Thaindian News

Chandigarh, Aug 30 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha Monday said the alliance between his party and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab was solid and unbreakable.
“I want to tell you that the alliance will continue. There is no misunderstanding between both sides,” Sinha, newly-appointed as the BJP in-charge for Punjab, told reporters here.

Sinha was addressing the media at the official residence of BJP minister in the Punjab government, Manoranjan Kalia, who had last week once again raised the issue of “differences” between the Akali Dal and BJP over state-level issues.

“Akali Dal is continuously ignoring us while taking decisions on pertinent matters, including many developmental projects that were started in the state. The constituencies and areas ruled by BJP are being ignored,” Kalia, Punjab’s local government and industries minister, had told reporters last week.

He added: “There is difference in allocation of money meant for development purposes. We had also taken up this matter with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.”

But Sinha Monday clarified that there were no serious differences between the two alliance partners.

“Our alliance is a natural one and has been there for a number of years. It will continue for years to come. We are in the government (with the Akali Dal) because we have a responsibility towards the people of Punjab,” Sinha said.

The Akali Dal and BJP have been running an alliance government in Punjab since March 2007.

Differences have cropped up between both sides from time to time but they have been sorted out by BJP’s central leadership.

The Akali Dal has no clear mandate in the assembly to stay in power in Punjab and has to bank on the BJP, which has 19 legislators in the 117-member assembly, to remain in power.