Haryana polls: BJP turns down alliance with SAD

The Haryana unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has refused to enter into an alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — one of its oldest allies — in the state for the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections.

It has also inducted Balkaur Singh, its lone sitting MLA from Kalanwali, in the party.

Upset over the development, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal lashed out at the Haryana BJP, terming its acts as being against the maryada (dignity) of their alliance in Punjab and at the Centre.

Balkaur Singh joined the BJP in New Delhi on Thursday and praised Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for providing an "honest" government in the state.

Sources revealed that the talks between the BJP and SAD over seat sharing failed to mature after several sittings. Haryana BJP offered two seats to the SAD, which was was seeking 20-25 seats.

The SAD finally decided to go it alone in Haryana Vidhan Sabha poll.

Political pundits are of the opinion that the BJP has started flexing its muscle against the SAD and the next Vidhan Sabha elections may have an adverse effect on their strained relations. The SAD has already started losing its roots in Punjab with several members of its old guards quitting the party in the past over two years, they pointed out.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, however, said that their alliance with the BJP was intact in Punjab and at the Centre.

Asked if there would be any impact on SAD’s alliance with the BJP in the next Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, Sukhbir said, “We did not have any alliance (with BJP) in Haryana earlier. But there was a commitment with us as we are their old ally. The Punjab unit of the BJP has already been demanding more seats to contest in Punjab.”

"What they (Haryana BJP) have done is strongly condemnable, especially with a party which has stood by it all the time," he added.

SAD had earlier contested Haryana assembly polls in alliance with Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

Anticipating bleak chances of revival for INLD after its split, SAD had, however, broken the alliance with it and tried to stitch one with the ruling BJP a couple of days ago.

This decision was taken by SAD’s Core Committee chaired by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Chandigarh.

The SAD and INLD have had strong a bonding for the past couple of decades and the SAD chief patron and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and INLD supremo and former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala have been giving preference for family ties over political ones. The SAD had been contesting elections in alliance with the INLD till 2004 in Haryana. The SAD won one seat in 2005, 2009 and 2014 in Haryana.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal addressed election rallies in favour of INLD candidates in Haryana despite objections from the Haryana unit of BJP and its alliance partner in the state, Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC).

Interestingly, with the split in the INLD following a family feud in the Chautala family, the SAD shifted its loyalty towards the BJP, a political partner of the party in the NDA and Punjab. This clearly indicates that ‘political power’ is of more preference for the Badals than family ties.

The state BJP, which saw a major influx of seasoned political leaders from INLD and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the past four years, is trying to control the situation as most of them are seeking party tickets. Sources in the party revealed that the BJP may drop nearly six to seven incumbent MLAs in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections following a survey conducted to access their performance.

This may see some of turncoats to be accommodated in the forthcoming polls, party insiders said.