Alliance...

At this juncture, former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal gave it a helping hand by asking the other alliance partners to bury their differences.

“I would like to appeal to all our allies that this is the time to fight; the battle’s in six months. We should get together and cast away all our differences,” Sukhbir said when asked about the concerns voiced by the Shiv Sena.

Two senior leaders of the party, Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Bhundar and former minister Sikander Maluka, who had earlier accused the BJP of ignoring the SAD in last four years at the Centre, chose not to raise the issue at the meeting with Shah, people aware of the developments said.

The SAD leaders who were part of the meeting claimed that Shah came to Chandigarh to take “guidance” from the senior Badal.

“Parkash Singh Badal-ji is country’s most tallest and pious leaders. He is guiding force for the NDA and I have come here to consult him on various issues concerning Centre and the farmers,” Shah told leaders of both parties, according to SAD core group member Bikram Majithia who was also in the meeting.

Shah held a closed-door meeting with senior Badal and Sukhbir for nearly 45 minutes, during which some “concerns” were conveyed to Shah, party sources said. These concerns include greater focus of the central government on justice for victims of the 1984 anti-sikh riots and issues concerning the Sikh community both in India and abroad. Sukhbir dubbed the meeting as “most positive, result-oriented and fruitful” and said there’s and “was no conflict between SAD and BJP”.

In Mumbai, Shah had arrived to a derisive piece about his outreach to allies in the Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana.

While Shah and Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, are learnt to have had a one-on-one meeting at Matoshree, the latter’s residence, details of the interaction have been kept under wraps.