MP Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders during the roadshow in Shahkot constituency on Friday. (Express photo)
Even as the big leaders of Aam Adami Party (AAP), barring state co-convener Balbir Singh, missed most of its Shahkot Assembly bypoll campaign for NRI Rattan Singh, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia skipped its only show of strength in form of a roadshow on Friday. He opted out of the roadshow at the eleventh hour, leaving the entire Punjab leadership waiting for him.
The party insiders said that it seems that the high command in Delhi has forgotten Punjab for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “Missing the road show by Sisodia has sent a poor message about the party among masses as big hoardings of him were put up across the constituency,” said an MLA.
Even though, all the top leaders of Punjab, including its state convener and MP Bhagwant Mann, Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Khaira and the MLAs, participated in the road show on Friday, they had stayed away from the entire campaign for the bypoll to be held on May 28. Besides Mann, Khaira and the MLAs from Punjab, and a few leaders from Delhi, including Alka Lamba and Naresh Yadav, though participated in the road show on Friday.
Mann clarified that he was very much in AAP and not going to join any other party as there were speculations of him joining the Congress. He attacked the SAD and ruling Congress for “mixing poison in natural water sources and playing with the lives of the people”.
The long road show with a cavalcade of 100 vehicles, including hired auto rickshaws, started from Lohian and ended at Mehatpur. Code violation and luke worm response at several places were observed. Traffic was also halted at various places.
A large contingent of police was deployed for the road show.