Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, who will take over as chief minister of Punjab on Friday, on Wednesday said he would not pursue politics of vendetta as was done by his predecessor Amarinder Singh.
Addressing his first press conference after being elected leader of the SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party combine, he said, "We will not be bogged down by personal agenda. Vendetta will have no place in our charter of governance. People have voted the SAD-BJP alliance to power to put an end to the unseemly confrontation and put the state's focus on peace, development and prosperity."
Badal said the situation in Punjab is "truly worrying, thanks to skewed priorities of the previous government."
The state presents a landscape of despair in which everything lies in a state of governmental neglect and everything needs comprehensive reconstruction.
On economic priorities of the new government, he said agriculture, trade, industry, power, infrastructure and services sector deserved equal emphasis.
"In addition we have to fight the menace of unemployment and poverty in a big way," Badal said adding, the SAD-BJP alliance was based on a vision of social cohesion and awareness of the alliance's obligations to put Punjab back as number one rank in the country, in terms of development.
Badal said the voting pattern in the state showed that Congress suffered reverses in Doaba and Majha belt while SAD suffered in Malwa region due to the edict of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda.
"Had Dera not given the edict, SAD would have got around 90 seats," Badal said.
Asked about relations with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, he expressed the hope that Punjab will get justice.
The alliance was committed to implement its poll manifesto in totality, besides taking steps to curb rising inflation.
On providing rice and wheat flour at Rs 4 per kg and cereals at Rs 20 per kg, he said the modalities for the scheme would be worked on priority basis after the government is formed.
Badal said the alliance will put development, rule of law and "civilised values in public life" back on agenda.
"People have given us a direction to take Punjab forward and make it a spearhead in global development and progress," the SAD chief said adding, the allegations of corruption against those in power in Congress rule will also be dealt with as per rule of law.
Replying to a query on why the people had voted the alliance back to power, Badal said people compared the five-year rule of SAD from 1997 and that of Congress from 2002, and came to the conclusion that the outgoing government did not follow any rule.
"The economic situation is very bad, industrial and agricultural growth went down, education and health sectors were in doldrums. Added to this, the price rise made people vote out Congress," Badal added.
