Nominated by the Congress from the Anandpur Sahib seat, Vijay Inder Singla kicked off his poll campaign from Mohali on Thursday.

Former MP from Sangrur, Singla reached the Phase 1 office of former health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, who was also among the front runners for the Anandpur Sahib ticket.

Interacting with party supporters here, he promised development in Mohali and accused the BJP of dividing the country for votes. “All other parties have betrayed voters. The Union government is misusing central agencies to stay in power,” he alleged, taking a dig at the BJP that has yet to announce its candidate for the Anandpur Sahib constituency.

Scores of Singla’s supporters, along with local leadership, including Mohali mayor Amarjeet Singh Sidhu, besides senior deputy mayor Amrik Singh Somal and Congress councillors, gathered in his support.

Members of the panch sarpanch block committee of villages in Mohali constituency and zila parishad also attended the meeting.

Denying any displeasure with the party for not giving him ticket, Sidhu said, “Vijay Inder Singla was a cabinet minister with me during the Congress government in Punjab. We will contest the elections together and bring change at the Centre. Voters should give the Congress a chance to save the democracy.”