CHANDIGARH: For the first time the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will follow ‘one family, one ticket’ rule while picking candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, party leaders said.
“Only one person from the Badal family will contest polls. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, sitting MP from Bathinda, is likely to contest. Her husband Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party president and also MP from Ferozepur, is not likely to contest,” a party leader said.
Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP is in negotiations with its former partner SAD for an alliance in Punjab.
Speaking at a conclave hosted by a private news channel on Wednesday, Shah said, “Negotiations with Akali Dal are going on. During the negotiations, sometimes they come with an offer and sometimes we give them the offer. We want all old NDA allies to join us. However at the same time, the interest of party workers is to be ensured by getting adequate share in seats. Things will be clear in two to three days.’’
Sources in SAD said the bone of contention between the two parties has been the issue of release of Sikh political prisoners (Bandi Singhs) and farmers’ demands. SAD wants assurance from the BJP on these issues.
“The core committee meeting of the party will be held on Friday where a decision is expected as many of the party leaders are in favour of the alliance but want commitment from the saffron party on these issues,” a party leader said.
Sukhbir is expected to be in Delhi on March 23 after taking a four-day break from the ongoing Punjab Bachao Yatra, party leaders said.
Sources in both the parties said negotiations have reached final stages and seat-sharing agreement is being worked out. BJP wants six seats (Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib and Gurdaspur) but SAD wants to give them five seats out of the 13 in Punjab, the sources said.