Lok Sabha polls: BJP to contest 3, SAD 10 seats from Punjab

Hoshiarpur, Oct 8: The

on Tuesday said it would contest three Lok Sabha seats and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal 10 in next year's

from

.

This was the same number of seats contested by the two parties, which are sharing power in Punjab, in the last parliamentary elections in the state.

Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma, however, said the party was mulling interchanging some seats with the SAD. The number of Lok Sabha seats to be contested by the two parties would be the same -- BJP three and SAD 10 -- as in 2009 polls, he said.

"Nevertheless, the BJP may change some constituencies with the SAD," he said.

Sharma's statement assumes significance in the backdrop of BJP's three-time MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu coming out in open against the Parkash Singh Badal government on the issue of development funds for his constituency.

The BJP said it would contest three Lok Sabha seats from Punjab.

At present BJP has only one Lok Sabha MP from Punjab -- -- Sidhu from Amritsar constituency. On the upcoming Delhi elections, Sharma said the SAD and the BJP would unitedly fight the polls.

"The sharing of seats will be decided by the state units of both the parties shortly," the Punjab BJP chief said.

PTI