Manmeet Gill Amritsar, September 21 Sunil Jakhar, Congress candidate for Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, today said the election would be fought on national issues as it was for a seat in the Parliament. He said that the election would be a referendum on the policies being pursued by the NDA government. Jakhar along with Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and most of the MLAs from the district was here to pay obesience at Golden Temple before starting his election campaign. Replying to a question that he was being termed as an outsider by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said, “I am from Punjab, not from Mumbai. Besides, I am Congress president not for Abohar, but for the entire state. People tagging me as an outsider must not play divisive politics.” “The election would be a milestone for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It will pave the way for the Congress victory in the next Lok Sabha elections. People have not forgotten what they suffered after demonetisation. They are once again suffering due to the imposition of the GST. The problems being faced by the entire country will be highlighted,” he said. According to Jakhar, people have been suffering due to the rising prices of LPG gas, petrol and diesel. “People sitting in Centre may say that agriculture is a state subject but the Union Government cannot run away from its responsibilities towards farmers’ welfare in the country. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has taken a bold step,” he said. Jakhar said the contesting parties should constitute a forum so that people could know who had been misleading people and who was working for them. The debate can be moderated by an impartial person and this way people will be able to know the truth, he said, adding that the achievements of the six-month Congress rule in the state would be highlighted. Meanwhile, AAP spokesperson Manjit Singh said, “Our party leader Bhagwant Mann has accepted the challenge. This will be the new beginning in Indian political system if such debates are held. The party is ready to participate in any such forum to discuss the issues on facts.”

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