Cold vibes from BJP prompt Akali Dal to go solo in state

CHANDIGARH: Seeing little hope for an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming Haryana assembly elections, the core committee of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday decided to contest the October 21 polls alone.

The core committee, the highest decision-making body of the SAD, which met in Amritsar on Thursday evening, also condemned the move of the saffron party to induct sitting Akali MLA from Kalanwali Balkaur Singh into the saffron fold.

One of the oldest allies of the BJP since the days of Jan Sangh, the SAD has been contesting elections in coalition with the saffron party in Punjab and Delhi. But in Haryana, Akali Dal used to contest in alliance with Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). SAD severed tied with the INLD over the issue of SYL, as both have contradictory stands on the issue.

After having touched the ebb in Punjab politics over the issue of sacrilege of religious scriptures, particularly Guru Granth Sahib that began during the Akali-BJP government, Akalis were looking for a resurrection in Haryana by forging an alliance with the saffron party.

SAD leaders claimed that the BJP had sought its support during the parliamentary elections on four seats which has sizeable Punjabi and Sikh population, and a permanent alliance (in Haryana) was promised in exchange.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had met BJP’s working president JP Nadda who assured to revert on the issue of seat-sharing. Akalis claim sway in at least 30 of the 90 assembly seats where, according to party’s senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar, the number of Sikh and Punjabi population is between 20,000 and 50,000.

On Wednesday, SAD had shown willingness to contest 10 seats – Pehowa, Gulah (reserved), Ladwa, Shahbad, Assandh, Nilokheri, Ambala, Kaithal, Kalanwali (reserved) and Rania — but the saffron party rejected the idea urging the Akali Dal to be “reasonable in demand”.

The SAD has set in motion an exercise to shortlist candidates for 21 assembly seats and it has received 35 applications. Top leadership claimed that Sikhs and Punjabis in Haryana are very excited to see SAD taking part in the polls.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema in a Twitter post wrote, “SAD core committee decided that it will contest elections in Haryana on its own. Induction of sitting MLA Balkaur Singh into BJP is unethical.”

“We are feeling cheated; so we decided to contest alone and are releasing first list of candidates on October 1,” SAD’s Haryana chief Sharanjeet Sotha said.

Despite attempts, Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala was not available for comments.

› SAD core committee decided to contest elections in Haryana on its own. Induction of sitting MLA Balkaur Singh into BJP is unethical. DALJIT SINGH CHEEMA, SAD leader