Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has been constantly under fire for his royal lifestyle that makes him inaccessible to party colleagues and the common man.
With polls around the corner Amarinder Singh embarks on a yatra
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has been constantly under fire for his ‘royal’ lifestyle that makes him inaccessible to party colleagues and the common man.
With Assembly elections less than three months away, the scion of the Patiala royal family has finally hit the road. Amarinder Singh has embarked on a four-day “Punjab Vikas Yatra.” Covering more than 500 km, Amarinder plans to criss-cross the state to apprise people of the development works undertaken during his tenure.
Starting from Nangal town on the banks of the Bhakhra Dam, the yatra has all the trapping of a royal carnival. Drumbeats, bhangra and showering of flower petals marked the yatra’s beginning, as the chief minister, who is fondly addressed as “maharaja” by his party colleagues, boarded a special bus made for the purpose at an estimated cost of Rs45 lakhs. However, Amarinder soon moved on to a bullet-proof Gypsy in order to make himself visible to the people lined up along the route.
Accompanied by Punjab PCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo, with whom he had differences, the chief minister tried to shake as many hands as possible. However, Amarinder disappointed party workers by not disembarking from his vehicle at some places. At the end of the day, Amarinder had a sore hand and throat.
As Amarinder concluded the first leg on Sunday, a rejuvenated chief minister said he would carry on with similar yatras till January-end. Amarinder added that the response of the people has been overwhelming, particularly in the Akali belt in Malwa region of the state.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties have been quick to dismiss the yatra as an election gimmick. “For years, the Maharaja did not stir out of his palace and hardly met people. But now with elections round the corner and defeat staring at him, the chief minister is enacting a political drama,” said Parkash Singh Badal, president of the Akali Dal. BJP president Avinash Khanna said “it seems to be the last march of the chief minister before he bows out.”
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