Lok Sabha elections: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to go solo in Punjab, state chief Sunil Jakhar announced on Tuesday. Earlier there were reports that the BJP may forge an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Lok Sabha elections will be held in a single phase in Punjab on June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4.
SAD, which was a former alliance partner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had walked out of the alliance in 2020 in protest over the now-scrapped farm laws.
What Jhakar said
"The BJP is going to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone in Punjab," Jakhar said on X. He said this decision was taken by the BJP following feedback from people and party workers. "The works done by the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not hidden from anyone," Jakhar said. The BJP leader also added that in the last 10 years, produce of farmers was procured at minimum support price.
Responding to BJP chief Sunil Jakhar's statement on the party going solo in the state for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said, "Personal affiliations are one thing, alliance is something else. If Shiromani Akali Dal forged an alliance, even in the past, it was done on the issues of Punjab and for the peace and harmony in Punjab. Today too, we have a few issues."
"Those are issues of Punjab and issues of 'Panth'...Shiromani Akali Dal core committee had made it very clear that if any party wants to talk over these issues, we might think of an alliance only after those issues are addressed. Shiromani Akali Dal is a regional party. We talk about Punjab. Others are national parties and they have to talk about the country. Unless the Shiromani Akali Dal talks about issues of Punjab, it can't forge any alliance with any party that doesn't speak about our people..," he added.
