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AAP to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab: Kejriwal
Chandigarh, Jan 20 (IANS) Despite a virtual split in the leadership of its Punjab unit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, party leader Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday.
Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal arrived in Punjab on Sunday to launch the party’s election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls with a rally in Barnala town.
“People want a change. They are fed up with the Modi government. The BJP will lose in the Lok Sabha elections,” Kejriwal told the media in Sangrur, around 130 km from here.
Kejriwal met senior leaders of the AAP Punjab unit, including MP Bhagwant Mann, leader of opposition Harpal Cheema and legislator Aman Arora.
The AAP has already announced the names of five candidates for Lok Sabha seat in October. These seats are Sangrur, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib.
Two AAP MPs from Punjab, Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Khalsa, who were suspended from the AAP in August 2015 for taking on the AAP leadership, have not been named as party candidates so far. Their suspension has also not been revoked.
The AAP has retained two sitting MPs: Bhagwant Mann (Sangrur) and Sadhu Singh (Faridkot).
The AAP had won four Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in the 2014 general elections. AAP candidates in 2014 had put up a good fight in other constituencies also. The party could not win a single Lok Sabha seat anywhere else in the country in that election.
There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. The Congress is in power in the state since March 2017.
The AAP, which showed a lot of promise as a third alternative in Punjab against the traditional political rivals Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance, has been in a disarray in the past over two years with infighting and a virtual rebellion by its leadership.
Legislators Sukhpal Singh Khaira, H.S. Phoolka and Baldev Singh have quit the party. Phoolka has resigned as MLA also.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.