Local BJP leaders for ‘respectable’ space in alliance with Akali Dal

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, February 10

As talks of the SAD-BJP alliance have gained momentum ahead of the Lok Sabha poll, local BJP leaders are mounting pressure on the central leadership that the party must go for the pact only if they get respectable space as an alliance partner.

According to sources, Thursday and Friday were quite happening in Chandigarh office of the BJP as its national general secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh and Punjab affairs in-charge Vijay Rupani met the local leaders.

In a meeting of a core group which was chaired by Rupani and attended by ex-state presidents Manoranjan Kalia, Shwait Malik, incumbent chief Sunil Jakhar, Union Minister Som Parkash and national leader Tarun Chugh, a significant section was against the alliance.

Sources said the local leadership, especially with the RSS background, questioned reliability of SAD and reminded the national leaders about ‘backstabbing’ by the Akalis during the farmers’ stir against three farm laws.

The party leadership was told that if alliance is unavoidable in larger interest of the Hindu-Sikh unity, then the BJP must not forget its workers who had been working at the grassroots for the last two years.

Sources revealed that apart from traditional parliamentary seats of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Amritsar, which the party had been contesting as a junior ally of the SAD since 1996, the local leaders asked for three more seats.

The SAD-BJP alliance came into existence in mid 1990s under which the BJP used to contest 23 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats. However, at peak of farmers’ stir, SAD walked out of the pact.

Meanwhile, SAD (Sanyukt) is likely to rejoin SAD and Parminder Dhindsa may contest from Sangrur.

Talks on: Shah

New Delhi: The BJP always welcomes new allies, Union Home Amit Shah said on Saturday, adding that talks were on with the SAD, but nothing had been finalised. PTI