BJP president Amit Shah held a meeting with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership on Thursday as part of his outreach drive. The BJP’s old ally SAD assured Shah that it remains a permanent partner of the saffron party and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“The SAD is a permanent ally of the BJP and the NDA,” SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said after the BJP chief’s meeting with top Akali Dal leaders, including party patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, in Chandigarh.
Sukhbir Badal said SAD members had discussed with Shah the strategy for the 2019 parliamentary polls. He also appealed to other BJP allies in the NDA to come together to contest next year’s general elections.
“The time has come for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. All NDA allies must come together to fight the Opposition,” the SAD chief said.
After the meeting, Shah tweeted: “It is always a delight to meet Badal Sahab. Met Shri Parkash Singh Badal ji and Sukhbir at his home in Chandigarh.” Later, Shah also held a meeting with the Punjab BJP unit to discuss election strategy for 2019.
The BJP chief was on a day-long visit to Chandigarh as part of his party’s outreach programme ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ (contact for support) ahead of the 2019 elections. On Wednesday, he met Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
Shah was also scheduled to visit 94-year-old hockey legend Balbir Singh and legendary athlete Milkha Singh at their Chandigarh homes later on Thursday.
Being the minor partner in Punjab, the BJP plays second fiddle in the state and lets SAD call the shots.