CHANDIGARH: One former ally back in the NDA fold, and another one appears on the way. After Nitish’s failed rendezvous with the INDIA bloc, the Shiromani Akali Dal is ready to retrace its steps towards the former ally BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The SAD parted ways with the BJP in 2020 following the farm agitation. SAD is currently in alliance with Mayawati’s BSP and contested the 2022 assembly polls. The alliance managed to win only three seats in the 117-member assembly.Sources said that SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is likely to meet the top saffron party leaders. Sukhbir is expected to be in Delhi on February 12 and 13. The SAD chief has reportedly held two meetings with BJP leaders a few days back — one in Delhi and another in Uttarakhand. In the Delhi meeting, Sukhbir was accompanied by former party Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Dhindsa left SAD and formed his party Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).BJP’s national general secretary BL Santosh was in Chandigarh on Friday and held talks with his party’s cadre. The alliance issue was reportedly discussed. It is learnt that the BJP wants to contest six seats out of the total 13 in Punjab, but SAD is seeking more seat share.
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