Badal to meet BJP leaders on seat sharing

Patiala, Nov 19 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal will hold consultations with the national leadership of the BJP on seat sharing for the assembly elections in Punjab to be held in February next year.

These discussions are to be held in New Delhi after the elections of the office bearers of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) scheduled to be held on November 25 at Amritsar, SAD general secretary Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said today.

Denying reports of having estranged relations with its alliance partner, Mr Dhindsa said SAD had been enjoying cordial relations with the BJP. The seat sharing issue will be sorted out by Mr Badal when he meets the BJP leadership, he added.

Meanwhile, Akali sources here said that the BJP was likely to be offered 23 seats out of the 117 seats, the same number that it contested in alliance with the SAD in the last assembly elections.

The BJP, however, is demanding a higher number of seats.

Refusing to give details about seat sharing with the BJP, Mr Dhindsa said his party wanted that seats should be allotted to candidates who can win the elections.

Senior SAD (Badal) leaders are also in touch with the SAD (Longowal) chief Prem Singh Chandumajra and have offered two seats to him. Sources said SAD will give Rajpura and Dirba assembly seats to Mr Chandumajra if his party joins SAD (Badal).

Mr Chandumajra, when contacted, denied that any leader from SAD (Badal) was in touch with him. '' However, if anyone approaches me, we will discuss the matter at our party forum'', he added.

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