Phagwara, August 29
The first joint SAD-BSP rally, after the recent alliance ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections, turned out to be a show of bonhomie, with the two announcing BSP state president Jasvir Singh Garhi as their candidate from Phagwara.
Addressing the ‘Alakh Jagao’ rally, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal touted the alliance as the champion of the ‘gareeb, kisan, mazdoor’.
Addressing the BSP supremo as “Behen” Mayawati, Sukhbir said: “The SAD and BSP were last together in 1956. It was Parkash Singh Badal’s dream to see the alliance again. When I conveyed this to Behen Mayawati, she said ‘just consider our alliance forged’. I thought she would think over, but her response was immediate.”
“I once conveyed to her there were just a few Akali MPs in the Lok Sabha, and if the BSP MPs could support us. The very next day, all 14 BSP MPs stood with us in the House. They told me ‘Behen-ji has ordered us. Whatever you do, we are with you’. They stood with us in the House and in the farm agitation. These is what true relations are about,” he said.
Taking a jibe at the Congress, Sukhbir said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had fooled people by taking “false oath” on ‘gutka sahib’. He reiterated the 13-point agenda of the SAD-BSP alliance that would be implemented once their government was formed.
Huge flex boards featuring Dr BR Ambedakar were put up all over the venue. Each speech started with twin chants of ‘Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat’ and traditional Sikh greetings. — TNS
Show of bonhomie at SAD-BSP rally
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