AAP’s Punjab unit president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that the candidates fielded by both the Congress and SAD in Bathinda and Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituencies “after much hair-splitting has brought forth the bonhomie between both of them”.

Mann alleged that Badals and Capt Amarinder fielded their candidates in Patiala, Lambi and Jalalabad constituencies to ensure each others’ win by defeating AAP candidates there. “This time, both have repeated the same formula to stay in power,” said Mann while alleging that had Captain not contested election from Lambi and fielded Ravneet Singh Bittu from Jalalabad, both the Badals would not have been able to make it to the Assembly.

Accusing them both of conniving with each other to stay relevant in power, Mann said that under the well-planned design, the

Badals had pitched weak candidate from Patiala constituency to seal the deal with Captain.

“These were not allegations levelled by AAP but one could find it written on the wall. These allegations were ratified by the candidates of SAD and Congress, including SAD nominee for the Lok Sabha elections, Sher Singh Ghubaiya and other leaders,” he said.

Mann said that the Congress, under dubious arrangement, fielded a young, non-serious and motor-mouthed candidate from Bathinda constituency, Raja Warring, and Sher Singh Ghubaiya, who recently joined the party fold from Ferozepur amid raging opposition from the local party leaders, thereby clearing the deck for the Badal family to register a comfortable win in the election, he said.