Bathinda, Punjab, Oct 27: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today termed as a "face-saving exercise" tomorrow's union cabinet reshuffle, saying inducting new faces and giving a fresh look to the government is "not going to help Congress".
"It will hardly make any difference as the writing is on the wall that Congress would be routed out from the political map of the county in the next Lok Sabha elections," Badal told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
The Chief Minister claimed countrymen were "fed up with the anti-people" policies of UPA government and were eagerly waiting for the general elections, slated to be held in year 2014, to show them the door.
"The result of a number of state assembly elections and by-polls for the Lok Sabha in which Congress candidates have been trounced very badly has made it clear that due to its anti-people policies, the graph of UPA government is declining across the country.
"The attempt of Congress leadership to give a fresh look to its government by inducting new faces in Cabinet would hardly make any difference," he said.
Badal said it would be a "futile exercise" to induct new faces in the Cabinet "as the countrymen were well aware of such tantrums of Congress party and they would hardly fall prey to them."
The Chief Minister charged the UPA dispensation "would go down in the annals of history as the most corrupt of the country."
He further alleged that due to "the misrule of Congress, a large number of social maladies like unemployment, poverty and illiteracy have made inroads in the country due to which the agonies of the common man have increased manifolds".
Badal alleged UPA government "has broken the back bone of common man by increasing the prices of essential commodities".
Meanwhile, Badal said in Ludhiana that the allegations levelled against the BJP President Nitin Gadkari will have no impact on ruling Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab.
He told reporters this evening that Shiromani Akali Dal's alliance was with BJP and not with an individual.
He, however, added the allegations against Gadkari could be a "conspiracy by Congress to blunt the campaign of corruption against Congress."
Badal called for a thorough inquiry into the charges levelled against Robert Vadra.
In reply to a question, Badal said he would be going to Himachal Pradesh on October 31 for election campaign in favour of BJP candidates.
