6-member panel to seal seat pact for Punjab polls: BJP

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 27

A six-member panel, with two members from each constituent party, will finalise the seat-sharing pact amongst the BJP, Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s SAD (Sanyukt) for the Punjab polls. The three parties will also issue a joint manifesto, said Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat, who is BJP’s poll in charge for the state.

Will contest jointly

At a meeting attended by Shah, Nadda, Capt Amarinder and Dhindsa, it was decided that the BJP and other two parties will jointly contest Punjab polls. — Gajendra Shekhawat, Union Minister

The panel, Shekhawat said, would prepare a joint manifesto to create “a new Punjab”. The official announcement followed Capt Amarinder and Dhindsa’s meeting with the BJP’s top brass, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda.

“The meeting was attended by Shah, Nadda, Capt Amarinder and Dhindsa. It was decided that the BJP and the other two parties will jointly contest the Assembly polls in Punjab,” said Shekhawat.

The new alliance will help the BJP align with prominent Sikh faces of the state, BJP leaders said, adding the elections would be multi-cornered with the Congress, SAD, AAP and various farmers outfit joining the fray — a situation that may “help the alliance”.

Keeping in mind the Chandigarh MC verdict, where the AAP sprung a major challenge for rivals in Punjab, the BJP is looking towards contesting urban seats. Though BJP leaders here claimed “AAP’s win in Chandigarh is actually the defeat of the Congress”, section believes “the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has successfully occupied the space of Congress’ Opposition”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch the alliance’s campaign with a rally in early-January, where he is likely to make “big announcements”.

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