Shah in Chandigarh to meet SAD leaders; to discuss strategy for 2019

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 7

BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday arrived here for a meeting with the SAD leadership at the house of Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal.

At least 25 leaders from both the SAD and Punjab unit of the BJP are present at the meeting.

The main agenda to be discussed is the alliance partners’ strategy for the 2019 general election. The meeting has been arranged on the request of Amit Shah, who is trying to reach out to the alliance partners under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The SAD is expected to raise the issue of wooing farmers.

While SAD top brass, including Parkash Singh Badal and president Sukhbir Singh Badal, has rolled out a red carpet for Shah, its senior leaders are expected to raise the issue of the BJP central leadership ignoring the Akali Dal all these years.

Interestingly, SAD MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who interacted with mediapersons before the meeting, said they would raise all issues concerning Punjab, including the SYL and implementing the Swaminathan Commission report.

He expressed resentment that in the past four years the BJP had ignored several Sikh and Punjab issues. “All of a sudden the BJP now thinks of meeting us. We will raise all these issues with Shah,” he said.

Bhunder said issues like anti-Sikh riots and the decline in recruitment in army from Punjab would be discussed.

Another Akali Dal MP and party’s core committee member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said they were among the oldest allies of the BJP. Punjab’s issues had been ignored and they would raise these issues, he added.