AMRITSAR : Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh is campaigning aggressively and conducting programmes all over the state in a bid to shed the image of an “inaccessible leader” ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.
“I’m doing programmes all over Punjab as time has changed now,” the Maharaja of erstwhile state of Patiala told reporters here.
Though he said he hit the ground “too early”, Singh stressed that he is “aggressively” campaigning for the party in the state.
“I have started with district level, then go to block level and wind up by visiting villages…It’s going to be an intensive campaign this time,” he said.
The former Chief Minister of Punjab is criss-crossing the state and meeting locals daily as part of his ‘Halke Vich Captain’ initiative as part of which he is spending a day each in every constituency in the state.
He claimed his campaign ‘Coffee With Captain’ is bringing him closer to different social and professional demographics in the state.
“I receive many complaints over the issue of drugs and unemployment but a majority of these are pertaining to the lack of governance…Common man is suffering while the SAD-BJP government is on the direction which suits it,” he said.
“We will come up with a manifesto where the issue of common man of Punjab will be featured,” he said, adding that he listens to people for over two hours in the programmes hosted by India Political Action Committee (IPAC), which is headed by poll strategist Prashant Kishor.
Singh’s starts his day at 7 AM by reading newspapers and with a breakfast of missi roti and dahi. He then leaves for campaign event Halke Vich Captain where he talks to locals at ‘Lokan da Durbar’ in which they voice their grievances and seek his intervention.
Fourteen ‘Halke Vich Captain’ events have been organised till now.
Mr Singh then stops at a local dhaba for lunch, where he has a meal of roti-dal-sabzi, while interacting with the people present there.
He proceeds to another event and interacts with party workers from the constituency, making note of their issues, concerns and suggestions.
Once done, Singh drives back to Chandigarh, attending to all pending calls and party-related work during his journey.
At home, his dinner comprises salad and dal.
The PCC chief spends late evenings on his Facebook page replying to messages and ensures that he catches up on his reading before calling it a day.
PTI