BJP leaders’ remarks just individual utterances: SAD

› The core groups of the SAD and the BJP are conducting a meeting to chalk out a common strategy to counter Cong govt in Punjab.

DALJIT SINGH CHEEMA, SAD spokesperson

AMRITSAR :Saying that there were no differences between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance in Punjab, SAD spokesperson and former Punjab minister Daljit Singh Cheema has dismissed remarks that some BJP leaders made on Friday as ‘individual utterances’.

On Friday, at a function in Jalandhar where Ashwani Sharma took charge as the Punjab BJP chief, senior party leaders had given a call for a BJP leader as the next Punjab chief minister and even spoke of going it alone in the next assembly elections in the state in 2022. Other party leaders had sought more seats in the alliance.

“There is no difference between parties with regard to the alliance in Punjab. An example of this is that the core groups of the SAD and the BJP are conducting a joint meeting to chalk out a common strategy for the next two years to counter the Captain Amarinder Singhled state government in Punjab. We will meet in two-three days to decide how to expose the Congress government in public. I have spoken to the newly elected state president of the BJP,” Cheema told HT.

“On statements that BJP leaders made on Friday, such party meetings usually witness an emotional atmosphere. If party workers utter such statements, alliance partners never react,” said Cheema, adding, “The relationship between leaders of both the parties is very good. We don’t go by individual remarks made on the alliance, as we understand each other’s sentiments.”

Former MLA and another SAD spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha said, “Such kinds of decisions are not taken standing on stage. Views expressed on the stage can be considered personal.” On the new Punjab BJP chief, Valtoha added, “Ashwani is intelligent and had cleared the air on Friday itself. In an alliance, every party has the right to claim the bigger share, but only the high command is authorised to take any decision. An ordinary leader cannot decide,” he added.