NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday confirmed BJP is in talks with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for a seat-sharing alliance for upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
However, he said negotiations for Akalis to return to NDA, which they had left in 2020, have not concluded yet. He was speaking at ET Now Global Business Summit.
He defended the enlistment of regional parties as allies for Lok Sabha elections.”Our ideology is the same since the days of Jan Sangh and will remain so even in future. If it suits any party, they are welcome to join us,” he said.
Shah quipped that while BJP may believe in the concept of family planning, it seeks to have an extended family when it comes to politics.
SAD talks follow JD(U) return, parleys with TDP, YSRCP, RLD
BJP and Akali Dal, which had been consistent allies both at the Centre and in Punjab since 1996, had parted on a rather sour note over the three controversial farm laws. Even after govt withdrew the farm laws in 2021, SAD did not show any inclination to return to NDA. It fought 2022 Punjab assembly polls in alliance with BSP and had won just three seats.
However, he said negotiations for Akalis to return to NDA, which they had left in 2020, have not concluded yet. He was speaking at ET Now Global Business Summit.
He defended the enlistment of regional parties as allies for Lok Sabha elections.”Our ideology is the same since the days of Jan Sangh and will remain so even in future. If it suits any party, they are welcome to join us,” he said.
Shah quipped that while BJP may believe in the concept of family planning, it seeks to have an extended family when it comes to politics.
SAD talks follow JD(U) return, parleys with TDP, YSRCP, RLD
BJP and Akali Dal, which had been consistent allies both at the Centre and in Punjab since 1996, had parted on a rather sour note over the three controversial farm laws. Even after govt withdrew the farm laws in 2021, SAD did not show any inclination to return to NDA. It fought 2022 Punjab assembly polls in alliance with BSP and had won just three seats.
Talks with Akali Dal come on heels of former Bihar ally JD(U)’s return to NDA, and coincide with reported negotiations between BJP and Andhra Pradesh’s TDP and YSR Congress Party for a pre-poll alliance. Also, announcement of Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh has sparked off speculation of Rashtriya Lok Dal switching to NDA, particularly after RLD president Jayant Singh Chaudhary thanked Modi govt for the honour and praised it for working “as per ideals of my grandfather”.
Amit Shah said BJP has always maintained the coalition dharma as it never asked any ally to leave NDA and offered CM’s post to the ally despite being a bigger partner.
