Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh yesterday filed his nomination papers for the Lambi assembly constituency in Muktsar district, taking the political battle right into the home turf of Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal.
Former MP and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who joined the Congress Party on Sunday, filed his nomination papers for the Amritsar East assembly seat.
“I promise to cook Parkash Singh Badal’s goose in his own backyard. I will not rest till then,” said Amarinder, who has entered the fray for the biggest political battle in Punjab of two top leaders contesting against each other.
Launching what he has described as the `grandfather of all battles’, Amarinder led a big procession after filing his nomination at Malout town, 280km from here.
“I have vowed to wipe Badal from Punjab’s political scene and have come to Lambi to teach him a lesson for life,” Amarinder said.
Lambi is the traditional seat of senior Badal since 1997.
“We will set an example for all future chief ministers to ensure that they do not abuse their power to victimise the people the way Badal had done. Neither Parkash Singh Badal nor his kin would be spared for their wrong doings and for bringing Punjab to such a pathetic situation,” Amarinder said.
In Amritsar, Sidhu filed his nomination papers as a Congress candidate for the Amritsar East assembly seat.
The seat was earlier represented in the Punjab assembly by his wife Navjot Kaur.
“My fight is for the betterment of Punjab. Captain Amarinder Singh is leading our campaign. I am his soldier,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu was elected MP from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in 2004, 2007 (by-election) and 2009 on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
Elections to the 117 assembly seats in Punjab will be held on February 4.
Meanwhile, 405 candidates from various political parties as well as Independents have filed their nomination papers for the February 4 assembly elections in Goa, a senior official said.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer N Navti said 211 forms were received by various returning officers across the state on the last day of filing of nominations.
He said poll officials will now scrutinise the papers over the next few days.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 21.
“After January 21, we will get a final picture of how many candidates will actually participate in the next step of the election process,” he said.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu speaks to reporters after filing his nomination papers in Amritsar yesterday.
