Hry CM sets BJP’s poll pitch in Punjab

Chandigarh: Wooing OBCs in Punjab ahead of next year’s state elections, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday took on the rival parties, saying they remember the community only during polls and forget them once they come to power.

In Punjab, power remained concentrated among a few families for years, Saini said at an event organised by the ‘Saini Samaj’ at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district.

The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are remembered only during elections in Punjab, and they never get their due place in policy or budget, Saini said, attacking the ruling AAP and Congress.

Saini, a senior BJP leader belonging to the OBC community, told the gathering that while next year’s Assembly elections offer an opportunity to change the government in Punjab, the need is to change the political direction of the state.

Appealing to the people to bring the BJP to power in Punjab, he said the Assembly elections present an opportunity to give the OBCs the respect they deserve, and not just “unfulfilled promises”.

“As you are aware, the OBC community constitutes 31 per cent of Punjab’s population, and together they can change the axis of Punjab politics. Now is the time for you to play a leading role in political leadership,” Saini said.

Lashing out at the AAP, the Haryana CM said Punjab is grappling with unemployment, drug abuse, crime, and migration, and the time has come to address these issues.

The ‘Saini Samaj’ has a major role to play in this effort, he said. “The Saini community has always been at the forefront of humanitarian service. During last year’s Punjab floods, community members extended significant

assistance,” he said.