New Delhi: Amid speculation that BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal will join hands again following the Centre's decision to repeal the farm laws, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said there was no question of aligning with the saffron party and they would contest the Punjab election with BSP.
"Our alliance with BSP is very strong. We will stay with BSP. We have no intention of joining hands with BJP," Sukhbir Badal said. The remarks came after BJP said there was no harm in forming an alliance with the Akali Dal. However, BJP said that Akali Dal would have to accept its conditions if it was ready to reconcile.
When asked on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's promises ahead of Punjab polls, Badal said the AAP chief should implement these in Delhi first.
"Kejriwal must prove his sincerity by first implementing the promises he's making in Punjab in his own state, otherwise, Punjabis will not believe him. Why has he not given an allowance to women, 300 units of free power and also regularised jobs in Delhi," Badal said.
BJP, SAD Parted Ways Over Farm Laws Last Year
SAD left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last year amid widespread protests over the farm laws. SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP. Days before severing ties with BJP, Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned as the Union Minister for Food Processing.
The BJP is likely to join hands with Captain Amarinder Singh's newly floated party Punjab Lok Congress. Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab Chief Minister in September, and left the ruling Congress earlier this month.
In 2017 Punjab polls, the Congress returned to power by bagging 77 seats in the 117-member assembly. The SAD-BJP combine, which was in power at the time, won only 18 seats.