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After quitting alliance, SAD eyes BJP’s voter base in Ludhiana
Senior party leaders to garner Hindu votes during a protest held against state food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for alleged corruption in the paddy procurement on Wednesday
With merely a year left for elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which recently snapped ties with its long-time ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is trying to woo Hindu voters.
Senior party leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, raised the slogan of ‘Bolo Sache Darbar Ki Jai’ to garner Hindu votes during a protest held against state food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for alleged corruption in the paddy procurement near his residence at Kochar Market locality on Wednesday.
“SAD is the sole custodian of Sikh and Hindu brotherhood. We have not forgotten the role of Congress in triggering terrorism in the state. We represent 3 crores Punjabis of the state who support our ideology of development,” said party leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal.
As per the seat-sharing system, BJP used to field their candidate from Ludhiana West constituency, which has an equal proportion of Hindu and Sikh population. With SAD parting ways with BJP, SAD is now looking forward to field its candidate from the constituency.
In the 2017 election, food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu had registered a comfortable win in a triangular contest. Ashu had got record 66,627 votes while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Ahbaab Singh Grewal had got 30,106 votes and, BJP candidate Kamal Chatly could garner merely 22,620 votes.
Sources in the party said that the protest was aimed at preparing a pitch for the election. SAD is looking forward to cash the opportunity as AAP is losing its sheen and, BJP leaders are receiving brickbats due to the ongoing farmer protest.
