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Capt Amarinder calls on Amit Shah ahead of Punjab polls
The announcement was made by BJP election-incharge and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat following a meeting with Amarinder Singh, SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, BJP president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (Sanyukt) and Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) on Monday decided to form a six-member panel to finalise the seat sharing agreement as they formally announced their alliance for Punjab elections next year.
The announcement was made by BJP election-incharge and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat following a meeting with Singh, SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, BJP president J P Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah at Shah’s residence.
According to Shekhawat, a joint six-member committee comprising two leaders from each party will be formed to finalise the seat sharing pact. The parties will also issue a joint manifesto for the impending elections.
“Today, we are formally announcing that we will contest the Punjab polls as alliance partners. A six-member committee, having two members from each party, would meet soon and start holding discussions to finalise the seat sharing as well as the manifesto of the alliance for the new Punjab,” Shekhawat said.
This was Singh’s first meeting with Shah ever since the former announced floating the PLC on November 2. The former Punjab chief minister’s friend, Lt General TS Shergill (Retd), was also present in the meeting.
“Met with Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Punjab BJP incharge Gajendra Shekhawat and Akali Dal (Sanyukt) Sukhdev Dhindsa to discuss details of alliance. Look forward to working together to give Punjab a stable government,” he tweeted after the meeting.
According to senior BJP leaders familiar with the developments, Singh and Dhindsa held detailed discussions on the rising political scenario in Punjab, especially after 22 farmer unions announced their decision to contest the elections.
On Saturday, the unions that protested against the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), announced a political outfit, the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), to contest the state elections. The SKM has, however, decided to stay away from the polls.
At Shah’s residence, a detailed discussion was also held on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s possible tour to Punjab in the first week of January, the BJP leaders said, seeking anonymity.
Although no talks were held on the exact number of seats to be contested by each party, it is almost certain that the BJP will be the major partner in the alliance and may fight from at least 70 seats. The saffron party wants to contest on most of the urban and semi-urban seats where at least 45% of the electorate belongs to the Hindu and dalit communities, and other backward classes, the leaders said.
With Akali stalwart Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura quitting SAD (Sanyukt) and returning to SAD last week, the BJP appears to be in no mood to give more than 8 to 10 seats to the party, the leaders added.
