Haryana poll twist: SAD turns guns against ally BJP; to support INLD!

Chandigarh, April 2: In a major setback, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) left its long-time ally BJP in Haryana.

According to the Daily Mail report, SAD has joined hands with Om Prakash Chautala led- INLD to campaign against BJP.

Interestingly, BJP unit in Haryana has sealed a deal with Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) led by Kuldeep Bishnoi to topple the present government.

So, both BJP and SAD who are long term allies in the NDA have been pitted against each other in Haryana.

However, BJP has expressed its displeasure over SAD's move to support INLD.

Rambilas Sharma, the BJP state chief said that "SAD should honour the sanctity of an alliance."

In replly, SAD spokesperson and secretary Daljit Singh Cheema said that BJP should not panic as both parties' (BJP and INLD) is to throw out Congress' rule in the state, while citing "old relationship" with INLD.

Harayana, which is currently ruled by Congress with Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the state chief minister will go to assembly polls, later this year.

Drumming up support for its ally INLD in Haryana, Shiromani Akali Dal today criticised Congress-led UPA and Haryana government for not fulfilling the promises made to the people during the last elections.

Addressing a rally here in favour of INLD's Lok Sabha candidate Kusum Sherwal, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed that INLD would win all the 10 seats in Haryana and asked SAD workers in the state to support INLD in order to defeat Congress.

Referring to the close relationship between SAD and INLD, Sukhbir said after Lok Sabha elections both the parties would work unitedly in Haryana.

"Haryana progressed when Om Prakash Chautala (INLD) was the chief minister. Similarly, Punjab progressed when Prakash Singh Badal took over the rule of Punjab," he said.

Sukhbir, whose SAD is a key ally of BJP, refrained from making any attack on the saffron party, even as BJP came under sharp attack from INLD's state president Ashok Arora, who addressed the rally.

Sukhbir also campaigned for INLD candidates in Sirsa, among other places in Haryana. Both BJP and INLD, erstwhile allies, are contesting the April 10 Lok Sabha poll in Haryana independently.

OneIndia News

(With aggency inputs)