Presidential polls: SAD to go along with NDA

DASUYA (HOSHIARPUR): Patron of Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD) and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said his party being a major constituent of BJP-led NDA would go all along with its alliance partners on the issue of coming Presidential elections.

Talking to mediapersons here Badal said that as a key ally of NDA, SAD was committed to supporting the line of action proposed by the alliance.

On a query regarding support to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee whose name has been making the rounds as the likely Presidential candidate of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), he said all NDA constituents would join their heads to decide their stand over the matter in the coming days.

"It's the alliance which will decide its stand over the issue for which a meeting of its major constituents will be convened in coming days," added Badal.

To a question about pressure being exerted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to get a debt relief package from the Centre for her state, Badal said the Centre was "duty- bound to bail out the debt-stressed states in general and Punjab in particular as the state has incurred huge loss due to nation's war against terrorism".

He said the union government must disburse the central grants in proportion to the share of taxes collected from the states as it would provide the required fillip for the development of the states.

Replying to another query, Badal said the candidate for Dasuya assembly segment, which fell vacant due to the death of Amarijit Singh Sahi recently, would be decided by the state BJP leadership and SAD would abide by the decision of its alliance partner.