Misunderstandings cleared, SAD says will support BJP in Delhi election

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that there were some misunderstandings with the BJP, which have now been cleared.

NEW DELHI: The Punjab-based Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday announced that it will support its long-term NDA ally -  BJP – in the upcoming assembly;y election in Delhi. Making the announcement, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said, ''the alliance is not just a political one. It is bound by emotions, for peace, the future, and interests of Punjab and the country." 

''We never broke the alliance. We just decided to contest the election separately. We've been supporting CAA from the beginning. We went to Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah for granting citizenship for Sikhs who have been subjected to persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan,'' the SAD chief said.

The SAD leader further stated that ''there were some misunderstandings that have been sorted out."

BJP president JP Nadda too said that the party's alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the Delhi Assembly election is back on track. 

''The alliance of BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal is the oldest and strongest. I thank Akali Dal for supporting BJP in the Delhi elections,'' Nadda said.    

The SAD had on Monday announced that it will not contest the Delhi Assembly election after it was asked by its ally BJP to change its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Addressing a press conference, SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the BJP had earlier asked the SAD to reconsider its stand on the Act.

Sirsa asserted that SAD chief Sukhbir Badal has clarified the party's stand on the CAA, which is to include people from all religions. He added, "The BJP leadership wanted us to reconsider this stance. So, we decided to not fight these polls instead of changing our stand."

The SAD leader also added, "Shiromani Akali Dal has its principal, its stand is clear, the country will not be divided on religion and caste. The alliance of SAD with BJP has been there for a very long time but we have preferred that we will not contest the election. In three of our meetings, it has been decided that we will not change our stand on the CAA."

He also clarified the party's stand on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) saying, "Our stand is that NRC should not be brought. We want that there should be no law which makes people stand in queues and prove their credentials. This is a great nation and there is no space for communalism."

Ahead of the assembly election in Delhi, the BJP forged an alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ramvilas Paswan-led LJP with an offer of a couple of seats each to them.