No AAP legislator in touch with BJP, says Amit Shah

Asserts that despite Punjab loss, SADBJP alliance will remain intact

CHANDIGARH: In an embarrassment to the Punjab BJP leadership that has been claiming that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in the state are in touch with them, BJP national president Amit Shah on Saturday categorically stated that no AAP legislator in Punjab is in touch with his party.

“I don’t know what our Punjab leaders have said on the issue, but let me make it very clear that no AAP leader is in touch with us and there was no such plan either,” said Shah while talking to the media at the Chandigarh Press Club.

Many BJP leaders, including state BJP chief and Union minister Vijay Sampla, have repeatedly claimed that 11 AAP lawmakers

are in touch with them and ready for “switch over”.

Even the leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly and senior AAP leader HS Phoolka claimed that the BJP was “alluring” his party’s MLAs with an offer of Rs 15 crore each.

The BJP chief is on a 110-day nationwide tour, which began in

Jammu last month, to strengthen the organisational structure of the party with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Shah will stay in Chandigarh, having one Lok Sabha seat, for two days to chalk out a strategy to strengthen the party at the grassroot level. Shah will visit Punjab on June 28.

ON SAD-BJP ALLIANCE IN THE STATE

Shah also asserted that the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab would continue despite its defeat in the assembly elections.On the poor performance of the BJP in Punjab polls despite a strong Modi wave in some other states that went to the polls recently, Shah said his party was a minor alliance in Punjab.

“We have contested only a few seats in Punjab as a very small coalition partner. Still the party is in the process of introspection to find out why we performed poorly,” he said.

Asked if the BJP would contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with SAD, Shah said BJP leaders would take a decision in this regard at an appropriate time.