CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has stressed that his party remains a permanent ally of the BJP, and urged other alliance partners too to stand together ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to the press after his meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, he said there is no conflict between his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said SAD members discussed strategy for the upcoming 2019 parliamentary polls with Shah at the meeting, which was part of the BJP's “sampark for samarthan” exercise.
Badal said his party wanted to appeal to all NDA allies to come together for the polls. “The battle is just over six months away. Whatever differences may there be, we should forget those and make one plan,” he said. Sources in SAD said the two parties have decided to form a six-member committee in connection with the 2019 polls. The panel will also take the development work by the NDA government to the people.
Regarding seat sharing between the two parties next year, Badal said, “We will form an internal committee which will discuss that.” BJP leader Tarun Chugh said, “Both parties are old and permanent allies. Badal senior is our idol and under his leadership we are moving ahead in Punjab. The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere.” He said members of both parties appreciated the development undertaken during the four years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Another senior BJP leader Avinash Rai Khanna said, “The meeting ended with determination that we have to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.” He said there are no differences between the two allies and both are working strongly together.
