Three-time MP and BJP candidate from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu said the Congress lacks vision and it is a “family party” of the Gandhis. The former Congress leader tells Harpreet Bajwa that he has switched sides because he wants development for Ludhiana and Punjab. Excerpts:
You have been a Congress MP for three terms, once from Anandpur Sahib and twice from Ludhiana. Your family has been Congress supporters. Why did you join the BJP?
I joined the BJP solely for the development of Punjab. The Congress is totally finished, it has no agenda. Now it is the party of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. It is a family party with a lot of power centres and groups. They will never come to power, so how will they serve the people? The party is completely directionless, has no vision or discipline. The height of Congress hypocrisy is that it has tied up with the AAP for Delhi elections and contesting against Arvind Kejriwal’s party in Punjab. When my grandfather Beant Singh was in the Congress, the party had a vision. Those were different times.
What are the issues concerning Punjab?
There are so many issues. Drugs, unemployment, farmers’ issues, gangsters - the list is endless.
How will Ludhiana benefit if you are elected again?
The biggest issue is traffic congestion. It is a city of 50 lakh people, so we need metro, an AIIMS, ESI hospitals, convention and exhibition centres, and textile parks. We need cycle parks, since we are the largest cycle manufacturers in the country. We are also the largest manufacturers of woolen garments as we have the biggest hosiery industry. If I win, I will ensure the all-round development of Ludhiana in a year.
Farmers are protesting against BJP candidates across the state…
The farmers are already getting MSP for their crops. The Opposition parties are playing dirty politics and instigating the farmers. The Prime Minister will sort this out.
All Congress leaders are campaigning for Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, fielded against you…
The Congress candidate is an outsider, the ticket should have been given to a local. Warring is not a competitor at all. Had it been a local, then he could have thought to be my competitor. Please ask Warring where he votes. If he votes in Ludhiana, people should vote for him. If he votes in Muktsar or Giddarbaha, he should contest there.
No Congress leader is strong enough to fight elections. You check Bajwa’s programmes, he did not campaign in Ludhiana.