Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday entered pre poll alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab for the forthcoming assembly elections. The national general secretary of BSP, Satish Chandra Mishra and Sukhbir Badal of Akali Dal issued a joint statement in this regard. BSP had been in alliance with Akali Dal in Punjab 25 years before. However, for the last many elections BSP had contested Punjab assembly polls on its own.
Recently the decades old alliance of Akali Dal and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was broken on the issue of farmers protest over agriculture bills. After break up of Akali-BJP, alliance both had separately contested local bodies’ election in Punjab early this year and suffered humiliating defeat. Both Akali Dal and BSP were looking for partner to counter ruling congress in the forthcoming assembly elections in Punjab.
BSP general secretary while making this announcement said that of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab Akali Dal would contest on 97 while his party on 20. He said that BSP supremo Mayawati would campaign in the entire state to ensure victory of alliance candidates. It may be mentioned that BSP founder Late Kanshiram hailed from Punjab and had contested parliament elections from there. Other than U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra BSP has a base of workers in Punjab. BSP had earlier won few seats in the Punjab assembly.
Soon after the announcement of BSP-SAD Alliance, Mayawati tweeted saying that entire Punjab is reeling under corruption, poverty and unemployment under the congress regime. The alliance will put an end to the woes of people of Punjab.
According to BSP leaders very soon the party would announce the name of its probable candidates for 20 seats in Punjab. The party would adopt a U.P. like strategy of appointing assembly seat wise coordinators in Punjab also. The party will start series of workers conventions in all the districts of Punjab very soon that would be addressed by Mayawati.
