Akali Dal forges alliance with BSP
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has formed an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the Punjab Assembly elections in 2022 after breaking ties with BJP last year over the Centre’s contentious farm laws.
With the new alliance, the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party aims to fill the gap in several seats after its split with the BJP in September last year, sources say. The BSP will contest the seats earlier assigned to the BJP.
The state assembly has a total of 117 seats. While 20 seats have been allotted to the BSP, Akali Dal will contest 97 seats.
“It’s a new day in Punjab politics. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party will fight the 2022 Punjab state polls and future elections together,” Sukhbir Singh Badal said at a press conference today.
The Akali Dal and BSP are joining hands 27 years after the 1996 Lok Sabha elections when their alliance had bagged 11 out of 13 seats in Punjab. The Mayawati-led BSP had then won all three seats it had contested while the Akali Dal won eight out of 10 seats.