Shiromani Akali Dal Reuniting With BJP-led NDA For LS Polls? Sukhbir Badal Reacts

Amid the speculations of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) joining the BJP-led NDA, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said he is “currently doing ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra'”.

Upon being asked about whether an alliance with BJP is on the cards, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal avoided a straight answer and slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the state saying it ruined Punjab.

“I am currently doing ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’, our alliance is with BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party)…They (Congress and AAP) are thieves and have ruined Punjab…” Badal said.

Talks about a possible SAD-BJP alliance surfaced after Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said, “We always welcome new allies.”

Shah, while speaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024, was asked about the possibility of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), headed by Jayant Singh, SAD and other regional parties joining the NDA, to which he said, “We believe in family planning (in general) but not in politics. We always want our alliance to grow and we always welcome new allies. Our ideology has remained the same since the days of Jan Sangh. Those who like to join us can come.”

On the other hand, Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa reacted to the reports of an alliance between SAD and BJP and said, “BJP can form an alliance with anyone. It’s nothing new. But first, (Shiromani Akali Dal president) Sukhbir Singh Badal should answer whether this alliance is for the benefit of Punjab, the Akali Dal, or the Badal family.”