SAD-BSP form alliance for 2022 Punjab Assembly polls

Sukhbir S. Badal and Satish Chandra Mishra announce alliance.

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Tuesday formed an alliance to contest the 2022 Assembly election jointly. An announcement in this regard was made jointly by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra.

The BSP leader while disclosing that party president Mayawati had approved the alliance, announced both parties would strive to form the next government in the state under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Mishra also visited former chief minister and SAD Patron Parkash Singh Badal along with the BSP Punjab incharge Randhir Singh Beniwal and Punjab BSP President Jasbir Singh Garhi to take the former CM’s blessings.

Speaking on the occasion, the SAD president announced the BSP would contest 20 out of the 117 seats under its alliance with the SAD including eight seats in the Doaba region, seven in Malwa and five in Majha.

The detailed seats are Kartarpur, Jalandhar West, Jalandhar North, Phagwara, Nawansheher, Hoshiarpur, Tanda, Dasuya, Sri Chamkaur Sahib, Bassi Pathana, Mehal Kalan, Ludhiana North, Sujanpur, Bhoa, Pathankot, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Mohali, Amritsar North, Amritsar Central and Payal.

He said that a coordination committee of leaders from both parties would be formed soon to ensure seamless working in all the constituencies. Terming the alliance as historic, Sukhbir Badal said it was not limited to the 2022 assembly elections but would continue after that also.

Speaking on the occasion, Satish Chandra Mishra said, “The BSP has chosen to align with the strongest party in Punjab.” He said both parties had come together after 25 years adding the last time both parties had contested an election jointly they had swept eleven out of thirteen seats in the Lok Sabha elections of 1996. He said BSP President Mayawati wanted to come and announce the alliance herself but was not able to make it due to Covid restrictions. He also disclosed that the BSP would struggle hand in hand with the SAD to ensure the three agriculture laws were not implemented and praised former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for the bold stand taken by her by resigning from the cabinet in support of the farmers.