala and Faridkot and party MLAs.

Speaking to reporters here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who was also part of the meeting, said the CM issued directions for taking "positive agenda" to people and also highlight works done by the AAP government in the past two years.

Cheema also said the state government has fulfilled its major "guarantees" (poll promises), including free electricity to people. He further spoke about steps taken against corruption and said the corrupt are being nabbed.

"We are taking the positive agenda to people and we are completely hopeful that we will win all 13 seats," said Cheema, who is an MLA from Dirba assembly constituency which is also part of Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.

Replying to a question on the BJP, Cheema said people of Punjab will teach the saffron party a lesson in the Lok Sabha polls. He claimed that the BJP-led Centre is discriminating against Punjab, alleging withholding of state's share of funds.

He highlighted the works done by the Mann government in the past two years, including giving 43,000 government jobs and free electricity.

AAP candidate Hayer said there is a "positive" atmosphere in favour of the party in the constituency and claimed that everyone in the constituency was saying that the kind of work done by the Mann government was never done by any government in the state.

He also stated that the state revenue has risen during the AAP term as he cited an example of increase in revenue by Rs 4,000 crore from excise.

Asked whom he sees as his main competitor in the elections, Hayer said it is not a personal fight. It is a fight over issues, he said.

"The CM has told us to take the positive agenda to people. There will be no negative politics. We will seek votes on the basis of works done," said Hayer, who is also the cabinet minister.

Replying to a question on recent deaths because of consumption of spurious liquor in Sangrur, he said action was being taken against the culprits.

To a question on any impact on the AAP's campaign due to the arrest of party leader Arvind Kejriwal, Hayer said everyone was aware of the fact that the AAP leader was "trapped" and also said people will give a befitting reply to the BJP.

Sangrur Lok Sabha seat is considered as the bastion of the Aam Aadmi Party which had won it in 2014 and 2019. However, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann won the seat in 2022 Lok Sabha bypoll.

Polling for all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1.
(editor@dailyworld.in)