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2022 polls: BJP, Punjab Lok Congress, SAD (Sanyukt) announce alliance
The allies, BJP, Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanyukt), to form a six-member panel to discuss seat-sharing arrangement and manifesto
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) on Monday formally announced their alliance for the Punjab assembly elections.
Also, the alliance decided to form a six-member panel to discuss the seat-sharing arrangement.
The announcement was made after Amarinder, SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and BJP’s Punjab election incharge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in New Delhi.
“The six-member committee, having two members each from all parties, will meet soon to finalise seat sharing as well as the alliance manifesto for a new Punjab,” said Shekhawat after the meeting that lasted nearly an hour.
This was also the first meeting by Amarinder with Shah after announcing to form his own party. Amarinder’s aide Lt General TS Shergill (retd) was also part of the meeting.
“Met with Union HM @AmitShah, @BJP4India President @JPNadda, Punjab Incharge @gssjodhpur & Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) President Sukhdev Dhindsa to discuss details of the alliance for the upcoming assembly elections. Look forward to working together to give Punjab a stable govt (sic),” tweeted Amarinder after the meeting.
Senior BJP leaders privy with the development said both Amarinder and Dhindsa had a detailed discussion about the emerging political scenario in Punjab, especially after 22 farmer unions announced to contest the polls.
Though there were no talks on the exact number of seats to be contested by any individual party, it is nearly certain that the BJP will be the major alliance partner and has conveyed to its allies that it will be contesting from no less than 70 seats.
The saffron party wants to contest from most of the urban and semi-urban segments where at least 45% of the voters are either from the Hindu community or are scheduled castes (SCs) or other backward classes (OBCs).
With Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt) getting a jolt a few days back when its another senior leader Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura returned to the Badals-led Akali Dal, the BJP is no mood of giving more than 8-10 seats to the party, it is learnt.
Hours after the meeting, the BJP’s Punjab unit received a confirmation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab on January 5. Party’s state general secretary Subhash Sharma said the Prime Minister will visit Ferozepur to lay the foundation stone of PGIMER’s satellite centre. He is also likely address a public rally in the district the same day.
