Development will be main plank for LS polls: Parkash, Sukhbir Singh Badal

CHANDIGARH: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in the state today welcomed the announcement of Lok Sabha elections date and said development would be the main poll plank for the SAD-BJP alliance, in the upcoming electoral battle.

The Election Commission today announced the date for general elections which will be held from April 7 to May 12 spread over nine days in the highest number of polling days so far involving an electorate of 81.4 crore.

Punjab will have a single-day polling on April 30 to elect 13 MPs.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that the SAD-BJP alliance will seek votes for development and people were eager to show the door to the "corrupt" Congress-led UPA.

The five-time chief minister alleged "step motherly" treatment with Punjab by the Centre and claimed people wanted to bring NDA back at the helm.

"People are fed up with corruption, scams, price rise, step motherly treatment with Punjab. Every section of the society including the farmers wants to show the door to the Congress and are eager to bring back the NDA to power," Badal said.

Expressing confidence in the NDA, the 86-year-old leader said people will vote to bring back the NDA government to power at the Centre and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, will become the country's next Prime Minister.

Claiming there was a strong "Modi wave" blowing across the country, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said SAD-BJP will "sweep" the polls in Punjab.

"The SAD-BJP will create history by winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats as people can easily differentiate between a development-oriented state and a scam-ridden central government," he said.

To a question, Sukhbir said that there was no comparison between Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

Sukhbir asked people to vote for NDA to defeat Congress party in the Lok Sabha polls, claiming that people were demoralised by rampant corruption, scams and lack of employment opportunities.

Sukhbir also said the development of the state had always been a top priority of the SAD-BJP government.