The BJP will go solo in the election for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, state party chief Sunil Jakhar said in a video message, putting an end to speculation on a possible tie-up between the BJP and its estranged ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
“The BJP will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab alone. The party has taken this decision based on feedback from the people, party workers and leaders,” Jakhar said, stressing that the Narendra Modi government had worked tirelessly for Punjab and the work is not hidden from anyone.
This marks the end of the road for the BJP-SAD combine that has contested all parliamentary polls since 1998 together. In 1998, they had swept Punjab with 11 of the state’s 13 seats. But the controversy over the Centre’s now-repealed agriculture laws led to the SAD – one of the BJP’s oldest allies – breaking away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020. The SAD then joined hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the parties faced the 2022 Punjab Assembly election together.
Reacting to the announcement, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said “The SAD is not an ordinary political party. It is a party of principles. For us, principles are more important than the number game.”
Badal went on to add that the 103-year-old Akali Dal’s responsibility was to protect “qaum” (community), Punjab, and maintain brotherhood and peace in the state.
“The Akali Dal was not formed to just form the government,” he maintained.
Sukhbir Badal did not refrain from accusing the Delhi-based national political parties of playing politics over votes. “We are not (playing) politics over votes. For us, it is Punjab,” he added.
The former deputy chief minister of Punjab also pointed out decisions taken by his party’s core committee a few days ago. “Our core committee has made clear what our principles are,” he said.
As reported by The Tribune earlier the BJP has already up a panel of probables for all 13 seats in the state. These include Preneet Kaur from Patiala, Avinash Rai Khanna from Anandpur Sahib, Sunil Jakhar from Ludhiana or Ferozepur; Rana Sodhi from Ferozepur in which case Jakhar can be shifted to Ludhiana; Manpreet Badal Bathinda; Taranjit Sandhu Amritsar, Som Prakash Hoshiarpur, Ashwani Sharma Gurdaspur and local leaders from Khadoor Saheb and Faridkot.
