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Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 23
SAD (Taksali) president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura today said talks with AAP were still on and they were hopeful that the party would join the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) in the interest of Punjab ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to the mediapersons here, Brahmpura admitted that AAP leader Bhagwant Mann had expressed his reservations on joining the PDA due to the fact that Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira was a part of it. “Like Khaira, the AAP leadership should also show magnanimity and join the alliance to ensure that the opposition’s vote doesn’t get divided,” he said.
Brahmpura hit out at the SAD chief Sukhbir Badal for his remark regarding the former’s alleged links with the Congress. He said: “I challenge Sukhbir to appear before Akal Takht along with his family and so will I. His statement reflects the frustration in the Akali Dal as they don’t have any issue against us. I have been an Akali for more than 60 years during which I always led from the front and even went to jail while being part of different morchas. I can never think of having any links with the Congress.”
Party leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan alleged that the Badals were hand in glove with the family of Capt Amarinder Singh.
Brahmpura said they would also contest the SGPC and Assembly elections. Brahmpura targeted both the Congress as well as the SAD, blaming them for ruining the state. Later, the SAD (Taksali) leaders met former Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh who extended full support to them.
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana January 23
Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) Simarjit Singh Bains today claimed that AAP had no place in the Punjab Democratic Alliance. Bains, who held a meeting with the district presidents of the LIP, claimed that so far the alliance consisted of Sukhpal Khaira’s Punjabi Ekta Party, Lok Insaaf Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, AAP rebel Dharamvir Gandhi and Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali).
Bains said in the PDA meeting yesterday, he had told the other leaders that being a primary and founder member of the PDA, he would not tolerate the inclusion of AAP into the alliance due to its convener Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to former SAD minister Bikram Majithia.
Kejriwal spoke against Majithia in rallies saying that he would put him in jail on coming to power. Later, he apologised to him, which showed his double standards, Bains alleged.
‘Cong bid to weaken SAD’
Bathinda: Former CM Parkash Singh Badal alleged that the Congress had always tried to weaken the SAD by supporting splinter groups, but never succeeded. He said: “We all are Taksali Akalis. The Akali Dal has a glorious history and the people know the difference between the real and the fake.”
Talks on with sad (taksali), BSP: Mann
Chandigarh: AAP state convener Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said there was no issue in joining hands with any political outfit to defeat the SAD-BJP and the Congress. In a statement, Mann said all possibilities of an alliance were being explored so that it could put up a united face on the issues concerning the state and showing traditional parties the door. Mann said efforts were afoot to forge an alliance with the
SAD (Taksali) and BSP. tns
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