The Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) on Tuesday announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats in the state.
"Four political parties comprising Punjab Ekta Party (PEP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) and the Punjab Manch led by Dharamvira Gandhi, MP, have decided to fight the ensuing Lok Sabha elections under the banner of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA)," Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, said in a statement on behalf of PDA.
"The PDA has arrived at a consensus on nine Lok Sabha seats, that have been allocated party wise."
Under the consensus reached by these four parties, the BSP will contest three seats (Anandpur Sahib, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur), PEP two seats (Bathinda and Faridkot), LIP three seats (Ludhiana, Amritsar and Fatehgarh Sahib) and Punjab Manch will contest the Patiala seat.
"The alliance has been forged to liberate Punjab from the clutches of corrupt traditional parties of Congress, SAD-BJP that have looted the state turn wise for the past many decades," Khaira said.
"As a result of the misrule of said traditional parties, Punjab is facing a colossal debt of Rs 2.5 lakh crore, farmers and farm labourers are committing suicides in large numbers, lakhs of youth have been rendered jobless and pushed into the vicious circle of drugs, traders and industrialists are facing the wrath of discriminatory policies of successive Central governments.
"All types of mafia is ruling the roost in Punjab, corruption is at all time high, education and healthcare are in a state of shambles, environment and the river waters have turned poisonous, law and order has broken down giving way to jungle-raj, cruelty with government employees, the aspirations of Dalits and weaker sections are being suppressed by feudal leaders like Amarinder Singh and the Badals."
Khaira said it was unfortunate that the Akali Dal (Taksali) unilaterally announced their candidate for the Anandpur Sahib seat while deliberations under the PDA were still going on.
--IANS
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