Jalandhar bypoll: Bhagwant Mann says oppn ran negative campaign; AAP talked about development

Chandigarh: After his party won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday alleged that opposition parties ran a negative campaign but AAP put up a positive agenda and sought votes on the basis of development.

Mann said AAP talked about farmers and labourers, giving 300 units per month free electricity to people, opening 'mohalla clinics', building schools and roads, ensuring congenial atmosphere for industry, whereas the opposition "sought votes in the name of caste, religion".

"We sought votes on the basis of development and work we have done," Mann said.

He said the rival parties ran a "negative campaign" and frequently trained guns on the chief minister.

"But I did not respond to their attacks. I left that to people and people of Jalandhar gave the reply. I am happy at the reply people have given them (in Jalandhar)," he said.

He said before the bypoll, opposition parties said it was going to be a "semi-final" ahead of next year's CoLok Sabha elections. After the results, they can be heard saying the ruling parties generally win bypolls, he said.

Mann was addressing a gathering in Patiala, where he launched a modern bus terminal spread over eight acres and built at a cost of nearly Rs 61 crore.

The chief minister said the bus terminal will have 45 counters and shops, and it will handle 1,500 buses, while ramps have also been built for the physically challenged.

Speaking about the bypoll, Mann said the people of Jalandhar have "shut many mouths".

"I keep saying that people are supreme, but they (rivals) don't realise. They have a problem in digesting how common people are now occupying seats of power where they used to be once," he said.

On Saturday, the AAP breached the Congress stronghold over Jalandhar and won the seat by a margin of 58,691 votes.

The chief minister also targeted the BJP.

"We have won by nearly 60,000 margin. Now, BJP people are saying we have got 35 percent vote share and 60 percent are against us. I want to tell them that in 2014, when they claimed there was a 'Modi wave' (in the country), they got 31 percent votes (vote share). That means 70 percent voted against them. Rather than accepting defeat in Jalandhar after having lost security deposit, they are coming up with such things," he said.

He said some people were saying that had erstwhile allies SAD and BJP been together they would have won Jalandhar seat.

"I am saying let all of them join hands, even then they will lose," said Mann.

"There is no such thing as vote bank, people only vote on the basis of work and development," he said.

He also attacked SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, BJP leader Amarinder Singh, asking, "Will these leaders teach us how to run Punjab and how to solve people's problems?".

"They studied in expensive schools, travelled in expensive cars and then wearing dark goggles they come to give sermons," said Mann.

"Capt Amarinder says Bhagwant Mann does not have experience. I told him people are fed up with experienced leaders like him," he said.