Akalis to back BJP in LS poll

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 12

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today announced to back the BJP in Haryana in the parliamentary poll to be held on May 12.

In the 2009 and 2014 parliamentary and Assembly elections, the SAD had an alliance with the INLD. On both occasions, SAD contested Ambala City and Kalanwali Assembly seats and won the latter.

However, the INLD snapped its ties with SAD in the wake of SYL canal issue on March 17, 2017.

The SAD had recently organised rallies in Haryana and had announced to contest on its own in the state.

The announcement to back the BJP was made today by SAD leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Narwana town, which falls under Sirsa parliamentary constituency.

The Sirsa parliamentary constituency has a significant Sikh population and the party has an MLA Balkaur Singh who represents Kalanwali Assembly segment of this seat.

Even the sitting INLD MP from Sirsa, Charanjit Singh Rori, is a Sikh. He was SAD MLA from Kalanwali from 2009 to 2014 before the INLD picked him for the parliamentary seat in 2014.

Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, SAD national vice-president Veer Bhan, SAD Haryana president Sharanjit Singh Sotha and Akali MLA Balkaur Singh were also present.

Bhundar said that the decision to support the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections would be followed by electoral alliance for the Assembly poll in the state.