After days of parleys with the Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP on Tuesday announced its decision to go it alone in the June 1 Punjab Lok Sabha elections. Making the announcement on Tuesday, BJP Punjab president Sunil Jakhar said the BJP had decided to contest Punjab elections alone.
“We took this call after wide consultations with the people, party leaders and workers. The decision is aimed at a bright future of Punjab’s youth, farmers, traders, backward classes. The works done for Punjab under prime minister Narendra Modi’s leadership are evident. In the last ten years every grain of produce by Punjab farmers has been procured and fair MSP sent to the bank accounts of farmers within a week,” said Jakhar.
He added that the centuries old old unrealised dream of the Sikhs to visit the Kartarpur shrine across the border was made possible by the opening of the Kartarpur corridor under PM Modi’s leadership. “The decision has been take in the interest of a safe and secure border state of Punjab and I am sure people will support the BJP in the June 1 election,” said Jakhar.
The alliance talks are learnt to have failed on a range of issues mainly the Akali Dal insistence on a larger share of Lok Sabha seats. The BJP was seeking five of the 13 segments and preferably six. The Akali were comfortable giving four, sources said adding that even the electoral situation signalled that it was better for the BJP to go alone.
The BJP believes Ram Mandir consecration and PM’s pro development pitch may generate greater support for the saffron party this time. The Akalis meanwhile were also learnt to be wary of the alliance in the wake of farmers’ agitation. Akali Dal was also very keen on the resolution of Bandi Sikh Panthic agenda as part of the pre poll deal.
This will be the first LS poll since 1998 which the BJP and SAD will contest alone. In the first assembly poll they fought separately both suffered jolts with BJP winning two and Akalis 3 seats out of 117 and AAP sweeping with 92. As reported by The Tribune earlier the BJP has already up a panel of probables for all 13 seats in the state.
These include Preneet Kaur from Patiala, Avinash Rai Khanna from Anandpur Sahib, Sunil Jakhar from Ludhiana or Ferozepur; Rana Sodhi from Ferozepur in which case Jakhar can be shifted to Ludhiana; Manpreet Badal Bathinda; Taranjit Sandhu Amritsar, Som Prakash Hoshiarpur, Ashwani Sharma Gurdaspur and local leaders from Khadoor Saheb and Faridkot.
Former Akali Dal leader and current BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: “The party has decided that we will contest all 13 seats on our own. We want to remain in direct contact with the people of Punjab. We are sure, PM Modi will win in Punjab also.”
