SAD, BSP may declare electoral alliance today

CHANDIGARH: In a significant political development, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have forged an electoral alliance for the next assembly polls the details of which will be announced on Saturday, it is learnt.

Both the parties are joining hands after 27 years since the 1996 Lok Sabha polls when the alliance had bagged 11 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. That time, BSP had won all the three seats it had contested and SAD bagged eight out of 10. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is said to be behind the revival of the alliance.

According to a senior SAD functionary, all formalities regarding the alliance were complete after many rounds of talks between Sukhbir and BSP supremo Mayawati. The BSP is likely to be given 20 seats, he said, requesting anonymity. And if voted to power, the SAD was not averse to have the deputy chief minister from the BSP since Sukhbir has already committed deputy chief minister’s post to a Dalit if his party is voted to power.

For the fresh alliance, BSP general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Satish Mishra is in Chandigarh and the formal announcement will be made at a joint press conference to be addressed by the Sukhbir and Mishra on Saturday.

A BSP functionary said the party pushed for 35 seats out of 117, but the SAD managed to convince the BSP leadership to accept 20 seats, of which eight are in the Dalit-dominated Doaba region. Most of the other seats the BSP may contest will be those which the SAD would leave for the BJP when the saffron party was in an alliance with the Akali Dal.

“Discussions on the seats to be contested are almost final but may be announced later. This is a natural alliance in Punjab and is a shot in the arm for us. BSP though lately has reduced its votes share but that was primarly because its cadre had not tasted the power at all,” said a senior SAD functionary.

According to the information, the SAD was keen on the alliance after parting ways with the BJP. The BSP has always had a significant vote share in Punjab being the birthplace of party founder Kanshi Ram, who belongs to Rupnagar district.

It is learnt that the SAD is pressing BSP for not staking claim on Phillaur, Adampur and Banga seats since they are being represented by Dalit Akali MLAS and the BSP, it is learnt, was ready with the proposal.

Notably, the BSP has strong presence among Dalits in all 23 seats falling under the Doaba region where the Scheduled Caste votes, mainly Ravidasias, can sway the poll results. Dalits make for almost 40% of the population in Punjab.