BJP rules out Akali Dal alliance in Punjab, says any tie-up must be on equal terms
Hardeep Singh Puri said the BJP will not ally with the Shiromani Akali Dal at present. He signalled any future pact would require equal seat-sharing as the party pushes its Punjab agenda.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said the BJP will not enter into an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, while adding that if the two parties do come together in future, the seat-sharing arrangement would have to be on equal terms. He said the party leadership takes the final call on any alliance.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Puri also said the BJP would leave no stone unturned to eradicate the drug menace in Punjab and that the Centre was working on a war footing to create job opportunities for unemployed youth in the state. He later met businessmen, entrepreneurs, professionals and traders, and said their concerns would be taken up with the ministries concerned on a priority basis.
Replying to a question, Puri said the 22-seat formula of the former allies would no longer work and that the BJP would not play the role of a junior partner.
The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas was in Amritsar to take part in the 20th edition of the Rozgar Mela. Before attending the event, he paid obeisance at the Golden Temple.
Later, at a meeting organised by BJP district president Salil Kapoor, local businessmen and industrialists told the minister about major problems and challenges facing the city's business sector. They raised several issues, including the need for better infrastructure and for linking local industries with Central government schemes.
The businessmen said Amritsar had immense business potential because of its proximity to an international border and sought special cooperation from the Centre to help realise it. Puri said he would try to find solutions to their issues at the earliest.
He said Amritsar was not only the religious and cultural capital of Punjab but also a major business centre. The Central government, he said, was fully committed to empowering local industries and creating a business-friendly environment in the region.
Puri also said that despite an "upheaval" in the global situation in recent months, the Modi government did not allow petroleum product prices to rise, even as they went up sharply in countries such as Canada and America.
Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, he said Punjab had reached a "bad situation" because of the "misrule" of Bhagwant Mann. "People are feeling insecure. Police, whose job is to protect the public, are themselves feeling insecure," he said, alleging that policemen and police stations were being attacked by criminals.
Puri said the BJP would work to tackle drugs, address business concerns and expand job opportunities in Punjab, while maintaining that any future alliance with the Akali Dal could only be on equal terms. He also said that with people's support, a BJP "double engine" government would be formed in Punjab in 2027.