Punjab elections 2017: Harsimrat Badal said BJP is welcome to follow its policies for handing out tickets
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has hit out at alliance partner BJP for making "dynasty politics" an issue in the upcoming elections. Speaking to NDTV, the Akali Dal leader, who is the wife of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and the daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, said, "Everyone who goes to the electorate, to the people, is the will of the people, they have got dozens of people to choose from. If the family member comes with a track record of having delivered on his promises, of having worked hard, it is the choice of the people. Why hold the dynasty to fault? I could have got a ticket. I got a ticket once. But they don't have to make me win the second time unless I perform and same applies to every other candidate."
The BJP has been on the offensive against family favouritism in politics with Prime Minister Narendra Modi even advising party colleagues against seeking tickets for relatives. However, that did not stop the party from giving tickets to some sons and daughters of prominent leaders in Uttar Pradesh such as Pankaj Singh, the son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Ms Badal told NDTV, "The BJP, they are welcome to follow their own policies, (but) you cannot say that the member of parliament who are sitting over there, many of them come from political families. I don't need to count them out for you. Our policy is everyone is equal, everybody should get equal opportunity, and everyone goes to the people equally so it is for the people to decide. If they don't like dynastic politics, they will end it tomorrow."