India Elections: SAD & BJP Go Solo in Panjab

On 26 Mar, BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar announced, ‘BJP will fight the general elections solo in Panjab, there is no alliance with SAD.’ SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said, ‘Personal affiliations are one thing, alliance is something else. If we forged an alliance in the past, it was on the issues of Panjab and for the peace and harmony in Panjab. Today too, we have a few issues of Panjab and issues of Panth (Sikh Collective). We are a regional party. We talk about Panjab.’ President of SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal said the issues are the release of Sikh political prisoners and the transfer of Chandigarh to Panjab, in addition to the farmers’ issues. On 28 Mar, during his Panjab Bachao Yatra (Save Panjab Campaign), Badal accused BJP of grabbing the management of Sikh religious places in Haryana and Maharashtra. He attacked INC over ‘Operation Blue Star’ and the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide, and AAP over splurging on advertisements. It is clear that SAD is trying to recover its lost moral ground and appeal to Sikh and farmer voters. BJP has announced its candidates for six seats in Panjab. From Amritsar they are fielding former Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. From Ludhiana, recent INC defector Ravneet Singh Bittu. From Jalandhar, earlier INC and now AAP defector Sushil Kumar Rinku. From Patiala, INC defector Preneet Kaur. Hans Raj Hans — North West Delhi MP in the outgoing 17th Lok Sabha — has been fielded from Faridkot. From Gurdaspur, Sunny Deol has been dropped in favor of Dinesh Singh Babbu. Three of six are turncoats.