Before polls, Akali, BJP alliance reach rough patch

The alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP has run into a rough patch before the Punjab Assembly polls.

The alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP has run into a rough patch before the Punjab Assembly polls. The reason being the division of seats. The Akalis want BJP to scale down its demand from the 23 of the total 117 seats, which it contested last time. The BJP has, on the other hand, pitched its demand higher, at some 30-odd seats.

Sources in the BJP said today that 15 seats have been already allotted to the party during the two rounds of discussions held by the joint co-ordination committee of the two parties, of which BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, Akali Dal secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and general secretary Sukhbir Singh Badal are members.

Provoked by statements of some BJP leaders claiming an undisturbed party-share, Dhindsa said the Akalis would henceforth talk only to the BJP Central leadership. When reached for comments, BJP president Rajnath Singh discounted reports of a deadlock. He told The Indian Express, 8220;Badal Sahib Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal is a staunch party ally and I am sure, there would be no problem about seats.8221; When asked if he would intervene in the matter, the BJP president said, 8220;No, it is being handled by Jaitley, who is in charge of Punjab.8221;

A senior Akali leader said, 8220;the BJP is obsessed with numbers8217;8217;. He said the Akalis would not mind considering allocating even a higher number of seats to the BJP provided it is able to pin-point the constituencies where its candidates can win.8221;

Though Badal continues to be aligned to BJP, he is known to nurse some grouses against the party. One is, a supposedly inadequate support from the party when Chief Minister Amarinder Singh targeted him. Two, the BJP leadership cold-shouldered his plea that the party join hands with his old friend and ally, Om Prakash Chautala8217;s Indian National Lok Dal during the Lok Sabha and the Haryana Assembly polls. Put off by BJP decision to dump Chautala, Badal supported Chautala8217;s nominees in Haryana and Chandigarh and declared that his alliance with BJP was confined to Punjab.