NRIs to campaign in Punjab elections

CHANDIGARH: Punjabis living overseas may not be able to participate in the assembly election on February 4, but many of them are travelling to the state from countries such as Britain, Canada and USA to garner support for their political favourites.

On Saturday, almost 400 nonresident Indians will be landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. They are arriving to lend their support to the Congress in Punjab and are preparing to join the party’s election campaign, with a jatha (cavalcade) likely to be flagged off by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from the capital during the day.

This comes after Aam Aadmi Party leaders, Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and overseas convener Kumar Vishwas, reached the airport on Thursday to welcome about 100 overseas supporters of the party.

Later the AAP’s overseas affairs leaders interacted with media persons.

Amarpreet Aulakh, president, Indian Overseas Congress (Canada), is among those who have already reached India and extended support to the party. Aulakh said the NRIs from Canada will help take the party’s campaign forward on the ground across the state.

Daljit Singh Sahota, the Indian Overseas Congress (UK) president, in a letter to Karan Singh, chairman of Congress’ foreign affairs cell, said the NRIs from UK would be travelling to India to participate in the elections in Punjab and to campaign vigorously for the Congress candidates.