In talks with BJP for alliance in Haryana polls: Akali Dal
PANEL MEETING Claims to have received applications from ticket aspirants for 30 seats
KARNAL:THE Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday said it is in talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for an alliance for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections and will field candidates on ‘winnabilty’ factor to keep the Congress out of power.
On the sidelines of the party’s screening committee meeting in Kurukshetra, senior Akali leader and member of the committee for Haryana poll campaign Prem Singh Chandumajra on Monday said they have received applications from ticket aspirants from nearly 30 seats in Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala districts and other Sikhdominated areas of the state.
“But winnabilty will be key factor for selection of candidates,” he added. About the number of seats the SAD was seeking from the ruling BJP as an alliance partner in the election to be held on October 21, Chandumajra said, “We are not fighting for numbers but our sole motive is to keep the Congress out of
power. We are still in talks with the BJP high command.”
SAD general secretary in-charge Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who is heading the committee, said the aspirants for party tickets from over 30 seats turned up along with their supporters. On reports that the BJP was inclined to leave only two
seats for SAD, Bhunder said, “We have learnt about this only through the media.”
SAD Haryana chief Sharanjit Sahota said the party was getting a huge response from aspirants and the committee will decide on which seats they will field candidates in alliance with the BJP.
(With agency inputs)