Ties with BJP snapped, SAD looks for new allies

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 28

With ties with the BJP snapped, the Shirmonai Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday said it was exploring a tie-up with other parties for the October 21 Assembly elections.

The BJP, on the other hand, made it clear that it never had an alliance with the SAD in Haryana. It said no alliance was possible, given Akali Dal’s stand on not sharing the SYL waters with Haryana.

Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Rajya Sabha member and SAD’s in charge for Haryana, said a scenario has been created in Haryana where voters were divided on caste lines. “This is against SAD’s ideology and tenets of Sikhism that preaches equality. We will go for an alliance with a party that shares the concerns of farmers, labourers and minorities. At present, there voices have been marginalised,” he said.

Bhunder said BJP’s priorities could be gauged from the Rs1.45-lakh-crore stimulus package handed out to big industrialists. “Farmers, labourers and minorities have been ignored.”

“What will manufacturers do of cars and motorcycles if buyers don’t have money to purchase vehicles?.” he asked.

On the possible allies, the SAD leader did not give a clear answer. All he said was “the new alliance will include farmers, labourers, Dalits and minorities”.

Whether or not the SAD will stitch a tie-up with its old alliance partner, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), or its offshoot, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)? “The party is not ruling out anything,” Bhunder said, hinting at the BSP as its possible alliance partner.

When contacted, INLD leader Abhay Chautala said though there were no talks of an alliance with the SAD, his family’s ties with Parkash Singh Badal’s family were well known to everyone.

Dushyant Chautala of the JJP said the matter would be discussed in the party if there was a proposal of a tie-up.

Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Karan Dev Kamboj, said the BJP never had an alliance with the SAD in Haryana, hence there was no question of snapping of the ties. “With the SAD adamant on not sharing SYL waters with Haryana, how can we have an alliance with the party,” Kamboj asked.

A word of advice for SAD 

Tarlochan Singh, former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, meanwhile, advised the SAD to not contest polls in Haryana on its symbol. “This will alienate Sikhs in Haryana. If the SAD is interested in the welfare of Haryana Sikhs, the party should use its influence to get as many tickets for Sikhs as possible within the BJP,” he said.