In the wake of reports of a possible break-up of SAD-BJP alliance,the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal), headed by Surjit Kaur Barnala, the wife of former Punjab chief minister Surjit Singh Barnala, is reportedly making efforts to offer itself as a substitute for the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) for an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for the next assembly elections in the state.
Meanwhile, the party president has appointed Harbans Singh Sidhwan as the spokesman of the party and former Punjab Tourism Development Corporation chairman Inderjit Singh Baghi as the organising incharge of the party for the Majha zone.
According to reliable sources, though no BJP leader has contacted the SAD (Longowal) leadership yet, the SAD (Longowal) has begun to nourish dreams of joining hands with the saffon party which has had sour relations with its coalition partner in Punjab after the SAD supported the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) instead of the BJP in the recently-concluded Haryana assembly elections.
Encourged by its victories in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP is now hopeful of performing better in other states and some party leaders are now dreaming of coming to power even without the SAD in Punjab.
The SAD (Longowal) seems to be awaiting the opportunity when the BJP leadership invites it for a new political alliance. Sources said that in case BJP snaps its ties with the SAD, the latter is most likely to go for alliance with its old political partner Bahujan Samaj Party in Punjab.
{{/usCountry}}The SAD (Longowal) seems to be awaiting the opportunity when the BJP leadership invites it for a new political alliance. Sources said that in case BJP snaps its ties with the SAD, the latter is most likely to go for alliance with its old political partner Bahujan Samaj Party in Punjab.
{{/usCountry}}However, the top leadership of the both SAD and BJP has denied the possibility of breaking up the SAD-BJP alliance claiming that their relationship is something bigger than a mere political alliance.