BATHINDA: With less than a year to go to parliamentary elections, political parties have started gearing up for the polls and devising strategies.The Shiromani Akali Dal became the first party in Punjab to sound the poll bugle by holding a rally in Faridkot on Sunday, despite circumstances against it. Ruling Congress and main opposition party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also started the spadework. Congress has announced to hold a rally at former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s bastion , Lambi, in the last week of September. AAP is learnt to have started to reach out to its former leaders — the first one being former state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur Assessing SAD’s Faridkot rally, other parties have claimed that most participants at the gathering were lured with money and liquor. On the other hand, Akalis are elated over the turnout and feel the rally would act as a catalyst in boosting the morale of its dejected workers.Political analyst Jagir Singh Jagtar, who has been observing elections since 1960s, said the Akali Dali had tried to perk up its workers by holding the rally, as they were feeling scared after other parties and Panthic organisations were taking it on over sacrilege and other issues. “Sensing fear among party workers, Parkash Singh Badal played an emotional card and repeated that he and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal are ready to shed their blood. We are yet to see how other parties counter it,” he said.Akali leader and former minister Sikander Singh Maluka said they got immense support at the rally. “This support base will increase. We have always said SAD is the biggest champion of the cause of Punjabis; this was strengthened by the turnout at the rally,” he said.On the other hand, power minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar said the Faridkot rally would do no good for the SAD, as most people who attended it had been hired. “My constituency, Rampura Phul, is part of the Faridkot parliamentary constituency. Few people from my area had gone to attend the rally. All will be clear when results of the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections are declared on September 22,” he said.Punjab AAP co-president Balbir Singh said the SAD rally would not be able to change fortunes for the party. “AAP has started preparations in the right earnest, but our priority is not only winning elections but pulling people out of their hardships. Trying to unite old leaders is a prerequisite to gain strength to fight for Punjab with renewed vigour,” he said, referring to attempts to mollify Chhotepur and other leaders who were discarded by AAP.

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