Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has arrived at an “understanding” with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to split the Aam Aadmi Party into a separate state unit after the conclusion of the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections, like Eknath Shinde did to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Saturday (May 11). His remarks came while addressing rallies at Sunam and Dhuri for the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sangrur candidate Iqbal Singh Jhundan.
"Bhagwant Mann has compromised with the BJP as he felt he would also be arrested like his boss (Arvind) Kejriwal because he had also perpetrated the same liquor scam as done by AAP in Delhi. This understanding has saved him from arrest," Badal alleged.
Shinde had rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray along with the MLAs supporting him in 2022 and toppled the Maharashtra government. He later became the chief minister in alliance with the BJP.
The Election Commission of India has since recognised the Shinde faction as officially representing the Shiv Sena while the Thackeray-led faction has been using the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) name. The Shiromani Akali Dal chief also said that no Delhi-based party can be trusted with votes in Punjab.
Mann opened channels with BJP and Congress: Badal
"Bhagwant Mann has opened channels with both the BJP and the Congress to hedge his bet. While he has an informal understanding with the BJP, he has also aligned with the Congress in Punjab and is putting up a friendly fight in most constituencies," Badal said.
He cited how AAP is contesting against the Congress in Punjab but Mann has been campaigning for the grand old party in Chandigarh and Haryana. AAP and the Congress are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. While the two parties are contesting the Lok Sabha elections independently in Punjab, they have an alliance in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh.
(With PTI inputs)
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