Delhi Assembly Elections: BJP Yet to Decide on Coalition, Seat-Sharing Formula with Old Ally SAD

Chandigarh: Will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decide to go alone in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls?

With the BJP yet to make a formal announcement on whether it would ally with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), such speculations have started doing the rounds. The SAD has already hinted at asking for more seats for the elections to the national capital.

National secretary and former Punjab BJP president Tarun Chugh said the BJP’s parliamentary board is yet to take a decision on any possible alliance.

“Parliamentary boards or core committees of all political parties take a call on such matters. Similarly, our parliamentary board will decide on whether to contest in alliance with any party or offer them our party symbol for the Delhi polls,” Chugh told News18 from Delhi, adding, “The BJP would soon open its cards.”

The BJP and SAD had contested the recent Haryana Assembly polls separately after the former denied to part with an increased number of seats for its ally, leading to soured ties.

On Monday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party will contest the Delhi elections in coalition with the BJP. He was addressing a press conference where he announced the formation of a new committee that would look into the seat-sharing deal with the BJP.

Its newly elected Delhi unit president Sardar Harmeet Singh Kalka has also given clear hints at bargaining for more seats from old ally.

The two parties had contested the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections together with SAD candidates being fielded from four seats. Two of its candidates had contesting on the BJP’s symbol.

When asked about Punjab BJP MLAs or leaders canvassing in Delhi, given the fact that 29-30 seats are dominated by Punjabis, Chugh said, “The BJP is very strong in Delhi. We recently held a programme of booth in-charges and associate in-charges in Delhi. It was attended by 35,000 party workers. Still, Punjab BJP leaders can come for campaigning. However, I think the Delhi unit is capable of uprooting the (Arvind) Kejriwal government on its own”.

“The BJP will secure over 50 per cent votes in every booth and will definitely have an absolute majority in Delhi,” he added.