Harsimrat dares Mann to contest against her from Sangrur in 2019
He (Bhagwant Mann) wants to come into limelight by making statements that he would contest against me, but he does not need to come to Bathinda for that. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL, Bathinda MP and Union minister
SANGRUR :Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday challenged Sangrur MP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann to contest against her from the constituency in 2019, underlining that he need not come to Bathinda to put up an electoral fight against her.
Harsimrat, who was at Kheri village, 10km from Sangrur, where she inspected a Krishi Vigyan Kendra, told Hindustan Times after a press conference, “He (Bhagwant Mann) wants to come into limelight by making statements that he would contest against me but he does not need to come to Bathinda for that. Instead I challenge him to contest against me from the Sangrur constituency. I will contest from here if he wants to contest against me.”
The Union minister said AAP was a creation of the Congress and it also helped the latter in the Shahkot assembly byelection held recently.
“I am not an escapist who would leave her constituency like other leaders for political benefits,” she said.
It was her second visit to Sangrur in a month. She had inaugurated a Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra in Sunam on May 13.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
The Sangrur MP accepted the Union minister’s challenge to fight against her from the segment which is his home district too.
“I don’t need to use her name to come into the limelight,” the comedian-turned-politician said, adding, “Everyone knows that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress have been working hand in glove for decades now, while the AAP has emerged from an anti-corruption agitation.”