BJP's oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal quits NDA over farm Bills
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal has quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the farm Bills issue, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced Saturday night.
He made the announcement after holding a core committee meeting of the party here.
The highest decision-making body of the Shiromani Akali Dal core committee at its emergency meeting here tonight decided unanimously to pull out of the BJP -led NDA alliance, he said.
According to a party statement issued here, he said the decision to quit the NDA was taken because of the Centre's stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues like excluding Punjabi language as official language in Jammu and Kashmir.
The SAD becomes the third major NDA ally to pull out of the grouping after the Shiv Sena and the TDP.
Badal said the SAD will continue to stand by its core principles of peace, communal harmony and guard the interest of Punjab and Punjabi in general, and Sikhs and farmers in particular.
He said the decision has been taken in consultation with the people of Punjab, especially party workers and farmers.
Badal said the Bills on agricultural marketing brought by the BJP-led government are lethal and disastrous for the already beleaguered farmers.
He said the SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP, but the government did not listen to it in honouring the sentiments of farmers.
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Chirag Paswan reportedly demands 36 seats, BJP offers 22 amid seat-sharing talks
Bihar elections 2025
Patna: As the countdown to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections officially begins with the notification for the first phase issued on Friday, political maneuvering has intensified within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The spotlight is currently on Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who is demanding 36 seats, even as the BJP has so far offered only 22, The New Indian Express quoted its sources as saying.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened a meeting of senior JD(U) leaders at his official residence, 1 Anne Marg, to finalise the list of candidates. Meanwhile, LJP chief Paswan called an emergency meeting of his party’s core team at the state office to discuss seat distribution and election preparedness.
While Paswan is reportedly pressing for 36 seats, the BJP is hesitant to concede beyond 22. A final decision is expected only after the LJP's central parliamentary board convenes in the national capital.
The JD(U), on its part, is reportedly firm on retaining constituencies held by its sitting MLAs. Chirag Paswan’s party reportedly wants to contest seats like Manhar in Vaishali, Matihani in Begusarai, and Chakai in Jamui, which are presently represented by JD(U) legislators.
On the opposition front, Congress, a major ally of the opposition INDIA bloc, has moved ahead with candidate selection, clearing 25 names for seats largely seen as traditional party bastions. The list was finalised during a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Bihar will vote in two phases, on November 6 and 11, to elect a new Assembly, with counting on November 14.
