SAD split on support to BJP candidate
Fissures appeared in Shiromani Akali Dal on issue of supporting its NDA ally in Chandigarh.
Fissures are appearing in the Shiromani Akali Dal over the issue of supporting its NDA ally the BJP for Chandigarh parliamentary constituency, which goes to polls on May 10.
President of SAD's Chandigarh unit Gurpratap Singh Riar at a press conference here on Saturday announced his party's support for INLD candidate Harmohan Dhawan.
However, SAD's senior party leaders Harjinder Kaur and NS Minhas on Sunday said that the party would support BJP's Satya Pal Jain.
They alleged that Riar had the reputation of twisting his statements and changing his stance.
While Riar had claimed that a seven-member committee of the local unit had met SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal in Ludhiana on April 29 and had been given the green signal from him to declare support to Dhawan, on the other hand Kaur and Minhas said SAD secretary Daljit Singh Cheema had issued a signed fax copy from Jalandhar stating his party was with Jain.
"There is no deviation in our stand in Chandigarh as far as our alliance with BJP is concerned. Badal has categorically stated on several occasions that SAD is committed to defeating Congress the Congress and ensuring smooth return of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Cheema said in the statement, which was released to mediapersons here on Sunday.