Dera Baba Nanak (Pb), Nov 9 (PTI) AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday termed the bypoll to the Dera Baba Nanak seat as a fight between "an honest Randhawa and a dishonest Randhawa" and urged voters to elect the "honest" one representing his party.
AAP's Gurdeep Singh Randhawa is pitted against Jatinder Kaur Randhawa of Congress and BJP's Ravikaran Singh Kahlon.
Jatinder Randhawa is the wife of Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. The Dera Baba Nanak seat fell vacant after Sukhjinder Randhawa was elected to the Lok Sabha. Sukhjinder Randhawa represented this seat in 2002, 2012, 2017 and 2022.
Addressing a rally in the Dera Baba Nanak segment in Gurdaspur district to seek votes for party nominee Gurdeep Randhawa, Kejriwal said the bypoll is a contest between two Randhawas.
"One is this 'imandar' (honest) Randhawa," he said, pointing towards Gurdeep Singh.
"The other is 'beiman' (dishonest) Randhawa," alleged Kejriwal as he referred to Sukhjinder Randhawa.
"You have to decide if you are with 'honest Randhawa' or 'dishonest Randhawa'," the former Delhi chief minister said.
"Dishonest Randhawa lodged false FIR against you and also indulges in 'gundagardi'. He only thinks about his family," Kejriwal alleged.
"This 'honest Randhawa' considers entire Dera Baba Nanak as his family. If you vote for him, he will work for you. If you vote for 'dishonest Randhawa, he will work only for his family. This time give votes for 'honest Randhawa'," Kejriwal urged voters.
Bypolls will be held in four assembly seats on November 20, with Gidderbaha, Chabbewal and Barnala being the other three and votes will counted on November 23.
"I guarantee you that I, being the chief of AAP, guarantee you whatever issues you tell Gurdeep Randhawa, he will bring them to me and Bhagwant Mann. Each issue will be resolved and there will be no shortage of funds," Kejriwal claimed.
"Remember this, there is an AAP government in Punjab. If you elect their (opposition party) candidate, then he will only fight for the remaining term but will not be able to get any work done because there is our government here.
"If you elect our candidate, he will work for you and will bring funds from the government," he said.
Elect the candidate of the party, which is in power so their work could be done, Kejriwal told the gathering.
He promised a biogas plant and a sugarmill will come up in Dera Baba Nanak.
In villages, stadiums and playgrounds will be set up, he added.