Bitter rivals SAD President Sukhbir Badal and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh for a change on Friday not only shared a dias, but also both viewed Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party as a “gone case” for the 2017 state Assembly polls.
“Punjablis like to try something new…they buy new mobile and discard old one and if they don’t like new one they discard it also, so people have discarded him (Kejriwal). They (AAP) are gone case in Punjab,” Badal, who is also Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, said at the HT Leadership Summit here, where Singh was also present.
Virtually ruling out AAP out of the race in Punjab, he indicated the battle is more or less between the SAD and the Congress.
“Mark my words! Out of 117 seats in Punjab, AAP will not get more than 8 or 9 seats. They are gone case in Punjab,” he said, adding the media created Arvind Kejriwal, and now you are destroying him.
Badal was more respectable to Congress and gave 35 to 40 seats to the party and said “We will be above 70.”
Echoing similar views about AAP, Singh termed it as a “movement of frustration” and said “They have to come up with something serious for Punjab’s future. AAP is not a party, it is a movement of frustration. They are selling tickets in Punjab.”
Singh was more generous to third force in Punjab and said They (SAD) will not cross 20, AAP will be a little more than them and we will form the government.”
He once again challenged Kejriwal to contest elections against him from any seat in the state.
