Chandigarh: In what may not go down well with Shiromani Akali Dal's ally BJP, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tueday said that the INLD-SAD alliance would form the next government in Haryana. "We (SAD-INLD) will form the next government in Haryana," Badal, who is also SAD President, said.
He, however, clarified that SAD's fight is with Congress and not BJP. "We will work to oust the corrupt Congress regime from Haryana politics," he said on the sidelines of oath taking by newly elected Akali MLA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.
Badal said that SAD's ties with INLD were decades old and would continue. Besides, the Badals and the Chautalas share close family ties. Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala's INLD, which is the state's main Opposition party, has declared 86-year-old Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as the star campaigner for the Assembly polls.
But, the Haryana unit of BJP has asked its central leadership to keep Parkash Singh Badal away from campaigning in favour of the Indian National Lok Dal. Sukhbir Badal said SAD would announce its two candidates for the Ambala and Kolianwali Assembly constituencies in the next two days. Barring these two seats, INLD is fighting all the 90 Assembly seats.
SAD leaders including the Badals had actively campaigned for INLD candidates in Haryana in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. To a question, Sukhbir Badal told reporters that SAD's ties with the BJP in Punjab were permanent and not open to any speculation or conjecture.
He announced that the alliance would fight the forthcoming civic polls in Punjab together as per its traditional seat sharing formula. With Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu having recently switched over from Congress and later contested as SAD candidate for Talwandi Sabo bypoll, Sukhbir Badal claimed "five more MLAs were ready to join Akali Dal and the party is examining their requests as well as looking for appropriate time to induct them into the SAD fold."
Talking about the recently revamped party structure, Badal said that important responsibilities have been assigned to leaders of the Hindu community as well as other communities in the organisational structure of the SAD.
On reasons behind the proposed move to appoint four Youth Akali Dal presidents in Punjab, Badal said this would ensure more connectivity of the party with the masses at the grassroots level.
To a question about allegations of horse-trading leveled by AAP in Delhi, Badal said, "AAP is a group of frustrated persons and their chief (convenor) Arvind Kejriwal has openly admitted that he made a mistake by resigning as chief minister of Delhi." He said that the BJP-SAD was all set to form a people-friendly government in Delhi "to fulfill the demands of the people."
Sukhbir Badal also said that the Modi government has cleared road projects worth Rs 8,000 crore in 100 days "which were pending under UPA rule for the last three years". On the demand for special economic package by the Punjab government, Badal said, "We are demanding only our right as Punjab has fought the nation's war against terrorism and paid a heavy price of Rs 2,500 crore for this. Besides, keeping in view food grain contribution of Punjab in national kitty, the Union Government should announce an economic package for the state."
Earlier, Punjab Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly elected SAD MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.
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