The BJP today formally launched its campaign for the Municipal Council elections in Ropar district with Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma addressing party workers at Ropar and Nangal, and launching a sharp attack on the ruling AAP government in Punjab.
Sharma met the sanitation workers sitting on dharna since a fortnight and extended support for their demands.
Addressing a gathering of BJP workers, Sharma alleged that corruption had peaked under the present AAP government and accused the state government of misusing administrative machinery during the civic elections in several parts of Punjab.
Referring to the party’s “Pol Khol Yatra”, Sharma claimed that the BJP campaign had exposed the functioning of the state government. He alleged that in several towns of the Malwa region and in Batala town of Gurdaspur district, nominations of all opposition candidates had been rejected.
However, Sharma said that in Ropar district, the administration did not reject even a single nomination filed by BJP candidates. “If power is abused against BJP candidates, it is a direct challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
He further claimed that even sections of the bureaucracy were dissatisfied with the functioning of the present government.
The state vice president of BJP Subhash Sharma also addressed party workers during the campaign and launched a scathing attack on Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains over civic issues in Nangal town. He alleged that the minister was trying to mislead people through a recently launched mobile application aimed at gathering public feedback regarding civic problems.
Sharma questioned why the minister needed a mobile application to understand problems faced by residents after being in power for nearly four years. “If the minister had remained connected with people at the grassroots level, there would have been no need to launch such an app,” he said.
The BJP leader alleged that sanitation arrangements in the entire state had collapsed and garbage heaps could be seen at several places in the town. He also claimed that many streetlights were non-functional and residents continued to face multiple civic problems.
He went on to allege that the mobile application ahead of the municipal elections reflected the ruling party’s disconnect from ground realities. He alleged that the app was being used to gather political support before the civic polls.
Sharma further claimed that residents should remain cautious while sharing information on the application, alleging that personal data collected through such platforms could be misused. He urged voters to cast their votes after considering the present condition of the town and the performance of the government.
Targeting the AAP government on employment issues, Sharma questioned claims regarding jobs and development being made during the election campaign. He asked how many youth had actually been provided employment in departments headed by the minister.
“If employment opportunities cannot be ensured within the minister’s own department, people will naturally question promises being made during municipal elections,” he said.
The BJP leader said the party was committed to the development of urban areas and would work towards improving civic infrastructure by implementing welfare schemes of the Central Government.
