Notwithstanding chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's appeal to SAD-BJP leaders and workers against giving statements on the issue of office-bearers of the newly elected civic bodies, Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma announced on Saturday that the mayor of Amritsar would be from his party and there was "no doubt about it".
Sharma went to the extent of saying that the BJP's standing had not changed since 1997 when its alliance with the SAD came into being.
Responding to Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma's demand for electing a Sikh councillor from the SAD as the Amritsar mayor, Sharma had said, "Anyone can say anything, but there is no special scenario to elect an SAD councillor as the mayor."
After Badal's statement that all decisions in this regard would be taken amicably by the two parties, the SAD seems to have softened its stand, but the BJP is still maintaining a tough posture.
The SAD had staked claim to the Amritsar mayor's post, to which the BJP raised an objection. The Akalis then issued a statement, saying the issue would be discussed in a joint meeting of SAD-BJP leaders after SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal returns from his foreign trip.