Navjot Singh Sidhu adds grist to Sushmita Dev’s poll campaign

Special Correspondent

Silchar: After Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s election rally, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Minister of Punjab and former cricketer, came down here to campaign for Sushmita Dev, contesting from Silchar Lok Sabha seat. Against BJP’s all out efforts to regain the seat and the commitment of saffron leaders and workers before Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election rallies here on January 4 and April 11 to regain the seat from Congress, Sushmita Dev has no other alternative than to bring in star campaigners of the party to galvanise her rank and file and face the toughest challenge thrown by Dr Rajdeep Roy of BJP.

Of course, Sushmita Dev has herself put in all weight by holding meetings across the 7 constituencies of the parliamentary seat along with street walks which are drumming up support in her favour. Sarmishtha Mukherjea, Congress leader of West Bengal and daughter of former President of India has been on campaign trail for Sushmita by holding public meetings. Navjot Sidhu’s public meeting on Friday at Itkhola ground of the town has no doubt further added grist to the campaign.

Nothing can be better than to unleash attack on NDA Government and Narendra Modi, in particular, to turn the table in favour of Congress. In his own inimitable way, Sidhu using pun and punch hit out at NDA’s poll manifesto of 2014 with 380 promises. None of them was fulfilled. Accusing the Prime Minister of making use of RAW, CBI and even Defence Ministry for party interests, he called it unprecedented in the history of Independent India. Supreme Court’s review of Rafale deal would spill the bean and expose the truth about it, he pointed out.

There was nothing new to say excepting repeating the usual refrains about 15 lakh rupees coming to one’s account and 2 crore jobs promised but never implemented. The former cricketer, known for his lampooning and lambasting, asked the Prime Minister about his promise of demolishing detention camps and shifting stand on CAB. He said Congress promises and delivers. After coming to power in Rajasthan, MP and Chhatisgarh, Congress waived the loans of 15 lakh farmers. He did not miss to remind UPA had covered farmers with Rs 1700 crore insurance. There is now no information about it. He also made the serious allegation of extending largess on oil worth Rs 11,000 crore from ONGC to Ambani’s Reliance which is yet to be realised. He also added to say during UPA, SAIL’s profit sailed to Rs 3000 crore. During NDA, the loss has been to the tune of Rs 4000 crore, Sidhu revealed. How far Sidhu’s campaign has boosted up the poll prospect of Sushmita will be known on April 18. According to information from the publicity cell of Silchar district committee of Congress, Priyanka Gandhi is also expected campaign and hold road show to whip up voters’ support.

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