LUDHIANA: The elections in Punjab will be held in early February, preferably in the first or second week of that month but definitely before February 15”.

This was disclosed by the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (I), Beant Singh, at a news conference here on Wednesday. He said Lok Sabha and assembly elections would be held simultaneously and there would be no dillydallying this time. He said he would also contest the elections.

Beant Singh said the Congress (I) had already chalked out plans for elections. In a way, he launched the election drive of his panty at a big state-level: conference of the scheduled castes at Ludhiana on Wednesday. He said October 12, the Congress (I) would begin holding pre-poll conferences in every assembly constituency.

A mammoth rally, he said would be organized on November 19, the birth anniversary of late prime minister Indira Gandhi, This rally is expected to be ad- dressed, among others by the Prime Minister P.V Narasimha Rao,

In reply to a question about the proposed boycott of elections by the Akalis, Beant Singh said what they were not sincere in their boycott. He affirmed that all Akalis would content the elections when they were announced. He said that while the chances of an electoral understanding between the Congress (I) and the Bharatiya Janata Party were remote, there was some possibility of an understanding with the C.P.l and the C.P.M and he was ready to take the initiative for this.

The PCC (I) chief said his party’s election plank would be restoration of peace and law and order in Punjab, easing communal tension, putting an end to militancy, safe guarding the nation’s unity and integrity and economic betterment of the poorer sections. He said the Congress (I) was safeguarding the interests of farmers by giving them remunerative support prices for their produce.

Singh said that to ensure a Fair and peaceful poll in Punjab, army must be deployed all over the state and deployment of the paramilitary forces should be strengthened. He criticized the Akali leadership for not condemning the killings of relatives of policemen by militants and remarked that militancy would finish when Akalis severed their links with militants. He denied that there was any police repression in the state.

The Congress leader also expressed concern at the hike in prices of essential commodities and urged his govt to curb this inflationary trend.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 11, 1991