Setback For BJP, Akali Dal To Go Solo In Haryana

Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP’s alliance partner in the Centre, has announced that it will contest the Haryana assembly polls on its own. The Akali Dal is upset over its lone MLA in Haryana joining the BJP.

With days to go before the Haryana state elections, relations between the BJP and its oldest ally have SAD soured at the last minute. 

Sukhbir Singh Badal termed the BJP a violator of the ‘coalition dharma’ and said that during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had promised to fight the state elections jointly. However, now, one Akali MLA has been taken in by the BJP. An angry Akali Dal has now announced that it will contest the Haryana elections on its own.

The reason for the Akali Dal’s anger is their MLA Balkaur Singh joining the BJP. Balkaur Singh was the lone Akali Dal MLA from Haryana’s Kalanwali assembly seat. But on Thursday, he took the membership of BJP in Delhi.

The Akali Dal was already upset over getting just two seats in the Haryana assembly. Now, with their sole MLA joining BJP, relations have become more bitter than before between the two parties.

There are a large number of Sikh voters in Haryana’s Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Kalanwali assembly segments. Given this, upsetting the Akali Dal could land the BJP into trouble.