For the sake of stability of country the alliance was important, say Punjab NDA leaders

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 24

The BJP will contest 65 seats, Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress 37 seats and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led outfit 15 seats, BJP president JP Nadda on Monday said, announcing the seat sharing formula for the upcoming elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly.

Nadda said there may be a couple of changes here and there of candidates and other factors. 

The BJP is contesting Punjab elections in alliance with Punjab Lok Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sankyukt), the breakaway faction of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Nadda said the alliance is not just meant for change in power in the border state but also security of future generations. Noting that Punjab shares a 600 km border with Pakistan, Nadda emphasised that the alliance had been made to “save” the key border state.

Similar statements were also made by Amarinder Singh, who pointed to use of drones dropping ammunition and other security threats to the state.

“The purpose of these operations was to weaponise the state and carry out nefarious activities in collusion with Pakistan,” he said. 

“I even asked Navjot Singh Sidhu, what are you doing going around hugging (leaders of Pakistan),” he said, adding that Punjab needs infrastructure and finance flow for progress that can only happen with an NDA alliance. 

“I removed Sidhu because he was totally incompetent and useless,” he said. 

Singh also claimed to have received a request from Pakistan that “Sidhu should be taken and in case he is found incompetent he should be removed”.