New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday has accepted Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's challenge to contest only from Amritsar East after he has decided to withdraw his name from Majitha constituency for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.
While addressing a press conference today, the SAD leader informed that he will contest the upcoming elections from Amritsar East against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
“After taking permission and blessing of voters of the Majitha assembly segment, I announce that my wife Ganieve Kaur will fight from Majitha seat. I will contest from Amritsar East seat,” Majithia, who recently got protection from arrest till February 23 from the Supreme Court in a drug case, told reporters.
His wife Ganieve had also filed her nomination papers from the concerned seat on Monday.
Prior, Sidhu who is also in the fray from Amritsar East had challenged Majithia to leave his stronghold and fight polls from there. Amritsar East is viewed as a stronghold of the Congress chief.
Majithia, who had won the seat thrice since 2007, added: “It was not easy for me to stay away from the people who elected me thrice. But sometimes one has to make a decision that one does not want to take.”
The SAD leader additionally targeted Sidhu for not doing any development work in the Amritsar East constituency. “Sidhu was rarely seen in the constituency after becoming MLA, leaving it in a mess. When his ministerial portfolio was changed, he shut his doors for the people. What was the mistake of the people of this segment if he was removed from the cabinet?” he said.
“I have come to win the hearts of the people and change the fate of this constituency which has been deprived (of development) for long,” he added.
The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go for elections on February 20 and counting of votes will be done on March 10.