BJP to go solo in Punjab polls

NEW DELHI, AUG 24 (AGENCIES): The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday put speculation over an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal to rest, saying the saffron party will contest all 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh said the party was fully prepared for the polls and would form the government in Punjab.
“Punjab is fully ready for change, and the Bharatiya Janata Party is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,” Santosh said.
The statement comes days after speculation grew over a possible BJP-SAD alliance following Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also hinted at the possibility of the Akali Dal joining hands with the BJP again, while expressing a cryptic wish for “agreements” that brought progress to Punjab from Delhi.
Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also said that people in Punjab want his party to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming polls.