Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati called the alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal for 2022 Punjab Assembly polls a “new political and social beginning” terming it a “historic step”.

Although every section of the society in Punjab is suffering from poverty, corruption and unemployment etc. under the rule of Congress rule, Dalits, farmers, youth and women are worse hit, said the BSP chief and stressed that it is very important to make this alliance a success.

She further appealed to the people of Punjab to give their full support to this historic alliance.

We will soon invite you to visit Punjab: Parkash Singh Badal to Mayawati

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal dialled the former Uttar Pradesh CM to congratulate her on the SAD-BSP alliance.

“We will soon invite you to visit Punjab,” Badal told Mayawati.

Parkash Singh Badal described the formation of the SAD-BSP alliance as “the beginning of a secular, federal democratic revolution in the state and the country for a total socio-economic and political revamp of the polity.”

The alliance will ensure the welfare of all Punjabis, especially those who come from the exploited segments of society including farmers, farm labourers, Dalits, unemployed youth, small and medium traders and entrepreneurs.

BSP to contest on 20 seats 

The Akali stalwart further said that peace and communal harmony will be the top priority for the alliance.

While the BSP will fight 20 of the 117 Assembly seats in Punjab, SAD will contest on rest of the seats.

Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that the BSP will contest seven seats in Malwa, five in Majha and eight in the Doaba region of Punjab.

Both the parties have come together after a gap of 25 years.

The SAD-BSP alliance contested the 1996 Lok Sabha polls together winning 11 out of 13 seats in the state.