SHAH TO MEET BADALS
Move seen as BJP’s attempt to reach out to its allies after backtoback setbacks in the recent polls in different states and to gear up for 2019 Lok Sabha elections
With the SAD-BJP ties high on agenda, BJP president Amit Shah would hold “closed-door” meeting with SAD patriarch and former CM Parkash Singh Badal and party chief chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on June 7..
CHANDIGARH: With the SAD-BJP ties high on agenda, national Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah would hold “closed-door” meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and party chief chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for two hours on his visit to Chandigarh on June 7.
The meeting convened at a short notice is being seen as the BJP’s attempt to reach out to its allies after back-to-back setbacks in the recent Karnatka assembly elections and bypolls in different states.
Akali Dal is an important and most trusted constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but the ties have been strained after Punjab assembly polls held last year.
Publically, both the parties have maintained that they share good relationship but they have been at loggerheads on different functional and ideological issues, while remaining shareholder of power at the Centre.
Akali Dal has opposed the BJP on various issues, be it appointment of chairman or members of the National Minority Commission. The allay partner has also accused the BJP of not taking all NDA partners into confidence on important issues.
The visit comes three days after the Centre announced “Sewa Bhoj Yojana” a scheme for reimbursement of GST on langar served in religious places. GST on langar items was a sensitive religious issue for the Akalis and they had vigorously pushed for it with Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal threatening to quit the Narendra Modi cabinet if the demand for waiving the tax was not met.
As per schedule with the BJP state unit, Shah would visit the Badals. As Badals don’t have any house in Chandigarh as their Sector 9 residence is under construction, the venue of the meeting is yet to be decided.
Whenever senior Badal visits the state capital, he stays in the flat allotted to him as an MLA in Chandigarh. The meeting scheduled between noon and 2.30 pm, say party sources.
Even as the BJP and the SAD leaders are terming it a “routine visit”, it is being seen a measure to improve ties between the two partners ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
“More than overseeing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, Shah’s motive is to reach out to the SAD to improve ties. Generally, national party plans state visit much in advance. Here, we were informed only three days before,” said a former state BJP chief.
When contacted, Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik termed it a routine meeting. “We should not make assumptions. Our national chief is visiting every state and his Punjab’s visit was long due. As far as meeting with senior Badal is concerned, he (Parkash Singh Badal) is one of the most experienced politicians in the country at present. Amit Shah ji is visiting him to pay regards and take guidance from him.”
The BJP national chief would stay overnight in Chandigarh and would also hold a meeting with the core group of the party and the Dalit leadership of the state BJP.