Punjab CM names Harmeet Sandhu as AAP pick for Tarn Taran bypoll
Bhagwant Mann, at the end of his address in a rally organised near Chabhal village to inaugurate rural link roads, introduced Sandhu as the party nominee, while asking the party rank and file to campaign for him.
Even as Election Commission of India is yet to announce the bypoll date, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday named Harmeet Singh Sandhu as the party’s nominee from the Tarn Taran assembly segment. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal on June 27 this year.
Mann, at the end of his address in a rally organised near Chabhal village to inaugurate rural link roads, introduced Sandhu as the party nominee, while asking the party rank and file to campaign for him.
“He (Sandhu) is the people’s choice for the segment, not only of the party,” Mann said.
A three-time MLA from Tarn Taran, Sandhu, 55, had resigned from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in November last year. He joined AAP in Chandigarh on July 16 in the presence of CM Mann and AAP Punjab in-charge and senior leader Manish Sisodia. AAP immediately appointed him as the party’s halqa in-charge for the segment despite opposition from the local leadership.
Sandhu is counted among the influential leaders in the Majha region.
To date, SAD and BJP have already declared their candidates, Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa and Harjit Singh Sandhu, respectively, for the bypoll. Congress, jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, and the newly formed breakaway faction of the SAD are yet to announce their candidates.
CM launches ₹4,150-cr rural road repair work
Mann also launched a project worth ₹4,150.42 crore for the repair and upgrade of over 19,000 km rural link roads in the state.
Addressing the gathering, the CM said that along with repairs, the maintenance of the roads will also be ensured for the next five years by the contractors.
“There are a total of 30,237 link roads in Punjab with a total length of 64,878km. While 33,492 km is under the Punjab Mandi Board, and 31,386 km is under the public works department (PWD). The government is now starting a project to repair and upgrade 7,373 link roads with a total length of 19,491.56 km,” Mann said, adding, “The project will cost ₹4,150.42 crore, which includes five years of maintenance and ₹3,424.67 crore will be spent for repair and upgradation whereas ₹725.75 crore will be spent for maintenance over the course of five years.”
Mann said that the e-tendering process for the repair and upgradation of these roads has been completed. “A survey using artificial intelligence (AI) was conducted for these roads, which resulted in savings of ₹383.53 crore,” the CM claimed.
Speaking on flood fury, the CM said as per initial estimates, the total damage amounts to approximately ₹13,800 crore, though the actual figure can be even higher. He said that the state government will compensate the people for the loss of every single penny.
Slamming the Centre for giving a ‘cold shoulder’ to the demands of the state, even in this hour of crisis, Mann said that the funds have been stopped, citing frivolous reasons.
