No change in SAD-BJP seat sharing

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 10

Barring re-allocation of ministries among BJP legislators in the Punjab Cabinet, not many changes are expected in the Akali-BJP alliance ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections. The seat-sharing formula between the two is also unlikely to change, with the BJP expected to contest 23 seats while the rest 94 would go to the Akalis.

This was the outcome of the three-day intense politicking between the top leadership of the two parties, which ended in Delhi yesterday. The core point the allies agreed upon was the “need for better coordination”.

Though half of the 18-member BJP delegates who met the party central leadership in Delhi on Saturday wanted 35 seats from the Akalis, sources said the saffron party later decided against changes in the seat-sharing formula.

However, the BJP central leadership would repeat its 2011 formula — likely by February-end — of changing its ministers. The move is reportedly aimed at doing a balancing act between the two groups headed by Kamal Sharma, Anil Joshi and Tarun Chugh on one side and Avinash Rai Khanna, Vijay Sampla, Manoranjan Kalia and Ashwani Sharma on the other.

The four BJP ministers would be decided from amongst MLAs owing allegiance to both these groups, besides the formula of caste and region.

Sources said a central BJP minister was lobbying to ensure at least one state minister retained his berth, chances were all the four ministers were replaced. Of the 12 BJP MLAs, the names of KD Bhandari, Som Prakash and Manoranjan Kalia are doing the rounds for ministry.

The new state BJP chief could be decided subsequently. Sources said incumbent Kamal Sharma, who was unlikely to get a second term, was eyeing a Rajya Sabha seat once it was vacated by Avinash Rai Khanna in April. Ashwani Sharma is among the frontrunners for the state BJP chief’s post.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, which too has raised the issue of not getting “proper hearing” from the BJP central leadership inspite of their alliance in the NDA, has agreed to have “better coordination with the BJP and give them better say in governance”, especially in urban pockets where the party had its core vote bank.

Talking to The Tribune, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal denied there was anything to feel worried as far as the alliance was concerned. “The alliance with the BJP is intact. There is no threat to it. We will fight the next Assembly elections together.”

On desertions by party leaders, Sukhbir said no true Akali had left so far. “Our traditional vote bank is intact and the development that the Akali-BJP government will unleash in the coming months will go down well with the masses,” he claimed. He said the poll surveys being talked about were a brainchild of the Aam Aadmi Party, which was a “political gimmick and their authenticity was doubtful”.