No talks on with Capt: Dhindsa on Punjab poll alliance

Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) president and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Wednesday said there had been no contact or talk with former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh regarding a poll alliance for the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab.

Dhindsa said he has had no contact with Amarinder for the past three-four years. “We have been approached by several parties and the party will take a call on their feelers. At this moment, we are not thinking about elections. Our focus is on the farmers’ agitation till the time their issues are resolved,” he said, responding to the former CM’s statement regarding his plan to forge a tie-up with like-minded parties.

Amarinder on Tuesday said that he planned to announce his political party soon. He also talked about a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP if the farmers’ issue was resolved, besides looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups, particularly Dhindsa and Brahmpura factions.

Dhindsa, however, insisted that their party (SAD-Sanyukt) would have no truck with the Congress, the Badals and the BJP. Dhindsa and former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura merged their parties, SAD (Democratic) and SAD (Taksali) – in May to form SAD (Sanyukt).